How the Hard Rock Cafe saved Thanksgiving … and lessons on celebrating in Delhi

It was just days before Thanksgiving and I only had one job–procure a turkey for the party. Yet again, Saadia and I got the bright idea to host an American celebration on a rooftop that's not ours to celebrate holidays that aren't theirs. And I had to find the centerpiece food.

I couldn't do it. No one who was willing to sell me a turkey (and believe me, they are hard to come by in Delhi) was willing to cook it for us (no on has an oven in this city). So we started calling hotels. One hotel was willing to swoop in and save the day and prepare us an 8 kilo turkey for the small fee of $400. It was out of the question and I feared Thanksgiving was going sans turkey.

It was so disappointing. My Indian friends had never tasted turkey before, never celebrated Thanksgiving before, and I wanted to it justice.

And then, as if by Thanksgiving miracle, I received an email from the good people at the Hard Rock Cafe, just hours before dinner. They had an extra turkey, and it could be mine. When it was delivered I cradled it like a long-lost child, grateful that dinner had arrived.

With that, champagne was popped, wine was mulled and dinner was devoured. Andy, our lovely UK friend who owns the roof, carved the turkey like a Thanksgiving king. And once we plowed through that, we moved on to the back-up chickens, and then the pies, and then the cake, and then the fireworks.

So, what on Earth am I NOT thankful for? I am sitting here trying to count my blessings the day after Thanksgiving, my fingers still sluggish from overeating, my mind still foggy from the mulled wine. 

And all I can come up with is "everything." I'm thankful for all of it today. I'm thankful that my struggle to work today is due to having too many friends, too much fun and far too easy access to fireworks. I'm thankful that my lack of sleep is due to late-night rooftop chats and overseas Skype calls to family.

I thankful to live in a city where women get their own metro cars, where literally anything is repairable and everything is just an auto rickshaw ride away. I'm thankful for porridge and Oreos and accents.

I'm thankful that last night I got to enjoy a proper Thanksgiving with my new friends. I just wish all my friends from Omaha, Alaska, Bangkok and everywhere else could have been there too.

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Ah yes, and the lesson I learned this Thanksgiving? The best way to dispose of chicken bones once licked clean… explosives.