Not-So-Black Friday

Well, Thanksgiving came and went. Quietly. (Well, as quietly as Taipei can be normally.)

No parade being broadcast on every single TV channel. No turkey carving at the family table; not even a little turkey sandwich with cranberry jam. No festivities, no sitting around saying what we're thankful for.

And there's no Black Friday crazy-shopping day for us here. I kind of miss that, even though I know a lot of you (in North America) dread the hordes of bargain hunters scouring the malls and outlets, and would rather stay in the security of your own home while watching ... I dunno, morning cartoons.

See, Americans, this is your version of the Canadian Boxing Day (December 26): shopping until you literally drop of exhaustion, or have your innards squeezed out of you in the line-ups outside popular stores. This is your greatest chance to clear up your Christmas shopping in one go of great deals galore, and then sit back and watch the rest of the Christmas shoppers go nuts on December 23. (Of course, you won't get all your shopping done today, because most of what you buy will be for yourself. I know how it is; I been there.)

Here in Taiwan, we don't get that.

Instead, our crazy shopping days are usually on weekday non-holidays, sometimes during this year-end shopping season, and they usually put up flyers and ads about some limited-stock item that prompts old ladies to line up outside the store for hours. After all, the rest of the population has to work, and can't be there to queue up for a semi-good discount on a completely frivilous product.

Yeah, it's not really the same. But tonight, I will be on a quest to have some turkey anyhow -- someone must serve it around here. Happy Thanksgiving!