A Moroccan Thanksgiving

 I know it's not very original, but I thought my weekly post should focus on being thankful. This is my second Thanksgiving away from home (both were supplemented by stovetop stuffing mix from Canada but I'll get to that later on), and it is important to pause and think about what I can be thankful for, especially in a developing country, where you realize how much we take for granted in Canada, or the rest of the developed world. 

Things I am thankful for:

- Family that loves me (and who send me outrageous amounts of homemade fudge via business class mail [thank you Gramma Marnie], or send all the little things I forgot at home in a care package [thank you mom], or send me photos each week of my now month-old niece [thank you Gill] and everyone else who keeps in touch via skype, facebook or emails)

- Friends who care about me (shout out here to everyone who is interested enough in my life to find out how I'm doing, and want to know what it's like here, whether they're in Canada, the UK, temporarily living in Poland, travelling Europe, or here in Casablanca, and especially those I've met since coming here, who have helped me settle in)

- Always being able to fulfill my needs (I might complain about the slow internet, or how arduous it can be to do laundry by hand, but I have a big apartment, access to plentiful food, a job (temporarily -haha), and money to buy anything else I need. This is in direct contrast to the poor people and beggars I see on a daily basis. They don't need a IPod, or a Galaxy Tab 2, or even a laptop for their personal entertainment; kids here don't need multiple screens to have fun. It makes you identify your needs from your wants, and be thankful that you have more than necessary)

- Being safe, healthy and having my rights (whether here or at home, I am never truly worried about not being able to say what I think, go where I want, vote, or otherwise express my human rights. I don't live in a war-torn country, or under an oppressive regime, or live on less than $2 a day. It's definitely worth something)

Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving dinner!

Yesterday I organized a Thanksgiving dinner for myself and the other 3 Canadians I know, here in my flat. I would have liked to prepare more of it from scratch, but the lack of a microwave or oven to cook with and also keep things warm, and lack of time, meant it was a bit improvised - I bought a rotisserie chicken (which comes with the following fixings: round loaves of bread, white beans in sauce, rice, french fries, and a sauce for the chicken), and I made mashed potatoes and stovetop stuffing (a necessity for all holiday meals!), we topped it off with Moroccan red wine, and maple fudge, mille feuilles and tea for dessert. YUM! I was glad there was a bit of leftovers for lunch today! It was a great dinner, and was really nice to share the holiday with other Canadians. Even if there was no homemade apple pie!