Thanksgiving 2010 in Malaysia

Happy Thanksgiving - our day after- we have Christmas music playing. Hooray for the holidays!

Hope your Thanksgiving was as great as ours. I did cook most of the day - who didn't? - but I kept thinking it was like trying to fix dinner in our little camp trailer. Very small, no hot water, missing needed items. Just for example, when I started to roll out the rolls, - no rolling pin - used a drinking glass and it worked just fine. Very small frig and nooo counter space - just kept moving everything around trying to make space. But decided this is my basic problem - I've been SPOILED all my life by 'things.' Anyway it was a delightful day and I loved doing it. You may recall my constant complaining about my little oven. It did a good job cooking the turkey - took most all day and I had to keep turning the timer back on - then warmed up the sweet potatoes, then as our Chinese friends arrived I was baking the rolls. They both looked with amazement and wonder thru the glass door at the rolls baking and were almost speechless. Felicia told me 'no one' here has an oven. NO ONE! They oohed and aahed over everything. Sister Regina (new convert) asked me the other day for a recipe for chocolate cake - just realized she will probably not be able to do that without an oven. Had no idea. I did google it and found alternatives, but probably not anything that would work for her. I've always had an oven - I am blessed beyond deserving and took it for granted. Kind of reminds me of that poem, I whined because I had no shoes, then met a man.... Well, I whined about my little oven, then met a whole community with no ovens. Baked a little malaysian pumpkin earlier in the week, then used the elec hand mixer to break it up (blender would be a nice luxury, or even better a can of real pumpkin- dream on) and guessed at the amount of random spices to throw in to make 'pumpkin pie mix' then did a pumpkin dessert in a cake pan. Amazingly, it turned out very good. Of course, remember the diners in this case are going to give rave reviews to practically anything. But I was thrilled, humbled, and over joyed at how everything turned out. A Thanksgiving to always remember. And I am one very grateful cook\wife\mom\missionary. Fun to talk to our kids this morning - love you all - pray for you every day. I'm grateful to have an oven. Thankful for good friends. I'm blessed beyond description this Thanksgiving! It's all about keluarga (family) Elder Christensen, Elder Clarke, Wee Lee, Felicia
Sorry - crumby picture but wanted to show the elders. (camera user error) They are always soooooooo thrilled, grateful, appreciative, expressive and enjoy the meals. Although we sat at the little kitchen table - they sat around the living room table - two on the floor. Elder Christensen brought a chocolate, banana cream pie. His mom sent the crust and the Jello pudding\pie filling. Thank you! It was delish. Although after biking it to our apartment in the rain, he was a little discouraged that it didn't look quite as good as when he left his apartment. Didn't matter - enjoyed by all!
Our little table - barely room for 4. Wee Lee, Felicia - good friends who stayed until almost midnight. AND we're beginning to understand their English - well, slightly more than we used to. Felicia brought me the frozen turkey the night before. She'd bought at the 'western foods' store and I'm sure it cost her a good share of her earnings. We chuckled because the bag stated that it was imported from Moroni, Utah. (Norbest) Made me nervous to try to cook a turkey that was dearly purchased by someone else. I can burn my own and that's okay, but rather not burn the donated item.
Part of our Thanksgiving dinner. The stuffing was in a crock pot on the living room TV console, the potatoes and gravy were on the stove. We ate the whole turkey, although Felicia took the bones home - I think to make soup. Elders came today and warmed up the left overs for lunch. I didn't lift a finger - paper plates - microwave, etc. Just like home.

And we think laundry is never-ending. Picture this - EVERY day workers who go around the whole compound where we live and sweep up EVERY leaf, empty garbage - sorting through it with bare hands, and wet mop all the floors in the walk way areas. I suspect they work for a very minimal wage. (taken from our balcony)

Two critter encounters. Wednesday night ran to the store to get a few more sweet potatoes - well, walked. Running to the store just not quite the same as at home. Sauntered on down the roadside after securing the groceries, looking for a little food stand and encountered a "not so small" rat. Ugh! He \It quickly disappeared into road grating. Could have done without that. But didn't need anything to eat after that. ( must be something good in everything, right?)

Most of the time at our apartment, we take the stairs - yup we need a little more exercise and today at the bottom of the stair well, I was waiting for Garald to swipe the tap card to unlock the door when a critter swooped down and grazed my head as it went to the floor. Yes...I screamed (although it really was just a little one) Large bat - Garald verified the large part. Said it was the biggest one he'd ever seen up close. I backed up, he opened the door and it flew out. Might be using the elevators more now.