It's Thanksgiving for Americans, a normal Thursday for the rest of the world (apart from Egypt, Malaysia, Pakistan and Turkey)

Here's the thing about being part of a couple: in order for both of you to merge part of your existence with each other's you need to have a certain amount of joint activities. And be prepared to be paraded around a roomful of strangers to be introduced as the 'girlfriend' or the 'boyfriend'.

For M., this means he comes along to my colleague's farewell drinks in his Real Madrid shirt, while everyone else is wearing office gear and talking shop. I think the 100 per cent. British crowd (minus M., of course) even managed to say something derogatory about American accents - someone said that he didn't want his daughter to have a crass West country [sic] accent. M. bore this all very well and even managed to finish his drinks. I cringed.

For me, it means I go to his Nu Yawk friend's house for a Thanksgiving dinner even though I am a vegetarian and definitely not American. There will be more than twenty Americans in a row as guests. I think they will serve me pasta. I am wearing lipstick - a dramatic departure from the norm - in honour of this event. M. is still trying to get over the Korean for 'turkey' (chill-myun-jo) - he says it doesn't sound anything like turkey (but of course, darling. It's Korean).

Tit for tat, you know? All for love.