It's never too early to start planning for an important event like Valentine's Day, especially if you're going to spend it in Laos. And we invite you to do just that.

In February 2012, we're planning a special, first-time event: Mouse Week. Every day we'll have one or two, activities for those whose contributions have made our work possible. We're still planning the schedule, and this being Laos, it's always subject to change, but we hope and expect the list will include:

* A book party at a primary school. Many of you have already been to one. You're probably ready for another; visitors often say it was the highlight of their trip. We'll have at least two primary school book parties at nearby locations during the week.

* Meet other supporters. You don't need to come to Laos to meet non-Lao people. But we've found that Big Brother Mouse supporters are a very unusual and special group of people. We'll have events where you can get to know others who are excited about what we're doing. You're going to have some new friends before you leave.

*Sharpen your math skills. That's not why you're coming to Laos, of course. But it's fun! Try out the game we're using, to make it fun for kids, and adults, to improve their number skills.

* A book party at a high school. High schools (which include grades 6 to 12) are big, with anywhere from 250 to 2000 students. We've got a growing number of books specifically written for high school students. They also enjoy fairy tales and other books we take to primary schools, which they never saw when they were younger.

* A village reading room. We've worked with volunteers in 150 villages, who have put books in their home, so that others can come read, or borrow books. This is a low-key, inexpensive way to create wider access to books. It depends heavily on the motivation and skills of the volunteers. The motivation is already there; we offer workshops and training sessions where they can develop the skills. We'll visit one or two of these village reading rooms.

* Reading room workshops. At these workshops, volunteers from village reading rooms share ideas and improve their skills. Our main focus in the past year has been helping these volunteers learn to read aloud. You'll have an opportunity to learn some read-aloud skills too, if you're ready to drop your inhibitions. Can you keep a group of kids spellbound, as well as this woman?

* Lunches and dinners. Luang Prabang has some excellent restaurants for visitors, of course. It also has some terrific, and very affordable, spots that get a mostly local crowd and which you probably wouldn't find on your own. We'll have opportunities to enjoy both.

* Kwangsi waterfall If you've visited Luang Prabang, you probably went to Kwangsi waterfall. It's a spot of great natural beauty. A moderate hike takes you up one side of the waterfall; you wade across the top then come down the other side. Shorter hiking trails take you through a nature trail. A bear refuge is near the waterfall, offering a safe shelter for bears that had been illegally poached. Swing on a rope and splash into a natural swimming hole. And it's even more fun when you get there by boat, accompanied by the Big Brother Mouse book-party team!

* Share your insights. If you care enough to support our literacy program, you probably have some ideas about new things we could do. We can't do it all! But we're continually thinking about how to be most effective. We'll have a brainstorming session to get your ideas about new things that Big Brother Mouse could be doing.

* Be a teacher for a day. Our #1 priority is making good books and getting them to villages that haven't had such books before. But to do that, we spend a great deal of time and effort helping our staff learn new skills. Some of these are specific, job-related skills: Writing, doing computer layouts, and leading games at a book party. But we also create hands-on experiences that are rare for young people here. We have science lessons with electronics kits, or a microscope. We play board games, ranging from Monopoly to Nine Men's Morris. You undoubtedly have some skills or know some things that you can share. We hope you will.

In short, it's a chance to see what we're doing; to have fun, and to see aspects of Laos that you wouldn't usually. The best part will probably be the people you meet, both locals and visitors.

This is open to anyone who has donated enough to sponsor a book party, or more ($250 USD). We will coordinate activities and transportation. We will ask participants to pay their own expenses for food, admissions, and shared transportation, as appropriate.

You can pick and choose from whatever activities appeal to you. For some, we'll need a day or two notice so we can arrange transportation.

Dates: Monday, Feb. 13 to Monday, Feb. 20. Our reading-room workshops are on weekends, and we expect to have an activity on the final day (Sunday), that includes one of these.

Details: If you might like to come, just send us an email and we'll put you on the list to get occasional updates. No commitment is needed. We'll add more details to this page as we make plans. Please remember that we do not have an English-speaking staff to answer email, our website is the best source of information. But if you have questions you think are of interest to others, and that you'd like to see us address here, you're welcome to send them.

Travel plans: Please understand that we are not a travel agency; we cannot help with travel information, reservations, or advice. A number of guesthouses and hotels are now able to take bookings by internet. Many visitors just make a reservation for their first night or two, so they'll have the option of looking for other accommodations if they wish.