And now for something completely different

Tomorrow: an attempt at cooking Thanksgiving dinner in Japan, despite Japan's distinct lack of turkeys.

Check back later for further details.

A little random note...this reminds me of when my Japanese Culture professor in the US (who is Japanese), tried to explain to us why the Japanese were against the idea of allowing their country to import rice in the 90's. If I remember correctly, he was trying to tell us that rice has sort of a spiritual symbolism in Japanese culture. Rice grown in the Land of the Rising Sun is something the Japanese take pride in, and no other rice will do, at least according to him. The professor could tell we were having trouble understanding this.
"Imagine if the US was forced to import turkey from other countries," he said. Silence. Finally someone spoke up:
"...and?"
"Turkey!" The professor exclaimed. "Thanksgiving! American holiday! You don't want foreign turkeys on Thanksgiving, do you??"
"We don't really care that much, as long as they taste good."
"What?!"
I'll never forget the professor's look of astonishment. I think he was slightly disappointed in us too.