Skipping Thanksgiving

*Melissa*

It has been way too long since I have chatted with ya’ll – although some of you I was lucky enough to get in touch with over the (American) holiday this past week. Ah yes, Thanksgiving – that’s the one I am referring to!! The turkey, the stuffing, the homemade rolls and gravy made with real drippings. The cranberry sauce, fluffy mashed potatoes, and yams topped with toasted marshmallows. Delicious!! And we didn’t eat any of it ): No, in fact November 24^th for Chad and I couldn’t have been more benign: a full day at work, a bus-ride home, a quick steak grilled in a pan for dinner, and some work-up on our project.

What project, you ask? Well, the project that has been delaying our blog posts for the past couple weeks! You see, Michael and the big boss – CP, have asked Chad and me to give a presentation on the radiology structure at OIT, and in the US. First to our colleagues at work (this Thursday and Friday), and then – with any luck – the National AIR conference in Sydney. No pressure or anything, but this is a HUGE deal for us! I can’t think of any greater privilege than to be able to present at an International Conference before we are even graduates! So, as you can imagine, Chad and I have been in a frenzy trying to weave together an amazing, interesting, and informative presentation. Our apologies for the lapse on blogging.

Our experiences here in the meantime have kept us busy as well. I have been trying to get to the bottom of my “not feeling well”, and then lo and behold Chad caught a bug. We’re both –and I say this tentatively – mended, at least for the time being.

All the holiday business looming about has caused quite the kafuffle about foods, and both the folks at work, and the family back home get a kick hearing about our international eating habits. For instance: apples & peanut butter – a lunchbox essential, yea? They think we’re crazy here. Peanut butter and jelly? What’s wrong with us. And the most decadent treat of crispen toast, gooey honey, smothered with warm peanut butter and topped with cool bananas? We should be put in the Margaret Tobin Center (Flinders Mental Health ward). And the Aussies think we’re the crazy ones for not loving Vegemite!!

Try telling Australians about my family tradition of mashed yams topped with toasty marshmallow for Thanksgiving and I got repeated incredulous responses of “for dessert?!” “No! For a side dish!” I corrected, and each and every one of them raised their eyebrows. Chris gave his standard response of “You yanks and your sweet-tooth”. The only thing better was when I called Dad to hear what he was preparing for Thanksgiving dinner (yams), and then a phone call to Mum the next day to hear she was heating up leftovers for Gramma of what other than…yams? I’m tellin’ ya – I have never missed yams more!

Yes – it was definitely nice to talk to some of the family back home. We still haven’t gotten around to all our loved ones yet, but just being able to lounge around for an hour or so, chatting about foods, and what’s new, plans for Christmas, and even (already) what needs to be done when we get home… it was really nice.