Thanks for Giving

So, Thanksgiving in China and in American came and went this year. Although Beijing did her best to make me feel at home, it certainly was not the same.

For one, as tacky and commercial as it has become (or maybe it has been that way always), I missed the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I don't think I have ever missed the parade. Ever. I missed Al Roker making corny jokes, high school marching bands, Broadway musical snippets, and Rockettes rocketing. I missed bad lip syncing by pop bands I have never heard of and who's albums I will not purchase (online or otherwise). I missed Thomas the Turkey and all his inflatable giant balloon friends. I missed Santa Claus ringing in my holiday season at the end. I even missed the dog show that follows. 

A big HOWEVER though...however, my mother took pictures of the parade on TV and sent them to me. That was a nice surprise.

                                                      So I suppose I didn't miss all of the parade this year.

I also missed stuffing and the smell of creamed onions waking me up Thanksgiving morning. No matter what else my parents may be in charge of for the day's bounty, creamed onions are always on the docket. No matter if Thanksgiving is at their home or elsewhere, I will forever associate the sweet, pungent, bubbly, baked dish with home during the holiday.

OK. So, obviously I also missed being home with our families. Thanksgiving isn't just about food and parades.

Here are a few things that I didn't miss this Thanksgiving (mostly food related):
1) A T-Gives without pumpkin pie. Z searched the city for homemade pumpkin pie and topped it off with a squirt of canned whipped cream. It was heaven. I am thankful that Chinese pumpkin pie rivals American pumpkin pie any Thanksgiving.

2) A Thanksgiving with new friends. We celebrated by going out for roast duck with new friends. Let's face it. I might be handy with a metal steamer and some brownie mix, but a turkey without an oven just ain't gonna happen up in this place. So, we replaced one fowl with another, enjoyed some bottles of red wine and we were all thankful we had each other with whom to celebrate an old tradition with a new twist.

3) A day with pickles, assorted nuts, olives and celery. It was a small gesture I could make (and find) by putting out the simple spread of snacks we always seem to have at Thanksgiving at home. It was a little homage to my grandma. All those years she filled her crystal olive dish, could she have foreseen me in China, searching the shelves of an expat grocery store for overpriced condiments just to make the day feel a little bit more like home? I was thankful for imported goods especially on Thanksgiving.

4) A day without the stress of travel and traffic. I probably felt a little stress from not feeling stressed about not traveling on the day after the busiest travel day in American. About leaving on time or not leaving on time. About making certain that I packed the car with any covered dishes or pies I was asked to bake. I never thought I would be thankful for not traveling on Thanksgiving from Boston to NJ, or North Jersey to South Jersey, or from China to NJ.

5) A day to talk with family. Even though it's happened dozens of time, each skyped conversation or g-chat to home amazes us. I can see you! oh, wait, Mom, turn on the camera so I can see you. Mom, turn up the volume so I can hear you! We were thankful to hear form our parents and friends. We were thankful to be able to tell them we are thankful for them.