International Open House Valentine’s Day

Tonight at International Open House, we discussed Valentine's Day, beginning with the question, "Ok, so who was this Valentine character, anyway?" We were provided with several different answers, none of which are particularly rooted in verifiable fact (that's the historian in me talking), but all of which make nice stories (although a bit gruesome). The only points upon which all of the stories agreed was that he was Roman, did something that made the Emperor mad, and lost his head as a result. From there, we moved onto the happier aspects of St. Valentine's Day.

We began by discussing Valentine's Day in Britain, and then discussed what it is like in the other countries represented (the US, South Korea, and China). In the Asian countries, Valentine's Day is a day when girls give guys cards, and there is a day in March (called White Day) when guys return the favor. In Britain and the US, things are much the same. When discussing Valentine's Day in the US, I broke out some conversation hearts, which were a big hit. In fact, they were duly eaten up!

Near the end, I was asked to talk through the wedding album that Amanda had left at the Watson's house at Global Gathering this morning. I was happy to do so, and discussed all the points in the book, including explaining who the "Maid of Horror" was. The "Maid of Horror" bit came from Mrs. Watson attempting to comment upon the "Maid of Honor" but mis-speaking, so that I had to explain the concept and clarify that the word in question was "Honor," not "Horror," for the benefits of our Asian colleagues.

In a few weeks at International Open House, it's my turn to talk about the US. Tune in in two weeks time to see how that goes!

Valentine's Day

This morning when we woke up, Will gave me a few Valentine's Day treats: some candy bars, a coffee cup with some hot chocolate mix, and a small, stuffed kangaroo. (He thought the kangaroo was a bunny, despite its pouch and long tail.) My Valentine's Day present to him was some iTunes credit so that he could pick out some new songs of his choice. He asked his parents for iTunes cards for Christmas and didn't get any, so I knew he would be pleased with that gift. After we had exchanged presents, I left for a full day of work at Sports World. 

           

When I got off of work, Will was waiting outside for me, holding my coat. He had strategically placed a card  and another candy bar in one of the pockets. The card instructed me to look in the hall closet.

Following the instructions on the card, I walked home with him and then took a look in the hall closet. In the closet, there was some toilet paper with a bunny on it, and a note directing me to the living room. 

So, I then went to the living room, where I found another card, hanging up with all the other cards. It, too, contained a message leading my onwards to my own closet. 

When I looked in my closet, I found a bunny-sized dress and bouquet of roses for my Build-A-Bunny, Devon Kaye. 

Having completed my mini treasure hunt, I gave Will a hug, and then we went to the grocery store to buy the ingredients for our Valentine's Day dinner. On the way home, we stopped by McDonald's to get milkshakes and sundaes and then took a detour through the Cathedral close so that we could see one of the prettier parts of Exeter under the moonlight. At home, we cooked and ate together and then watched a movie.

All in all, it was my best Valentine's Day ever- and I think Will enjoyed it just as much.