I started reading Babalú blog a few years ago as a result of a Google search for “Cuba news.” From day one, I was hooked. The writing was always wonderful, sometimes provocative, but for the most part compelling. But the comments! There were people out there reading and caring and giving their opinions on what had been written. I loved the forum ...
Archives for July 2008
“She’s THAT Marta??”
I never feel like I get enough time in Miami to see all the things I want to and visit with all the people I want to. (sigh) But my mom (yes, Luza, the 94 year old), has been there all summer. Which means she has connected with lots of people from her life. When she arrives in Miami the first thing she does is pull out her address book, sit ...
Whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on…
I have this shelf on the wall behind my desk. It's like an homage to the animation gods at Pixar (but that's not important right now). See all those cute little innocuous toys on my shelf? At 11:42 today, those little happy meal toys started dancing around on their own. Magic? No. EARTHQUAKE! It knocked over poor Sid the Sloth, (see him lying ...
Meet me on Calle Ocho
Kikita here. I'm still recovering from my time in Miami. And I'm realizing just how much I miss being there.After spending the rainy days alone in my hotel room without Cuban food, Mami was on a mission to only eat Cuban food for the rest of the trip. So her first day she begins texting furiously.And gets Amanda (one of our ...
Looks and Brains
I don't get to see all of my big, fat, Cuban family as often as I'd like.Don't get me wrong. My sisters and I and their families who live nearby are in each other's lives and business a good chunk of the time (obviously, if you've been reading my blog for a while you know this, but that's not important right now). But of course, being Cuban, ...
How lucky can you get?
It's taken me a full week to sort through the hundreds of pictures and the range of emotions that my nephew's wedding evoked. I know. Everyone who's older than 20 does one of those "I remember when....." things. I think that's what's so lovely about weddings. So many of those present are thinking the I-remember-when thoughts about the bride or ...
“MBFCF makes us LOL”
Isn't that an awesome title? Well, I think so and Mami agrees with me (Yes, it's me, Kikita). I also loved the name of the blog that used the above title to give our big, fat Cuban family (as Carrie says) a shout out: You can read what they wrote about us here. And if (after reading the comments section) you decide you want to buy a cookbook, you ...
The Perfect Blend
I just got back from Miami and I’ve got to admit: If there’s one thing Cubans know how to do well (besides dancing and cooking and arguing, but that’s not important right now =D), it’s how to make the Best Coffee on This Earth. Seriously, every Cuban home I was lucky enough to have been a guest in, served the most delicious, practically perfect, ...
VIOLETAS FOUND!
Kikita here. Back in Cali and (mostly) recovered from my jet lag. And smelling FABULOUS! While I was still in Miami, I followed some nifty (yes, nifty) advice and took Mami and myself to Sentir Cubano in hopes of finding my much desired Cuban music. Well, they did not have the coveted Cuban Music I was looking for (I had something very ...
My Big, Fat, Noisy Cuban After-Party (come on – do The Wave with us…)
Exhausted but happy. So much I want to share.The wedding was last night and it was fabulous, but I have to have some functioning brains cells to do it justice, so I will save posting about that until I get home. I've had some incredible experiences with my family this weekend, but seriously, the after-party at my cousin's house tops them all. ...
My Big, fat, Cuban Family Party (together) before the Wedding
Today's the wedding day. We've been anxiously awaiting this chance to have a big, fat, Cuban family wedding in Miami. Today is that day. People, we're out of our skin excited! To be together, to be a family, to welcome more family, to poke fun at each other, to laugh together, to dance together, to tell jokes and family stories. To celebrate being ...
La Que Manda
Kikita here. And no, I'm no longer alone. And no, it's no longer raining. Mami arrived late last night and she brought the sun with her. She had the smoothest flight ever (one of the flight attendants was studying to be a chiropractor so they offered her a free neck massage!). We woke up to sunshine - something I haven't ...
Code Red
Prepare yourself South Florida..... The last few days have been a flurry of texts and phone calls between my mom and my sisters and my cousins and my nieces and myself.My big, fat, Cuban family is preparing to invade Miami. (Ay Dios mio!) Michael and Kimberly are getting married on Friday. (Yay!) And because of the nature of weddings and all the ...
Sometimes it’s hard to be me . . .
The "Kikita's Alone in Florida" saga continues . . . After the Chinese food debacle (ok, so I should have known better, but I'd been traveling all day and I was tired), I decided my first order of business should be to venture out and find the nearest grocery store, preferably Publix. This choice came primarily because after dinner last night ...
What do you call your Abuela?
The span in age between me and my oldest sister, Ofie, is about fifteen years. Which means she was married and had her first child, Annette, by the time I was nine. Which means that at that point in my young life, my mother, Luz, became a grandmother. "La Abuela!" She had waited so long to finally hear those words. She could barely wait until ...
Flip-flop. ;-)
Okay, so we're on our way to the beach on this gorgeous Sunday afternoon in So Cal. As we're getting onto The Toll Road we spot DOZENS of police officers on motorcycles with their lights all flashing, and behind them there were about four or five patrol cars, with their lights flashing too. In front of this dizzyingly dramatic display of ...
