Pepe carving his first turkey
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Thanksgiving in Spain
I love living in a foreign country, for all for the times I had wished for a bagel shop down the street, there are some moments that make it all worthwhile...
Thanksgiving, as you know, is a mind-boggling holiday to some non-Americans. The more questions I was bombarded with about Thanksgiving day by curious spaniards, the more I reflected on how LITTLE I actually know about this wonderful tradition! However, I did find comfort in meeting other Americans who were even more clueless than I was....
As my luggage was being inspected in Miami Airport before boarding my flight back to Madrid( I had gone a few days for my cousin's wedding) , the inspector began some irritating small talk. I think this is some kind of technique they learn in baggage inspection night school, in order to put the traveler "at ease" while they rummage through your dirty underwear and socks looking for explosives. When he found out I was living in Madrid, he asked me if the spaniards celebrate Thanksgiving with Turkey as well! For a minute there I was caught off guard, I actually had to think for a moment before answering that the Spaniards in fact DO NOT celebrate Thanksgiving. He looked confused but didn't seem to care that much, and as I headed to my gate I realized that so many of us have no idea what the hell Thanksgiving even means or what it stands for!
Things took a turn for the worse upon my arrival: my boyfriend Pepe- who is Colombian- asked me what Thanksgiving really was as we headed to a friend's turkey dinner. Sweating profusely, I tried to act confident as I explained that Thanksgiving was a celebratory feast to remember the famous dinner when pilgrims and native americans broke bread together to celebrate the survival of the pilgrim's first winter...I went on and on about the beautiful meal and the foods introduced by the natives that still are eaten today- corn, squash, pumpkin, etc.
Gleaming in triumph after my impressive explanation I looked at Pepe and was met with a huge grin.
- "So, did was it before or after the lovely dinner that the pilgrims decided to slaughter the indians and take all of their lands? Did they not like the food?"
He laughed all the way to the dinner, as I pouted and tried without luck to come up with a good comeback. Luckily, revenge in the end was mine as Pepe was given the surprise honor of carving his very first turkey....
Thanksgiving, as you know, is a mind-boggling holiday to some non-Americans. The more questions I was bombarded with about Thanksgiving day by curious spaniards, the more I reflected on how LITTLE I actually know about this wonderful tradition! However, I did find comfort in meeting other Americans who were even more clueless than I was....
As my luggage was being inspected in Miami Airport before boarding my flight back to Madrid( I had gone a few days for my cousin's wedding) , the inspector began some irritating small talk. I think this is some kind of technique they learn in baggage inspection night school, in order to put the traveler "at ease" while they rummage through your dirty underwear and socks looking for explosives. When he found out I was living in Madrid, he asked me if the spaniards celebrate Thanksgiving with Turkey as well! For a minute there I was caught off guard, I actually had to think for a moment before answering that the Spaniards in fact DO NOT celebrate Thanksgiving. He looked confused but didn't seem to care that much, and as I headed to my gate I realized that so many of us have no idea what the hell Thanksgiving even means or what it stands for!
Things took a turn for the worse upon my arrival: my boyfriend Pepe- who is Colombian- asked me what Thanksgiving really was as we headed to a friend's turkey dinner. Sweating profusely, I tried to act confident as I explained that Thanksgiving was a celebratory feast to remember the famous dinner when pilgrims and native americans broke bread together to celebrate the survival of the pilgrim's first winter...I went on and on about the beautiful meal and the foods introduced by the natives that still are eaten today- corn, squash, pumpkin, etc.
Gleaming in triumph after my impressive explanation I looked at Pepe and was met with a huge grin.
- "So, did was it before or after the lovely dinner that the pilgrims decided to slaughter the indians and take all of their lands? Did they not like the food?"
He laughed all the way to the dinner, as I pouted and tried without luck to come up with a good comeback. Luckily, revenge in the end was mine as Pepe was given the surprise honor of carving his very first turkey....
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