Fried wasp larvae in gravy would be awesome. Too bad it's easier to get the larvae than the gravy.

BillDan, I love Chinese food, too...and I have a special affection for the flavors of Yunnan. But, that doesn't mean that I have forgotten how wonderful the other foods of the world are. Wherever I've traveled on this planet, I've sought to find excellent local food and connect with the people who make it. At least half of the appeal of any food comes from the kindness of the people who make and share it with you. Food is also a strong marker of memory and emotion. That is why the food I've had in Kunming means so much to me today, and always will.

Having said that, I have had wonderful food, offered to me and shared by many kind people around the world...including those in my own country - America. Anyone who thinks that one country's cuisine is uniformly superior to another's is simultaneously stupid, insensitive, and inaccurate. Thanksgiving dinners with my family are truly wonderful affairs, full of delicious food, ample kindness, and sharing. They are far greater than the sum of their parts. They are also occasions to remember what we are thankful for.

So, put a sock in your self-righteous, sycophantic, culinary chauvinism. Thanksgiving is truly glorious. :)

Saw a huge turkey in the freezer at Paul's today, selling at 58 rmb/kg...

I'd consider buying it, mPRin. Unfortunately, I've got no way to cook it. (I really miss my MasterBuilt turkey fryer around this time of year.)

you can pick up decent small ovens for 200 RMB.
if you're planning to stay a while, it might be a good investment.

"They are also occasions to remember what we are thankful for."

They are also great occasions to remind yourself of the genocide of Native Americans, and how their men were shot and clubbed to death and their women and children raped and burned alive as you eat that delicious turkey. Happy thanksgiving!

yahkee00: Also great occasions for remembering that plenty of people don't get turkeys today, & that, finally speaking, there's no excuse for this situation.

A Thanksgiving Toast:
We are gathered together tonight to celebrate Thanksgiving an American holiday with I believe universal appeal to all.

Here is to the prospect of new found friendships but also keeping the old friendships, and to the joys they may bring us. Here is to what the future holds for each of us here, and to our hopes that we always will find the shiny silver linings in life. Remember to be thankful for every opportunity you get to be a part of someone's life.
We hope this holiday is full of good food and warm hearts for all.

Well said, Long-Dragon. Thanks for the spiritual generosity on this day.

Yankee, you sound like a very unhappy and embittered person. But, the most trivial thing about your self-righteous rant is that there is nothing original, or even noteworthy about it. Man's inhumanity to man predates anything in post-Columbian America. In fact, it has been found in almost every civilization in the history of the world. Thankfulness and gratitude mean far more than a tribute to past conquest. They are also expressions of humility. They honor the fact that we may better understand each other and strive to be better human beings. But, to the person who believes in nothing, such observances are only reminders of the spiritual emptiness and lack of goodwill in their own lives. Hatred and bitterness look backward, but hope always faces forward. So, with that I will wish you and everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. :)

@Shyam. I just checked and Native Americans are still being victims of racial marginalisation on their own land, despite your inspiring post.