Gobble some Thanksgiving Turkey and sweets
In Taiwan, we hear little of Thanksgiving Day. During the past couple of weeks a few small advertisements have appeared in the TAIPEI TIMES Newspaper, but that's about it. Most were for a "basket" of Thanksgiving food to be taken out. I asked a couple of the large hotels about Turkey on Thursday and found they were serving the meal, but not advertising the fact.
Last week I flew to Hong Kong, leaving Taiwan in order to reload my visa count-down clock with another 60 day charge of visiting time in Taiwan. It's a problem that pinches me every few weeks. There is no solution other than finding a full-time position or marrying.
I came across these Thanksgiving reminders in the shopping area basement floors of my Hong Kong hotel. The Turkey sign stood just inside Jasons Market. We have a number of Jasons Markets in Taipei also. Their headquarters is in Hong Kong. I found Campbells Chicken Noodle soup in their Hong Kong store. Can't find it in Taipei.
The ad, for a prepared Turkey Dinner will set you back HK $419.00 which equates to approximately US $56.25.
A couple of weeks ago I was in the local Costco store not far from my apartment, (there are 3 stores in Taipei, and others down-island) to stock-up on ice cream (wonderful "real" half gallon tubs) from London UK, and my other "got to have" snack, Lays Tortilla Chips exported from the CONUS.
Just by chance as I made my way from the fruits and vegetables toward the check-out counters, I noticed this frozen turkey facing out of the freezer window. I never dreamed frozen turkeys would be available in Taiwan. Thank you Costco...
I didn't purchase a bird; maybe next year if they have "Butterball's"
As I think back to the old days we spent in Taiwan, I'm reminded that every mess hall and military club on the island went to extraordinary lengths to provide us with the best home cooking available each Thanksgiving.
If I remember correctly, didn't the military clubs provide free dinners to club members on Thanksgiving and Christmas?
If I remember correctly, didn't the military clubs provide free dinners to club members on Thanksgiving and Christmas?
Those Taiwan days were some of finest most of us experienced in our military careers.
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If you live in the right area of Taipei, you can get the Turkey Day football games on the Asian Spots Network. It's one of the (HD) channels on the cable company serving my apartment.
Here is the schedule for the Turkey Day games in the CONUS , which will begin in the early hours of Friday here, live games, and they will later rebroadcast some of the games without commercials or time-outs.
Our best wishes to you and your families.
Our best wishes to you and your families.
Tsi Gen from Taipei
Update a minute after I posted this Thanksgiving story:
I just noticed the "hit counter" had a unique number on the visitor count:
Visitor counting began 2 April 2008
Thank you for visiting the blog, I hope I can keep providing good things from the past and updates from today for many years to come.....
UPDATE # 2 - Thanksgiving Evening - We had our Thanksgiving Dinner at the Grand Hyatt Hotel this evening. It was wonderful. I ate too much!
UPDATE #3 - Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims - Rush Limbaugh's "The True Story of Thanksgiving" can be read HERE.
4 comments:
Hello...I am in Taiwan(Linkou) for training and ran across your blog hopeing to find somewhere to go tomarrow. Thanks for giving me some hope...This will be my first Thanksgiving in 38 years that I will not be spending with family or loved ones...So maybe a bite of turkey will help...(side note: My dad was at Kadena Air Base Okinawa right around the same time you were here)
Mike,
Depending on where you are residing, you might consider having Thanksgiving Turkey at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. They are serving Turkey in the evening, 6-8 PM.
The Hyatt is located just across the street from Taipei 101, quite easy to reach. Take the Taipei Metro Blue Line heading east, get off at City Hall Station, go upstairs to the street where you'll find a free bus to Taipei 101. The bus loads at the last covered waiting area on the east (to the right as you step out onto the street.) The bus unloads at Taipei 101 just across the street from the Hyatt. Have dinner, get back on the same bus and make your way back to the hotel.
Hope this helps. Kent
Kent, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving. Sure sounds like you'll have no problem finding plenty of turkey with all the trimmings.
Don
Kent,
Happy Thanksgiving! I do remember the spectacular Thanksgiving dinners at the TAS and Shu Linkou Dining Halls. We went to Shu Linkou in 1973, and it was fabulous. I think the cost was like $1.55 each for me and spouse; children under 5 were free! I went with my boss and his family, and can still remember that great meal and all the trimmings for less than $5!
Best Regards
John Hurst
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