I don't want to be a pie

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thanksgiving in Egypt is not the same as at home but we managed to do well for ourselves. Wednesday night, we, the students, fixed a feast (it was a lot of food) for ourselves, our Egyptian dorm mates and other people associated with the program.

The meal went great but the preparation was almost more fun. I, along with my friends Joe and Ali, spent the better part of two days preparing 15 kilos of mashed potatoes for the dinner. It was an operation. And I am convinced that water boils slower in Egypt. Can someone do science to back me up on this one? My friends Byron and Phil were responsible for the turkey and did a fine job. Turkeys in Egypt are not nicely packaged and prepared for you as they are in the states. They saw the turkey preparation process through from the beginning, choosing your live turkey from the pen, to the end, in all senses of the word. It apparently was quite an experience.

Thursday we were invited to a Thanksgiving dinner hosted by the American consulate in Alexandria. The students from the Big Brother/Big Sister program were invited as well. It was fun sharing Thanksgiving with them. After the guests left, we had a chance to sit down (for the first time. both dinners were super crowded) and simply talk with each other (yes, in English). That was so fine.

That is Thanksgiving for me, sitting down and enjoying the company of friends and family. The food is great but not what is most important. I will always though, take an abundance of both.

Good friends, good food, good God