A slice of the pie

With a brand new year about to begin, one looks forward to festivities every other week. For the American expatriates in the city, Thanksgiving, which is celebrated today, is a time to get together with family and friends.

Adam Walker, the founder of startup ‘Hummingbill Inc.’, is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner this year. While he had a great get-together last year, he looks forward to a pleasant one this year as well.

He says, “It’s an organised potluck kind of dinner. We have suggested a menu and everyone will bring something from the list. I started brining the turkey last night so that it will be perfect for roasting tonight. I can’t wait to celebrate!”

Back home in New York, he says, it was the get-together of family members that he looked forward to the most. “I remember driving to New Jersey to visit my cousins for Thanksgiving. The elders would prepare the cranberry, mashed potatoes, turkey and more; it would be a delicious array of dishes on the table. I definitely miss that here, especially, my mom’s cooking,” he adds.

For Lucas Bianchi, co-Founder of ‘Namaste Credit’, it is the chaos at home that he remembers.  They would cook, watch football, hang out with family and talk about politics. He was raised in California but moved to New York with his wife Marta Lin after marriage. He laughs, “Celebrating Thanksgiving in New York was definitely different since we didn’t have any family members there. The first time we decided to make our own dinner in our small apartment, Marta burnt the turkey. The fire engine almost arrived but we sorted out the situation soon. However, we enjoyed the burnt turkey — it was really good!”

But since the couple moved to the city a year ago, they have concentrated on celebrating Indian festivals more.  Lucas says, “It just doesn’t feel the same anymore. Even July 4th celebration wasn’t great because we were in India. Maybe we will plan a small dinner at home but it is definitely going to be weird to celebrate Thanksgiving here.”

While some expatriates are coming together for ‘Friends-giving’ (where friends get together for Thanksgiving), a few others are spending time with their family. Sharon Otmar is one such person. She will be spending the day with her husband, kids and staff at ‘The Only Place’.

“We are going to the Thanksgiving gathering there where we hope to enjoy the traditional meal we are used to having back home in Brooklyn.”

Recalling her celebrations in the US, she says, “It was different every year actually.  It is usually Dan who does the cooking and he likes to go gourmet on the dishes he prepares. Though the kitchen looks a disaster by the end of it, everything is just lip smacking. If we have hosted a dinner party, we would hang out with everyone, play games, have food and wine and go for a walk after which we have to wash all the dishes. The walk also includes going to one of my favourite places for the chocolate pie.”

Given that Thanksgiving is a family-oriented occasion, and many expatriates away from home, they are still trying to make the best out of it. As Adam Walker says, “This holiday is important because the main agenda is to be with your loved ones. It’s a good break from the monotony of your daily life and I’m glad we get to do that even though we are not really home.”