Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 27, 2009

Weather: Cloudy

Temperature: 55 F (13 C)

This week was Thanksgiving in the United States. Thanksgiving is an important holiday, celebrated in America and Canada. On the fourth Thursday of November (in Canada, the second Monday in October), we get together with our families and friends to have a big feast, with Turkey and cranberries and pie, and many other things. Before the meal, we all "give thanks." That is, we tell everybody what we are thankful for.

This year, I can't make it home to be with my family, but I am thankful for the chance to study at the Teachers College, even though it is far away from home. I went to a friend's house to eat Thanksgiving dinner, and it was very delicious!

Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? In 1619, there was a group of Europeans who came to America. The soil was different in America, so they could not make their European-style plants grow. In the winter, they almost died because there was no food. But a Native American named Tisquantum (American history books call him Squanto) taught the Europeans how to plant corn, and they survived. Thanksgiving is a day to remember Tisquantum and his kindness, and to remember other people and things that we are thankful for.

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I met an olympic athlete!

Thursday, November 12, 2009
Weather: Rainy
Temperature: 50 F (10 C)

Do you know who Isao Yoneda is? In 2004, the Japanese gymnastics team won the gold medal. Mr. Yoneda was the team's captain.

Last weekend, he came to the Teachers College, and I got to meet him! He came to visit FOJ, the Friends of Japan club. We asked him questions about the Olympics, and about his future plans to open gymnastics schools in Japan, America, and Canada. He was a little quiet, but very nice. He really loves gymnastics, and has lots of interest in coaching.

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Happy Halloween!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Weather: Sunny
Temperature: 61 F (11 C)

I saw something interesting on Saturday, which was Halloween. In New York City, children do trick-or-treating at stores in their neighborhood! In smaller American cities, children do trick-or-treating at houses in their neighborhood.

I was at a restaurant on Saturday evening, eating dinner, and some children in costumes came in. The cashier gave them some candy. I was very surprised! Maybe it's not safe for children to knock on neighbors' doors, or maybe it's just difficult to do trick-or-treating in a big apartment building with many apartments.

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