Valentines Day- The Subtext

Does she like me?  Does he like me?  Am I obsessing over Valentines Day too much?  These are the panicked questions that surround Valentines Day.  We silently ask them to ourselves, and they can become overwhelming.  But this isn't the subtext I'm thinking of.  This isn't the real subtext.

For years it's troubled me that Valentines Day's initials are VD.  I was once wished a happy VD, and I wasn't sure how to take that.  The overseeing powers of New York City must have noticed this, too, because they give out free condoms on Valentines Day (I don't know if they still do this).  This got me thinking about the other possibilities of what Valentines Day could be.  Aside from venereal disease, there's also The Vampire Diaries, vapor density and, though more of a cousin, VJ Day.  It makes me wonder if we're exploring all of our VD options.  Flowers are a classic, but what about giving fake vampire teeth?  Perhaps instead of chocolates you can give hydrogen (for measuring vapor density against).  Most appealingly, instead of a trip to an STD clinic you can go to Japan.

For many students this may be your first foreign Valentines Day.  It's just as marketed in the UK as it is in America (some say even more so), so there isn't much difference there.  At the ICLC we're trying to promote open mindedness in love.  I arrived this morning to a message that seemed to say that I love work placement site contact details.  On our Valentines board there are messages of love to classmates, flats and public transportation.  On our candy love hearts at coffee talk, some of them say, Looking Fab, while others say, Just Say No.  This all encompasses our many interpretations of what the day is about.  Bill gave gifts of candy and spicy food suggesting we make his heart burn.

Flowers, chocolate and some creative additions

Here are some of the things that we're loving this year at the London Center:

• The girls of Cumberland Mansions
• Dr. Kidd
• Soup, tulips, snow, rainbow sunsets, 80's pop, old cars, sun-roofs and otters.  And strong tea.
• Blue roses and ponies
• Eva
• Pedro
• Bill
• Jackie
• Richard
• Flat 30 and chocolate
• Park West
• Jack 
• Devon

This was how my desk looked this morning...

Though there are many ways of celebrating February 14th.  The ICLC is sticking with the traditional expressions of love for the most part, but if a trip to Japan is on offer, I won't turn it down.

-Claire