My Thanksgiving Experience

 This Thanksgiving was one of the most wonderful holidays I spent in the U.S. this year. I was invited to one of my American friend’s home. It was a cold December day and the snow started to fall and cover the ground. Her house was located in one of Newark’s very nice and quiet suburbs. I was so impressed by how beautifully her house was decorated. It was really inspiring place! She cooked a great Thanksgiving meal for her family and friends. She used her fine plates and sliver wear on the table as well. After the dinner meal, we talked, shared our stories and took many photos...

            
 

 

Walah Ahmed is an Iraqi Fulbrighter pursuing a Master of Arts in Linguistics & Cognitive Science at University of Delaware.

A Memorable Thanksgiving in Texas!

 Prior to coming to the U.S. for my studies, I have always wondered what makes the Thanksgiving holiday so special among U.S. citizens.

With much anticipation, I got an invitation to attend a Thanksgiving dinner hosted by one of our professors. She had a lovely house in Austin, Texas, and she invited all of the international students of our program. To make the occasion unique, the dinner was arranged as a potluck dinner, meaning that everybody was encouraged to bring and share their own home-cooked food. The professor took care of preparing the traditional turkey and the rest of arrangements. Needless to say, most people showed up with excellent dishes coming from all over the world, since this was an international event.

Prior to the dinner, we played soccer and a few games in the nice courtyard in front of the house. After the dinner, each one of us wrote on a small piece of paper about what we are thankful for. The professor collected all these papers and hanged them on a tree-shaped wallpaper. It was such a memorable moment to see what everybody was truly thankful for.

Overall, it was such a lovely experience and I am glad I had the chance to be part of it. What makes this holiday special is its common purpose of being thankful. I also heard that people can celebrate Thanksgiving in many different ways which makes this holiday truly unique. I am glad I got to experience it with my fellow international students and I hope to get the chance to experience it again sometime in the future.

Ahmed Almulla is a Bahraini Fulbrighter pursuing an MBA at Texas A&M University.

Thanksgiving with Friends

It was my first Thanksgiving in the States and I was invited by my friends Mr. Cox and Mrs. Kay (who appear in the picture below) to a wonderful evening that included great food, friends and other family members.

What touched me the most was that Mr. Cox is battling cancer and I'm stunned with his strength and great spirit along with his amazing wife who acts strongly to help him defeat this disease. Mr. Cox and Mrs. Kay visited Palestine many times and provided financial aid to Saint John Eye hospital in Jerusalem.

I was introduced to this beautiful couple through my professor Mike Fotos who also invited me over for the Thanksgiving holiday, and I also spent two wonderful hours in the afternoon with his great family before having dinner with Mr. Cox and Mrs. Kay.

I'm thankful for these two great families that I have around me who try to help me overcome any challenges, and I am so happy to share my story with the Fulbright community.

Ghadir Awwad is a Palestinian Fulbrighter from the West Bank pursuing an M.A. in Public Policy at Trinity College.