A Belated Thanksgiving with the Fulbright Crew

As the fourth Thursday of November approached, the Afyon Fulbrighters eagerly planned a Thanksgiving get-together. We started with humble intentions and a grocery list, but like passengers pushing a stalled-out car down a hill, momentum soon had us speeding down a highway. A stuffing and cranberry sauce highway.

Planning began two weeks ago when we settled on a menu. Traditional American fare was achieved through slight recipe tweaks and extensive shop-scouring. Buffet-style we served:

• Turkey
• Mashed potatoes
• Carrots
• Green bean casserole
• Stuffing
• Rice
• Vegetable soup
• Cranberry sauce

A Tale of Three Cities

Kurban Bayram means Sacrifice Festival. This Muslim holiday honors Abraham's obedience to God and is celebrated 70 days after Ramadan each year.

While many of my students bused to their hometowns in various corners of Turkey, I bused to some of Turkey's most important and beautiful cities. During this short vacation I ventured east with a fellow Fulbrighter (Check out her blog here. She'll have more details and pics than I do), and on our journey we saw the iconic "fairy chimneys" of Capadoccia, the sacred fish of Balikli Gol, and tasted Turkey's best baklava in Gaziantep.