Thanksgiving - the Day before the Break
November 26, 2008 – 2:31 amThanksgiving - now that’s a truly all-American holiday. It’s probably the best time of the fall semester, since it’s a nearly week-long holiday and after the break, the semester will pretty much be over.
Everyone is going home. You can tell, though it’s only Tuesday. Cars are disappearing. There is a general excitement in the air. If you would listen in as people bid each other hello and goodbye in the hallways, there’s always, “Have a safe trip!” or “Have a great Thanksgiving!”
I had a few people ask if I were going home. I don’t blame them for that question, really. After all, it must have slipped their minds that going home, for me, is a two-day journey of planes and airports. And jetlag. It isn’t just the journey, but also the fact that Thanksgiving is, like I said, an American thing. No one else celebrates it.
Thanksgiving is a time when everyone seems to be extra generous. I’ve had a few invitations to Thanksgiving meals/trips. Now this is one moment when I wish I could split myself into many persons, because I do want to try out each family’s meal. I hope I don’t sound too greedy.
People are going home to see their families. It’s a reunion time for most. I can’t help but think of Chinese New Year. After all, that’s reunion time for us Chinese people. And when I think of CNY, I think of angpaos and food (when will I ever get to eat the crab crackers, I wonder?). And thinking of food, I suddenly feel like I want to eat fresh fish (cooked, of course), instead of those sickening fried fish fillets which Americans eat because they can’t deal with bones. Not that I deal with bones well either.
It may sound pretty complain-ish, but really, I’m thankful for everything here. Thankful despite the food. And thankful for the food (Why is it all about food??). Thankful for the nice people. Thankful because there’s God, and he’s most awesome.