Thanksgiving 2010

Well here it is, folks. I tell you, this not having a functioning camera thing is really doing a number on my blog. I'm so thankful that Jenni lets me use hers, but I still don't take enough. There's not even a picture of our pumpkin pie (from Harvest Bakery)!

Jenni and I got together with the 6 American girls in Biên Hoà for a weekend and specifically one large dinner. Jenni and I brought the sweet potatoes, the mashed potatoes, a (very expensive, but delicious) can of cranberry sauce I found in district 1, and the aforementioned--and rather perfect-- pumpkin pie.
It was pretty delicious. Ashley cooked baked apples and mixed it with the cranberry sauce which was SOOOO GOOD! Steph made some delicious dressing and salad and bought all of the meat (combined with leftover turkey and ham, THANKS JANELL!), bread, and probably more. Then Brittany made hot apple cider for dessert while we watched Elf. I had a lot of fun. Below: Ashley, me, Steph
So, that's the meal. If you were only interested in our food, turn back now.
When we arrived in Biên Hoà, most of the girls were at their school for some kind of function. It had been a long bus ride and we just lay on their couches when we came in. Some boys came up playing soccer outside the gate to their house. I was tired, and I've played soccer maybe three times in the last two years, but I thought, "What the heck?"

I went outside and the boys laughed at me. They looked about 7- 10 years old and they mockingly shouted "what yo name!" in my direction. Then I used a phrase that I practice constantly in my classes of five year olds: "Cho Cô đi." (Give it to me)

I heard a noticable change in their tone( or is it 'change their tune?) ('change their tone' is redundant in a tonal language) as they surprisingly expressed to each other that this lady could speak Vietnamese. Finally they put the ball down and started playing. I just tried to take the ball and keep it as long as I could, and they loved it. Teams sort of merged and I noticed that sometimes I would get passed the ball, and other times one person would separate from the group to try to take me one on one. I was sweating like crazy, but having a lot of fun. Playing with kids is an interesting dynamic of needing to not be dangerous or look stupid, but also not appear to be trying too hard. Because that's just embarassing. Also, meg them when you can; they love that.

After a few minutes, a neighbor pulled a lawn chair to the street and sat down to watch, grinning broadly each time I got the ball. Finally one boy picked up the ball, yelled to his friends and then spoke to me quickly. I wish I knew more soccer vocabulary, but I don't even know the word for soccer field (I live in the city). It sounded like they wanted me to come with them so I went. We walked on the gravel road to a park and a field of grass and sand. The leader of the boys yelled to a group of older boys and it seemed like some kind of challenge. Our little team of boys was going to play these mostly older boys.

We got slaughtered.

We held our own at first, but when the goals started, they didn't stop. Slightly out-sized, except for me, we put up a good fight. It was really fun, though I felt a lot of pressure because a crowd sort of gathered to watch the foreigner girl playing soccer. The older boys would occasionally yell out phrases in English to each other ("Good!" "Don't be scared!") and then look at me for my response. I had a great time.
I miss playing soccer a lot.

I had been kind of stressed out--- on the bus all afternoon on Saturday trying to get our internet turned back on, buy cranberry sauce, pick up the pie, not be late for class, blah blah. And that next morning I was cooking potatoes and cleaning up my mess and forgetting why we even celebrate Thanksgiving.

Which brings me to my point... If you're still with me... There's something about soccer now that clears things up for me. Brings me back home. And I remembered to be thankful.

We celebrate this holiday because the pilgrims wanted to w*rship freely! That's why they came to America and they feasted out of thankfulness that G()d had not forgotten them and had provided for them! And two out of those three things are TRUE here!

We have so much to be thankful for it's unbelievable.