Happy Black Friday

I'd forgotten about Black Friday until those words jumped out of the Volkskrant (the Dutch paper) yesterday morning, in what I could only guess was an article about the US economy. I'm still in far more support of doing *nothing* the day after Thanksgiving, besides watching movies in bed (in the morning!) maybe taking a walk,or doing some yoga.

So how was your Thanksgiving?
Here, it was a day like any other here for the most part -- although there were ripples through the staff and non-Americans (everyone but me, that is) about it maybe being an important American holiday. It was a day of plaster and molds and then trying to explain the meaning of Thanksgiving to everyone over coffee and later, dinner. Its an explaination that gets very absurd quickly. I haven't had to explain Thanksgiving to anyone as an adult and, well, try it yourself. Just think through it as though you're trying to talk to foreigners. Maybe it goes something like this: It's a celebration of when the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth rock and the Indians (clearly good with crowds) threw a big dinner party in their honor.: a celebration of new friends and the abundance of the fall harvest. It then ends with, 'and then the dinner guests took their land and gave them diseases and killed most of them.'

Props to Tracey Whose-last-name-I-don't-know (I don't know anyone's last name here -- it's kind of like a treatment center or witness protection program in that way), Jeremy's girlfriend from Providence who is visiting this week: she came armed with cookbooks and her own apron to make us all a proper Thanksgiving. They rode around for a good part of the day and found several Grouse for sale but no Turkeys. Grouse are described as 'Wild Chickens Who Live In the Mountains' by one of the staff members -- although how can that be? There are no mountains here. 'But there are big mountains, 300 meters high!' says Jakob, one of the Dutch residents. I suppose perspective is everything, and when you're starting below sea level, well, ok.
Anyhow, it was a swell piece of home, and made me think of everyone and everything for whom I am thankful, including you.

Speaking of explaining cultural differences, this just came in from John Keith, and maybe you know it, maybe you don't. But it's a far better explanation of Christmas here than I could ever muster. Thanks John, and thanks David. So to start your Christmas season, whatever that might mean:

http://people.cornell.edu/pages/bs16/Christmas/6_to_8_black_men.txt