Thanksgiving

Hey everyone, welcome. After considering what options I have out there, I've decided to come back to blogging as an outlet. It's been a busy couple of years, where there wasn't much opportunity for me to be creative or to express certain feelings. I guess it's time for a change. 

And true to brand, my first blog post is going to be about food! I have recently identified that one of the things I am truly passionate about is food. Not just the eating of it, but the communal experience, the providence of ingredients and recipes and the overall contrasts between food and culture. I've been travelling and living overseas since I was about 18 years old. Cultures, norms and even languages will change, even if you just move to a new city. The thing that remained constant, is how people consider food in their culture. 

One new tradition that I picked up over the last few years is Thanksgiving. I've gone to my friend C's apartment for this holiday for the last three years. I know this is a distinctly North American holiday, but there are very clear similarities between Thanksgiving and a traditional Filipino holiday. Gathering with people you love and eating until you can't move seems to be quite universal. I made sure to wear the stretchiest, flowiest pair of pants I had. 

My contribution to this year's holiday was ratatouille! (pictured below)

This recipe was taken from Tasty.com, which I've found to be a constant when it comes to meals that are designed to impress. Making this was a real exercise in knife skills, because all the vegetables have to be exactly the same size and width when you slice them so they cook evenly. What was unexpected was the mess it made all over my kitchen as I was whizzing up the red sauce that went at the bottom. Transfer that shit into a container with taller sides kids. 

But back to Thanksgiving. This year has given me a lot to be thankful for. First, my mother is well on her way to recovering from breast cancer. I didn't think, at the beginning of the year, that my family and I would see hope so close at hand. She has responded beautifully to chemo, her spirits remained high and she has come out stronger than ever before. Christmas this year will be bright and happy, and going home will be such a treat to look forward to.

I am also thankful for the opportunity given to me at the beginning of the year. I was selected as part of a group of six to travel to California and learn about design thinking. It was a wonderful learning experience, especially in what I want to do in the future as a trainer. I am only hopeful about what I will accomplish in the coming year. 

And of course, I am thankful for the usual things that everyone says when they have their turns around the table. Love, life, good health and friendship. This is what surrounds me, and I am grateful for it all. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

The turkey didn't fit into the picture, you'll have to trust me when I say that it was brilliant. The bees knees.