My First Thanksgiving

Being from Australia, I've never celebrated Thanksgiving before. My only perceptions of it were of pilgrims, turkey and Simpson/South Park episodes. Yes, lame - I know.

Anyway I headed to Zack's Thanksgiving get-together at his place. But first I went shopping in Sanners (Sannomiya - ofcourse us Oz folk abbreviate everything we can) and bought 2 trench jackets (1 x black, 1 x beige - I'm one of those people who if I see something really good and if possible, I'll get 2 in different colours. And yes I know it looks pretty much like the other one I recently bought but a girl can never have enough coats..or shoes..or bags..you get my drift), fleecey jumper and matching green striped beanie and scarf.

I then met up with my conversation language exchange partner, Yoshi. Seriously everyone you say 'Yoshi' to they're either like,
"Oh yeah, Mario's green dinosaur friend"
or if they go,
"Yosh what? aye?"
You then go..
"You know, Yoshi, as in Mario's green dinosaur friend?"
"Oooooh yeah, I get it"
Yoshi just got back to Japan from living in Boston for 3 years. So he wants to keep up his English and I want to improve my Japanese.

So with my adventure-like directions from Zack's email, we both headed to Zack's place - very detailed directions mind you, fully spot on.

I was very impressed with what everyone made and brought. Yes I was a cop out and just bought dessert because I didn't have time to make anything. There wasn't a turkey but there was plenty of tasty food to go around..several times. Salads, takoyaki, pumpkin pie, chicken, salsa dips, stuffing..etc..

Met up with lots of other JET's and even scored a ride on Clay's cruiser!! It was freezing but so good to just sit back and relax on the bike. Then began the drinking games...*sigh*

It was Roman's game called King's Cup and it was fun and hillarious but then I drew the last King. *dame!* Therefore meaning I had to down the glass of beer, red wine, dregs and what not *eeeks!* I had already had some red wine, but that evil concoction pushed me over the edge, like way over the edge. I got red very quickly (otherwise known as 'Asian fire' hahaha that's what Yoshi taught me) and felt very sleepy. Apparently I fell asleep under the kotatsu for about an hour. I yakked in the toilet, the most I think I've ever yakked in one night (western style toilet thank goodness!). When I woke up I was so confused because everyone had continued playing more games and they were all wearing hats and random things on their heads eg. Zack's shirt turban, Aaron's beer box with a stuffed bear?! It was funny but I felt oh-so-sick.

Luckily some of the guys were heading back my way so they took care of me and we managed to catch the last train home. I thought I had already emptied out the entire contents of my stomach in Zack's toilet but I think the motion of the train made me feel queasy again and thus, I managed to unload one shopping bag's contents into the other shopping bag just in time to throw up on the train in a plastic bag. At that point, I reached a whole new low. It was so embarrassing. I'm NEVER going to live that one down. I had spew splatterings in my hair, on my new scarf which I was wearing, on my jeans and boots - it was just so wrong. Nooice! Very nice impression Christine - good work!

I walked home and managed, in my state, to remember that I had run out of milk. So I stumbled into my local 7 eleven and picked up a carton of milk and some Yakult - I thought it would make me feel better. I got home, had a shower, washed my hair, made a hot cup of tea, set my alarm and crashed.

I have never felt so sick and seedy. But now when I look back on it, it's funny and all but just the smell or thought of it makes me queasy. *shudder* I don't think I'll be forgetting my first thanksgiving in a long while. Alas, I was...the turkey.

love & happy thankgiving
xox