Welcome back to This is India! I always have funny/weird stories about India to share with friends or family when I talk to them. This is just meant to be an honest portrayal about my life in India through short anecdotes. I also share here what I’ve been up to online outside Hippie in Heels.
What I was up to other than here:
- This week it was back to work. Ben’s gone up to his work site in Maharashtra (he’s doing some work all along the coast, collecting data in a boat!)
- I read [easyazon_link identifier=”1338109065″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them[/easyazon_link] and saw the movie… I was so disappointed! I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and had way too high of expectations.
- I just read [easyazon_link identifier=”0061950726″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Orphan Train[/easyazon_link]. It’s good so far! It’s about a girl who came to the US through Ellis Island from Ireland and was living in horrible conditions before becoming an orphan. The book starts with her being an orphan in NYC and the story of her life.
- Now I’m reading Sick In The Head: Conversations About Life And Comedy by Judd Apatow. He’s the guy who writes and directs the funniest movies like 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Trainwreck, This is 40, Superbad, Bridesmaid, Anchorman… this list goes on and on. He’s my favorite director! You’d think for how much I read I would have better spelling and grammar haha! I’m working on it :)
Now your story,
It was Thanksgiving last Thursday.
The night before we were out for beers at the opening of the new Burger Factory in Morjim. Ben said he was going to make Turkey day dinner for the crew – and have it ready by 7 PM (a task I know is impossible!) lol but then I was the only sober one there. I didn’t think he’d follow though since the last time we did Thanksgiving it took him all day and he swore he’d never do it again!
But, Ben followed through and got a chicken in the morning. I picked out the side dishes. He wanted NO help in the kitchen which is nothing to complain about haha!
My friend Ann was in town and we had over Priyanka and Nishta who were celebrating their first Thanksgiving.
So what makes this so unique?
We don’t have an oven! In the US usually it takes a handful of women all day to cook this dinner using two ovens. Lots of Americans have an oven in the kitchen and one in the basement.
We just have a tiny little toaster oven.
Basically, everything you eat on this day has to be baked! So it’s a real process of cooking things, letting them sit near the oven to stay hot then after the chicken reheating it all. 
We had a feast!
- chicken with stuffing
- extra stuffing
- green bean casserole
- creamed corn
- cheesy brocoli
- mashed potato
- gravy
- banana cake (thanks to nishta!)
In the end Ben did it all on his own and it took him 5 hours. Crazy! Everything was soooo delicious and lucky for me I get all the leftovers!! haha
The dogs of course got a little chicken too!
I’m glad you had such a nice Thanksgiving! I am grateful that during all my years in India, my friends made an extra effort to make Thanksgiving special for me, because it was always the day I was most homesick.
Also, I read Orphan Train a few years ago and loved it! Can’t wait to hear your final thoughts.
xx
Aw yeah, it’s more Christmas for me that I get homesick. I finished orphan train – it was really good but man what a sad story!
Cool… Thanksgiving in India !!! All the food looks so yummy….