Saturday, November 26, 2011

NaBloPoMo 19: Presents and Giving Thanks

Prompt: Do you like to buy presents ahead of time, or right when you need to give them?

Eh. I'm the type who sucks at secrets, and I wear my heart on my sleeve. If I've gotten someone a really good present, I'm not good at hiding it for long. So even if I may have intended to save the present for a while, I usually give it to the person early. Womp.

Also, this was a foolish prompt, so let's talk about Thanksgiving:

I've always taken the holiday for granted, but despite its less than familial origin, Thanksgiving is about family. And food, and abusing our bank accounts and digestive systems and football. But mostly family. My family is flawed and quirky, but they're mine, and I miss them. I also miss my second family (you know, those people I call friends. Love you guys), and so being gone for this Thanksgiving wasn't the easiest thing. Working on Thanksgiving was pure torture. Eating squid soup on Thanksgiving was the end of the world.

I do love Korea, but November 24 was the catalyst for premature homesickness. Time goes fast here, and I'm learning a lot. Every day is a surprise, and it's usually a good one. But one thing I've learned here is how much I've taken for granted. Not only in terms of cultural differences (though I could write a post on American showers, or why kimchi really doesn't need to be eaten every meal including breakfast). I guess I've always harbored a secret hatred for familiarity. Anything that I knew well enough, like the route to school, or the inside of my freshman dorm, was the focus of my scorn. Now I'm nostalgic to walk through the arch on the way to class, or trudge up the hill to my old high school. I'm worried this is a sign I'm getting old, or maybe I'm just old enough to have accrued enough memories to truly understand what nostalgia means.

Anyways, my bad mood was conquered today, not through booze, but through food. Much healthier, right? A group of foreigners put together a Thanksgiving potluck. After a few weeks of rice, soup, kimchi, and ramen, my senses went into overdrive at the sight and smell of mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, turkey, pie, macaroni and cheese, stuffing, and broccoli casserole. My stomach tried to quit before my taste buds were sated, but I conquered the food. Guys, be proud. So Thanksgiving happened, finally. Even if it wasn't a lazy Thursday afternoon with the people I love driving me up the wall, it happened. Enough.

Wait. Did I mention the amazing company? There was amazing company. I found a lot of people who love Love Actually, and I even found a few Doctor Who fans! WIN.

So Happy Belated Thanksgiving, and may your Black Friday endeavors not end in bruises, broken bones, or credit card debt.

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