thanksgiving / international potluck dinner
do you know how to learn a new language? how to fit into a different society and culture. you have to be open minded and willing to change. everything you know and used to is great. and so is everything strange and out of the norm. people stuck in their ways can’t learn to grow and expand. see things from different points of view. some can learn how to be multi-cultured, well-rounded thinkers. that is, when you’ve been in a foreign country long enough that you’ve picked up how they go about dealing with everyday life and it’s intricacies. if you know just a little bit more about something it won’t be so strange but a whole new world to explore and enjoy. it takes a curious mind and one willing to adapt. this came to me after a potluck dinner with foreign teachers. all in all we had german, japanese, american and chinese teachers take part. it was interesting to see everyone try new dishes, or dare not to try. my chinese teacher wouldn’t try my deviled eggs! how rude. i told her to give me a little face, jokingly of course. and then she did, and it seemed before she took a bite the muscles in her cheeks were already frowning. yes, chinese don’t have the palette for the honey mustard mayonaise rich filling but hey, give it a shot! my new german friends preferred not to have a cup of hot chocolate less it was made with hot milk. i was offering to make it. i did make the trip to fill up two thermoses of water before the dinner, bring it to dinner on top of the crate of drinks and food, whip cream and all that good stuff. but hey, that’s okay. i’m not saying anyone is wrong to not being a little more easy going. everyone can do as they like.
i’m a culprit too. sometime when i see someone eating a cookie, bed it be an oreo, without any milk. i may frown and say, “are you crazy?” but then sometimes we can also try to make the most of every situation in every place we are. let’s be thankful.