Happy belated Thanksgiving to all of my friends and family (and anyone else who may be reading this) back in the United States! This was my first Thanksgiving being away from my family, which was a little sad for me especially since it is one of my favorite holidays. You don’t have to buy presents for anyone and there are no tacky sweaters or grandma-approved dresses involved; all you have to do is eat, watch some football, laze around with your family, and eat some more…what’s not to love??
Fortunately, IES anticipates this and plans a Thanksgiving dinner every fall semester as a way for us gringos to celebrate the holiday, but it also serves as a final official event for the group since it falls so close to the end of the semester. IES bought turkey and gravy, and the center’s wonderful housekeeper Señora Sonia made a mountain of real mashed potatoes (not from a box! Is this real life??). Each student had to bring a salad or dessert, so we made a potluck out of it. Decorations were put up all over the center. Two students from the program wrote and played a cello/guitar duet, and mi buen amigo Jake compiled a slideshow of pictures from the semester (Here is the link, por si les tinca verlo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi08SvBZH9w&feature=plcp). Some shared what they were thankful for, and then we had dinner. Although quite unlike Thanksgiving at home, it was still an enjoyable evening with plenty of conversation and camaraderie, and quite a nice break from studying for finals, which have been keeping us all busy (hence the delay in posting…sorry!)! 