Valentine's Day. The day that (in the U.K anyway) couples use to gloat and single people use to drink. But in Thailand it's different. It's a day to show everyone that you love them- your 'love' (boyfriend/girlfriend/crush), your friends, your family and apparently your teachers...

As we drove through the school gates this morning an addition to the usual food stalls had appeared. A lady was selling roses by the handful to our students, who entered assembly on the field with roses and flowers sticking out of their backpacks.

My first class was 5/1 (16 and 17 year olds) who at 8.40am were already covered in Valentine's Day stickers and had roses on every desk. 'Happy Valentine's Day, Teacher Hannah!' they shouted as I walked in. Safe to say any proper work went out the window so I handed them all word searches (Valentine's Day words though, so it was relevant!). I then had lots of heart stickers stuck onto my top and ended up with lots of roses, which was a bit of a shock as I don't think I've ever been given a rose before! One rose was given in particular style- down on one knee offering the rose in the palm of his hands, felt like I was being proposed to!

I literally haven't stopped smiling all day. I have felt so much love from my school and the classes I've taught, it's been amazing. I have also learnt 'I love you' in Thai- 'Chan Rak Khun' and have been using it all day (to the classes I like anyway). I have started telling the students that I will be leaving soon and I don't think they were expecting it. I'm hoping that their reactions ('Don't gooooo! Stay Thailand' etc) mean that I've been an alright teacher for them for the last four months, even if they doon't know what I'm saying half the time.

Hwyl x