Just Any Other Day

It is very strange living in a country where there is really no understanding of the American Thanksgiving holiday.  Families gathering together to stuff themselves full of turkey, more carbohydrates than one can even count, and sweet desserts until their stomachs almost explode, is quite a foreign concept to most non-Americans. But Thursday here in Japan, is just like any other day. The kids will go to school. Matt will go to work. And I will go about with my normal routine.

I really thought my first holidays living overseas and being away from family would be the hardest. But I was wrong. Maybe it is because I have so many fun Thanksgiving memories with my family and it is one of my favorite holidays (how can a holiday that you eat until you vomit NOT be a favorite?), but I find this year just as hard, if not harder. With the time change in the States (Japan's time does not change), and now being 14 hours time difference, talking with my parents is more difficult. My brother just got engaged to an awesome girl who I can't wait to have as part of our family. I have six nieces and nephews who will be running crazy, high on sugar, who will be a whole year older when we come back for home leave. Holidays are meant to be spent with family, and it is hard when family is on the other side of the world.

So what we have to do is make our own family and own memories here. It seems Thanksgiving is something many of us Americans miss, so people make their own "Thanksgiving Dinners'. Last weekend we went to a big Thanksgiving meal out at a neighborhood where several CAT families live. Great company and great food always is a reason to smile. This Saturday I am attempting to host 3 other families for our own big Thanksgiving. I am extremely a wee bit nervous as I haven't made most of the items on my menu since living in Japan and I am cooking two turkeys.  Don't worry I already have Thai delivery on my phone's speed dial. 

The hard part about creating your own family in an expat life is most of the people are transient. Meaning the people you develop friendships with will most likely move on at some point in time, whether it be before or after you. And many times, you will never see these "family members" again as they may live on the opposite side of the world from you.

So for all of you spending this Thanksgiving with your family, say an extra "Thanksgiving blessing" for the opportunity you have to spend this year with them –– no matter how crazy or dysfunctional the day may be. There are so many people, whether it be living some distance from family, missing a loved one who may have passed, or have other reasons why they cannot be with their family, who wish they could be spending the day the same way.

Kitchen Street - Osaka

On what would be the US's Thanksgiving Day, Mary Gail and I decided to venture to Osaka for a trip to Kitchen Street. Neither of us wanted to sit around home, so we decided to head out for a little adventure.

Kitchen Street is a long tunnel full of stores many local restaurants will come to shop for items to use in their places.


The stores inside Kitchen Street sell just about anything you can imagine, such as aprons, kitchen gadgets, table wear, baking items, sign boards, chopsticks, paper lanterns, contemporary furniture, and even plastic food.


There were several pottery stores, many filled wall-to-wall with bowls, plates, platters, tea kettles and chopstick holders.

I was so overwhelmed with all the cool pottery that I couldn't figure out just what I wanted. After scouring the stores for a few hours all I managed to buy was 8 chopstick holders and a wine bucket –– all costing less than ¥1900 (around $20). I will have to go back soon to select some of the pottery dishes.

After we wandered Kitchen Street we went over to Namba Parks mall where Mary Gail told me she knew of a Hawaiian restaurant that was pretty good.


I was so excited when I saw the menu. In a country where only a few import stores carry turkey one time per year, this restaurant had a turkey and avocado sandwich served on wheat bread.

I got turkey on Thanksgiving!!!

We also split the biggest basket of fries I have ever seen in Japan.

Turkey and the day with a friend -- it turned out to be a nice Thanksgiving after all.

Where's the Turkey!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. As an American, I know the whole historical significance of the holiday, but for me it has always been about family.

As a child, Thanksgiving was a very memorable time. We always went to my Uncle Bob's house in Wooster and all my aunts, uncles and cousins would be there. In my younger years, my cousin's would have a friend or their boyfriend/girlfriend with them. (Which was fine with me because my one cousin had some cute friends!) As we all grew older, the tables became full of spouses and grandchildren. The serving table overflowed with turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry relish, baked corn, sweet potatoes, salad, rolls, and homemade pecan pie. My Aunt Judy always brought the best pumpkin pie from a specialty bakery in Cleveland. I kid you not, the pie was 6-inches in height. After we ate so much that we gave ourselves bellyaches (you know, the feeling when you wish you had a few apidexin to pop), we walked from my uncles house to Wooster College's campus, before settling in front of the TV to watch Thanksgiving Day football. The year I was pregnant with Emily, my aunts threw Matt and I a surprise baby shower. Some of my most favorite memories are from Thanksgiving.

Once Matt and I started dating we used to do Thanksgiving lunch at his family's house before heading to dinner with my family, as his parents lived only 12 miles from my parents. I loved working in the kitchen with my two sister-in-law's, preparing the meal. You can do some great gossiping in the kitchen! As we all started having kids (there are 9 now), Thanksgiving became more and more fun.

It is so weird being in a place where Thanksgiving Day for us is just a regular day for everyone else. Doing a traditional Thanksgiving dinner isn't very easy. Costco does carry a small number of turkeys, but we are talking $30 for a 10-pound bird, if they do not run out. Price Club has a 25 pound bird for almost $90. And some of the fixings you normally would have–– forget it. There are a few dinners being planned by some of the other Americans living here. Saturday we are attending a Thanksgiving Dinner hosted by the Shoiya Club, an area several Caterpillar expats live. And next weekend we have a dinner planned with a few other family's that live in our area. I am looking forward to creating some "Japanese Thanksgiving memories."

In 34 years, there has been two Thanksgiving's I have not been with my family. The first was the year Allison died. That year was such a blur that I honestly cannot tell you what we did. The second was in 2007, when we stayed in North Carolina and I hosted a Thanksgiving meal at my house with two other family's in my neighborhood. This year will make the third, and I am having a bit of a hard time adjusting to that.

Next Thursday will be a bittersweet day. I will miss my homemade cranberry relish (one of my favorite parts) as you cannot get fresh cranberries here. I will miss watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. I will miss Thanksgiving Day football. I will miss watching my nieces and nephews run around like wild children, hyped up on pumpkin pie and too much whipped cream. I will really miss my parents. Matt will be at work, the kids at school. The day won't be bad. It will just be –– different.

Gobble, Gobble

Flyer. He was the turkey chosen by President Bush to be pardoned for this Thanksgiving. I don't know why I find this ceremony so funny, but I do. But even funnier, a back up bird was chosen in case "Flyer" couldn't perform his duties –– and that bird is "Fryer".

You can see Flyer and Fryer at California's Disneyland tomorrow, serving as honorary grand marshals of the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Anyways, Happy Thanksgiving!!