My home, as I've told you before, is freakishly small cottage-like. Accomodating my big, fat, Cuban family for Nochebuena takes quite a bit of planning and hard work and a little bit of creativity. Actually, a LOT of creativity. My family is full of extroverted, noisy people. (Hello? Cubans!) They are easy conversationalists and will most ...
Cuban-American Life
I hope you enjoy my posts about my crazy and wonderful Cuban-American life.
Cheaters Lechón Asado (don’t judge me.)
It's raining like mad here in So Cal. And we live in The Bubble (aka. The O.C.). And Nochebuena falls on a Friday. And the men-folk are all working. What does this mean? It means that there will be no Cuban Caja China Pig Roasting for us. (*insert sad face here*) Of course, this does not mean that we won't have our lechóncito. We are, ...
Curses! Foiled Again!
**The following post of daring ingenuity and all-around cleverness has been brought to you by the one and only Kikita. I've been temping.'Nuff said. Actually, there's so much more to say.I've done temp work before. I've worked all kinds of places. In fact, there was even a time when I worked as a "Staffing Agent" ...
The Mother Ring
I remember when my mother got the ring. I must have been about 12 or 13 years old. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry I thought I'd ever seen. I loved the way the six stones represented me and my five siblings. I loved the way it was perfectly symmetrical, even though I usually prefer things at more random angles. She always wears it ...
The Latino Family Gift Guide
Shopping. I love it. I hate it. I love it. (I'm a little schizophrenic about it.) I kind of hate the Mall Experience. But I love finding the perfect gift. Which is why I love online shopping. It's like the entire world is at your fingertips. Today I'd like to turn your attention to my friend, Monica's Latino Family's ...
So Help Me, God.
I've spent the last week serving on a jury for a criminal trial at the County Courthouse in Santa Ana, here in California. (If I tell you any more, I'd have to kill you, but that's not important right now.)I'll be honest with you: I'm not enjoying it. I have been sitting through hours of testimony and evidence and ...
Enigmatically Cuban
When people find out I'm Cuban (which is practically one of the first things I tell them about myself, but that's not important right now) they ask me if I know "so and so" - their only other Cuban friend. They tell me the person's name and look questioningly into my eyes. Surely I must know every other Cuban on the ...
Doing My Duty
I got my jury summons a few weeks ago. And as dutifully as ever I called in on the special jury selection hotline, fully expecting to be dismissed from jury duty. It didn't happen. (What?) So I dutifully came to the Superior Court of the Bubble this morning, fully expecting to have them say, "thanks, but no, thanks." Again, ...
El Palacio and me. (It was love at first sight.)
I've been home for a week now and I'm still processing all the wonderful things I got to do and experience in Miami. I'll be writing about the trip little by little as I sort through my stuff and check my mental rolodex to remind myself of the stories I want to tell. This particular one, I videotaped. (I know! Shut up!) I'm ...
“Cubanism can strike at any age.”
Me: "I made 'fanguito.'" (FAHN-GEE-TOH) Amy Kikita: "Fanguito? Really, Mom? Wait! Is that another Cubanism? Isn't 'fango' the Spanish word for 'mud?' Where exactly are you??" She sounds puzzled, and I picture her tilting her head to one side (kind of like a German shepherd). Me: "In the ...
