November Novelties X

Thanksgiving in a foreign country

Previously when I lived overseas I was on a team with Americans. So while the nationals did not celebrate USA holidays my team did after all work was completed for the day, or we took the day off from work. Here, in France we are not surrounded by Americans, although we have friends who have lived in America, some half American and others just want to have fun with us. So we will prepare for Thanksgiving all week and partake in Thanksgiving on Saturday. Pumpkin pies made from cooking the pumpkin, scrapping, pureeing and creating. The last 3 turkeys found Wednesday night at Lidl.

On Thanksgiving, after school work, we watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade with cousins. The cousins were watching the traditional stage and performers, while we were watching youtube live. The difference was amazing. We watched the performances through facetime and watched real time, with no commercials and lots of lag time between bands, and floats. Our stream did not have any performances but did have clowns throwing confetti at bystanders, poop scoopers following horses, band members who for some reason had to leave the squad and walk on the sides after the band, police with dogs, and a ton of characters walking on stilts. Later we watched a dog show with friends. One friend actually met last year’s champion dog, Winston Churchill, at an airport this summer.

Saturday we went to our friends’ house and made food together. Turkeys being stuffed and baked in the oven, potatoes being mashed, pies being baked, vegetables being sauteed, world cup soccer being watched, children playing, and people laughing.

The meal was held at another family’s house in the next village. The spread was beautiful and amazing, food was delicious, conversations were entertaining, and the hospitality was warm and inviting. Our family is and was thankful for new friends in a foreign land.