Thanksgiving Party

Thanksgiving Day came and went in the traditional ex-pat fashion...working. One of the downfalls to working in foreign countries is that I don't get to celebrate American holidays. But I do get to experience new local holidays. That in itself is always a great experience.

This thanksgiving, or the Saturday after it, I hosted my first Thanksgiving dinner. As nervous as I was (mainly about the turkey) everything went over smoothly. There were 18 people total representing America, Serbia, France, Portugal, China, Spain and Slovakia. If I couldn't spend Thanksgiving with my family, this is how I would want to spend it.

For 80% of the people there, this was the first time to see such a feast. They oohed and aahed at the bird in and out of the oven, they drooled over the stuffing and demanded recipes for the pumpkin pie. After the dinner I heard comments like, "My belly feels like it is going to explode" "You guys will have to roll me home" "I've never eaten so much food before". This was music to my ears. I informed them that these feelings meant that they have experienced a true American Thanksgiving.

And no one got sick or died, so I am very thankful!

Here are some pictures of my apartment and from the dinner party. Enjoy!

"...during the bombing..."

The other day, some of my students invited me to join them at a cafe for a coffee. I had a ton to do, but I needed the escape from my daily routine. It's always nice to see what my students are up too and what their thoughts on current events and school life are.

At one point in the conversation, my students were telling me about strange eating habits that they had at one point in their lives. As natural as breathing, one students said, "...during the bombing, I used to eat..." and I don't remember the rest. I just stayed on that phrase. He said it so casually. I had a moment of clarity on how lucky my life has been this far. Can you imagine what your life would have been like if you could honestly use that phrase? I can't even imagine. My students were 10-15 years old and had nothing to do with the politics involved that brought on the bombing. Think of all the children today that have to suffer because of the decisions adults make. Imagine if it was your child, your students, or someone you love.

I don't mean to turn negative and philosophical, but it started me thinking. I had no idea what to say to my students. They weren't looking for a response to that quote, but at times, I feel that when they discuss the part of their lives that had war and bombs, they are silently asking me for some explanation. Those are the times when I feel guilty for something I didn't do, guilty that it happened to them, sorry that I can't fully understand what it was like, and sorry for not knowing what to say to them.

I have a lot more to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season.

My 20lb Turkey Baby

Thanksgiving is on this year thanks to a local butcher shop that just happened to have the largest, fresh, raw turkey that I've ever seen. Let me go back a bit in this story.

Because I have no American friends here who always put on the annual American holiday, I felt it was my civic duty to carry on the tradition. I have lots of Serbian and other foreign friends here whom have never experienced it, so I thought, "Why not?" I went to the US Embassy to see what they had that could help me create the authentic meal. Low and behold, they had a freezer filled with 16pound turkeys and hams all for a reasonable price. After selecting my stuffing, gravy and pumpkin pie mix (I'm not crazy enough to make it all from scratch) I asked the checkout man when I should buy my turkey. He said, "We don't have any turkeys. You had to order them in September. All those turkeys are spoken for." I almost died. Where was I going to get a turkey? They don't have them in every store like they do in the States. My Serbian friend assured me that we could find a turkey somewhere in Belgrade. I had my doubts, but the tradition must go on. At the very least, we were going to have a turkey shaped meatloaf.

So after chatting with an American friend at a cafe today, she told me that the large butcher close by sometimes has turkey, or at least turkey pieces, so maybe we could order one. There in the glass case, right next to the pig's feet, sat a beautiful, big, naked turkey with my name on it. Thanks to the weak dollar, my bird cost me around $44, but it was a small price to pay for the happiness I felt at the time. Hopefully I don't ruin it.

It still had its neck on, so I asked the guy if he could cut it off. He said, "Of course, but you will have to take it home with you." We stared at him and asked if he could just throw it away. Nope. I had to take it home with me. Okay. I was confused, but it was rather funny. So he put it in two plastic bags and I had to carry it 1.5 miles to my apartment. It was squishy and very heavy. We joked that if we were attacked, we could whip out the neck and threaten to beat off our attacker with it. Imagine his surprise!

So I carried my raw turkey across town in a loving manner that only a woman who has carried 20+ pounds of matter in front of her must feel. (ps...Not having kids. I walked for 30 minutes with that weight. I don't think I could do that for several months.) I checked to see if it would fit in my oven and the roasting pan (just barely) and then showed it to its new home in my freezer. Thank goodness I still lead a college cuisine lifestyle (there is plenty of room in my fridge/freezer). I can't wait to bring it out to thaw.

I'll post pictures of my party on this site. If anyone is in town on the 24th of November, you are welcomed to the feast. Oh, and if any of my Weiler relatives know the recipe for that broccoli, grape, walnut salad that Aunt Doreen makes, I would love to get my hands on it.