Thanksgiving
You may have missed it, but American families celebrated Thanksgiving last Thursday. Despite its cultural and historical significance, Thanksgiving is now first and foremost Turkey Day. And when Americans think meat, they think big.
So imagine a giant bird, often served with gravy, sweet potato mash, cranberry sauce, corn pudding, and green bean casserole. You may prefer a conventional Dutch meal. Yet, in general, the food is not so bad here on the East Coast. There is not always a good balance between the different ingredients – again, often too much meat – but in most cases you get value for money.
And New York is arguably the best place in the world for foodies. During visits over the last few years, I have been to very nice but affordable taperias, pizzerias, and cevicherias, and I have eaten delicious yakitori and trippa. There are even some Belgian restaurants in Manhattan. (Now that we are on the topic, or now that I have brought up the topic… Is it only Belgians who continuously complain about the quality of the food on campus?)
The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday: the opening of the Christmas shopping season. It is no exception to see people queuing in the middle of the night, just to be among the first shoppers when the store opens. Unhealthy commotion often follows. A few years back, a Walmart employee was even trampled to death in the rush.
So I decided to stay home for Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Besides, I have something else on my mind: I am looking for a job. And I am not alone. Just like hundreds – if not thousands – of other final-year Ph.D. students in economics and finance, I am currently applying to a range of schools for a faculty position starting next summer. At most institutions, members of the recruiting committee start reviewing the files shortly after the Thanksgiving weekend. I hope they have eaten well.
[Christophe Spaenjers (28) from Belgium is a doctoral student in finance with a NWO toptalent scholarship for research in the area of art investments. ]
