I recently got an e-mail from one of my International students who is spending a month with seven other students traveling the United States before returning to China.

While in New York her laptop was stolen from the hotel room. Everything was on it - photos, applications to graduate school, the works. When she tried to discuss it with hotel management, she was rebuffed. I feel bad about this, hoping she does not see this horrible treatment as representative of America.

Except in some ways it is. I, too, have had similar experiences. Once, in Fargo, I left my hypoallergenic pillow in the hotel room. I called the hotel two hours after checking out and, nope, they hadn’t seen it. This has happened over the years with other items - a new shirt, a curling iron, a swimsuit left hanging in the shower. So I surveyed friends and not a single person has had a positive response when looking for a missing or left-behind item in a hotel. Not one single time.

This is that time of year when there are not a lot of cultural events and activities going on around the region. Folks are more focused on simply getting through the holidays.

But some exciting things are coming down the pike - Conversational Spanish classes and English classes will begin again at the Diversity Regional Outreach Center - DROC on January 11 - more details on this in the near future.

Also, once again Presentation College is hosting a performance from Mixed Blood Theater out of Minneapolis. This event will honor Black History Month. Again, more details on that in the near future - when I get ‘em, you’ll get ‘em.

Sometimes I like to imagine what newcomers to our country think of our traditions. For instance, someone returning to his home country far away might describe a Christmas tradition thusly - “They roll out a sweet dough and cut it into the shapes of men, or bells or stars or trees. Then they paint the shapes with colored frosting. Then they eat the shapes.”

Or

“They drag a tree into the house and put shiny decorations on it. Then, when it is dried up a prickly, they take all the decorations off and drag the tree back outside again. What quaint customs these people have.”

I was honored to be able to be host Mum to two Chinese students this semester. They are returning to China in January, but I learned so much from them and hope they learned as much from me. One of the things I learned is that the younger generation in China is moving away from eating the traditional foods - stir fried, more veggies than meat, rice with each meal - to fast food. There is an abundance of Mickey Ds, Colonel Sanders and Pizza joints in China. Sad. The next generation will wind up with the same obesity epidemic we’re fighting right here at home.

I will be sad when Wenwen and Tingting leave. They are sweet, respectful, gracious young women. I hope we stay in touch.

The United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of human Rights in 1948 as a response to the Nazi holocaust and to set a standard by which the human rights of all nations are to be measured. This includes: No one shall be subjected to cruel and inhuman punishment, being entitled to a fair a public hearing by an impartial tribunal, the right of the people to be secure in ther persons, houses, papers and effects, the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, the right to a standard of living to include food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, the right to education, to partibcipate in the cultural ife of the community, not being arbitrarily deprived of property, a speedy juried trial and right to legal counsel.

Some nations just aren’t there, yet.

This is such a great month for observing traditions. It seems to me that, at least in Aberdeen, people are actually more courteous than any other time of the year. I’ve yet to go to the post office with large boxes to mail without someone rushing to open the door for me. Even though everyone is rushing about trying to keep up with work and family and shopping, they still stop to allow a car to enter traffic or help someone unwedge from a snowbank. Not that we have any snowbanks this year - yet. Anyway, coming up are St. Nicholas Day on the 6th and on the 12th is the start of Hanukkah and also the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Navidades is celebrated in Puerto Rico on the 15th and Posadas on the 16th in Mexico.