Angela Therese Mathew

To this day, I remember second grade as the time I started to love school. Before then, I was extremely reticent, allergic to socializing and participating in class, but my homeroom teacher, Mrs. Bhatia, was the first teacher who seemed to see me for something other than being shy. I would sit with my classmates at colorful six-seater tables in our class, sunlight and the raucous honks of Mumbai traffic streaming in through the open doors, as we learnt about multiplication tables and metamorphosis.

Valentine’s Day is a huge deal in America. Even if you ignore the unbridled consumerism (candy, flowers, expensive gifts) there is so much emphasis on celebrating the day even if you’re not in a romantic relationship. Just walking around my residence hall, with most of the bulletin boards awash in various shades of pink, emblazoned advertisements for love themed events.