My friend Josey and I have been cooking American Thanksgiving for 30-40 people each year for the past 10+ years, so it was nice finally being cooked for at my first Canadian Thanksgiving this Sunday.  They had basted the bird in maple syrup and palinka, yumm!  Along with the turkey we had spinach salad, Arabian squash casserole, gravy, dressing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and chocolate chip cookies. It was an excellent and relaxing evening. What I especially enjoyed (to the frustration of some that would have been happy talking about the Maple Leafs all day) was the meaningful political discussions we had that are wholly absent from normal expat Budapest life.  For example we spoke about Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize and if he deserved it, helping a school/home for disabled kids market their handmade candles and soaps, LMP’s platform (or non-existence of one), recent documentary films, and new technologies available to teachers to catch plagiarism.

I do not have any safety net here or in the US. But I am thankful that if my life went to hell tomorrow, these good friends would be there for me.