TheHistoryofThanksgivingDay
intheunitedstates,thefourththursdayinnovemberiscalledthanksgivingday.onthisday,americansgivethanksfortheblessingstheyhaveenjoyedduringtheyear.thanksgivingisusuallyafamilyday,celebratedwithbigdinnersandhappyreunions.thefirstamericanthanksgivingwasheldinplymouth,massachusettsin1621.in17thcentury,agroupofpilgrimsleftenglandtoexplorethenewworld.itwasinseptemberof1620whentheirshipcalledthe“mayflower”leftportwith102men,women,andchildrenonboard.
theylandedinprovincetownharborafter65daysatsea.thepilgrimswerepoorlytrainedandpoorlyequippedtocopewithlifeinthewilderness.duringtheirfirstwinterinthenewland,theysufferedtremendously.poorfood,hardwork,infectiousdiseases,andbitterlycoldweatherkilledabouthalfofthem.bytheendofthisterriblefirstwinter,onlyabout50remainedalive.
onespringmorningin1621,anindianwalkedintothelittlevillageofplymouthandintroducedhimselfinafriendlyway.later,hebroughttheindianchief,massasoit,whogavegiftstothepeopleandofferedassistance.theindiansofmassasoit’stribetaughtthepilgrimshowtohunt,fish,andgrowfood.theytaughtthepilgrimstousefishforfertilizerinplantingcorn,pumpkins,andbeans.becauseofthishelpfromtheindians,thepilgrimshadagoodharvest.governorwilliambradfordwasfollowinganancienttraditionwhen,inthefallof1621,heissuedaproclamationestablishingadayofthanksgivingtogod.thegovernoralsodecidedtousethisreligiousoccasiontostrengthenthebondoffriendshipbetweenthepilgrimsandtheirindianneighbors.soheinvitedchiefmassasoitandhisbravestosharethethanksgivingfeast.theindiansgladlyacceptedandsentfivedeerahead.thepilgrimmenwenthuntingandreturnedwithturkeyandotherwildgame.thewomenofplymouthprepareddeliciousdishesfromcorn,cranberries,squashandpumpkins.
MyPerfectWife
iamatwenty-two-year-oldmale,single,andliveathomewithmyparents.atmyage,iamalwayslookingforagreatgirltobewithfortherestofmylife.theperfectwifewillbedifferenttoeverymanbecausenotwomenarelookingforthesamequalitiesinawife.peoplesaythattheappearanceofamateshouldnotmakeanydifference,butitisnicetohavesomeonedecent-looking.thephysicalaspectsofthegirlwillplayanimportantroleinwhomipickformywife.ithinkoverall,iwantaslim-figuredwomanwithaprettyface.iamaveryenergeticperson,thetypeofpersonthatcannotjuststayhomeanddonothing.iwouldwantawifewhowouldwanttoplayagameoftennisorwouldgorunningwithme.
iwouldwanthertobeinvolvedwithlifeinsteadofwatchingtelevisionorreadingabookallnight.sheneedstobeenergetic,enjoycamping,boating,orjusttakingacoupleofweeksoffandtraveling.thewomanofmydreamsmustbefullofenergyandabletocopewitheverydayhappenings.iwouldalsoliketohaveawifewhoiswell-educated.shedoesnotnecessarilyhavetohaveafour-yearcollegedegreebutshouldbeagirlwhoknowswhatisgoingonintheworld.shemustbeambitiousinhercareerratherthanrelyingonherhusband’sincome.sheneedstobehelpful,knowledgeableaboutfinancialandpracticalhouseholdmatters.mywifemustbeintelligentenoughtomakedecisionsonherownwithoutrelyingonme.shemustbeawomanwithabrainaswellasgoodlooks.thereisnodoubtthatthe“perfectwife”ishardtofind.ithinknotwopeopleshouldbemarrieduntiltheyaretotallyconvincedthattheyaremadeforeachother.
