Happy Holidays...

I bet you are all anxious to know what I ate for my Bangladeshi Thanksgiving dinner. I will give 10 taka (ruffly equivalent to 20 U.S. cents) to anyone who can guess correctly from the following options:

a. a large bowl of rice which I attempted to make turkey-shaped

b. a large bowl of curried yams which I attempted to make turkey-shaped

c. a wild Bangladeshi goose which I made say "gobble gobble"

d. all of the above

e. nothing

Everyone consider the options carefully...





And the answer is: E, yes that is right, nothing.

I have been told by many foreign travelers here that you haven't really lived in South Asia until you have been really ill in South Asia. Well, it looks like I've lived here now. After a week on the road with my first real cold, I returned Wednesday evening to my comfortable room in Rangpur only to spend my Thanksgiving Eve running to and from the bathroom. On reflection, I must admit that I am deeply thankful that I was blessed to throw up in the comfort of my own bathroom rather than one on the road.

After my third day spent mostly lying in bed another seasoned traveler explained to me that this was just my internal self "experiencing Bangladesh." I'm praying my internal self is satisfied now.

Now before you start feeling too sorry for me I should let you know that I didn't miss Thanksgiving festivities altogether. On Saturday we had a Thanksgiving party of sorts with a few other Americans (and one Chinese girl) here -- complete even with a miniature plastic turkey and Thanksgiving napkins my mom sent, and cranberry sauce, gravy, and canned yams brought to us by a visiting professor. No turkey though, we went with the wild Bangladeshi goose. Though I couldn't engage fully in the festivities I was able to soak up some holiday cheer.

I must confess that with the onset of the U.S. "holiday season" I have grown a little homesick. I realized it when I was going to sleep recently. You know that time when you are lying in a semiconscious state right before falling asleep and your mind is free to wonder? Well on this particular night I came back to full consciousness realizing that I had been repeatedly counting the number of months until I return home. Of course the truth is that I am not ready to leave, I want to learn and experience a lot more first, but you know, the holidays just get to you.

I yearn to sit in my parents' living room watching A Christmas Story for the millionth time, drink tea with my mom, and discuss the cutting edge church eldership quandaries with my dad. I want to practice somersaults with my nephew Ethan, and stay up late having deep philosophical conversations over wine with my siblings. I want to wear red sweaters, go to too many Christmas parties, and sing Christmas carols too loud too late at night with my crazy college friends.

(long sigh)

After ruminating on all this, and feeling sorry for myself a little, I remembered all those who have been displaced from their homes for much longer than I, and those without even the possibility of returning. So I think this holiday season I will not forget to be thankful for all my loved ones, for having a place to call home, and for years of happy memories, and pray for all who are missing these.

AND I plan to start playing Christmas music around the clock. This will be funny since Bangladesh has a tropical climate (palm trees everywhere), but you just can't pass up a Christmas with out a lot of Jingle Bells and R0ckin' Around the Christmas Tree... even in Bangladesh.