Tuesday, December 1, 2009

American Thanksgiving in Korea

Thanksgiving is my favorite American holiday (with July 4th as runner up.) Of all of the holidays, I think Thanksgiving has the best food traditions and it still focuses, more or less, on food and family. I was very lucky to be invited to Thanksgiving at my good friend Maria's house.

We had two turkeys, two kinds of salad, real macaroni and cheese, broccoli, a pumpkin pie, an apple pie, and mashed potatoes. At first it was a little weird. I think it was hard to put on the same good graces that come so easily with family and friends. When the food finally came out, I think everyone was thinking about how much food they could get and whether there would be enough. I think strangers can sometimes take the liberty of being cranky with each other just because they are strangers. The room was silent when we ate. I thought this was really strange and it made me miss my own family! Anyway, after everyone was fed, all of that crankiness evaporated and the rest of the night was really nice. Everyone was very relaxed and friendly. I managed to keep my food intake at a normal level, and avoided getting a stomach ache... a winning strategy.