How do you get so big eating food of this kind?

When I first arrived in China I stuck out like a sore thumb. Now that I have begun to grow out my beard I stick out like a sore mutated sixth finger that is not supposed to exist. Not only do I receive the normal double take and look of wonder from the everyday Chinese passerby, I am now frequented with many giggles and blatant fingerpointing towards my person. Not that I have anyone to blame but myself. When one decides to take on the task of growing out a holiday beard for oneself, one has to be prepared for the consequences; no matter how dire they may be. Lately, I have taken to telling people that all American men grow out their beards in the wintertime to keep their faces warm. Unfortunately, they rarely take my word for this and frequently cite beardless movie stars to back up their well founded skepticism.

Over the past 2 weeks I have given Thanksgiving lectures numbering in the double digits. I now know scores of miscellaneous trivia about the origins and traditions relating to Halloween and Thanksgiving. I know all kinds of useless facts about how 46 of the 102 pilgrims died in the first winter, they celebrated the first Thanksgiving in the fall of 1621, and invited the local Indians from the Wampanoag tribe to join them. While they enjoy learning these facts and especially like to see pictures of turkeys, the real fun comes when I get to tell them about what Thanksgiving is like in my family. When I tell the students that my mother comes from a family with seven brothers and sisters and my father has an additional three, their eyes open as wide as saucers and an inevitable "wahhhhhhhh" escapes in unison from all their open mouths. On a spur of the moment whim, I told my class today that it was the first time in my entire life that I would spend Thanksgiving away from my family and didn't fully realize it was true until after I had said it. I don't know if it is a bit of narcissism but part of me is repeatedly surprised that the rest of the world keeps on spinning when I'm not around. It has caused me to reflect more than usual, on this holiday dedicated to thankfulness, how truly blessed I am to have such an amazing family full of loving parents, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and hybrid cousin/uncle/aunts all mixed into one. I am very grateful to have a family that I truly miss seeing.

However to say that I spent a lonely Turkey Day here in China would truly be a deceptive statement. Apart from the casual "Happy Thanksgiving" wishes I have had thrown at me from friends and strangers alike, I have received a plethora of phone calls, e-mails, and text messages from Chinese friends invoking upon me their most sincere Thanksgiving cheer. One of my favorite text messages of the day went a little something like this:

I open my pocket, find no coin;
I open my purse, find no money;
I open my life, then I find you!
Then I know how rich I am! Happy Thanksgiving Day, my friend!

On top of these warm wishes I got to spend a great night of fun with my fellow IECS team members here in Baoding. We ate "American food" consisting of home-made chicken fajitas, chips & salsa, and some fresh baked cookies! While this may not sound like traditional Thanksgiving fare, I assure you that all of the above were precious commodities indeed and could not have been accomplished without a few special shipments from some thoughtful parents.

This weekend we will journey forth into previously unknown territory and visit a partner IECS team in Langfang. There we will enjoy an awesome time of fellowship witho the whole IECS band and eat some delcious food courtesy of the local team. Best wishes to all of you who are enoying more than the tofu turkeys of China.