Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love cooking with my family, eating yummy food, and being grateful for all we have.
So instead of sitting around dreaming about turkey and pumpkin pie and missing my family, I asked my African friends out to dinner to celebrate with me. Victor and Nellie and their children Nadege and Cedric are my African family, so they of course were invited. They have opened their home to me and fed me more times than I can count, making Bukavu a warm, friendly place for me. Victor is working on his English, which is getting much better, and Nellie speaks none, but we communicate well nonetheless . . the details aren't all that important, anyway.
Roland, who often translates for me and is a family friend as well, also came along. And my friend Morag from Canada joined the party to celebrate vicariously since she missed her Thanksgiving Day, too.
We dined at La Rouche, a beautiful restaurant on Lake Kivu. No turkey but the fish, Capitan from Uganda, was great. I even got mashed potatoes.
When all is said and done, life is all about family and friends for me. To love and be loved is to be blessed. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend.
With love and gratitude,
