Thanksgiving Dinner 2009
JISHOU, HUNAN — On the spur of the moment, I decided to invite the other four Americans in Jishou to Thanksgiving dinner. Since two of them live right above me, the original plan was to meet at my place.
Then I thought, why not invite some Chinese friends, too? After all, there are many people who have been my family here, but I have never had them in one place at the same time. By the time I got done compiling a guest list, I had 20 names! I can squeeze at most nine people into my apartment at any one time, so clearly we would have to go to a restaurant.
The other Americans were fine with eating out, and since I teach six classes on Thursdays, it was by far a better idea than cooking at my home.
I had this brilliant idea Monday night. Perhaps I’ve gotten enculturated, because the people around here seem to spring dinner plans on you at the last moment. Planning, schmanning. So, I got busy with my cell phone and sent a flurry of texts to my friends on Tuesday morning.
At lunch, I talked the plan over with my friend, Frieda. Her favorite restaurant is Zejiahu, which is near the north gate of the university and which is where our college’s graduates held a dinner in June. The food is really good and the service, very prompt.
She advised buying drinks at the supermarket, because they would be cheaper, and helped me book the room and order the dishes ahead of time. We did the booking and ordering on Thursday after lunch, and did the shopping just before dinner Thursday.
So, to make a long story short, we all had a great time. My Chinese friends had a chance to meet one another and practice their spoken English, and we Americans felt (I hope) that Thanksgiving was a just little homier by sharing it with happy people over good food and wine.
The photos are up on my Picasaweb photo pages and on my QQzone, too.
Throughout the day, my students peppered my cell phone with Thanksgiving wishes. Denise Zhao, one of my dinner guests, was the first, at 6:30 in the morning. One sophomore class gave each student and me an apple with a thank you note on it. My freshman composition classes took the wish-giving a step further. They each presented me with greeting cards signed by all of them, and the G1 class hid in an adjacent classroom, then popped out, each student holding a piece of fruit with Thanksgiving greetings on it for me.
I said this last year, and I will say it again. The people I have met here are among the most wonderful in the world. Though we were born on opposite sides of the world, it seems as though we have known each other for decades, not just one year, or even one month. I am thankful for their friendship, their hospitality and their help, and I love them dearly.
And here are the special people who made my Thanksgiving dinner memorable: Frieda, Tina, Harry, Shelldy, Ailsa, Nora, Denise, Swallow, Kasurly, Mary, What, James and Tony; and the Americans, David, Drew, Matt and Jamey. For the three who couldn’t make it, Elektra, Smile and Sherry, there’s always Christmas dinner and/or Spring Festival.
I hope everyone stateside had a great holiday, too. Remember those who are not as fortunate as we, and try to do something to help.