TruancyinUniversities—anAnalysis
studentsplayingtruantappearstobeacommonphenomenonininstitutionsofhigherlearninginthiscentury.althoughmostcollegesanduniversitieshavestrictregulationsforbiddingtruancy,theseregulationsoftenprovelessthaneffective.tounderstandwhatluresstudentstoplaytruantdespitepossiblepunishmentandtosearchforasolutiontotheproblem,ananalysisofthecausesbehindthisphenomenonhasbeenattempted.
anumberofstudentsplaytruantintentionally.aftercarefulconsideration,theydecidetostayawayfromcoursesthattheyfindoutdatedincontent,dullinteachingmaterial,andimpracticalintheory.
coursesthatarecloselyrelatedtothestudents’specialfieldsmayalsofailtoinspireenthusiasmandattractstudentstotheclassroom.ifweregardthesereasonsas“legitimate”,wewillnonethelessfindillegitimateones.aconsiderablenumberofstudents,whovaluemoneyand“experience”aboveknowledge,workonpart-timejobswhentheyshouldbeattendingclasses.
thisisespeciallywidespreadamongthosefourth-yearstudentswhoareanxioustofindasatisfyingjob.othersplaytruantunintentionally.theyare,orrather,believetheyareobligedtodoso.manystudentshavethehabitofstayinguplateandsleepinglate.asaresult,theymissthemorningclasses.anumberofstudentsamongthisgroupcomplainthatsincemorningexercisesat6:30robthemoftheirearly-morningsweetdreams,theyaresoexhaustedandsleepyatclasstimethattheygobacktocatchupontheirsleep.then,thereare“studentleaders”whoareoccupiedwithstudentsunionactivitiesandotherevents.there“leaders”areusuallysofullyoccupiedthattheycanbarelyspareanytimeorenergyfortheirstudyanddeterminethattheyhavenootherchoicethantoskipseveralclasseseveryweek.
DifferenceBetweenCultures
ihavealwaysfoundthechinesetobeaverygraciouspeople.inparticular,chinesefrequentlycomplimentforeignfriendsontheirlanguageskills,knowledgeofchineseculture,professionalaccomplishments,andpersonalhealth.curiously,however,chineseareasloathtoacceptacomplimentastheyareeagertogiveone.
asmanyofmychinesefriendshaveexplained,thisisamanifestationofthechinesevirtueofmodesty.ihavenoticedadifference,though,inthedegreetowhichmodestyisemphasizedintheunitedstatesandchina.intheus,wetendtoplacemoreemphasison“seekingthetruthfromfact;”thus,americanstendtoacceptacomplimentwithgratitude.chinese,ontheotherhand,tendtorejectthecompliment,evenwhentheyknowtheydeservethecreditorrecognitionwhichhasbeenawardedthem.icanimagineachinesebasketballfanmeetingmichaeljordanofthechicagobulls.hemightsay,“mr.jordan,iamsohappytomeetyou.ijustwanttotellyou,youarethebestbasketballplayerintheworld;you’rethegreatest!”towhichjordanwouldprobablyrespond,“thankyouverymuch.ireallyappreciateit!ijustdotrytodomybesteverytimeisteponthecourt.”ifanamericanmetdengyaping,china’spremierpingpongplayer,hemightsaymuchthesamething:“ms.deng,you’rethebest!”butasachinese,dengwouldprobablysay,“no,ireallydon’tplayallthatwell.you’retoomuchkind.”plainly,americansandchinesehavedifferentwaysofrespondingtopraise.ironically,manyamericansmightconsiderms.deng’shypotheticalresponsethelessmodest,becauseitislesstruthful—andthereforelesssincere.americansgenerallyplacesincerityaboveetiquette;genuinegratitudeforthepraiseservesasasubstituteforprotestationsofmodesty.afterall,inthewordsofoneofmyclosestchinesefriends,modestytakentotheextremeisarrogance.
