A very Fulbright Thanksgiving

Ok, so I guess it's nothing new for me to celebrate Thanksgiving away from home. I did it when I was in Senegal, when we visited Jenna in Milan during her junior semester abroad, and one time in seventh grade when we went to Virgin Gorda and stayed at a lovely tropical villa.

Otherwise, though, I am a Thanksgiving-at-home kind of gal. Turkey, Dad's maple-curry carrots, ice cream pies brought from Grandma's delicious bakery in Newton, Shadow downstairs in her crate, and lots of family (and maybe even some snow!) at our house in Acton. (I also realize that I am recollecting an idealized version of Thanksgiving days of yore my childhood, but the memories are nice nonetheless)

I love Thanksgiving, I love Thanksgiving food, and I love Thanksgiving with family. I was nervous about the lack of family and the lack of Thanksgiving food that would be present in Vietnam, but I was pleasantly surprised with the turn-out of my Thanksgiving festivities in Hanoi.

All of the Fulbrighters were invited to the US Ambassador's house for a belated Thanksgiving lunch on Saturday. After spending this past week's classes teaching my students about Thanksgiving (a Powerpoint presentation complete with stunning, vivid pictures of traditional foods, no less), I was practically foaming at the mouth by the time we arrived at the Ambassador's residence. I was almost certain there would be turkey and stuffing, fairly confident that there would be potatoes in some form, and hopeful that pie would be involved. My expectations were happily met, and I think I can say with confidence that all Fulbrighters left his house both happy and full.

I should begin by letting my readers know that I have now officially eaten from gold-rimmed plates painted with the national seal of the United States

Yes, I sacrificed my usual place at the beginning of all food lines to take a picture of the pristine buffet table (note the two forms of pie in the foreground)

Turkey (delicious, and made by the Ambassador, himself!), mashed potatoes and gravy, cornbread pudding (Pie in the Sky, you may want to get in on this recipe.........), sausage and chestnut stuffing (also made by the Ambassador), garlic green beans, and a sweet potato wedge

The perfect slice of pecan pie with creamy, definitely-imported vanilla ice cream.

Have you ever eaten pecan pie off of gold-plated United States flatware? Because I have.

12 Fulbrighters, four diplomats, and one patriotic dog (lucky Brittanye who got to hold Bungee in the picture!). Ambassador Shear is in the red shirt, standing behind Brittanye.

You really think I was going to go the whole meal without harassing Bungee, the well-behaved and still-going-through-the-emotional-culture-shock-of-moving-to-Vietnam dog, and taking lots of pictures of him?

The food was delicious, the company was lovely, and the conversation was stimulating- all the best qualities of a Thanksgiving meal. I was lucky enough to be seated at the same table as Ambassador Shear, and it was wonderful to hear him talk about his prior experiences, his goals and tasks for working in Vietnam, and even his favorite kinds of cereal. Here are some things I learned about being an Ambassador:

• You may end up at State functions, sitting next to Secretary Hilary Clinton, exchanging recipes and tips for the best method of brining a turkey.
• State department employees are allowed to bring 1000 pounds of air-freight and 1000 pounds of sea-freight worth of personal belongings (furniture, electronics, art, books, etc). State department employees who are placed in "hardship posts" (Vietnam included) are also allotted 1000 pounds of consumable goods, for those diplomats who simply cannot live without eating [insert first-world luxury food item here]. This piece of information led to the discussion of "If you could bring 1000 pounds of only 1 food item, what would it be?" Cheerios.
• All Ambassadors' residences are furnished with the same furniture and are decorated with a universal theme that is created by the "State Interior Decorator" (yes, this is a real profession). Also, the residences are built using domestic labor, so clearance has to be given to every single American citizen who comes over to build and work on the residences.
• Pets of Ambassadors actually do go through culture shock. The Ambassador and his wife have been living in Vietnam for a little over two months now, and Bungee is only just now starting to settle in and feel comfortable in his new surroundings.

