A section devoted to the traditional celebrations international students have in the U.S.

1. Perspectives 2.18.10:Layout 1 2/21/10 6:19 PM Page 1
PERSPECTIVES 9
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February 18, 2010 Mount Holyoke News
International students celebrate M AN
their holidays away from home G ER
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hild
n d c rman
ya e ts
mil ay, G visi
y fa this d holas
h m On c
wit . Ni
ct ed ec. 6. nd St gift
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ne in D es a all t, I
con ted com m
d s rrec
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st ron celeb l nigh n uts d is c or me
ost Day) t unti es, legen ing f las
t is
m s’
en ang the it icho
tha ichol xcitem
a , or wa or
y ol ate ed. If thing St. N over f er
lida (St. N and e hoc unish some o play ome roth
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day and the Lunar
ho s gc ep
The ikolau h fear rin b had ne
t l d c My b
it ill b n will ways omeo ts wou visit. -
is N ait w
New Year, the Mount Holyoke News decided to
e w e a l s n a any
hood en w h at h childr use I hired dpare pay o las s
ldr e. ys t ad eca ays go s to t. ich r u
explore how international students celebrate
chi hous end sa and b hild b ly alw . Our chola temen St. N ing fo
ir g , c i e i ci om it
the The le ildren good y fam and m r St. N l of ex isit fr as wa of the
their national holidays away from home. The
ch en a id, m ther me fo t ful nal v eat w ost
d be
goo ak bro e ti , ye rso tr —m
for t have I was r my uld b xious t a pe a little Dec. 6 las
three stories below offer different perspectives
s o o n cho
mu When lper f , it w bit a n’t ge e that ast on olas. St. Ni esick
e n le id sur akf
on the subject.
is h the litt ed ich ate om de-
d h r and be a er, w make or bre e St. N hocol a bit h rman ld-
an ne d d uld f t c
l
din I wou e got
ol o irs ocola out a I felt he Ge It wou .
w sta t . y
and As w mom down ittle ch r with ay tha fall. T n’t go nywa
but came be a l st yea irst d in the could ily, a y
re,
VIETNAM
r f m m
mo en we would my fi o the lyoke , but I my fa e of ull
wh e, it s was as als nt Ho ation hout i
m
nd a day e-
f
tim Thi . 6 w Mou elebr e wit s rem t is a tr
Dec ning d a c sam lway am. I ay th ear
and ce joi nt ha n the will a ere I ia, a d this y y
sin rtme e bee olas r wh talg aybe ith m
pa hav Nich atte d nos ts. M e it w
n’t St. , no m es an y roo ebrat U.S. to
CHINA
ily ori fm el the se
fam mem me o le to c re in excu
o f d s ab he s an
min ill be iends want r all.
I w ew fr one , afte
“Do you feel n very ndy
like Tet is com
Nguyen ’11 w ing?” asked E ca
It was a dry br
hen she show
ed me her “che my friend Thu eat
anch she foun rry blossom”
placed in a ch d near Lower branch.
ina vase with Lake and care
replied in a sh pink paper flo fully
aky voice, as wers pasted on Instead o
about to over the rising wav it. “I do,” I f preparin
flow. Yes, Tet e of homesickn Thursday g for my e
my first Luna (Lunar New Ye ess was n
r New Year aw ar) was comin write dow ight searching like xam on F
If you want to ay from hom g and this is n before I a madwom riday, Feb. 12, I sp
know the nost e. call for th came to M an for pho ent my
e Chinese o ne numbe
home when th
e Lunar New algia a Vietnam
ese feels away tire week New Year. unt Holyoke. I had rs I forgo
during winte Year arrives, from end on en I had the to make a t to
r break. You try staying on count. Ind dless call ominous list of the
meeting rem remain stuck campus eed, my p s and hav feeling th people to
inders, class with having to redictions e to trans at I would
registration co handle On Frida turn fer more “waste” m
announcemen
ts. But instea nfirmations an puter afte y night, when the N ed out to be true. money in
to my Sky y en-
mom with pr d you wish yo d exam r a cup of ew Year a pe ac-
eparations, es u could help parents, a strong co rrived in
pecially upon your unts, unc ffee, and China, I s
“This year, I receiving her one of the les and co logged in at down in
had to do all email: m wanted usins had to my Sky front of m
South Hadley’ the cleaning to talk to gathered pe accoun y com-
s freezing win alone.” Outsi said, “I sh me but als at my gra t. As expe
Vietnam’s fres d blew away de, ould prob ndparents cted, my
h flower mar the memory went on fo ably cut th o gave oth ’ when I c
ket, sunshine of r five more is short a ers the op alled. Eac
green leaves dancing on th minutes o s your au portunity h
and later firew e My mom f fast talk nts are w to join in.
before the cloc orks chasing kept repe ing before aiting to ta They
k strikes twel one another her friend ating that shouting, lk to you,”
The conversa ve. s were en she regre “Quick, w but then
tion at Prospe with her. joying the tted havin hose turn
starts revolvin ct’s dining ta People ge New Year g let me st is it?”
g around holid ble ing their nerally w celebratio udy abroa
orry that n d
chung, mut an ay food—banh holidays, internatio with their children as now all
d o mai—and My cousin but parents are th nal stude
nts have a but I was
n’t
eventually w s describe e
are discussing
a cooking even e once men
tioned tha d how goo ones who suffer m hard time
dur-
ing is not som t. “Tet cook- t Am d the food ore.
The call la was, a ga
said Nguyen.
ething I want
to miss,” sted for m erican food cannot me they st
arted afte
Quizzes, test family me ore than a be compa rI
signments of s and as- mbers an n hour an red to Ch
all kinds are d friends. d was foll inese cuis
put off Later, wh owed by c ine.
because Satu en I chatt alls to oth
rday evening asked if I ed with so er
has been rese had celeb me friend
rved for all She felt s rated the s online, o
my dear sister orry for m New Year ne of them
s, deli- those call e wh in any tra
cious food an s and mes en I replied no. Bu ditional w
ay.
d the bration. A sages, I d t with all
feeling of hom fter all, w id have a
e. in any ho hat really huge cele
liday is th matters -
with who e people
m you cele
brate. -
BY VI BUI ’13 BY JING GAO ’13 BY MARION MESSMER ’13
CONTRIBUTING WRITER STAFF WRITER STAFF WRITER