After waking up at 4.30am Indiana farm time, driving 3.3 hours to Chicago in the bone-chilling wind and flying 4 hours in a plane with bratty, noisy, kicking kids sitting directly behind us, Heather and I arrived back in Los Angeles 68 degree weather this morning. It was a beautiful day to be back home.
We had a very busy, but enjoyable Thanksgiving. Heather has a large family that is spread across Indiana and there are lots of people to visit and see. I spent a lot of time sitting in different living rooms listening to long conversations about family, friends, farming and the local community. Things are very different on the farm than I’m used to. For one, everyone gets up very early in the mornings to take care of farming “business” which includes tending to the thousands of ducks in the buildings out back, tending to the dogs, the horse and other farming things which I know nothing about. Second, nobody seems to lock anything on the farm. All the cars are always unlocked with the keys in them and all the doors to each house are unlocked as well. We would travel to people’s houses and walk right in. This is something that I don’t think I’ll ever get used to. But it’s nice. It’s quiet and there is a lot of open space. This of couse is quite opposite to life in Los Angeles.
Thanksigiving itself was quite a feast. There was horseradish mashed potatoes (Heather’s specialty), regular mashed potatoes, green bean cassarole, oyster cassarole, twice baked sweet potatoes, turkey (or course), orange rolls (a favorite) and apple salad. For dessert we had a choice of homemade apple pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie and a Dairy Queen ice cream cake to celebrate November birthdays (which included Heather although her Birthday is in December). So we basically ate a lot of food, played a card game with Heather’s niece and nephew, watched a movie, went to visit more people, came back and ate some more.
The next day we had a Ferguson family photo session at Heather’s uncle’s house. Even though the entire Ferguson family has accepted me as a part of the family, sometimes I still feel out of place. The photo session was one of those times. Looking at some of the photos it was a little wierd to see this big caucasion family with one asian guy in the mix. But there I am smiling in the Ferguson family portrait that will probably be hanging in several farm houses for years to come.
Earlier in the week I asked Heather whether or not she thinks that I am the first Asian to come through this farming town. She said, “Probably.” That’s kinda cool. Good to know I’m mixing things up and causing a small stir in this rural community. I could feel people watching Heather and I at times when we were at the new super Wal-Mart in town or at the local diner. I always felt a little self-conscious, but it didn’t bother me. Being different is something I’ve gotten used to and even enjoy.
