Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Turkey Day!
Takko Hoikuen

Gobble gobble!

It's turkey time! Happy Thanksgiving from the Far East. This time change stuff really confuses me because technically, Thanksgiving was yesterday for me, but today feels like the real thing since all of you in facebook land (okay, me included...) update statuses like its your job. No one could ignore the fact that it is one of the great American holidays today!

To celebrate, I got together with a few of the local ALTs and we planned for a Thanksgiving feast. What  was first planned to be a small gathering of foreigners in the area turned into a rather large ordeal involving large servings of everything and quite a few guests.

After a shopping spree at the Misawa Air Force Base the week before, Ulu and I hunkered down Saturday afternoon and began cooking. We quickly realized that many of our dishes required an oven, a huge obstacle for Japanese kitchens considering that they usually don't have one. The turkey would be occupying the GC oven and the only other one available was my tiny microwave that doubled as a small oven. We cooked some of the dishes in "shifts", which turned out great, although we had to forego making the green bean casserole - there was no time!

Shichimencho!

But the side dishes were the least of our worries. Our big concern was making sure the turkey came out at least fully cooked...no one wants to be sick after Thanksgiving. So we jumped right in and were pleasantly surprised when we found out that Butterball just so happens to make "dummy-proof" turkeys...the giblets,etc. were already pre-bagged inside the turkey and since we didn't plan on making homemade gravy, into the trash they went! After that, it was a cinch. Instead of actual stuffing, we stuffed the turkey with apples, oranges, lemons and onions and let the turkey cook in a water/apple juice mixture. It came out tender, juicy and a bit fruity! Our 17 lb turkey gave enough meat to feed our 22 guests at least one serving...perfection.

The dinner itself was great, but what was really amazing was seeing the mixture of people who had gathered together to celebrate and enjoy each other. Our group was comprised of foreigners and Japanese, and as people met and socialized, both languages could be heard in conversations throughout the room. Before carving the turkey, we decided to take part in a common Thanksgiving tradition that involves talking about what one is thankful for; that, too, involved a mixture of the two languages with translations running the entire time.

Carving the turkey

I've been laying low this week, but I've been thinking a lot about what I'm thankful for and what my life has become. Those of who have known me the longest know that uprooting my life and moving to another country is kind of out of character for me. I've been a home body my entire life, but after my wonderful opportunity last October, something seemed to continue to draw my attention back here. My decision to move here has dramatically affected me and my relationships with people and I am so thankful for that. My life made a hard left/right (I'm not going to choose a direction in order to avoid any political conflict here) and everything seemed to change.

I'm not going to lie; Kate's blog really inspired me and got me thinking about everyone in my life that inspired, supported, encouraged, etc. this change. I want to honor you all and thank you for everything you've done for me during this past year and throughout my life.

My family, especially Nana, Mom and Julia. You all have been such a huge support system in my life in so many ways. You have always just wanted the best for me, and even though we may have disagreed on what that was from time to time, you were there for me. I know that this move to Japan and the potential future plans of bouncing around for awhile are the most difficult for you, so I love you and appreciate it so much that you've been supportive, even if it was extremely hard.

My friends, from both high school and college. I've known all of you for various different lengths of time, but you have all been a huge part of my life. Some of my best memories involve you all, and I can't even begin (nor do I think I should) to tell them all. Just like my family, you've only wanted the best for me, I love you all so much for that. I could always rely on you guys to bring me up when I was feeling down, even from 5,000 miles away. I would especially like to thank Kate, who I can't believe is here in this country with me and has been an amazing friend and pseudo-roommate. Even though we're 700 miles away, I'm beyond happy that you're in this country with me and only a keitai email away :)

My Takko family, especially Keiko, Makiko, Yasuyo and their families. You guys are beyond amazing! I do not think that I would have nearly the same experience in Japan if I wasn't in this town and with you all. You've all made this transition so easy and I can't believe that it's already been five months...I can't wait to enjoy the rest of my 7 months with you all!

My fellow foreigners in the Nanbu area: Kendal, Ululani and Ben. Just like my Takko family, this wouldn't nearly be the same without you guys! We say it all of the time, but we're such an awesome little group and I'm very happy that we are all placed near each other. Thank you for the great times that we've had already and thank you especially for always being willing to pick me up because I don't have any other means of transportation in the boondocks :)

And last (but not least), Patrick. Like everyone else in my life, you have been an amazing support and I love you for that. I feel lucky every day that you are in my life, and although this time in our lives is particularly difficult, I'm looking forward to what the future holds.

I would really like to thank each and every individual, but I'd be writing forever. I love each and every one of you so much and I'm thankful for the part you have played in my life.

Happy Holidays everyone!