Thanksgiving Korean-Style

The day that you all have been looking forward to has finally arrived! As you are chowing down today please, please remember the two of us and eat some cranberry sauce for me (Maria) and some mashed potatoes for Ethan. Of course, Thanksgiving is not all about food. Being on the other side of the world from this favorite holiday of mine (second to the 4th of July, of course) has definitely helped me reflect on those who are most dear to me. If you are reading this right now, you know you are probably one of those people. I am so thankful for all of you who have been so supportive of me, and now me and Ethan. We both wish we could be there to celebrate with you, but know that we are so thankful for all of you. Especially thanks to those who have sent letters, e-mails, skype calls, or kept up with our adventure by reading our blog. We definitely miss the normality of life back home at times, and I don't think we could survive here without your support.

Before you feel to sorry for us out here in a crazy, cold, Thanksgivingless world. You should know, that we brightened it up by creating our own Thanksgiving cheer. We got up this morning at 7:15 to begin cooking. Our menu consisted of stuffing, corn, sweet potato casserole, one of my famous salads, rolls, and a pecan-like pie. (The last 2 we bought here). Perhaps we were more like the pilgrims and indians than any of you because instead of ovens (which are uncommon in Korea) we cooked our meal over flame.....(in the form of our 2 eyed, gas-burner stove). Many of our menu ideas were vetoed by the fact that, well, there just aren't the same foods available here. The green bean casserole was a no-go. Turkey also seemed to be a big impossibility. We didn't get too discouraged by this, but instead ended up enjoying the challenge. It seemed so amazing when our apartment was filled with the familiar aromas of freshly made Thanksgiving food!

As soon as everything was prepared, we divided it up and I rushed to catch a cab to work. I was greeted with the wonderful discovery that Sunny, my boss, actually found and bought turkey legs for our feast! I was worried that our meal would be too strange for my lovely Korean co-workers who have never had the pleasure of eating turkey and stuffing. But I soon realized that I had nothing to worry about. They were all squealing with excitement of trying new foods. And, after carving the turkey and heating up the sides, I explained the significance of Thanksgiving. We all said what we were thankful for, and then we dug in. They loved the food. I was so relieved. It was really fun. I hope we have more opportunities to give back some cultural experiences of our own, as we are daily breathing in the culture of Korea. Oh, PS: They almost made it through the whole meal without pulling the kimchi out of the fridge...but not quite! I was told that Koreans can't live without their kimchi.

Once again, we love you all. Have a very happy Thanksgiving Day!