1 post tagged “giving thanks”

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks. What are you thankful for today?

the past couple of weeks i realized i was thankful for something, even though it wasn't in conjunction with it being thanksgiving--more of a realization. but i suppose on this day, more than ever, i should blog about it to formalize it a bit :D

i really loved living in germany for two years during my graduate studies. but i'm actually very thankful for living in the US--and specifically, california. lately i've been thinking about how lucky we americans are to have what we have available to us. yes, these are "tough economic times" and everyone i know has been affected somehow, but i wouldn't trade two related aspects of america -- consumerism and its diversity -- for anything. the cultural diversity of where i live now, in the bay area, is unequaled anywhere i've been. in germany, there was no way i could get a boba or froyo or sushi all within 10 minutes of my house.

i've been fortunate enough to travel to four continents, and while every country i've been to has its own special and unique culture, only in very few metropolitan areas outside of the US (and, i suppose, only a few places inside the US--but the bay area is most definitely one of those places) is quality, authentic food and goods from countries around the world readily available. i could get wonderful spanish food in spain, but it's hard to get, say, good japanese food. here, i can get good spanish food and good japanese food.

perhaps this is my way of saying i'm grateful that america is america--a diverse nation with immigrants who bring a bit of their homelands to share with the rest of us.

and really, how can you hate a country that loves black friday? even if i don't buy anything, consumerism ftw. :P if i could afford it, anything from anywhere is available in my own backyard (figuratively speaking), and if not there, then online, just a few clicks away.

p.s. i'm also thankful for the SBC! (not to be confused with SBC the phone company, which really, i would imagine few people are thankful for)