Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving!

A bunch of us met up in Polokwane for a traditional US Thanksgiving dinner. I wasn't sure I would be able to make it out of the village since it had rained so much. Cars were getting stuck in the mud and transport in and out pretty much stopped. I managed to make it out, thank goodness. We met at a former volunteer's house (a woman who fell in love during her service, married, and moved here permanently). She's been a great help for the current volunteers by providing a place to crash and free showers for anyone passing through. She also occasionally hosts parties such as this one. In true American fashion, we feasted on way too much food. We munched on snacks all day while several cooked dinner. One of the PCV's parents were visiting, so they brought us lots of treats and topped off our feast with cranberry sauce. We finally settled down for a great feast at 3. Then again at 7. Then again at 10. Everyone managed to find a spot here and there to crash for the night. Then we feasted again in the morning for breakfast. It was fantastic!:)

We also had a white elephant gift exchange. Some of the gifts were fantastic, some quite wacky. One girl came away with a can of Doom (my favorite weapon against insects). One girl won a baseball hat made out of woven plastic bags. Sometimes the crafts that come from the villages surprise me. I managed to come away with an amazing floor mat. I've been planning to make myself one, but haven't gotten to it yet. Now I have a pre-made one. It was perfect. Cement floors just don't always do it for me. After a short but amazing weekend, I made it back to the village safe and sound. The rain finally stopped and the ground is quickly drying out in the hot sun. The trip in was much easier.

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. Mine was pretty darn good.