Hi folks--
Winter has come upon us and with that, the start of the holiday season. Holidays at my house are particularly special because they always give my mother (the consummate hostess and hearty mid-Western cook) the opportunity to outdo herself in creating the most amazing culinary spread. Thanksgiving of course was certainly never an exception and that contagious feeling of anticipation and celebration that's created when the crisp winter air meets the mouth watering scent of roasting turkey...to this day it has to be one of my favorite feelings that seems to last from about now through New Year's.
Now I know what you're probably thinking...living in China, the extended (or if you're like me, immediate) family members are all about a million miles away and no matter how much you try and explain, most of your Chinese co-workers and friends just don't seem to appreciate the cultural significance of cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. And that wonderful warm holiday spirit? Pretty hard to feel when to the rest of the city, it's just another workday.
So what's an expat to do?
For as long as I can remember, my mom has been adamant in her belief that absolutely no one should be alone on Thanksgiving. As a result through the years, our Thanksgiving table has been graced by a variety of diverse personalities including a recently divorced co-worker and her daughter, a Japanese exchange student, the clerk at the drycleaner, a college classmate from Hawaii, even a couple of the personal trainers from the local gym...(there was a lot of leftover pie that year :-D) Regardless of their background and personal histories, for the day they were part of the John family.
Over the last few months, I've felt like our little foreign community here in Shenyang has taken on a family feel. As members of the LIBA family, we'd like to invite you and anyone you consider "family" to join us Thursday for our Thanksgiving dinner at the Sheraton. Whether you're a student by yourself here in China, a business person with a family or even Chinese with a taste for stuffing ;) we welcome you to our table to celebrate the holiday, and more importantly, our community.
Date: Thursday, Nov. 22
Time: 6pm--whenever the tryptophan kicks in (regularly scheduled happy hour @ North Media to follow)
Location: Sheraton Hotel (喜来登 xi lai deng), 2nd Floor Buffet restaurant
Menu includes traditional Thanksgiving dishes as well as a variety of salads, breads, the best steak in town and a whole slew of beautifully prepared desserts
Bring your appetite and celebrate with us!
Happy Thanksgiving and we look forward to seeing you!
Jessica
mailto:liaoningicc@gmail.com |
