Thanksgiving Day here in Moldova is really just another day. Everyone goes to work as usual and only those with internet lives know about the Macy's Day Parade. But Peace Corps volunteers found a way to have a family meal together on the following Saturday. We were gathered at the apartment of David and Matt who are PCV's in Balți (belts). As you can see we were wearing our American colors proudly and also the colors of the city of Balți, which is often called the capital of Northern Moldova. It is a bustling city of about 150,000 people. Preparations started the night before and the two turkeys were so fresh they were never refrigerated. Mary said "Do we really have to peel 50 lbs of potatoes?" Walter was helping in the kitchen all day too. And I of course had to get the appetizers started....fresh pineapple anyone? (grown in Costa Rica) David confirms the potatoes are boiling. Stephanie made friends with a strange bird. And so did Justin. But the real star of the show was the bird in the pan. We had 26 people sitting down to dinner. Lots of dishes to try. Turkey with stuffing of course, potatoes and mushroom gravy, green bean casserole, carrots, currants made to look like cranberries. Behind a large pot of potates, you see two senior volunteers in our group. The one on the left is a retired Moldovan English teacher who volunteers at her local school 5 hours a week, the other is Emily who is Peace Corp's oldest serving volunteer at 83. She also is an expert in teaching. Well after all that food there was nothing else to do but have desert. Several pumpkin pies, cheese cakes, and cup cakes were available for tasting. We finished the evening with a round of Christmas Carols and few friendly board games. Everyone thanked the hosts, Matt and David profusely and after a good night's sleep we all headed back to our respective villages for another week....Thankful for our Peace Corps family.
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