Thanksgiving

So, for all you non-americans, this thursday was thanksgiving! I was really worried about celebrating thanksgiving in a foreign country....and let me say right up front that it was not the best thanksgiving I have ever had, but it was not as bad as that one thanksgiving where my entire family got the stomach flu and we were throwing up the whole time. So yeah, not as bad as that, but not perfect either. 

Part of the thanksgiving dinner that Sofi had planned was a dessert contest. She wanted everyone to bring a dessert that was typical of their family. Well, I pretty much spent this weekend emailing my grandparents and my mom to see how many red cake recipes I could collect. Then, I spent Wednesday trying to figure out how in the world i was going to make the recipe that I had decided on, and then I spent all of Thursday making a completely different red cake recipe than the original one I had planned. Yeah, I was sort of busy. I am posting a picture of the red cake, but I just want to state for the record, that although it doesn't look as good as it normally does, it tastes like red cake, so i must have done something right. 

Gabi and I wrote a play for thanksgiving, to explain to our host parents what thanksgiving was. So Gabi and I went to Xplorer at around 3:30pm to practice the play and help set up for dinner. (The rest of the exchange kids were supposed to come too, but Brian was really the only one who showed up on time, the rest sort of straggled in on Ecuadorian time.) We helped Sofi blow up balloons and we went to the store to get things to help her make Pumpkin Pie too. We didn't actually practice the play until 6 or so and dinner was at 7....and well, the only way I can say this nicely, is that the rest of the Xplorer kids, besides a few exceptions, weren't too supportive of the play. But it was ok, because Gabi and I still got our moment of glory because Sofi convinced us to sing a song. We only really knew one song, and thankfully Emily brought the cd. So we sang For Good from Wicked. It went really well. And honestly, the play wasn't that bad either. Not everything worked out the way I had planned, but the essence was still there, and I guess thats the most important thing.

Dinner was good. It wasn't an American thanksgiving dinner though, so I was a little disappointed. It tasted good though, as long as you didn't think of it as thanksgiving dinner. Dessert was good though. I mean, there were like hundreds. (Well, more like one for every student, so like 7, but still.) Everyone did really well making their desserts. Emily won the dessert contest with her....wait for it......"Better Than Sex Cake". Yes. That is what she made. We all laughed when we heard the name. I wouldn't know if it was better than sex, but it was pretty good. 

I didn't end up going to school on Friday, I was supposed to, but I took a mental health day, because the dinner went way past my bedtime lol. I went to Xplorer later on Friday and we ate pumpkin pie (it hadn't been finished in time for dinner the night before). Then Emily, Gabi and I went to the movie theater and saw Mama Mia. It was good. We had also bought a bunch of movies to watch, so Gabi and Emily slept over and we watched Hairspray and then the next morning we stayed in bed all day and watched movies, including, Pride and Prejudice, The Notebook, and Made of Honor. It was the perfect definition of a do-nothing Saturday. 

I have no plans for today, except for homework. I am a little behind on homework, so I have decided to take a day to catch up. I know, exciting. There was only an early service at church today because its thanksgiving weekend, so I didn't wake up in time to go, and there is no youth group today either. 

Hope everyone had awesome thanksgivings.

Paz, 

Zoe