Winter break (sigh of relief)

Oh the glorious winter break is almost upon us. I plan on sitting in my pajamas, watching movies, and relaxing. The semester was quite busy - paper upon paper and endless amounts of research and reading.

What do you plan on doing? Please share!

Final Exams

It is that dreaded time of year: final exams!

How to you cope? Do you cram? Drink a lot of coffee?

Do you have any test taking tips?

Holiday events around Houston

Looking to plan your holiday season? There are many things to do around Houston during the break if you plan to be in town:

• The Nutcracker Ballet www.houstonballet.org
• Lights in the Heights http://www.woodland-heights.org/events/lith/default.htm
• Yuletide at Bayou Bend http://www.mfah.org/bayoubend/home.asp?par1=1&par2=1&par3=1&par4=1&par5=1&par6=1&par7=&currentPage=
• S.H.A.P.E. Kwanzaa Celebration http://www.shape.org/Kwanzaa.asp
• Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens http://www.moodygardens.com/Seasonal_Fun/Festival_of_Lights/
• Jewish Community Center's Bagel Ball http://www.jcchouston.org/index.php?src=gendocs&ref=Jewish%20Singles%20%26%20Young%20Adults&category=Young%20Adults&PHPSESSID=ce0b9a365640543e8da0e9cc47142ddf
• Season of Sharing: Ramadan http://www.cmhouston.org/en/cev/371

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

Time to eat! Turkey, gravy, stuffing (or dressing), cranberry sauce, pie...

Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States and Canada, and springs from the harvest festivals of years past. In the United States, the holiday celebrates the assistance the Native Americans gave early English settlers after the first harvest of 1621. The Wampanoag tribe taught the pilgrims how to grow local crops (corn) and live off the bounty of the new land.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)

The holiday, as known in modern times, is a day to give thanks and celebrate with family and friends.

As an international student, you may be a long way from home and unable to gather with family. There are many things you can still do you celebrate the holiday, such as:

• Cook with friends http://www.recipezaar.com/ http://www.foodnetwork.com/
• Eat out at a restaurant (my choice) http://www.crackerbarrel.com/ http://www.lubys.com/ , http://houston.citysearch.com/roundup/38070/
• Order the meal http://www.bostonmarket.com/home , http://www.lubys.com/ , http://www.crackerbarrel.com/ grocery stores
• Volunteer you time http://www.volunteermatch.org/

You may have heard people talk about 'Black Friday'..but what is it? It is the day after Thanksgiving and the biggest shopping day in the United States. Where does the name come from? Retailers typically used red ink in ledgers to show shortfalls and black ink to denote profit. The Friday after Thanksgiving was typically the day retailers made huge profits and could use black ink. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)

Look for the ads in the newspaper on Thanksgiving and you may be able to score some deals. Black Friday ads are also listed online: http://www.blackfriday.info/


Happy Thanksgiving!

International Education Week 2008

It is International Education Week! There are events happening all over the Lone Star College System, so be sure to check them out: http://www.lonestar.edu/31433/

New President

As many of you know, Americans elected a new president last week. As an international student, was it exciting to watch the election process? What is it like in your home country?

Cold and Flu Season

I was sick over the weekend (and still sniffling) and thought I would dedicate the post this week to staying healthy!

How to stay healthy:

• Wash your hands frequently and often
• Exercise
• Eat a well-balanced diet
• Consider a flu shot
• Get plenty of rest
• Manage stress

How to recover if you catch a bug:

• Know the difference between a cold and the flu http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Get plenty of rest
• See a doctor if you are experiencing flu symptoms or your cold gets worse after a few days.