Thanksgiving

Starting today is a four day holiday Thanksgiving weekend here in the US. It kind of is the start of holidat season which will last till January encompassing Christmas and New Year.

It is a nostalgic day for me as lots of things have changed in the past one year. Today marks the ninth year I am here in the United States and life is again at the crossroads. But the spirit is much brighter today.

Today marks the busiest travel day of the year when everyone who is away from their home - studying, working, teaching - get together and celebrate the Thanksgiving Dinner.

Also 8 years ago tommorow marks my initiation into the American culture. I was lucky to be part of a Thanksgiving Feast hosted by my German Professor for whom I was a Teaching Assistant at the college here - invited me alongwith a fellow Chinese student, a Banglasdeshi couple, a German girl - exchange student and her Husband who is an Egyptian.
The reason for me to write the different countries is to elaborate that no one of us was an American - all immigrants - all here to expand their horizons in their own ways. Each with a dream and aspiration - separated from near and dear ones back home either because of personal choice or aspirations or need.
She was a very nice lady who invited us knowing that none of us had our families here and also her own son was away and could not make it. A special gesture -as mostly Turkey is served at this dinner - she made vegeterian dishes for me. It was a memorable evening etched forever in my memory.

Today thus I take this opportunity to say Thank You to everyone I have known till now, I have not yet known but are part of this Universe, and extent it to all I will know in the future.

We have been given an identity and placed on this planet. But single handedly we are just objects with with reasoning powers - it is only after the interaction among different people that we get classified and categorized based on our similarities and differences, This is then what defines that identity and it becomes a being.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving !!!!!