Turkeys Live Long Here

Thanksgiving is not celebrated by the majority of Aussies, but we are doing our best to introduce the holiday by seducing them with the traditional foods. Our American Women's Club hosted a magnificent feast worthy of buffets in the good ole USA. For many of the attendees, it was their first Thanksgiving dinner. I can't count how many Australians and New Zealanders have asked us about Thanksgiving; they are intrigued by all the Hollywood versions they've seen. We had turkey, dressing and all the trimmings, including pumpkin and pecan pie.

The Australian-American Club President
experiences his first Thanksgiving.

Another American friend went to a potluck with a mostly Australian crowd with mixed results. Even though they were given recipes, some turned out a little bit funny, such as black pumpkin pie and watery green bean casserole. However, it is difficult to make the feast when you can't find the main ingredients. Pumpkin is a popular vegetable here but they are green instead of orange. You can buy canned Libby's pumpkin at a fancy department store for about $6 a can. I searched for Karo syrup and found a bottle for, you guessed it, $6. Everyone brings back little blocks of Crisco when they go home. Turkey is $9.95 per kilo here so a 16-pound turkey is about $80. I did order one for Christmas Eve; sometimes it's worth it to pay for tradition!

Does Santa have a South Pole workshop?

George did miss his college football as do many folks here, but Santa came to visit and everyone had fun. It was nice to see friends' families having a good time. This adorable little girl said it all when she found the microphone toward the end of the evening and shouted into it, "I love pie!"

Beautiful scenery is one of the benefits of getting lost.
Aussie Rules Football by the river.

We did have an adventure getting there and back. I wasn't able to find the Tawarri Reception Centre when I looked for directions on how best to get there via Transperth. I called their offices and was instructed which train and bus to take and was assured we only had to walk a couple of blocks. After going the wrong direction for awhile, we asked directions and ended up on the right track but walked at least two miles before finding it. It was a beautiful day as you can see. At least we worked up an appetite.

This house up on the cliff intrigues me.

Normally, one of our friends kindly offers us a ride home. However, everyone's cars were full with families. We assured them we could take the bus and train and got directions to a bus stop at the top of the path from the centre. We left about 10:30 and found the bus stop with no problem except that buses there quit running at 6:00 p.m. So we trucked back down the hill to call a cab to get to the train station.

Fred and Gail saw us walking through the parking lot and insisted we get a ride to the Stirling Highway where they had seen night buses running. They put the kids in the back window and dropped us off since it was a work and school night and they live an hour away. We again found the bus stop easily but discovered the buses that were running didn't come to Freo. Calling a cab seemed like a good idea but there wasn't a pub in sight and, of course, we have no cell phones. Finally, we spotted a 24-hour gas station and were asking the clerk for directions when a guy overhead us and said, "Get in. I'll take you to the train station." We have so many things for which to be thankful, especially for the kindness of strangers! We also are thankful for our friends and family who take the time to read this blog. We love you and miss you!