Thanksgiving in Singapore

Since Thanksgiving Day, for both Josh and me, is usually celebrated with extended family, we weren't sure what to do with our first Thanksgiving-sans-relatives. We talked about trying to make our own Thanksgiving meal (feasible, thanks to the high-end grocery store nearby that caters to Americans and was carrying items like Stovetop stuffing, Libby's canned pumpkin, and Butterball turkeys), but decided that preparing a feast for just the three of us would result in lots of wasted food. We also considered joining a group of teachers from Josh's school who were getting together to celebrate, but since our calendar had been packed the last 2 months, a just-our-family-day sounded like a treat. So. . . we called up one of the nice hotels that was advertising a "Traditional Thanksgiving Buffet" and made a reservation.

(photo from concierge.com)

The Fullerton Hotel, located on the Singapore River, near the Esplanade and Merlion, is absolutely gorgeous. No doubt, it is one of the top two hotels in Singapore (the #1 spot being held by Raffles Hotel). It is the kind of hotel where the valet spends most of the day parking luxury Italian cars like Lamborghinis, Porches and Ferraris (if teaching doesn't work out, don't be surprised if you hear that Josh has taken a job as a valet!) In fact, when we arrived for Thanksgiving dinner, the front entrance of the hotel was temporarily cordoned off and the staff was laying out a beautiful red velvet carpet--turns out that top diplomats from all over the SE Asia were soon to be arriving at the hotel for some sort of international summit.

The buffet was gorgeous, but it was no where close to "traditional". The only traditional items being served were turkey and cranberry sauce. No mashed potatoes, no gravy, no green bean casserole, no buttermilk biscuits, no Jello salad, no sparkling cider, no apple or pumpkin pie. But, if you were in the market for fresh tropical fruit, or sushi, or oyster, or black pepper stir-fry, or bruschetta, or creme brulee, or chocolate torte, you would not have been lacking in options!

Us, in front of one of the dessert tables.

In a way, I'm glad it wasn't a typical Thanksgiving meal because it wasn't a typical Thanksgiving Day. It is nice to know that the giving of thanks isn't dependent on cool weather, cozy foods, and even good family fellowship. I Thes 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."