This article summarizes three international students' perspectives on celebrating holidays from their home countries while studying abroad. A Vietnamese student feels nostalgic for Lunar New Year as the date approaches. A Chinese student spends the evening of Lunar New Year calling family and friends in China. A discussion at the dining hall table revolves around missing traditional holiday foods and customs when away from home.

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
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explore how international students celebrate
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their national holidays away from home. The
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three stories below offer different perspectives
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CHINA
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fam mem me o le to c re in excu
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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