We love going to Disneyland. It's conveniently located just a few miles from us and we conveniently have annual passes so we can go anytime. And we never get tired of it. It's not just the rides, but we love walking around and seeing things. I love taking my camera because something different and fun will always catch my eye. Even though it never seems to change, there's always something new to look at and enjoy. My absolute favorite thing after a day at Disneyland is the fireworks show: Remember . . . Dreams Come True. We plan our arrival at the park by what time the fireworks will be. We arrange our day always with the fireworks in mind. The fireworks is the perfect ending to a Disneyland day. So here we are having a wonderful day in the park when the weather starts to turn cold and rainy and windy. We stay. There are fireworks to wait for, after all. The rain stops and it's still cold, but pretty clear. Let's find a nice spot to watch the fireworks. Then there is The Announcement: "We're sorry, but due to inclement weather, the fireworks have been canceled." That's it??? A silly little announcement and it's just . . . over?? What a let down! How anticlimactic.
Oh well, let's go home and get on with our lives.
All that to say this: As a Cuban American I've been waiting for the day, for the moment when fidel castro's Rule of Terror will end on my beloved island. And he just kind of . . . resigns? That's it???
A silly little announcement and it's just . . . over??
What a let down! How anticlimactic.
Oh well, I suppose maybe Hallmark can do something with this: Happy Cuban Dictator Resignation Day! (sheesh!)
These are my very young parents. They would have been in their 30's in this picture. It is my father's birthday. He would have been 97 today. (He passed away in 1999.)
But something else happened on his birthday back in 1961 on this day that we would commemorate long after he passed away. Our family arrived in Miami on February 13th, 1961. My father's 50th birthday.
My mom: "Sabes que dia es?" ("Do you know what day it is?") Me: "El cumpleanos de Papi." ("Papi's birthday.") My mom: "Y 47 anos que estamos en el exilio." ("And forty-seven years in exile.")
My dad's birthday and the day of our exile. They will remain forever married on the time/space continuum that measures my big, fat Cuban family.
Because that event, that simple crossing the 90 miles of Florida Straights, has been a life-defining event. And we'll NEVER get over it. And we'll NEVER forget where we came from. And it will FOREVER define us. Not just as Cuban refugees, but as Cuban Americans.
Happy Birthday, Papi. 47 years. It doesn't seem possible. If he were here today, I like to think that my dad would be one of my faithful blog readers. And he'd agree with me that Forty-seven years is way too long to wait for change in Cuba.
When I was growing up my parents always insisted we speak Spanish at home. I'm grateful to them because I'm fluent in both Spanish and English now and I don't have an accent in either language. (Except, of course, I speak Spanish fast and furiously and drop the s's on the ends of my words, but that's not important right now. =D)
The only-speak-Spanish-at home rule was pretty easy because my mom didn't speak English. She still doesn't. She understands, but she never worked outside of the home. My oh-so-Cubanaso dad would never permit it. So we spoke Spanish at home and my sisters and I speak Spanglish to each other - easily and fluently weaving in and out of both languages.
Now it falls to me to teach my own children my first language and I confess I'm quite the slacker. Eric speaks Spanish beautifully, but of course, it's just so much easier to speak English at home. So we do. My kids understand and speak some Spanish, but I also encouraged them to take Spanish in school. It couldn't hurt, right?
(This bilingual issue right here is why I am awed and amazed at how my Cuban American friend, Carrie has undertaken the difficult task of making sure her daughter is bilingual - read all about it on her delightful blog, Bilingual in the Boonies.)
This right here is a perfect representation of my Adam's high school Spanish. Enjoy.
I have a burning question that I thought maybe some of mom's Cuban blog readers could answer.
Here's the story:
My Cuban Abuela curses and blesses me.
The blessings go something like this: "Algun dia tu nieta hara lo mismo por ti." ("One day your own granddaughter will do the same for you.")
That sounds like a blessing. . . right? She's in effect saying that I will one day have grandchildren of my own. It makes me happy.
In the next breath (just after I beat her at cards the other night): And I'll just paraphrase here . . . "I didn't want you to win because you know what they say about 'lucky in cards, unlucky in love' and I'd hate to see you end up an old maid. How old are you again? Maybe you should just start buying your cats now." That sounds a little curse-like to me.
My question: How much power do these Cuban-abuelita-curses/blessings have?
Just wondering if I have to go to church and light some candles or something. . .
