Getting in the holiday spirit... by dancing a happy dance

Marie (my roommate and French counterpart here) had never celebrated Thanksgiving. Being that she is French and it's an American holiday and she has never been around Americans this much, I cannot imagine why she has never celebrated Thanksgiving before. So, I have been talking-up my favorite holiday all week. I even announced it in the morning meeting yesterday and told everyone that along with other things, I was extremely thankful for all of them this year. This coming from the girl who never speaks but only listens in meetings--- everyone smiled and nodded that at least they understand my rather horrid and broken French.

So I think Marie felt she needed to do something for my favorite holiday. Our cook (yes we have a cook) was on his day off, so Mama Georgine came over to my office (a whole 35 meters from the house) and asked me if beans and rice would be alright for "la fete" (the party) today. "Ummm... sure, beans and rice sound great" (cultural sensitivity kicking in at this point). I had not planned any sort of "fete" for the day, only mentioned that back home it was a large "fete" for the day. Beans and rice... I shouldn't complain, many people do not even get that on the average day. All I could think of was food with my family... turkey, Dad's salt roast (pretty good), Mom's cranberry relish, mashed potatoes WITH butter, fresh bread rolls, some sort of spinach salad, a few of my Aunt Jean's famous noodles on the side, a nice smooth red wine, to be followed by coffee and a small piece of chocolate pie (Leta's speciality) and one or two servings of pumpkin pie... my mouth waters just thinking of all of this. This is all to be followed by a traditional "Maggie nap" while people yell and scream for different football teams (Go HOGS), only THEN to wake me up and tell me... they need a back or neck rub (known as the family massuese). But what makes holidays special for me anymore are how different they are from one year to the next.

So while many of you celebrated with full tummies, football watching, napping, etc., I celebrated yet in a different way. I did not get to start the day off with my traditional run with my oldest brother Kyle (which will always carry a great deal of meaning with me as one of our Thanksgiving runs was when he first mentioned interest in his wife Lori to me--- Lori is an amazing woman, even better mother-wife-sister if that is possible), however... I started the day off at 5:15 with our cat Muhindo (meaning "black" in Lingala) just outside my window crying her eyes out because she wanted in. I laid still, acting as if I didn't hear her and finally one of the guards shoo-ed her out of my window. I wished Marie a "happy thanksgiving" as she smiled and wished the same to me this morning. We shared a pot of coffee, had some cereal and got ready for work. We met the rest of the team in the paiot right around 8am, spoke work, politics and security for a while. I announced to my team that our "bosses" would be arriving tomorrow morning rather tha Friday morning. "Ohhhh... pas Samedi?? Une change à la programme? Bon, nous avons beacoup travail aujour'hui, oui?" Yes, there was a change in the schedule and we have much work to get done today before they arrive tomorrow.

By 10am I needed a cup of tea.
Marie saw me leave my office and followed me back to the house. Tired and looking for food (not sure why... just the day I guess), Marie so kindly shared with me her French-Swiss cookies which she received only two days ago in a care-package and said "it's Thanksgiving... happy Thanksgiving". Needless to say, my housemate had also arranged we eat chicken, frites (fries) and corn for lunch rather than our typical beans and rice. Mama Georgine was happy to surprise me! They even let me nap for an hour after lunch before I returned to the office.

After work Marie and I headed on our run. I didn't want to go, but knowing how busy we will be over the next few days thought it would be best to take advantage of the situation and go while we had the chance. It was actually a great run. Did a great deal of thinking, laughing and talking about how quickly things have become "normal" here. I wonder if things will feel "different" back home at this point? Running through the jungle, jumping over two inch thick lines of biting ants, running around people coming back from the fields with over 40lbs of wood on their head and their machete in hand smiling at us (as we feel stupid for running while their work is twice as hard as our run), never knowing what people are saying to me in Lingala (or French for that matter), running through the mud, dogding termite mounds, being careful as we cross a small pool of water (nearly a river) with every run, being eaten alive by mosquitos, hearing funny jungle animals all around us, just running along smiling, sometimes talking and laughing. It seems so normal at this point.

As we arrived back at the house, I sprayed down with bug repellant, threw some pants on, and headed back over to the office for a bit. When I returned to the house 45 minutes I called my parents. They always put me in such a great mood. Marie and I shared a beer and not long after that, I had the guitar in hand and was singing "smelly cat" to our cat who was trying to sleep. For dinner we enjoyed Salt-n-Vinegar Pringles, good Swiss cheese, saucisson, and entertainment via the "stylings of Maggie." They say that you cannot hide yourself when in the field... I think it is safe to say Marie knows a good portion of my corkiness at this point. Not intoxicated at all, just letting loose a bit, I found myself dancing in my chair to the musical stylings of Robbie Williams, some christian rapper and Miss Erykah Badu. Marie just sat there and laughed and said she rather enjoyed her first Thanksgiving. Who would not enjoy watching someone else perform the famous "fish-hook" dance while reeling you in from the chair right across from you while grooving to different music. Ironically, it was Robbie Williams who seemed to spark my holiday spirit though---- granted, he was singing old Frankie Sinatra tunes. Maybe that did it?

Needless to say, its been another holiday which I am sure not to forget, one I am extremely thankful for. Not quite the traditional Thanksigiving of home... but faubulous all the same.

Hope everyone at home or elsewhere has reason to be thankful today as I do. Cheers.