感謝祭パーティ　Thanksgiving Dinner

2012.11.15

 

 

 

　

　今年も在日米国商工会議所（ACCJ）との共催による感謝祭パーティを開催しました。会場は去年と同じくウェスティンホテル大阪です。鳥井JASO会長、セティACCJ副会頭のスピーチに引き続き、小島誠二関西担当全権大使のご挨拶、そして昨年と同様リネハン総領事によるターキーのカッティング儀式が行なわれ、総領事の「ウィスキー漬けターキー」のジョークに会場は笑いの渦に包まれました。

　今年の参加者は、昨年の145人を大幅に上回る225人となり、特に50人以上の留学生を含む約80人の外国人の方々にご参加いただくなど、大変国際色豊かなパーティとなりました。皆さん、ウェスティンホテル西洋料理長の蔵田シェフによる素晴らしい感謝祭料理を堪能しながら、会場各所で英語と日本語による歓談を楽しんでいらっしゃいました。

 

   Like last year, we had ACCJ-JASO Thanksgiving Day Dinner at the Westin Osaka.  Following welcome speeches by JASO President Mr. Torii and ACCJ Vice President Mr. Sethi, we had greetings from newly appointed Ambassador Seiji Kojima of the Kansai, followed by USCG Patrick Linehan’s ceremonial Turkey carving.  Before he put a knife into a roasted bird, USCG Linehan mentioned about a whiskey soaked Turkey named “Yamazaki” sitting somewhere in the party, and it was amusing to see that some of the guests were seriously sniffing around to find out which one was the “Yamazaki.” 

   Probably because last year’s food was so wonderful, this year we had 90 more guests than last year’s 145.  Among 225 turn-outs, 80 were foreigners including 50 overseas students.  Everyone enjoyed the genuinely authentic Thanksgiving Dinner, perfectly prepared by the Westin Osaka’s executive chef Mr. Osamu Kurata, and conversations both in English and Japanese were heard well after the MC made the closing announcement.