Thanksgiving in Taiwan

When I left for Taiwan, I thought about what it would be like to experience my first Thanksgiving outside of the U.S.  The holiday has always meant the traditional things to me; surrounding myself with family, good food and of course football.  Fortunately with Slingbox, I knew I would not miss my football, but I resigned myself to not having my family or experiencing turkey and all of the fixings.

My kids and grandkids held a “Fakesgiving” celebration last Saturday; I assume to be able to have a sibling celebration and be able to attend spouses’ family celebrations on Thanksgiving Day.  They Skyped me and I was able to see most everyone enjoying the festivities.  That meant a lot to me. 

We went to Costco twice this past week and I look at the large turkeys in the meat bunkers, clearly targeting ex-pats or Taiwanese that have lived in the U.S. at some point and wishing to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal.  It didn’t appear that all of the components for dinner were available, however if you have turkey, you can always improvise.  We don’t have an oven in our house, so cooking a turkey was not possible.   I could grill it, however we have been unable to locate a grill in the stores; it is not a typical appliance in Taiwan and seasonal at best.  So I assumed no turkey for dinner this year.

My Fiancée told me several days ago that some colleagues at the work were planning to have a Thanksgiving get together.  Knowing that an American was here, they kindly invited us.  Originally the meal was planned for 5-6 people.  Within 2 days, the number of people attending increased.  By the time the Thanksgiving meal occurred, there were over 40 attendees, with everyone bringing a dish.  We brought pumpkin pie and tiramisu.  One of the organizers found a local restaurant that cooks turkeys twice per year.  Another person brought mash potatoes and gravy; the gravy had a distinct Asian flavor, using sweet and sour ingredients.  Most people brought traditional Asian dishes, including duck, kimchee, and pizza.  The spread was impressive and we drank Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese beer.  The turkey was cooked to perfection and it was the first time I ate a Thanksgiving meal with chopsticks.

The people attending work in various different scientific research and academic arms of the institute.  Many of the scientists had spent time in the U.S. during their post-doctorate studies. Most people recognized the names of the participants through e-mail and the institute’s newspaper; however a number of people met face to face for the first time.  The primary organizer took time to introduce everyone visiting from outside of Taiwan and then asked everyone to stand up and introduce themselves.   The introductions turned into speeches about the meaning of Thanksgiving and the thankfulness of meeting these good people and sharing a meal.  While I didn’t understand most of what was said, I could tell everyone was moved by the evening.  I gave my speech in English and it was well received.

I was able to watch my football, see some of my family through Skype, eat a great meal and most importantly, share Thanksgiving with new friends that truly appreciate the meaning of the holiday.  I was reminded of my childhood when my Mother would often invite people to our family Thanksgiving meal, which were separated from their families due to work, military and school obligations.

I hope everyone following my blog had a great Thanksgiving.