Thanksgiving

All week I've had just one thing on my mind. There is a bar called Tin's Hall in Tennoji that serves a turkey dinner special every year for Thanksgiving. I put myself on a mission to obtain this turkey dinner, and nothing would deter me from that path.

Side note for those who weren't aware: Canadia also has a Thanksgiving. Their Thanksgiving is on the second Monday in October. They imported the traditions and foods of Real Thanksgiving from cowardly traitors who fled to Canada from the US during the Revolutionary War. In addition, they waffled indecisively for decades over what day it should be celebrated on, finally deciding to move it from a day in November to a day several weeks before Real Thanksgiving, based on the flimsy claim that Canadian harvest season falls earlier than American harvest season "because Canada is further north", a pathetic attempt at one-upmanship, when it is common knowledge that vegetables simply do not grow in Canada. The only fruits of their harvest are blocks of ice, and Thanksgiving dinner tends to consist of polar bear steak with sno-cones for dessert.

My personal history regarding this turkey dinner at Tin's Hall involves an attempt around five years ago to get some, only to find that they were sold out by the time I got there. That was a terrible disappointment. I vowed revenge.

This week, at last, the day of reckoning had come. My friends and I arrived early, seeing to our disappointment a large number of reserved tables. Using quick wits and creativity, we crowded eight chairs around a small round bar table, and we were able to put our orders in as the bar was still starting to fill up.

The food was exquisite, or at least as exquisite as bar food gets. The turkey was perfectly roasted and flavorful, and the entire entourage of Thanksgiving fixin's was there - stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, some greens, cranberry sauce, and a roll. Soooooooo good! I didn't realize nearly how much I missed that kind of home-cooked meal until the first bite. Suddenly, a tidal wave of holiday memories was loosed forth, and I was back with my family for a moment.


Note: I know that sometimes, photos come out like this when people don't know which camera to look at. However, this time, there WAS NO OTHER CAMERA.

Dessert was almost a failure, after I had managed to convince everyone that they wanted pumpkin pie. Ordering it at the counter, I was informed that there was but one piece left! Without even glancing sidelong at the snaking queue of ravenous pie-seekers next to me, I quickly ordered the last piece and a pile of forks, so I could share it with the rest of the table.



Many of my friends had never had turkey or pumpkin pie before. I caught one curiously prodding her cranberry sauce, wondering what to make of it. Thanksgiving dinner was an exciting new experience for many of my friends, and it was a long-needed taste of home and tradition for me.

Mission accomplished.