Thanksgiving

La noticia es de Noviembre, pero recien la vi hoy.
Aviso: Este articulo solo tiene gracia para los que estudiaron conmigo en EEUU.


Owensboro man opens home to students on Thanksgiving
By Joy Campbell, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.

Nov. 28-- Tom Pope of Owensboro enjoys hosting international students from Brescia University each year for a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

On Thursday, as his guests sat around the living room talking while waiting for the entree to finish cooking, the occasional smell of lasagna wafted into the room.

Well, it is a tradition. And it was Thanksgiving.

Eight years ago, Pope invited about 15 guests to share turkey and all the trimmings at his Lewis Lane home.

"No one ate the turkey, and we had tons of leftovers," Pope said. "They were polite and ate a little bit of the bird, but they mostly ate mashed potatoes and green beans. And no one touched the pies."

After that, he never cooked turkey again.

On Thursday, Pope prepared what is now his traditional Thanksgiving dinner -- lasagna, salad, garlic bread and favorite beverages. For dessert, it was apple pie with caramel-vanilla ice cream.

This is the fourth year that Pope has been host father of Martin Jara, 25, of Uruguay, who is a junior at Brescia University.

"I don't like turkey," Jara said. "One year, he asked me what I wanted for Thanksgiving dinner, and I said I like lasagna, and we've had it ever since."

Jara's friends, Daniel Ocampo, 22, of Equador and Luis Aju, 20, whose native country is Guatemala, joined Pope and Jara for Thanksgiving dinner.

Ocampa and Jara are roommates at Brescia, and the three students share a talent for soccer.

Pope, who works at BB&T, has become acquainted with several international students through his church and through Brescia.

He also has family in Chile and decided to learn Spanish to be able to talk to them in the native language. That led him to volunteer in the English as a Second Language program at Brescia.

"I've met a lot of students through Brescia, and I'm still good friends with many," he said.

The students didn't know much about America's Thanksgiving holiday before arriving at Brescia.

"We heard about it through movies, which is how we learn about cultures," Jara said.

Aju, who now lives in Owensboro, said the closest holiday to Thanksgiving in Guatemala is Harvest Day, "when we celebrate a good corn crop."

Aju's father, Luis Aju Sr., is director of Hispanic ministry for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro.

Pope said when he mentioned his Thanksgiving dinner menu at work, he was surprised that several co-workers also have nontraditional holiday entrees, including fried chicken and steak.

Jara is a pre-med major and hopes to get into medical school and become a doctor.

"When I came here to study, I spoke no English," he said. "Tom has helped me."

All three students said it's difficult living away from their native countries.

"I know so many students who live maybe two hours away from home, and they never go home," said Jara, who is looking forward to going back to Uruguay over the Christmas holiday break.

Ocampa, who majors in math and computers, also will be going home for Christmas.

Aju has a double major in Spanish and business and wants to find a job in business, he said.

Pope and Jara were planning to leave Thursday afternoon for Dayton, Ohio, to visit the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Museum on Friday.

Jara has developed an interest in U.S. aircraft and history. He plays the World War II video game "Call of Duty: World at War" and has watched the HBO television series "Band of Brothers."

Ocampa and Aju will be working this weekend.

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Owensboro man opens home to students on Thanksgiving
By Joy Campbell, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
McClatchy-Tribune Regional News
650 words
28 November 2008
Messenger-Inquirer (MCT)

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