Thankful, Tummy-full: Expats in B'luru share memories of Thanksgiving
Known as a city that absorbs cultures as easily as it absorbs itself into people, Bengaluru welcomes borrowed traditions just as naturally as it welcomes people from across the world who seek a slice of home, and Thanksgiving is no different. Hence, for many expats in the city, the last Thursday of November remains a special day, shaped by nostalgia, longing and a little improvisation. In many homes, cafes, and other corners, the American table and Thanksgiving spread are recreated alongside people holding on to the essence of gratitude and familiarity, even when they are oceans away from home. US-born Kevin Konecky, vice-president and head of battery engineering at Spiro, an electric vehicle company, is grateful for the citys accommodating nature, as he says, Living overseas gives a different perspective on being thankful. Im very thankful for my supportive Indian girlfriend, co-workers, Indian friends and global expat community here in Bengaluru. Ive received so much help and support from local Indians and the global community in Bengaluru. It reminds me how people from such diverse backgrounds can come together and celebrate. Dawn Hinke with her daughters at a Thanksgiving party For Dawn Hinke, Vice President-Investment Banking at JP Morgan, who has lived in the city for the past 18 years, Thanksgiving has shifted from sprawling potlucks in California 25 people around a noisy table, to quiet dinners with her immediate family in ooru. In the early years, she attempted the full spread herself, only to discover that sourcing ingredients was an expedition. You had to shop weeks in advance. Turkeys were rare, stuffing was impossible, even baking a turkey, which takes 7-8 hours, on gas was a challenge, she laughs, adding, But the meaning hasnt changed. Its still about family and thankfulness. Maybe the table looks different, but the heart remains the same, she adds. Yet some dishes remain close to home, like her mothers mashed potatoes, stuffing made from a pre-packaged mix, and green beans baked with crispy onions. Whereas across town, Rachel Swallwood, who runs Ethic Attic Cafe in Indiranagar, is busy preparing a Thanksgiving feast this year, which she calls a Friendsgiving supper club. For her, the holiday smells like her grandmothers kitchen in New York. I miss my family, but hosting this dinner lets me give others the Thanksgiving feeling they might be missing, she says. Her menu in Bengaluru is improvised, but it remains close to traditional food. I cant find the exact sweet potatoes I grew up eating, so I use the closest variety here, she says.This year, I ordered two small turkeys because we couldnt get a bigger one. And my cafe staff, they usually cook Indian food. Theyre learning oven-based cooking just for this dinner. We used to eat these tiny hot-dog rolls, instead of the turkey, so theyre on the menu. Still, she brings an Indian twist to the spread, for instance, adding ginger-garlic flavour to her mashed potatoes. Pecan Pie Rhiannon R, a member of the Bangalore Expats and Socials community, who moved from Texas almost an year ago, says, For me its a moment to reflect on the Indigenous people of the US before the colonisers came, I try to keep that in mind when Im celebrating Thanksgiving, just to honour them and the journey they went through, adding, This year, I had a cranberry sauce at an early Thanksgiving feast, which tasted different yet delicious. I love to see how India does other cultures food. Essgenics founder Swati Eesshita Chatterjees Thanksgiving is quieter but no less heartfelt. Back home, Thanksgiving was about togetherness and small family rituals with my daughter. She reflects, Thanksgiving has become about grounding myself. Its about creating warmth wherever I am. In place of a traditional table, I light a candle. In place of turkey, I cook something simple and grounding. A diya, a familiar spice, a quiet corner of it becomes my blended version of the day. It is less about re-creating America and more about re-creating a sense of home within myself, wherever I am. A Thanksgiving cheese platter Apart from the dishes, Thanksgiving is also about the traditionals and personal rituals wrapped around it. Rhiannon says the one tradition her family refuses to skip is watching football. Theres always a football game going on by the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving every year, so its really a day to sit around, watch the game and eat food throughout the day, she laughs. Swallwood agrees, After eating, wed all play Monopoly or card games nobody would want to clean up, she says. She recalls one of her grandmothers favourite rituals, too breaking the wishbone after carving the turkey. Its silly, but those tiny things stay with you, she smiles. Its also a moment in the year when the holiday season sets in and living rooms starts glowing with festive lights, as Rhiannon notes, The last Thursday of November is also the day when most people bring out their Christmas trees to usher in the holiday season.
17 C
