Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving only a few days past I think it's an opportune time to reflect on our experience celebrating this year. The Peace Corps organized a Thanksgiving party and dinner for all current volunteers, all PC staff, and all of us trainees, who were each allowed to invite two people. Thus the dinner was huge. The Peace Corps flew in $500 worth of turkeys from America, but the rest of the food was provided by those attending the dinner.

By request we brought "Flee," a traditional Albanian dish made of flour, water, and salt. A fire is started and a cement-type-lid is placed on the fire. Strips of the batter are poured into a large dish - perhaps 2 feet in diameter and 4 to 5 inches deep. The lid is then transferred from the fire to the top of the dish where it cooks the batter from the top. Once the strips are cooked the lid is returned to the fire and another round of strips are poured. The whole process takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours with the end result being somewhat similar to a stack of very thin pancakes -- everyone here loves the dish.

The celebration began with a speech by the Country Director and was followed by a speech and Thank You written by a fellow volunteer. The speech was translated into both Macedonian and Albanian and was delivered in sections. The first section was read in English, then in Macedonian, and then in Albanian. Kacey was selected to read the Albanian. The girl reading the Macedonian did a pretty good job. However, when Kacey read the first Albanian section she flew through it stunning the audience. Once she was finished the crowed burst into cheers in recognition of what she'd done!

After dinner each training group presented skits or a slide show. Our group presented a slide show set to music. Highlights included a group dressed as Turkeys who would each dance onto stage one turkey at a time to choreographed music and proclaim "I am a Turkey." The first turkey spoke in English, the second in Macedonian, followed by Albanian, and finally the fourth turkey in Turkish, proclaiming "I'm a turkey from Turkey, beat that!" Another group had an elaborate Thanksgiving skit performed in Macedonian complete with Trainees in their underwear. We have been left to ponder what our families now think of Americans. After the skits everyone danced - first traditional Macedonian dances, and then modern pop culture dances, e.g. the electric slide.

All details aside, it was an incredible experience that brought home the meaning of Thanksgiving as we'd never experienced before. Traditionally the holiday is celebrated as the occasion the Pilgrims, foreigners newly arrived in a strange land, took time to celebrate what they had to be thankful for. They survived and prospered because of the generosity of those already living in that new land. The willingness of those people to help the Pilgrims was integral and essential to their survival. In theory we've always known this story. Yet we've never really felt, as in felt deep down in our bones, that same level of thankfulness or the same level of meaning that the dinner must have had for those first pilgrims. Until this year. Here we are, strangers in a new and different land far from all we've known, incapable of prospering on our own, lacking the skills and knowledge we need. We've been taken in by complete strangers, and have survived, grown, and learned because of these strangers' generosity and willingness to help. Without the help and support of so many people here in Macedonia we would be like those first Pilgrims had they lacked the help of the Native Americans. Instead, we are like those first Pilgrims, and in the same tradition, offered a dinner and celebration to thank those who have helped us, to celebrate with our friends, and reflect on all we have to be thankful for.

The physical distance of our separation from America has also provided an opportunity to reflect on all we have to be thankful for, and has provided a lens through which to see America in a different and fuller light. It brings home just how lucky we are to have the families and friends we do. It also provides an opportunity to realize, truly, that despite whatever failings and flaws America has, it is an incredible place and is uniquely set apart from other countries, representing hope and the possibility of something better.

Well, enough sentimental rambling. We just want to let you all know how thankful we are for you. We love getting your emails, so please keep writing! (we apologize if we can't always find the time to respond to everyone as in depth as we should -- hopefully that will change if we get Internet at our own place -- less than two weeks!) Happy Thanksgiving, Conor and Kacey