.40 centimes for a cup of Joe

It is the last Thursday of November. A regular day of work here in France; back home, this day is exponentially more valuable... Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, aside from the undeniably ugly historic context, is my favorite holiday. Traditionally, my mom and I begin scouring Woman's World magazine weeks in advance for just the right recipes. The day of, we spend hours in the kitchen concocting delicious new dishes. In the evening, we feast. It's a pretty typical tradition, but this year I appreciate it more than ever. Being far from home on holidays is not easy, but I feel calm and content celebrating Thanksgiving in my own way this year. I have lots on the agenda for this weekend! Rose's mom and aunt arrived in Paris this morning, and tonight they are taking the roommates out for dinner. Tomorrow, I am going to do some grocery shopping and have a coffee date planned with Rhea. This Saturday, we are celebrating our own version of Thanksgiving at l'Auberge Americaine (this is what we have dubbed our apartment). On the menu are your usual items such as sweet potatoes, potatoes au gratin, green bean casserole, pumpkin soup, etc... but instead of turkey (they're extremely expensive in Paris), we are substituting rotisserie chicken. I think it should make for an excellent swap!

In honor of it being Thanksgiving 4,145 miles from here, I will cite a few things that I am currently thankful for.  At this very moment, I am thankful for:

WIFI (so that I can write while I wait to teach my next class)
.40 centime espresso machines (so that I can keep my eyes open and not burn a hole in my pocket purchasing Starbucks on a daily basis)
students that participate (also so that I can keep my eyes open)
wonderful friends and roommates to support me and love me while I'm so far away from my loved ones back home
wonderful friends and loved ones back home who continue to support me from thousands of miles away (virtual support is still very much appreciated!!)
a store in Paris entitled "Thanksgiving" (where else am I supposed to find canned pumpkin for my pumpkin soup recipe?)
the opportunity to live, study and work in Paris in general (I can write a separate entry on this topic entirely)

So, thanks, to serendipity, to fate, to destiny, to luck, to who or whatever causes the universe to flow the way that it does... I appreciate the way in which you work!

To all of my loved ones back in AMERICA, stuff your freakin' faces today and be thankful for what you've got!

P.S. : My lesson plans for today are AWESOME.  "I Will Survive" and "Can't Stuff This" -- 2 songs that chronicle the lives of some defiant turkeys are gracing the ears of my French students.... they're loving it.