Year 2006 is around the corner. For people back home in China they are already in 2006. We are still 3 hours away. There will be some celebrations in major cities such as New York Time Square, Las Vegas, etc. And there will be Rose Parade in Pasadena (LA) tomorrow. I don’t know about how people living in China think about the New Year (or Xmas for that matter) activities in the US. Years ago I read about “Studying in the US” by Qian Ning . I remember a story says “students walking from campus to apartment in Iowa City”. The street and road side are beautiful. But the author said it’s not a romantic thing because there are not many people walk there (most people drive), and the students feel lonely.
I think that story reflects the lives of Chinese students and working professionals in the US very well. I think most will have some sort of lonely feeling during the holidays. We can gather toegther and party. But we surely miss our families and friends at home.