Although I have initiated thanksgiving feasts back at home due in part to having an American brother-in-law, doing an American studies degree and pumpkin pies are just so damn good, nothing could have prepared me for a proper American thanksgiving.
My roommate invited me to join in with her family for the holiday and I eagerly accepted. It wasn't until I began to hear stories about her family,seeing a drawing of her HUGE family tree and getting to know her a bit more that I started to become a bit nervous! I'm a quiet British girl. I love my family to bits but we are a small family (I remember everyone's name for a start) and we are not a particularly loud family either, especially my home with my parents. My roommates family are one big loud American one! She has 32 cousins. I have 5 and 2 of those are 1st cousins once removed (or 2nd cousins, i'm not sure).
I have to say that they all welcomed me with open arms and made me feel comfortable straight away, even if there were some members that I had no idea what they were saying because they talked so fast!
We left Santa Cruz on Wednesday night and stayed at my roommates house in Sacramento. The following day we drove up convoy style to her aunt's new house in the Sierra Nevada foothills. It was gorgeous! Huge stone fireplace, open spaces, country kitchen, neighbours a mile away, perfect.
The house was descended upon with grandparents, aunts, cousins, in laws, everyone, on her 'moms' side of the tree. Plates were lined up on the kitchen counter...yams, mashed potatoes, broccoli salad, cranberry sauce, biscuits (like bread rolls), a Turkey to feed the 5000, and that was just the main course. The appetisers went on for hours: cheese and biscuits, smoked salmon, salami and cold meats, pickled asparagus (the only thing I did not eat!), piped cream cheeses. I was full by the time the Turkey came out of the oven!
The 40 or so people held hands round the kitchen and gave thanks and then we dug in! The following few hours was a vicious cycle of eating, pain, lying down, eating, pain, napping etc. OH and also a long long game of hide and seek with a 7yr old and a 12yr old. I had forgotten that feeling of extreme excitement and twitchiness that you get when you are a kid and hiding under laundry baskets!
Dessert- 11 Pumpkin pies. How did I have room? I didn't. I forced myself to find room!
We drove home and then a few of us went out to a pool bar (as in snooker) for a while to 'work off' some of the food in preparation for the next day. Her dad's thanksgiving day. Lord help me.
But first, Black Friday. The sale day to end all sale days. After playing pool, it was about 1am so we decided to swing by Walmart to laugh at all the crazy people lining up to buy plasma TV's at a reduced price! I was shocked at how many people were there. It was like a marathon. People sprinting down the isles, snatching at DVD players, dragging small children who were half asleep to the mile long line to pay, this wild look in their eyes. I silently chuckled to myself at the insanity of it all. The picture shows the lines at Walmart at 1am!
I had been looking for a new camera for a while so while we were in Walmart we went to have a look at some to see what the sale prices were like. I found a really nice one for $200 but a guy came up behind me and whispered "Target are selling these for $99. I bought 3. GO". Go we went. I turned into one of those crazys that I had just snorted about. Running out of Walmart, jumped into the car, drove full speed to Target while praying that there was one left. Barely waited for the car to stop moving before I lept from it and ran, pushing past hoards of people with a similar intent. We arrived sweating and puffing with wild eyes in front of a stack of 200 cameras. I laughed at myself. While I line hopped to the front with my new toy. I feel like my dad.
Getting tired of typing so will make the rest brief. Day 2 was similar to the first day: food, and more food. The highlight was definitely playing with matches and nearly setting the house on fire, and my introduction to smores. Toasted marshmallows sandwiched between graham crackers with chocolate. It doesn't take a genius to know that this was like eating heaven. A 'slumber party' followed with my roommates 12 year old cousin complete with popcorn and movies! I have definitely been in touch with my child side this weekend! As if I hadn't eaten enough food, we stopped by 'A Touch of Britain' to buy maltesers, smarties, dark chocolate kitkat and mince pies. Although we don't celebrate this holiday, everyone being with family and friends made me feel a bit homesick, so I have decided that I am thankful for skype and facebook!
I am about to cry at the prospect of the coming 2 weeks. Too much work, not enough time. In the next 5 days I have 2 presentations, a 10 page paper due, and a Spanish composition and oral exam. Kill me, kill me now. Preferably by stuffing pumpkin pie down my throat. That will be a nice way to die I think. Or to be hugged to death by Soxies.
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