My first Thanksgiving lunch

I had the pleasure of experiencing an American Thanksgiving lunch and really relished it. Probably because I'm feeling so homesick these days and, also because it was nice to see this cherished American holiday up close. 

The Americans really like their "holidays." So, all occasions, whether religious or historical or national, are "holidays." 

One of Chipo's friends kindly let me tag along to her friend's place for Thanksgiving lunch since Chipo was out of town. My friend had cooked up a storm of side dishes to take along. It was a beautiful house and I got to meet a very welcoming family which included an anesthetist and a stand up comedian! 

The turkey was absolutely succulent. The side dishes were perfect. And, I got to try out a new dish that was made with sweet potatoes, brown sugar and marshmallows! 

We stuffed our faces all day long and played "Taboo," a new game I was introduced to. And I had turkey to take home!

It is also important to mention that Thanksgiving is a controversial subject since it's rooted in the history of the first few European settlers that came to the New World, which ultimately led to the genocide of the people who were originally living there. Too see how it is so satirised, take a look at this Illustrated Truth:

I am coincidentally reading Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States 1492 - Present. I happen to be reading the chapter on how Indian lands were stolen through war, manipulation and deceit "As Long as Grass Grows or Water Runs." Here is one of the first paragraphs:

And so, Indian Removal, as it has been politely called, cleared the land for white occupancy between the Appalachians and the Mississippi, cleared it for cotton in the South and grain in the North, for expansion, immigration, canals, railroads, new cities and the building of a huge continental empire clear across to the Pacific Ocean. The cost in human life cannot be accurately measured, in suffering not even roughly measured. Most of the history books given to children pass quickly over it.