Thanksgiving in India

For Thanksgiving the four of us ate at a fancy restaurant that sold good chicken, mashed potatoes, bread and green beans! Marc and I ordered “crispy chicken” that we thought was the fried chicken, but turned out to be a Chinese saucy chicken- quite good, but not quite like Thanksgiving turkey. We realized we were eating Chinese chicken, Indian bread, green beans, and mashed potatoes, topped off with the an American Pepsi. What a Thanksgiving! The group also humored me by watching White Christmas, a tradition I’ve had for three years now. We also played Frisbee! What is Thanksgiving without some kind of sport? Overall, we were pretty pleased with our Thanksgiving in India experience.

While in India I’ve been making a list of things I’m thankful for. I started it back in October and made sure to write at least one thing down from Halloween until Thanksgiving. This is the result:

Thankful List

- Dreams. They can bring relief from stresses, help ease what I’ve missed while in India, make me laugh or smile, and fulfill my "wants" from home when I can’t have them- like restaurants where I can drink the water, food that tastes like what I expect, and of course, my family and friends.

- Christmas and pudding

- Music

- Friendly people who just start talking to you

- Sidewalks

- Drinking fountains and clean water- oh how I miss clean water!

- Clean bathrooms with toilet paper and soap

- Actually, just toilets and not squatters…

- Seemingly minor events- such as candle light vigils

- Just candles in general, especially when the power goes out

- Sunrises and sunsets

- Gorgeous visuals that give us the same promise of a new day no matter where we are

- And the are amazing from my balcony!

- good friends, who send emails just when I seem to need them

- coke, to keep the “beasties” away and calm the unsettled stomach, and bring a smile as we toast “to diabetes” with every drink

- Desserts

- Clean clothe, Just that feeling of putting on clean clothes- esp. after you haven’t for like a week… And fabric softener! I miss that so much…

- American democracy and the American dream

- Laughter, Tibetans love to laugh, and I have laughed a ton w/ my family and friends here. It can break barriers and lighten moods like no other.

- Newspapers, to commemorate big events and keep us informed

- Little things people do, such as giving you their newspaper when they are done.

- Good movies, all good movies that make you feel like a little kid again, or make you laugh, or fall in love, or believe in the good in people, or just allow you to escape for a few hours. The world tends to be much simplier in a movie, and reminds us that life can be so much more.

- Atonement, the peace that believing in another perfect world, and the comfort a Savior can bring to you, the perspective it can bring.

- Christmas songs and movies, those ongs that get stuck in your head and make you happy all day. Movies that make you think of your traditions and your family.

-Beautiful buildings and nature

- Hard work

- Intricate, detailed things

- Exercise!

- Makes me feel so good! And relieves stress so well!

- Good transportation

- Universality of being human, the things we all have in common simply because we are human

- Pictures, the keep sakes of all those moments you hope not to forget.

- Good authentic Indian and Tibetan food

- Ice cream!

- Movie theatres, particularly ones where the power doesn’t go out in the middle… Although it does make things more exciting and create more suspense…

- Alone time, the time to ponder in quiet space, rejuvenate.

- Passions/interests, that make life more exciting. I suppose they aren’t necessary, but make life so much better, worth living.

- Good books!

- Technology; computers, emails, phone calls, DVDs, news on the internet and tv… I have been so spoiled!

- Fall; the colors, cool breeze that zips through, wanting to be tucked under blankets by a fireplace.

- Heaters

- Fireplaces; nostalgic, romantic, cute and cozy, and completely warm. Plus, I really just like watching fire…

- Singing out loud

- Understanding of others

- Stars, gazing at them every night while out here- there is a calmness and sereneness in the skies at night.

- Freedom, gratitude that I’m not confined to a prison with no options, that I can work, go to school, make decisions, move to another place, have a social life and surround myself with those I love… and just the pursuit of happiness

- Classy things; black and white pictures, fancy dining tables, tuxs and dresses

- Babies and children, the awe, the wonder, the trust, the faith, the smiles.

- Difference architecture, art, designs; I really like Asian architecture, fabrics, etc

- Cologne and perfume! Oh how I miss getting wiffs of good smelling people everywhere I go! Its only a rare occurence here

- Holidays/special days, they get us to celebrate, make the most of life for at least one day. We should see every day as a gift and reason to celebrate, but we are forgetful creatures and in the hustle and bustle of the “everydayness” we forget what it means to live to the fullest. We need reminders- and these days provide just that. Reminds us that life is worth living, put the fight and zest back into us. A renewal of energy, faith, excitement, hope, and happiness.

- good food, good traditions, good family and friends, and the holiday season!