WeaknessorStrength
sometimesyourbiggestweaknesscanbecomeyourbiggeststrength.take,forexample,thestoryofone10-yearoldboywhodecidedtostudyjudodespitethefactthathehadlosthisleftarminadevastatingcaraccident.theboybeganlessonswithanoldjapanesejudomaster.theboywasdoingwell,sohecouldn'tunderstandwhy,afterthreemonthsoftraining,themasterhadtaughthimonlyonemove.
"sir,theboyfinallysaid,shouldn'tibelearningmoremoves?
"thisistheonlymoveyouknow,butthisistheonlymoveyou'lleverneedtoknow,themasterreplied.notquiteunderstanding,butbelievinginhisteacher,theboykepttraining.severalmonthslater,themastertooktheboytohisfirsttournament.surprisinghimself,theboyeasilywonhisfirsttwomatches.thethirdmatchprovedtobemoredifficult,butaftersometime,hisopponentbecameimpatientandcharged;theboydeftlyusedhisonemovetowinthematch.
stillamazedbyhissuccess,theboywasnowinthefinals.thistime,hisopponentwasbigger,h2er,andmoreexperienced.forawhile,theboyappearedtobeovermatched.concernedthattheboymightgethurt,therefereecalledatimeout.hewasabouttostopthematchwhenhisjudomasterintervened."no,thejudomasterinsisted,"lethimcontinue."soonafterthematchresumed,hisopponentmadeacriticalmistake:hedroppedhisguard.instantly,theboyusedhismovetopinhim.theboyhadwonthematchandthetournament.hewasthechampion.onthewayhome,theboyandhisjudomasterreviewedeverymoveineachandeverymatch.thentheboysummonedthecouragetoaskwhatwasreallyonhismind.sir,howdidiwinthetournamentwithonlyonemove?"youwonfortworeasons,"themasteranswered.
"first,you'vealmostmasteredoneofthemostdifficultthrowsinallofjudo.second,theonlyknowndefenseforthatmoveisforyouropponenttograbyourleftarm.theboy'sbiggestweaknesshadbecomehisbiggeststrength.
Friendship
Onefamily,whichhademigratedfromJapanandsettledattheturnofthecenturynearSanFrancisco,hadestablishedabusinessinwhichtheygrewrosesandtruckedthemintoSanFranciscothreemorningsaweek.TheotherfamilywasanaturalizedfamilyfromSwitzerlandwhoalsomarketedroses,andbothfamiliesbecamemodestlysuccessful,astheirroseswereknowninthemarketsofSanFranciscofortheirlongvase-life.Foralmostfourdecadesthetwofamilieswereneighbors,andthesonstookoverthefarms,butthenonDecember7,1941,JapanattackedPearlHarbor.AlthoughtherestofthefamilymemberswereAmericans,thefatheroftheJapanesefamilyhadneverbeennaturalized.Astheyplannedtoleavethecountry,hisneighbormadeitclearthat,ifnecessary,hewouldlookafterhisfriend'snursery.Itwassomethingeachfamilyhadlearnedinchurch:Lovethyneighborasthyself.“Youwoulddothesameforus,”hetoldhisJapanesefriend.ItwasnotlongbeforetheJapanesefamilywastransportedtoabarrenlandscapeinCanada.Afullyearwentby.Thentwo.Thenthree.WhiletheJapaneseneighborswereinCanada,theirfriendsworkedinthegreenhouses,thechildrenworkedbeforeschoolandonSaturdays,andthefather'sworkoftenstretchedto16and17hoursaday.Andthenoneday,whenthewarinEuropehadended,theJapanesefamilypackedupandboardedatrain.Theyweregoinghome.Whatwouldtheyfind?Thefamilywasmetatthetrainstationbytheirneighbors,andwhentheygottotheirhome,thewholeJapanesefamilystared.Therewasthenursery,intact,scrubbedandshininginthesunlight—neat,prosperousandhealthy.Andthehousewasjustascleanandwelcomingasthenursery.Andthereonthediningroomwasoneperfectredrosebud,justwaitingtounfold—thegiftofoneneighbortoanother.