Thanksgiving

Celebrating Thanksgiving in Eastern Europe is an awkward thing. Should I plan a party and invite a bunch of expats who bring different dishes? Or should I just find a pub with cold beer and turkey breast? I find myself working this Thanksgiving, a somewhat sad if predictable state of affairs. I could have had the day off, but what would I do? My mom told me that, in no uncertain terms, I should not cook a bird, as that would be a predictable disaster. Jana is meeting me at Tulip Café for a round of beers and, hopefully, some Thanksgiving food. It’s an American pub, they have to have the stuff. Thanksgiving is my favourite holiday because of the fact that it’s so unassuming. You don’t go buy presents or decorations – you just bring a round hat made out of construction paper in third grade and stick a feather on your neighbour. The three most important aspects of the holiday are food, family and football. This is the main reason I love it – I sleep until noon then walk into the kitchen and find three women cooking a giant bird. I get a beer, join my dad on the sofa for the NFL pregame show, and wait for the eating. We’re served at three, at a table festooned with nice silverware and cloth napkins. As soon as I’ve had three platefuls of food I avoid conversation and retire to the couch for 4-6 hours of football viewing. Then, of course, are the turkey sandwiches, probably my favourite food of all. Two of those for dinner and I’ll sleep for the 12 hours it takes to prepare for the A&M game on Friday. Perhaps next year I’ll be less lazy and actually put something together for the holiday. But this year isn’t so bad- beer, turkey, girlfriend, pub…and tomorrow I will get to watch the Texas-Texas A&M game. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.