I'm not sure how I feel about Thanksgiving anymore. When I still lived in California, it was one of my favorite holidays. A day where you get to hang out with people who are important to you, and eat as much good food as is humanly possible - there is nothing not to like in that concept. In my family, it was and is a special day, spent either at home with a good home-cooked traditional meal, or in recent years on occasion in a trendy San Francisco restaurant with a good non-home cooked, not necessarily traditional meal.
When I first moved to Portugal, I worked and socialized with some Americans, and we had Thanksgiving together, going out for a meal after work on the day and/or having a larger 'official' celebration on a nearby date. In later phases of my Portuguese life, I hosted two of these myself, and learned to cook a turkey (breast...there weren't enough people either time to justify finding a full turkey) with all the fixins. But when I moved to London, I got lax. Yes, the first year, I had people round on the weekend after, and said that it was for Thanksgiving, but I knew that it really wasn't. However, I felt the need to pretend...after all, I had never had a Thanksgiving without an event to go with it. My second November in London, I meant to get some people together, but just never got around to it. Same with the third. But I thought about it.
In Denmark, I again have what could be called a 'local family'. Some of these family members have made it very clear that they would like to experience an 'authentic' Thanksgiving meal, even going so far as to ask me when I would be making them turkey. So, what has this inspired me to do? Nothing! I will get around to it...eventually. Actually, this week, I kept remembering that it was almost Thanksgiving, and then forgetting again. This morning, I was reading an article over the shoulder of one of my students, which mentioned the holiday. I felt obliged to stop the class to tell them (otherwise I would have brought it up quickly at the beginning of the lesson). I suppose it is just another sign that I am on the slippery slope towards permanent expat-ism.
However, that being said, today is still one of my favorite days of the year. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, and for those who celebrate it, please, if you can, have a slice of pumpkin pie for me (I really have a craving for it, and no idea where or even if I can find it here), with whipped cream on top. Or maybe a bit of good cranberry sauce. Or fight someone for a piece of turkey skin. I will of course be extremely thankful.
photo credit: http://consumer.senecafoods.com/recipes/images/pumpkinpie1.jpg
17 kommentarer:
Chibithulhu will make sure the hapless photographer consumes much pie and victim-flesh in your honor tonight.
I've consumed plenty of turkey, mashed potatoes, yams and green bean casserole for you. Although dessert hasnt been served yet I don't believe theres any pumpkin pie, but I will gladly have an extra piece of my grandmothers cherry ccream cheese pie for you.
Chibi, yum, victim-flesh...oh, wait. I do hope the victim is a turkey.
Simple American - Yum, twice my share of food. And I can relate to your Danish experience, as I've been to Germany a few times, but only in (Frankfurt and Dusseldorf) airports.
Vanessa - Yum, your grandmother's cherry cream cheese pie is a welcome substitute for pumpkin. Delicious!
Chibithulhu has victims of many species, including that of your human turkey
Chibithulhu failed to get any pie in me yesterday. on wednesday night i had pie, but on Thanksgiving proper I was too sleepy to go for dessert. Nothing stopping me from having pie this morning, though...
here's my favourite quote regarding thanksigving sort-of, as it's about the puritans: "Bunch together a group of people deliberately chosen for strong religious feelings, and you have a practical guarantee of dark morbidities expressed in crime, perversion, and insanity." - H.P. Lovecraft, In a letter to Robert E. Howard, October 4 1930
we don't celebrate thanksgiving but i feel the need to give thanks for all the pies i've eaten in my life. :)
I have had 3 pieces of pumpkin pie between these past two days. BIG pieces and LOTS of whipped cream. Sorry you didn't get to have a big day but I always tell the kids that Thanksgiving could really happen any day of the year. So buy that turkey and cook for your friends. I think everyone should experience Thanksgiving at least once.
Hey Kim, will you email me please?
I have eaten all of the listed items in your honour and I will continue to finish off the pumpkin pie for you! Oh, and I'll finish off the turkey, stuffing, cornbread, sweetpotatoes....
Chibi - as soon as I posted my first reply, I knew you were going to say that. I'm psychic (or maybe not)
Morose - it's a bit late now, but I hope you had loads of pie for breakfast. And that is a great quote.
Chloe - yep, being thankful for pies eaten. I like that idea.
Daphnewood - I ended up actually inviting a couple of people round and made the whole turkey thing on the Friday. However, I still haven't had any pumpkin pie, so the slices you ate are greatly appreciated! And I will be sorting my e-mail (I'm very picky about which e-mail is for which purpose) soon, and then you'll be hearing from me.
Etchen - thanks! One can never have too much vicarious pumpkin pie! I hope you had a great trip, too.
how did the chocolate chip cookies turn out :-) I would love to eat pumpkin pie but have no idea where I can get it, out here in India.
But I did eat a lot at a friend's wedding on sunday. And my mom will be sending me some of her yum cake soon :-)
I just had to stop back to your blog and tell you I am blaming any excess weight gain on you this holiday! Tee-hee ;-)
Alastair, alas, I was always bad at measuring things in science class...so I didn't have the right equipment! :-) And I still haven't found a pumpkin pie here either. We also don't have yum cake. :-(
Sangroncito, have a safe trip back! The pics you took of your family and the wedding were great.
Etchen, go ahead, blame me. I don't mind. :-)
I sense, that you are totally buried in the work for the paper, am I right?
Thanksgiving, to me, always meant food comas. Since I had Mono over this Thanksgiving, it just meant coma.
(I secretly believe all friend and family gatherings to be excuses to show off your hot SO.)
Hi Ms. Scorpio, I wish I was buried in the work for the paper, but part of my procrastination is an inability to bury myself in anything. I did manage to get a draft paper together by the deadline though, 5 pages, and know what I want to be doing, so that's a start. What about you?
Leslie - I was sorry to hear about your food frenzy free Thanksgiving. And I totally agree about the real reason for such events...I had great fun showing Thor off to the family over the summer.
This is so funny! I've had great fun procrastinating by reading this and other uncyclopedia entries (I recommend California and San Francisco).
So, are you buried in work for the paper?
Right now, yes. And glad to have helped you with the procrastination ;)
I did manage to get a draft paper together by the deadline though, 5 pages, and know what I want to be doing, so that's a start. What about you?
Ugh, I did one and a quarter, and some of it was juss a table. And I managed to forget to attach it, so I don't even know, if it is accepted :p
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