To be honest, I really had no idea how much food there was going to be. I remember seeing several episodes of “Friends” where they had Thanksgiving and they bragged about how much they had eaten, but I didn’t know what to expect. The moment my uncle and aunt started telling me about all the food that was going to be at Thanksgiving my jaw started to drop! We were invited to go to my cousins-in-law’s house, in Long Island.
We left New Jersey at about noon, because traffic can be bad, especially during holidays. We got to Long Island at around 2:40 pm. As soon as I entered the house, I thought to myself, “I’m doomed” – there was so much food. From cheese, to crackers and hummus…and that was only the appetizer. We started having small snacks, but then I thought to myself, I really shouldn’t eat that much because then I would not be able to eat the good stuff. I was looking forward to the turkey, the yams, and, obviously, the stuffing.
Finally, the time came and we all sat down at the table. Since it was my first Thanksgiving ever, they made me say a couple of words. I said I was thankful for the opportunity that my parents have granted me of being here and that I was extremely blessed to be spending this Thanksgiving with loving and caring people. There were a lot of people there. It was us, a Japanese family, and the family that hosted the event. It was a multicultural atmosphere, which made everything interesting and lively.
I tried the turkey with cranberry sauce, and let me tell you, it is definitely worth the calories and the bloating feeling that came along afterwards. Of course I tried the yams – they were amazing… there is definitely a reason why Joey from Friends loves them so much. I had a bit of stuffing, but that was not my thing. I think it was a weird taste and well…I’d rather have other stuff. At this point, I was already in a food coma, but I knew I had to be brave and make it through dessert, because dessert is always the best part.
Dessert time came along, and I had cheesecake which my aunt made. IT WAS AMAZING!! Seriously…I had so much cheesecake, I think I even had a sugar rush because of how much I had! It was just a spectacular event. It was all positive. People kept telling stories and just smiling and laughing. There were no negative moments, and that right there is what Thanksgiving leaves me. It is one day to forget about all the problems that one may possibly have and just be with those you love and love you back; while enjoying the millions of calories you put in your body. It is definitely an interesting and worthy experience. I hope I get to spend more Thanksgivings in the USA and get more amazing food. And for the record, I heard a couple of times throughout the night that Thanksgiving calories don’t count…Let’s see what my jeans think tomorrow morning.