In despite of all the Thanksgiving episodes I have seen in the popular sitcom Friends, the spirit of the holiday can not be truly experienced without actually participating one.

Thanks to Felix, a mentor of my Studio project, who invited me to join his Thanksgiving party. Felix's house is located somewhere in the north of Pittsburgh suburb, about 40 minutes drive. On the way to his house, Felix explained to me the purpose of Thanksgiving: it's a day for friends and relatives to get together and have a nice meal. There is only one rule, according to Felix, that I need to follow: eat much more then I can.

The occasion brought together about 20 family members. It was made known to me only then that all of them are German immigrants. Felix himself came to the U.S. about ten years ago. His wife is the fourth generation of the German immigrants in Pittsburgh.

The atmosphere was relaxing. Even for a stranger like me (as being a Chinese and never been to a Thanksgiving party before) could quickly feel comfortable. I confessed that I am a Thanksgiving virgin, and I am here to learn how it "works".

Before the turkey was ready, I primary engaged in shaking hands with the family members and chatting with various topics like the tradition of watching football after the dinner, and then fall asleep. To my surprise, a Carnegie Tech alumnus, who once played in the school's football team, even told me that his favorite Chinese philosopher is Laozi.

The turkey and accompanying side dishes were indeed traditional, as Felix had promised earlier. We had stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, salad, pumpkin pie and many more others that I could not remember. In addition to eating much more then I can, I also have to take a doggy bag with me when I leave.

After dinner, uncle Walter, who once played the piano for a band when he was young, played the piano with some family members singing along. Two of the children came up with an idea of a showdown between them and two of the senior members. But, uncle Walter enjoyed so much with his playing that the children had to bear with him a little before their turn.

When I was leaving, I was happy to say that "This is the best Thanksgiving I have ever had".