No Turkey. . .

I asked around the office where I could purchase turkey. I was laughed at, and I finally provided that henna gaijin entertainment they've been waiting for. Turkey in Japanese is shichi-men-cho (七面鳥) which means literally means seven-sided-bird. I have no clue where the name comes from, but I don't know if I would eat a bird known to have seven sides. Back home I ate turkey all the time, it's my favorite type of sandwich all while being a really healthy lean meat. That's one thing Americans have up on Japanese in terms of healthy food.

My friend in the next town was having a Thanksgiving dinner for a few of us gringos and I really wanted to have turkey but I gave up and bought beef. It was nice though, we all cooked a meal, drank wine, and chatted it up long after the wine was complete. It was nice because we all were displaced for our holiday yet we made the most of it, even though we opted out of the traditional food. The point of Thanksgiving isn't the turkey or mashed potatoes, it's being with the people you don't see very often and recognizing the good even in the midst of the bad. That's exactly what our group did. we are all relatively new here; moreover, none of us new eachother well. Each of us would have preferred to be with our families but for that night we became family and I think everyone went home happier than when they arrived.

On an another note, a bunch of the Viet Cong went back to the homeland a few weeks ago and I've had to share the kitchen with very few people. It's been nice being able to use the appliances and not having to wait for clean pans and chopsticks. All good things come to an end. Cliche but I don't know how else to describe the feeling I just had. I heard a lot of people walking up the stairs speaking jibberish. Laughing and yelling. It meant only one thing: The Viet Cong are back in full force and they're going to try and take the kitchen from me! Not under my watch. I know better this time, I'm their Sempai and if they piss me off I'll make them clean my nutsack.

(I have nothing against Vietnamese people...I do have issues with the ones who live in my dorm though. If they were Korean, Mexican, Croation, or American, I'd have the same issues)