It’s been a long time since I’ve posted.  We got so busy at work and by the end of the day I just wasn’t up to more writing!  Anyway, I retired at the first of October, so suddenly I am in control of how I spend my time!  Currently my son, Charles and I are finalizing a children’s book we hope to have published early next year – What If We Had a Dinosaur?  At the same time, I am working on a memoir about life in China – Two Bottles of Water.  Below is an excerpt from that book – a recollection of spending special occasions far from loved ones.  As the holidays approach – I want to wish you and yours a Thanksgiving filled with all that brings you joy!    -Janet

Thanksgiving in a Far Away Land.

We love the excitement and romance of travel, but actually moving away from family and friends is a wrench.  And moving to another country presents its share of challenges.  We could not just hit the road and drive home from China.  Flying was expensive and time consuming.  But there we were in Beijing, and Thanksgiving was fast approaching!  So, like the bulk of our teachers, we prepared to celebrate the holiday in China.

We decided to host a Thanksgiving get-together for our teachers.  Turkey, however, is not a Chinese staple.  We couldn’t get a turkey.  Actually, we could have had it imported, but two factors dissuaded us.  One, it was extremely expensive and other Westerners who had done it didn’t offer rave reviews. Two, at a function hosted by the American Embassy, I had tasted the imported turkey, which was like a roast pressed around what was called dressing and then sliced.  I had to agree with the other reviewers, so we passed.

We couldn’t get pumpkin, either.  It’s not grown in China, or, at least, not around Beijing.  However, one fall afternoon, when we were on an outing to the Ming Tombs, we encountered a group of produce stands by the side of the road.  One stand had orange-colored squashes that reminded me a little of Sultan’s Turban squash.  I purchased two, which were about the size of 8” pumpkins.  We cleaned and baked the squash, mashed the flesh, added spices and created mini “pumpkin” pies in my tiny toaster oven (Chinese kitchens do not typically have regular ovens.  I had been able to find a toaster oven in a local store that was just a tad larger than an “Easy-Bake Oven”). The filling was more tan than orange, but homemade crust and the whipped cream on top saved the day!

We found a can of Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce at Jenny Lou’s market.  We bought deviled quail eggs and a variety of potato chips.  We decided because Hormel cold cuts (including turkey) were available and recognizable, we would try to create fancy sandwiches.  For “fancy” we intended to use croissants.  On one trip to the grocery store, we had discovered them.  As perfect as if they had been made in a boulangerie!  And they were delicious!  The day before the party, we went to buy several dozen.

On party morning, we began to slice the croissants and discovered most of them were filled with red bean paste, a kind of mashed bean, sugar, and grease spread or jam. Not a happy surprise.  It was too late to change plans. We stood with the wastebasket between us and scooped the paste out of all those croissants!  When we shared our misstep with staff, one of our Chinese guests pointed out how the Chinese characters explained which were plain and which were filled.

In the end, the sandwiches were fine and the mini pumpkin pies were a hit.  The American contingent shared with our other colleagues what our relatives back in the states were doing to celebrate Thanksgiving.  And we learned some interesting facts about celebrations in China, India, Pakistan and Canada.  We were all thankful to have one another’s company – for many of us, as strangers in a strange land.

I remember my daughter, Amy, telling us how our family went out together to a restaurant that November for Thanksgiving dinner, but it just didn’t compare to the feasts we’d always had at home together with home-made everything (and no bean paste of any color)!