Thanksgiving in Kochi

Last weekend, a lot of the Kochi ALTs celebrated Thanksgiving. There were actually two separate Thanksgiving parties on Saturday, one in Kochi City and one in the nearby town of Sakawa. I went by train to the one in Sakawa. There were about 20 other JETs crammed into Mary's apartment, which fortunately is relatively large. It was still pretty cozy, though.

We had plenty of great Thanksgiving foods, including a 23 pound turkey. It was a big 'un. There was also pumpkin soup, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, veggie plates with hummus, mince pies and several other things. For dessert we had fruit salad, jello (!), and chocolate brandy cupcakes with pecan filling. I was particularly excited about the jello, for some reason. In addition to the food, we had quite a few bottles of wine. I contributed some apple cider, and the non-alcoholic bottle of cider went over very well with some of the people who had to drive that evening. (Note: driving after consuming ANY alcohol is considered drunk driving).

All in all, it was a really nice evening. It felt very much like Thanksgiving, with the crowded house and cheerful noise of conversation. I took the last train of the evening back home, along with Jessica, Cat, and Ashley, and we played Cards Against Humanity on our way back into town. For those who have not played it, Cards Against Humanity is basically Apples to Apples, only as offensive as possible. It's pretty fun provided there are no children around.

So, while I will miss Thanksgiving with the family, it was great to have something similar with my friends here. I hope everyone back home will enjoy Thanksgiving this Thursday. I am thankful for you all, and I will be thankful to come home again to stay next summer.