El Tiki-tiki - v. to harp on a subject over and over and then resort to guilt until your victim succumbs to your wishes. Mami: "You have to have a party for your Tia before she leaves." Me: "Umm. . . what with the holidays, it's been a little busy. I don't know if I can do it." Mami (issuing a big, heavy theatrical sigh): "Fine. It's not really that important, she's only 91 and visiting from Cuba. We'll have lots of other times to celebrate." Although seemingly innocuous, "el tiki-tiki" is more effective if it's been used repeatedly for years, making the victim more susceptible to acquiesce quickly.
Celebrating. It's what we Cubans do best. (Besides "el tiki-tiki", but that's not important right now. =D) My visiting aunt, whom we call Tia, turned 91 on December 24th and well, wow, it just slipped right by unnoticed. My mom happened to mention it just last week. . . about 50 times - with the announcement that she was going to go to Miami to celebrate her 94th birthday - this was a slightly veiled hint that we were such birthday celebration slackers, that she needed to leave the state to get a proper celebration. (Technically, here is where "el tiki-tiki" started, but again, not important right now.)
A few phone calls to my sisters, catered sandwiches, balloons, flowers, and a cake - add some Cubans and voila! Insta-party! Let's surprise them and make it a double celebration! Great idea, until it occurred to us, right at the moment when we were yelling "surprise" at the two nonagenarians and they clutched their chests, that perhaps surprising these two wasn't really such a great idea. ;-)
This is what 94 and 91 looks like in my family:
I'm happy to report that they survived the surprise. They loved that it was a joint celebration. They loved that between them we were celebrating 185 years. They laughed. They cried. Success.
Although I'm pretty sure that the cake with the 185 candles could be seen from space. =D
We thought it was going to be a quiet New Year's Eve. Helen (my niece) invited us over to play games and eat junk and wait for midnight. The kids, Daisy (7) and Ben (2) probably were not going to make it to midnight anyway. In fact, she told us, we would probably be home by ten. It will be a mellow evening and why doesn't Eric bring his telescope too?
Exhausted from all the other partying we've been doing (for the entire month of December!), we agreed to the nice and quiet New Year's celebration with family. Eat a little. Play games. Do a little star-gazing. Quiet. Mellow.
Quiet? My family? Mellow? These Cuban people that I am related to?
WRONG!
Of course it seemed to start out innocently enough. We started off getting Dick Clark and his Rockin' New Years thing on tv.
But then added the festive Happy New Year party hats to that. . .
And something bubbly. . .
And a table full of appetizers and desserts . . .
And . . . We were noisy. Oh so noisy. And we had noise-makers to add to the noisy-ness. And a two-year old with a noisemaker. (As if a little Cuban two-year old needed any help with noise making. =D) And no, the kids never did go to bed. We were all having too much fun.
And five minutes to midnight we realized that we had eaten most of the grapes so there were not going to be 12 grapes for each person, so we came up with a new superstition (for variety's sake) - we'll just eat 12 different food items! Let's update that whole 12-grape superstition and bring it into this century! Oooh, we are so tempting fate here!
So midnight caught us a little off-guard. Shoving 12 really bizarre and unrelated food items into our mouths and kissing everyone and running outside to set off the tiny exploding bottle poppers which caused the neighbors across the street to come out to see what the noise was and why were those people throwing water into the street?? and embarrassed to be caught they yelled "Happy New Year" at us and slammed the door. (Well, I'm not really sure whether they were embarrassed or fearful, but that's not important right now. =D)
We didn't have a suitcase ready - for the traveling part of the superstitious behavior - and I was kind of hoping we'd get to Italy this year, but Eric quickly grabbed what was available, which was the case with his telescope lenses, so does that mean we'll be doing some space travel this year? (don't even go there.) And it was a really long way to the mailbox to put money into it (for prosperity, of course), so he just put my purse and his wallet outside, so I'm not really sure what that signifies. (Maybe I'll be going to the mall a lot more this year?) ;-)
I decided that I was going to be braver this year. And I think this post and these pictures prove that I'm not only willing to make a fool of myself, but I'm also willing to tempt fate. (Ooh, she's just so fearless!)
The truth is that I would have denied the whole thing, but Daryl caught it all on tape. (sigh)
I'm looking forward to a wonderful, wacky, noisy, prosperous (and fearless) New Year and I wish the same for you. =D
My mom makes these famously Cuban authoritarian pronouncements. When she says something, it is with an air of authority that will not tolerate any argument. Of course, the way she says it immediately makes me question its validity, but since I was raised in a superstitious Cuban home, there is a small residue of what-if-it's-really-true? somewhere in the back of my mind.
