Happy f****** Valentine's day!

For me it's Friday the 13th. It's Jason is coming. It's slasher. It's bad luck. It's severed heads.

For my co-workers and students it's the day before Valentine's day. Firt thing in the morning I got a little heart shapped box that said "I'm falling in love with you". The office manager gave it to all the teachers. Then I got candy, chewing gum and yes, yes, yes! a heart sticker to put in my shirt. I really need to learn how to say "I'd rather shoot myself in the head and pick up the pieces" in Thai.

In my next class we're going to draw cards and hearts. I want a knife.

On other notes, life is settling and I'm ok (I get that question a lot). Because the director is away I had to teach computer class to grade one and two. It was the most boring time I've had here so far.

This afternoon me and another volunteer are taking Parvati to swim. She has cerebral paralsy and needs the exercise. However she speaks Burmese, Thai and English realy well. She also very social. However once in the water she shrieks of pure joy, it's quite nice to see but the first time she almost gave me a heart attack.

This evening we are going to see a show at the market, the children from another NGO organized something and by the way everyone is talking about it, it seems the whole of town will be there. I'm sure so will the mosquitoes. I've been biten by mosquitoes (and they used to ignore me in the west) and I also had to get rid of a blanket the school director gave me as it was infested with fleas. She has 15 dogsm I should've said no thank you.

The town has several volunteers and it's nice to chat in English after a tiring, full of gestures and drawings conversation with a Thai or Burmese.

Remember how I mentioned Thais considered the head sacred? Well, apparently the Burmese think differently and since most of my students are Burmese I've been hit in the head, touched, rubbed and God knows what. I'm going to be so confused when I leave this place.

One thing that is universal is hugs. First thing in the morning my first graders fight to see who hugs me first. And we're not talking about a quickie either, it's a long 5 minute or more hug. It's a great ego lifter I can tell you that...