Moana Road

My Dear Princess and Dear Fellow,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

"Today is the day we celebrate bringing smallpox and genocide to North America," explained Jefe, as he dispensed drinks and largesse. "But we brought horses... so there's that..." 

"I thought that was the Spanish," I said.

"Welllll.... MORE horses...?" he responded.

I shouldn't have nit-picked. Jefe and Manda very generously invited us over to their new place. They have finally escaped their previous place* and have a lovely cute little place right next to the sea. Also, it was Thanksgiving! 

Jefe explained that it's actually the last Thursday in November, but since we are nearly one whole day ahead of the US, we would be having turkey and fixin's on Friday instead. 

Caro and I got there at about 5pm for the tour and I just loved the place. With the sound of the crashing waves as a constant backdrop, it feels like being in a really nice beach bach. The kitchen is small but functional and there is heaps of light due to the huge windows.

"I can't be naked on my side of the bed; we did an experiment with me nude and Jeff in the street," Manda told us. 

At this point, Corrie, Siu, Mo, Craig and Shenée turned up and as the weather was good we all got to sit outside for Thanksgiving dinner. We also got to meet their lovely new landlady (Rennie) and her dog (Billie). 

I expect we've all seen those American movies where the family gets together for Thanksgiving and there's an argument and secrets and drama and someone storms out. But not with our funny little family. And as the talk veered from drinking to movies to travel and politics I felt all warm and fuzzy (again) for my work family (again). 

Shenée especially, glowed. "I just love this," she told me later. "I just love... US." 

As the sun went down, we went back inside to play another drawing game. Which in itself is hilarious as Jefe's drawing skills had already been exposed by the Christmas Dildo incident. 

"Can we NOT play another f***in' drawing game?!?" he exploded. 

But as Shenée said, he is the STAR of these games. We were all in tears at his attempt to draw a unicorn, which ended up like something that someone had sat on. Manda guessed it was a balloon animal, and we could see her point. 

His outrage reached new levels when he drew a submarine, to which Manda responded "swimming pool"** and then he drew a hammerhead shark to which she responded "submarine".

"Oh NOW you say SUBMARINE? NOW you say it?!? Where WERE you before MAN??" he exploded. 

I'm being unfair. We all had our moments in this game. Shenée was given "dodgem cars" to draw to which Jefe responded, "musical feet". 

Even though I'm not American, I am still thankful; thankful to have friends like these. They're generous, sweet, smart and funny. I really couldn't have had a better Thanksgiving. 

I will post extras of their new place and also Jefe's picture of a unicorn, which still makes me laugh.

S.

* Long story short, they were offered FREE accommodation if they would cat and dog sit for a friend of Jefe's who was moving to the US. Unfortunately, the friend decided she didn't want to leave after they had already moved in. Also she was a hoarder. Also, she was quite rude at these new people she now felt were living in HER place. 

** "SWIMMING POOL?!?" he cried. "It's got a F*CKIN' SUBMARINE in it!!!"