Thanksgiving is a holiday about being appreciative for what we have received during our lifetime. For Xiaowei Luo ’18 from Hefei, China, this Thanksgiving was particularly unique. Unlike past years, she chose to stay on campus for the entirety of the Thanksgiving holiday. However, her holiday experience this year was just as memorable as the ones in previous years.
Luo noted that for her Thanksgiving break she “went out just for two times. One was to have hot pot with my friends and the other was to go to the Nutcracker ballet. However the rest of the time, I just stayed at home.” Xiaowei certainly did not have a lot of activities planned for the break, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying the break.
Thanksgiving is also known for being a prime time for shopping deals. Holidays such as Black Friday have proven to be especially popular for those looking to get a great value on popular items, and while on campus, Luo made the most of online shopping.
One of the reasons that Luo decided to stay on campus for this break in particular is because during previous breaks she had already traveled a lot. “I traveled last time, and I went to New York. Just this year I just wished to stay here because I wanted to relax. I had a lot of tests this semester so I needed to use this holiday to relax.”
With all of the stresses that come to Brandeis students from taking exams, Thanksgiving break was great for Luo to decompress and enjoy herself without worrying too much about academic commitments.
In regards to the proper Thanksgiving dinner, Luo cooked from home with her friends. “Actually on Tuesday with my roommates we cooked a lot. We made a chicken but we didn’t make a turkey because we like chicken better.”
Some Chinese students in particular may not have a liking for the taste of turkey because in China, turkey meat is not very popular, so people there are not as exposed to the taste of it.
Although turkey was not a dish on the table, Luo did share some things she is thankful for.
“First my parents because they support me a lot. They send me abroad to get a better education here. This changes me into a very different person.” Luo also noted that she is very thankful “for myself because I am kind of a very motivated person. I know that my parents support me a lot, and I don’t want to fail them. I am also very thankful for my professors. They are very nice and they help me with my schoolwork and my life.”
