Thanksgiving

     Needless to say, celebrating Thanksgiving in China has been a little rough; going to class while one’s family back home is celebrating  their togetherness can feel quite lonely. Ironically, the one things that comes to mind to fully describe the way I feel at the moment is this Chinese poem:

九月九日忆山东兄弟 

唐 ·王维

独在异乡为异客，每逢佳节倍思亲。

遥知兄弟登高处，遍插茱萸少一人。

     This poem’s title is “Recalling the Brothers of Shandong on the 9th Day of the 9th Month” by WangWei, and was written during the Tang Dynasty. The 9th day of the 9th month is especially important in Chinese culture because it is a holiday to celebrate amongst family, much like Thanksgiving. The content of the poem describes a foreigner in a town that is strange to him, and every holiday, he misses his loved ones. He knows his brothers are climbing to a high place to plant a tree, with one person missing (him).
     Although I was unable to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family this year, I was able to celebrate with one of my good friends. Together, we decided to get a fancy dinner at a Beijing roast duck restaurant, and ate roast duck in replacement of turkey, since turkey is very hard to find in China. Although the duck was very tasty, it did not satisfy my cravings for Thanksgiving dinner.

     Thank you for reading! Please feel free to post any comments or ask any questions.