This month, ETA Meghan Cullinan celebrated one of her favorite holidays, Thanksgiving, in Kendari! Throughout the month she organized activities surrounding the culture of Thanksgiving and one of her own personal values, gratitude. Meghan introduced Thanksgiving to her community by explaining the history of the holiday, tracing back to Christopher Columbus and the Native Americans, and the traditions such as: the Turkey Trot, Turkey Hands, and Thanksgiving foods, to her English club and friends.
Meghan’s main Thanksgiving celebration was a community dinner, inspired by ETA Lizzy Hardison’s, 2016-2017 Fulbright ETA alumnus, Thanksgiving experience on the Indonesiaful blog for Fulbright ETAs in Indonesia. Due to Meghan’s family traditions during Thanksgiving and the holiday season, she knew Thanksgiving would be a time she felt most homesick. She wanted to beat homesickness, while sharing the spirit of Thanksgiving with her community in Kendari. She invited 13 of her closest friends to join in a traditional Thanksgiving dinner potluck.

She worked with her co-teachers to prepare a party suitable for Indonesian guests and prepared American and Indonesian style foods in her very small kitchen! Her friends were excited to celebrate the holiday and brought cake and treats with them! Some of her friends had previously celebrated the holiday in America with host families or with previous ETAs, but some celebrated for the first time. The dinner unified various communities in Kendari around the shared value of thankfulness. Meghan is grateful for the love and support of her friends who made the day unforgettable!

Meghan Cullinan is currently teaching at MAN 1 Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi