費城馬拉松／李明熙
馬拉松一直在我人生 To-do-list 上，但每想到只少四個月時間訓練，又卻步了。半馬訓練時間較短，我試過以三週備戰漢堡半馬，當然事前有半馬經驗，知道自己狀態才報名。今次到美國過感恩節，剛好是費城馬拉松，訂機票後屈了一算，還有七週，自知毫無狀態要從頭操起，但只求完成不理成績，半馬慢跑看風景應該無難度。
費城馬拉松早上七時開跑，近兩萬人參加。我們並非住市區，首要解決泊車難題。雖然大會跟附近商廈合作，提早在網上預訂車位，但價錢太貴，離起步點也遠，不值。我們唯有清晨五時出動，幸好泊到有利位置。
氣溫是另一難題，11 月尾只有攝氏零度，雖知身體會越跑越熱，我還是在賽前一天清晨練跑，測試體溫對氣溫的反應。最後決定穿薄長袖加 T-shirt，短褲配長襪，戴手套和暖頸圈，有得脫總比無得穿保險。開跑前我還需穿上圍衣和長線褲保暖，途中脫掉的衣物，只要放在左邊欄杆上，大會有義工收集送捐。
開跑後陽光初現，氣溫微升，但跑近海岸風大，折返市區又回暖，暖頸圈要時脫時戴，為方便最後除下 Sony Smart-B-Trainer 耳機，聽沿途打氣。每個街角都播放著「洛奇」配樂，是電影在費城拍攝的原故吧。我愛「洛奇」，配樂也勵志，一邊跑在費城街道上，一邊回想情節 ，也蠻貼題。
馬拉松的終點就在費城藝術館，亦即洛奇跑上石級振臂高呼之地，遊客都會模仿他跑上這個「Rocky Steps」振臂。半馬後我已無餘力再上去，但在石級旁的「洛奇」像前振臂還是可以的。
New Appreciation for Thanksgiving/Kimberlogic
As a young child, the last Thursday of November was filled with turkey crafts, stories about Pilgrims and Native Americans and the family “dinner” that took place around 3:00pm. Over the years, I had made every turkey craft imaginable, the stories of the “first” settlers of America got old and eating dinner just after lunch was no longer a fun thing, Thanksgiving seemed like a pointless holiday. Plus, being vegetarian throughout my teens and twenties; a holiday based upon eating a turkey was far from appealing to me.
It had been over two years since I had seen most of my family and many years since I made an appearance at a Thanksgiving celebration, but with a great promotion on flight tickets, we were going back to the States during Thanksgiving. Although this was my first Thanksgiving in many years, it was Ming Hay’s first Thanksgiving ever. Trying to explain what and why Thanksgiving is to a non-American, was a very funny experience and it made me appreciate the holiday so much more.
To an “outsider” Thanksgiving doesn’t really make sense. A day to watch football, eat and drink as much as you can and exchange pleasantries with family all day, it sounds like a typical “American” day to a foreigner. Explaining why we celebrate this day was even trickier. We celebrate when the Native Americans shared their food and their “living on the land” tips with the Pilgrims which saved the Pilgrims from starving and freezing to death over the long New England winter. What happened after that, Americans try not to talk about; later, those Pilgrims slaughtered the Natives, passed diseases and stole their land.
Putting history and tradition aside, Thanksgiving for my family is a day to come together, recognize and appreciate everything we have, while watching football and eating. It is a holiday that you do not give or receive anything and everyone pitches in somehow to make the meal, drinks or conversation memorable.
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I believe it is age. The older I get, the more I cherish the time spent with my family. This past Thanksgiving I got to spend with my husband and my entire family, eating all of my favourite “Thanksgiving” dishes such as; potatoes, mac and cheese, corn, green bean casserole, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and of course, turkey. Every Thanksgiving the same two football teams play, versions of the same dishes are served and the mood is always a warm happy one; that is the history and tradition of Thanksgiving to me. We had a few drinks, many laughs and spent the day appreciating the company of family.
