Monthly Archives: November 2013

So since we’re all dying to get Fall Break started, and above all, eat pounds and pounds of yummy Thanksgiving food, I’d like to share what my Thanksgiving looked like last year.

In France they obviously don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, but my first host family got really into the whole sharing of cultures thing, so we recreated the good old American Thanksgiving in France!

It turned out to be quite the project; I had to look up all the recipes, translate them, and convert them to grams. We also had to order some items from online since we couldn’t find them in French grocery stores. Some of these were pumpkin puree to make Pumpkin Pie, corn bread mix, Reese’s and Hershey’s (for a taste-testing type of dessert), Goldfish and Snyder’s pretzels (for the snack/appetizer before the dinner– my host mom really wanted to make this thing authentic). The task of cooking a turkey and getting the gravy right was pretty daunting for both my host mom, and I got the feeling she lost some sleep over it. Since the French don’t have ginormous turkeys in their grocery stores like we do in November, my host mom went to a local farm and picked up a fresh one. When she told me the story of going to the farm, she said the farmer gave her the choice between a white turkey and a black one. Since she didn’t know which to choose, she told me she chose the black one because “well, Obama, right?” My family back in the states thought that was pretty funny.

Safety glasses necessary for butter painting? Obviously. (That’s my little host bro!)

My host mom invited all her neighbor friends for dinner, and I invited 4 of my French friends from school, so for our Thanksgiving dinner we had to cook for a total of 18 people! We spent hours in the kitchen that day, but in the end, everything turned out deliciously. One of the guests even brought wine from California (they decided to stick with their French wine though). And two of the guests brought me cookbooks as a thank you (maybe they thought we give gifts on Thanksgiving?).

Our long table decorated with fall colors and leaves!

Friends from school in coordinating outfits.

Taste-testing of peanut butter after the meal! There were mixed reviews.

After dinner, we had a little trivia competition in which I asked questions about the US. Whoever got the question right would get a piece of Hershey’s chocolate and a point for their team (adults vs kids). All in all, I’d say it was a very successful day, and I had a lot of fun sharing my traditions with my host family and friends.

Trivia game, the kids won obviously.

I got my first package from France last week!!!!

Look at all those cutesy stamps!

A little back history: I had hosted a girl from France named Priscille during my senior year of high school for a week when her class came to State College to check out the USA. To reciprocate generosity of hosting her, she invited me to come visit her in France, and since I so happened to be in France last year, I was able to stay with her and her family for a week. And it just so happens that she lives in the coolest place in the world: the French Alps.

The red dot is basically where Albertville is.

The week I spent with Priscille and her family in the Alps was one of the best times I had during my entire year abroad. I went at the end of February so the Alps were in peak skiing condition (hahahha i’m so punny). I don’t pretend to be some hoity-toity skiier, but I do love it, so being able to ski in the Alps was such a dream. I had literally never seen mountains that high!

We spent the week outside basically; we skiied 3 days straight and by the end of it my legs felt like they were going to fall off. When we weren’t outside, Priscille’s mom Marie-Claire made it a point to teach me everything about the region they lived in called Haute-Savoie. France is divided into 22 regions, and each place has its own specialties including cheeses, wines, meals, dog breeds, fruits, and whatever else they can lay a claim on that originally came from that region. After learning of all the specialties originating in Haute-Savoie, I quickly decided this region was my favorite. Here’s a list of some of their specialties:

-Meals: Tartiflette, Raclette, Cheese fondu (I mentioned in past posts these were some of my favorite meals due to their thick layers of melty cheese, hearty potatoes, and savory ham!)

-Cheese: Reblochon, beaufort (two of my favorite cheeses!)

-Fruit: Blueberry

-Animals: Groundhog, St Bernard dog, Chamois

This is a Chamois!

Plus the region’s capital is Annecy, basically France’s version of Venice minus the millions of tourists

Annecy!

Aren’t all of these things kind of the best (ok the groundhog is whatever, but still)? Plus I’ve always enjoyed the mountains more than anywhere (including the beach), so I pretty much felt right at home.

Anyway, long story short, the package was sent to me by Marie-Claire with a letter explaining that every year in Albertville there’s a cultural festival that shows films and documentaries. She sent me magazines, post cards, pictures, pamphlets, and even a sticker that she picked up from the festival, all having to do with Haute Savoie and the Alps. I’m currently enjoying looking through the magazines, remembering the amazing week I got to spend in Haute-Savoie with Priscille and her family. I was lucky enough to check out a lot of different regions and cities in France, and I can say confidently that I felt most amazed by and most at home in this region at the foot of the French Alps.

Me skiing my way through Haute-Savoie