Our day actually started with a language lesson, not the usual arousal around 9 to start cooking while dad watches football and occasionally checks up on the turkey. After the language lesson we all piled into a van and drove to our friend's house, which her parents had so graciously sacrificed to a hoard of unskilled teenagers. The house was a drive away, so we arrived there about the time Thanksgiving dinner would be about wrapping up. After a short tour through a gorgeous house, which was an actual house and not an apartment or half a house, we got down do business in the kitchen. I was cooking mashed potatoes, which was going to be one of the last dishes, so I was sent on a market run to get some materials that were missing. On our return, the house swelled with the aroma of browning meat, freshly cut onions, and soft dough.
The kitchen was already packed enough. I decided not to be a road block, so I found a nice chair and started plucking the guitar I had brought from home. Even though I had only picked it up a few days prior, it was nice to hear some compliments on my playing. Whenever I was called upon to lift a pot down form the top shelf, or stir some dish while other parts were being prepared, I gladly obliged. Soon enough the first wave of cooking died down, and we all found our way to couches or large plush pillows to rest. To our surprise, the parents told us that they were going out for the evening until around 10. I found this pretty trusting of them. If it were me, I would never allow 10 exchange students to roam around my house without any kind of supervision. We all thought that they would join us for dinner since we were cooking more than enough food for the 10 of us, so it was a little sad when they said they wouldn't be joining us. Of course once they left, those sentiments left with them. We cranked up the tunes, and let loose. Don't worry the house wasn't destroyed. We just danced around and got a little messier with the food.
Once the turkey had been taken out of the oven, we started plating things and setting the table. Before the dishes got torn apart, the table actually looked like a traditional Thanksgiving table, with the addition of tacos and a variety of Brazilian dishes, and minus some of the traditional foods such as: Cranberry relish, green bean casserole, and peas and shallots. I was given the honor of carving the turkey, probably because I was the only one who had an idea of how to. I didn't do such a bad job if I do say so myself. Once everything was ready, we all sat down, I gave a brief toast, and we all dug in.
The best word to describe that food would be "nostalgic". Every bite was like I was tasting the greatest dish in the world again and again. Heloissa, the girl from Brazil, complained that she was full on a number of occasions, us Americans just told her, "You're doing it right, so shut up and keep eating." Compliments were thrown around the table to everyone who made the dish the other person was enjoying. I got a few for my mashed potatoes, but by far the one that I think deserved the most praise was the stuffing made by Shannon. After we had eaten to the point of exploding, we took a few minutes to rest. I volunteered for dishes since I felt that I hadn't done enough in the cooking process, but everyone helped clean up the kitchen since it looked like it was ground 0 for a food tornado. With so many hands, clean up went quickly, and for our reward we had apple pie and ice cream. Somehow we found Ben & Jerry's, but that went too quickly to enjoy. The apple pie was great, not the best since brown sugar, and cinnamon aren't ingredients in the Turkish cook book, but it was great either way.
The rest of the evening was pretty mellow since all of us were in a food coma. We just sat on the couch and talked, while I quietly played some songs on the guitar. At 10 the bus came to take the kids from Izmir back home. Us guys from Manisa said our goodbyes and hung around a little longer for our ride home. I got home pretty late, 1 to be specific, mom wasn't too happy, but she could see that I wasn't drunk, or hurt, so she was fine by the next morning.
This Thanksgiving has been one of my favorite. Even though I was very far away from home and my family, I was with my friends, who have become a new family for me. We all support ourselves and enjoy each other's company, it will be hard to leave these guys. My next adventure with them will be to Istanbul, finally! I can't wait.
Guroscuruz
-Torvald
