Happy Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving Meal - dumplings, egg and spinach, ham with cilantro, and spicy edamame beans.

So here we are in China for Thanksgiving, and boy what a different experience! Turkey is not popular in China - when I told my students that Americans eat more than 19 lbs of turkey every year, per person, they were shocked!  The Chinese word for turkey "hua ji" translates to "fire-chicken".  I like these kinds of words because they're easy to remember!

Of course there is no Thanksgiving holiday here (the Mayflower and the Pilgrims did not land on the shores of China, after all!) so it was a normal workday - Sue went to school and taught and I stayed home, did lesson plans and hung out with the kids after school.

I asked the kids what they're thankful for this Thanksgiving (I told the boys - BESIDES their Runescape video game which we all know would top the list).  Here's what we all said:

Sue & Tim:  All of you of course, our friends and family!  You all helped us make it possible to do this crazy China experience with all of your support and encouragement!

Peter:  Thankful for all of the things that Grandma W. has been sending from the states (we all second that!)

Jack: Thankful for the new space heater in their room (ah, the small comforts of life!)

Sophie:  She's thankful for gravity - because what else would keep her tethered to the earth?  If you know Sophie, you know I'm not kidding.

We're also thankful for the internet which allows us to post all of our blog experiences online and have them be accessible immediately across the world!  The ability to skype or email people to keep in touch is so convenient.  Just ten years ago when other teachers have come, letters took more than 2 weeks to go to and from the U.S.!

I introduced Thanksgiving to my students, so they have been texting me Happy Thanksgiving messages on my cell phone today, and sending me Happy Thanksgiving emails.  I made each of them tell me what they were thankful for in their lives.  Mostly it was parents, friends, teachers, and their beloved China.  A few of them even put ME on their list - aww, they're so sweet! Those students will definitely get an "A".  Sucking up to the teacher is so under-rated. :) 

I looked into some of the western establishments' turkey dinners around town but they are so expensive - more than $30 US PER PERSON, including Sophie - highway robbery in China where $20 will feed our whole family a very nice meal.  So, our "ayi" made us a nice meal at home tonight which the adults enjoyed and the kids complained about.  Some things don't change across continents!