Last Thursday was Thanksgiving (感恩節快樂). I was nervous but I couldn’t help being excited as the day grew nearer. Most of the time at home in America, I don’t do any of the cooking which is a little sad because I usually go to three Thanksgiving dinners XD. One with my dad’s family which until two years ago happened every year, but now I have a baby cousin (now 2 years old) who’s birthday is Thanksgiving and my grandparents visit him instead of holding Thanksgiving dinner. Two and three were sometimes separate and sometimes combined. When I was little my mom’s mother cooked a second Thanksgiving dinner, but a few years ago my mom started cooking Thanksgiving dinners herself. Sometimes her mom would come over and we would just have it together.
Last year with my dad’s mother and father in Texas and my mom’s mother having passed on the year before we had one Thanksgiving. My mom cooked and I went to Indiana with my remaining Aunt and Uncle (Dad’s littlest sister) and their daughter Ariel (four years old). There was turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, green beans, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, bread rolls and pumpkin and apple and chocolate pie. My dad prayed for the meal and we ate and after hung out talking and laughing.
This year I got to bring some of this tradition to Taiwan myself. Blake provided the recipes and Linda in the language center provided ingredients and utensils. Kaitlyn made the Fruit Salad and assisted Blake and I with many dishes as well as many of the native tutors as well. I worked on the mashed potatoes and helped with the sweet potato casserole and fried onions and celery for the stuffing and Blake’s macaroni and cheese. Blake made the stuffing, deviled eggs (one of my favorites!!) and macaroni and cheese and the sweet potato casserole. Did I mention he did all that plus had two classes that day? Amazing chef Blake!
We brought all the food down at six, only to see that students had arrived exactly on time and were already starting to pour in. “We can’t have Thanksgiving without a little ceremony” said Peter (head of the Language Center). He gave a nice speech about be thankful and thanksgiving and past it over to us to tell Thanksgiving stories. Blake talked about his grandma teaching him to cook, Kaitlyn about her and her brother fighting over the wish bone and me about my Thanksgiving dinner shifting from my grandparents to my mom. Rolan and Blake were great hosts, good natured and comfortable talking to everyone. Jordan said a beautiful prayer thanking God for us being together, the food and for the chance to meet again.
Then everyone ate, so much of the food was gone so fast, especially the pies. The turkey was good save for the fact that there was pre-made stuffing inside. This means that the stuffing was cooked put into the turkey and then frozen and then cooked again. It resembled grey matter (mush) and tasted pretty bad. I told picked out the turkey for some my students that asked if turkey always tasted that horrible… ><. The turkey itself was fine and Blake’s stuffing was wonderful.
I did a lot of thinking about what I’m thankful for this
year. I really have a lot of things to
be thankful for. I am here in Taiwan. I have classes that are likely to
transfer and I have great classes to come to next semester. My dad got moved to
a new office (his company is doing really well) and my mom not only got a job
but the one she really wanted. My brother’s got some great offers for school.
My sister got her first car. My little cousin Ariel started preschool. I’ve got
a job while I’m here and have been able to buy many of my friends and family a
little something for when I return. I’ve learned a lot about language and culture and making friends and getting places on my own.
So I’m thankful, I really am.
So I’m thankful, I really am.
