Thanksgiving in the USA

Happy Thanksgiving to our relatives and friends in the U.S. !

'Twas many years ago that I last celebrated Thanksgiving in the US of A. When I was still working in New York (Manhattan), I used to fly or drive to Ohio to celebrate Thanksgiving with my sisters and their families. I remember flying on Thanksgiving Eve, straight from my office, out of Newark Airport.

But the most memorable Thanksgiving eve travels were those spent at the wheels of my maroon Isuzu I-Mark. One time, me, my sister and her three-year old son drove from Jersey City to Ohio, passing through the Penn Turnpike. As I was so tired working the whole day, my eyes were drooping and fought so hard to stay awake. Finally, we took a stop, I think, at Harrisburg at a gas station and took a nap.

We finally reached Ohio at 1 am, and my brother in law, who worked at a railroad company, was already in my older sister's house, where we all stayed and celebrated Thanksgiving, the next day.

Thanksgiving dinner with my older sister and her family always consisted of the traditional American turkey, sweet potato, kilbaesa for my part- German brother in law, and of course, pancit, for the Filipino appetite in two of my sisters, me, my other brother in law and the kids. There would also be ensaymada, usually as gift from our Filipino friends.

Pancit Bihon Recipe

Estimated cooking & preparation time: 45 minutes

Pancit Bihon Ingredients:
1 8 oz. pack pancit bihon noodles
1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
2 cups of chicken broth or 2 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 cups of water
1/4 cabbage, sliced into strips
1 onion, pealed and sliced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
1/3 cup scallions, cut into pieces
1 carrot, sliced into strips
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
3/4 cup diced celery
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
5 pieces of calamansi or 1 lemon, sliced
Pancit Bihon Cooking Instructions:
Soak the pancit bihon noodles to soften for 10 minutes
Grease a large pan or wok with oil. Sauté garlic and onions.
Add the chicken broth, the shredded chicken breast and all the vegetables until cooked.
Mix in the pancit bihon noodles and add the soy sauce, cook for about 5 minutes or until the noodles are soft.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot with sliced calamansi on the side.
Cooking Notes:
Calamansi or lemon is to be squeezed into the pancit bihon before eating.

If you are vegetarian, you can substitute shrimps or tofu for chicken.

First Snow

This morning when the garage door rose and opened up and I started to drive out, the snow-capped branches of the trees at the edge of the ravine greeted my sight. Oh, and what wonder it was!

It was a winter wonderland postcard scenery! The people walking at the side of the street and those waiting at the bus shelter, were wearing warm jackets and a smile on their face.

Each year when the first snow falls and as it covers the streets , the branches of the trees, the roofs of the cars, and the lines of the poles, I never fail to marvel at its beauty and the serenity it brings.

It's like the first time you fall in love. It never fails to bring you surprises each day. And for so many folks, even after so many years, the feeling stays and lingers.

In some parts of the world, there are only two seasons, dry and wet. This includes Asian countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, and of course the African continent.
So here, it never snows. And so here, people would love to see snow.

In some areas where it never snows, there are business enterprises that create structures to mimic snowy, wintery conditions. In Dubai, there's a humongous, interior space which was transformed into a huge mountain-like ski resort, of course, replete with snow.

In Manila, too, there is a new place, where people can have a taste of winter amid a 30- degree celsius weather. So folks can see and feel snow, and have their pictures taken in the pretend-winter wonderland scenario.