GIVING THANKS

Today is different from the usual Thanksgiving madness of stuffing ourselves with home cooked food, inducing turkey-triptophan comas, and lounging around with family members red cheeked and full bellied. Originally we made plans to go into Bangkok with our fellow ex-patriot friends to a spot that advertises a traditional American Thanksgiving 'hoo haw' with all the trimmings. We salivated at the prospect of eating pumpkin pie after two years of eating rice as the staple ingredient of three meals per day. But due to the political unrest and the violence in Bangkok, we had a last minute change of plans. We are staying closer to our home in the village, just to be safe.

So picture a swamp trickling through the back woods of a 400 year old village. Then picture palm trees and a giant wooden barn posted up over the swamp. Picture picnic tables and benches inside the barn over the swamp... add some pink and green Christmas lights and a fish tank. Now picture Travis and Katie, with about twenty of their closest farang (foreigner) friends sitting at the picnic tables eating Thai food on Thanksgiving. There is unfortunately no turkey or pumpkin pie this year.

Instead, we dine on sweet and sour shrimp soup, spicy papaya salad, lemongrass salad, chicken cashew, and coconut soup with onions and mushrooms. Don't forget the rice. We reminisce about the last twelve months together with our friends. We laugh about how lucky we are to be leaving Thailand just when the Thai Prime Minister calls a state of emergency. Of course if the government doesn't re-open the international airport, we may have to take the slow boat back to America.

Despite the violence in Thailand, the terrorism in Mumbai, and the financial crisis in America (not to mention the lack of pumpkin pie at dinner) we still have many things to be grateful for. We are grateful to be Americans witnessing the beginning of a political turn around. We are grateful to be able to travel the world together. We are grateful to be able to build careers that bring us satisfaction. We are grateful to be young and healthy. We are grateful to have plenty to eat and fresh water to drink. We are grateful to have good friends in several different countries. We are grateful to have families who love us. Last but not least we are grateful to have found love to last a lifetime in each other.

With this evening of giving thanks, we pack up our bags and say goodbye to Bangkok moving on to the next city like gypsies in the night.