Ode to Thanksgiving.doc

My birthday and Thanksgiving have always been a one-two October punch in my household - they actually coincide once every four years. This makes it hard to always be able to celebrate with friends but the benefit is that I've come to associate my birthday with my favourite meal of the year and a time for considering that which we tend to take for granted. This past weekend was filled with the continually mounting coursework of these first few weeks, but also a small tinge of homesickness that inevitably comes with the passing of two celebrations away from friends and family.

Saturday was academic decathlon day. The Department of Theatre and Performance Studies was hosting a conference for the launch of a new Performance Studies textbook. After receiving the invitation and lineup of speakers in my 'pigeon hole', I was informed that the attendees and speakers were all well respected celebrities in the field of Performance Research (alas, there was no red carpet event). To give some background, the degree I am pursuing considers Theatre and Performance studies. The latter of the two umbrellas of research considers performance as existing everywhere: everyday identities, gender, politics, culture, celebrities, media, and a wide range of other possibilities. Thus, performance studies borrows terms from the theatre and analyzes the performance the 'everyday' construction of identities, rituals, events, and groups of people. Really quite interesting. The conference featured highly theoretical studies of performance, the majority of which flew over my head. The benefit of attending, aside from being opened up to a multitude of new ideas of social performance, was the continual coffee/tea and biscuits bar between each paper and the very delicious lunch. The Drama DSC attended an exhausting three conferences in our time at Queens, and the food at this conference was a reminder of those days.

Sunday was a catch-up day of sorts doing readings I had not been able to accomplish while at the conference (if it's not one form of studying it's another). I also managed to make it to the grocery store to stock up and did laundry for the first time. 3£ to do one load of wash and dry is not cheap, but I had run out of boxers. The highlight of Sunday was calling home and having a brief chat with Mom, Dad, Todd, and Patches back home. I didn't actually talk to the dog, but the night before she didn't know what to do with herself because my voice was coming out of the computer (a frightening experience for a dog I would imagine). I could almost hear the contentment that sets in after a full-out turkey dinner with all the trimmings. That feeling of "I just stuffed myself full of rich food" and couldn't be happier about it. As much as the conversation with home made me wish I was there to celebrate, my lack of a "proper Thanksgiving" actually made me more thankful for what I have than ever before. You don't realize how much you appreciate all those comforts and routines until they're taking place without you. This was one of those instances in which the momentary sadness of not being home is overshadowed by the perspective I'm gaining on my year abroad.

While us Canadians won't get a "proper Thanksgiving" this year, we still are trying our best! Pumpkin flavoured items aren't popular fare over here. I spend half an hour browsing the local grocery trying to find a pumpkin pie. The search quickly became for anything containing pumpkin: muffins, tarts, or even soup. No luck. Two other Canadians and I are having a make-shift Thanksgiving dinner in one of the residence kitchens tonight. They recruited me to find dessert, and naturally I settled on pumpkin pie, but instead will be arriving with a Bramble-Apple pie. I wonder too if they had the same type of luck at Tescos and the meal will consist of chicken, raspberries, asparagus and bramble-apple instead of turkey, cranberries, potatoes, and pumpkin. I'm sure they were more successful than I and that the feast will be just enough of a taste of home.

There are certain Queen's friends who usually demand that when we gather for a meal we go around the circle and tell the group what we feel thankful for. I am usually one of the scoffers who rolls their eyes and chuckles (this is usually due to the fact that I'm just about to dive into my plate). I can picture what each member of our special group of friends might say they are thankful for this year. Aside from being thankful for this wonderful blog, the anticipation of an update being that which keeps them going, I can picture them describing that which truly makes them feel whole. Our realizations are usually humbling ones.

This year, I'll gladly embrace the tradition and take my turn around the table: I'm grateful to know there are a bundle of wonderfully talented, supportive, and caring people back in Canada who love me. But I also am I'm grateful for the opportunity to leave them for a time to study and travel in Europe with the knowledge that this next year will be invaluable in gaining perspective and coming back a more informed young man. (If there is one thing Canadians know how to do, it's make sap) I hope you'll allow me the liberty of indulging.

Doc's Prescription for the Day: I scoff at going around the table too, but deep down really like the tradition. That's really a prescription for the soul. Enjoy it alongside the soul food.