This Thanksgiving has definitely been different from most that I have celebrated before. I don't anticipate EVER being in this psychological, geographic, or professional place again, so I feel incredibly grateful for such a unique (year-long) moment-in-time.

In class this past week, I had my students share some of the things that they're thankful for. Ho Chi Minh, farmers, crops, teachers, cell phones, life, their bodies, health, family, cell phones, and money all topped the list (amongst others, of course). Then they turned the tables on me and asked, "Ms. Allison, what about you?"

What am I thankful for? Without skipping a beat or even needing to think for a second, I responded, "My job." Not only because I have a job, and a job that I enjoy at that (how many Americans are able to say that?!), but because this is my job! My job includes getting to hang out with goofy but brilliant students, eat delicious and (usually) healthy food, travel, drive a motorbike, go for walks through rice paddies, read lots of books, be a town celebrity, and be reminded of what it feels like to live life at a slow pace- to sleep 10 hours a day, to be late (because everyone else will be too), and to accept that motorbikes break down, drains clog, mice live in the walls, and that I have no real control over anything in my environment except for my attitude.

I'm thankful for my big bed that is comfortable and luxurious (for Vietnamese standards, as well as my own!) with four (!) pillows and smooth, cool sheets. I'm thankful for the open floor space in my room that is just big enough for me to do Pilates. I'm thankful that my air conditioning works, that my Internet is usually reliable (and that I have the technological know-how to live-stream TV shows and movies!), and that I have made a doggie friend to play with. I'm thankful that I have 14 other Fulbrighters to rely on, and Mr. Duc, Chi Hang, and Chi Quyen (as well as my fruit vendors, gate guards, and restaurant owners) to guide me through life in Ha Tinh. I am thankful that Ha Tinh is peaceful and sleepy. I'm thankful that I have a (sometimes-working) motorbike, a bicycle, and two legs that allow me to explore my small, but lovely, town. I'm thankful that my motorbike accident two months ago was not fatal or even serious, and that I quickly learned the valuable lesson of vigilance at all times in Vietnamese traffic. I'm thankful that (knock on wood) I have had no serious issues with food, sanitation, or health while I have been here. I'm thankful that little by little, I learn new words in Vietnamese. I'm thankful that my students are excited to come to class, to see me in the hallways, and to invite me to extracurricular activities.

I'm thankful that Fulbright exists, and that American citizens, taxpayers, and politicians believe in the value of international, intercultural exchange. I'm thankful that America and Vietnam have made peace with one another and have begun to work together. I'm thankful that McCarthy-Towne, Lawrence Academy, and Pitzer College have instilled values, work ethic, curiosity, and knowledge in me that allows me to survive (and dare I say prosper?!) here. I'm thankful that my family supports me in my decision to be here, and that they have raised me in such a way that, for me, the idea of living and working abroad for my first year out of college is enticing and challenging, but not outrageous or impossible.

It is so easy to get bogged down with the everyday issues that make life here difficult. Yes, it's been stressful to figure out how to renew my visa. Yes, my bathroom has drainage problems. Yes, Ha Tinh is a pain-in-the-butt to access, so it is difficult to have a quick, relaxing weekend get-away without major time committed just to traveling. Yes, my motorbike still doesn't seem fully functional. Yes, it's annoying being approached by a million people who want to practice their English while I am working in coffee shops. Yes, there are definitely rodents that live in my walls and scurry around at night. Yes, the weather in Ha Tinh sucks 50% of the time. And yes, yes, yes, there are a million things to complain about.

But there are infinite things to be thankful for, and I am thankful that Thanksgiving coincided conveniently with the four-month mark of my being here in Vietnam. I was starting to dip down into a new emotional low (due mostly to cultural fatigue, frustration, and homesickness at this point), and I think that participating in annual Thanksgiving reflections may have bolstered my emotional resilience, charged my batteries, and allowed me to go strong for another few weeks.

Tomorrow I will share more of my reflections (and purchases) from this weekend in Hanoi, and then the work week will begin once more. 

Just two weeks until the mid-year Fulbright ETA conference in Da Lat! I cannot believe that I am almost halfway done!