For example: I mention to her that I'm really wanting a great set of knives for my kitchen. "It's Bad Luck to buy your own knives. It's better if someone gives them to you as a gift."
Of course, the knives I am coveting are astronomically priced, which leaves me in a perfect no-win situation. I want the knives. But I can't buy them for myself because it's Bad Luck and I certainly can't suggest to someone that they should spend this amount of money on knives for me, no matter how much they love me. Not to mention that new knives are a terrible gift choice for Valentine's or birthdays no matter how skilled the cook. (sigh)
NOTE: Once something is pronounced to be Bad Luck it is pretty much tarnished forever and no amount of actual rational thinking can redeem it.
What to do?
Stew about it. Fret about it. Spend years cutting things with sub-standard knives. Complain about said knives every single time you have to use them, which in my house is pretty much every. single. day.
My family either got: a) tired of me complaining. b) tired of using the dull knives we own. c) stumped on what to get me for Christmas. (NOTE: Christmas gifting doesn't technically fall under the Valentine or Birthday category of gifting because we give each other multiple gifts, so you wouldn't just be giving someone knives as their only gift, which is a great relief to me, but that's not important right now.) d) all of the above.
So they got me The Knives for Christmas:
Which is a totally win-win situation because they know that now I will have Good Luck and I will not only stop complaining about my dull old knives, but I will probably be compelled to use my new knives a lot more often and my family will therefore benefit from their generous gift. Life is good.
By the way, I decided not to mention the new knives to my mom in case there was any other kind of Bad Luck Sub-clause attached to the knife gift. I would argue that I'm not superstitious anyway, but in cases like these, it's just better not to know. ;-)
So, what's cooking this Thursday in Marta's Cuban American Kitchen over at Babalú? Frituras de Harina de Maiz (corn fritters or hush puppies). And yes, I used the paring knife to dice up the onions nice and fine. You know I'm going to become insufferable now about the whole I'm-so-superior-with-my-rockin'-knives thing. It's just that I'm so happy about my Good Luck! ;-)
It's a new year. And while I don't actually make resolutions, I always feel like the new year is a new beginning. A blank page. A do-over. I always have that thing in me that wants to do more, act nicer, learn things. I always want to be a little better. I think it every time. Every new year. Maybe it's because I'm Cuban. And we are a perpetually hopeful people.
Or maybe it's just because I'm an optimistic dork. It's ok. I know I am. And I make no apologies for it. ;-)
The song, 'Abriendo Puertas' belongs to Gloria Estefan, translated it means, 'Opening Doors.' The doors all belong to my big, fat Cuban family (except the last one, which is from Christmas Vacation). The video production belongs to my talented daughter, Amy - it's a segment of our family Christmas video from 2005. The sentiments belong to me. =D
Here's to a happy (and hopeful) NEW Year!
Como después de la noche
As after the night
Brilla una nueva mañana
Shines a new morning (x2)
Así también en tu llanto
So also in your weeping
Hay una luz de esperanza
There is a light of hope (x2)
Como después de la lluvia
As after the rain
Llega de nuevo la calma
A new calm arrives (x2)
El año nuevo te espera
The new year waits for you
Con alegriás en el alma
With joys in your soul (x2)
Coro: (chorus)
Y vamos abriendo puertas
And we go on opening doors
Y vamos cerrando heridas
And we go on closing wounds
Porque en el año que llega
Because in the coming year
Vamos a vivir la vida
We're going to live life
Y vamos abriendo puertas
And we go on opening doors
Y vamos cerrando heridas
And we go on closing wounds
Pasito a paso en la senda
Step by step along the path
Vamos a hallar la salida
Were going to find the way out
Como al salir de las tierra
As on leaving the ground
Vuelve a cantar la cigarra
The cicada sings again (x2)
Así es el canto que llevan
So is the song thats carried by
Las notas de mi guitarra
The notes of my guitar (x2)
Como a través de la selva
As across the forest
Se van abriendo caminos
They go opening paths (x2)
Así también en la vida
So also in life
Se va labrando el destino
Destiny goes on working (x2)
Coro: (chorus) Y vamos abriendo puertas
And we go on opening doors
Y vamos cerrando heridas
And we go on closing wounds
Porque en el año que llega
Because in the coming year
Vamos a vivir la vida
We're going to live life
Y vamos abriendo puertas
And we go on opening doors
Y vamos cerrando heridas
And we go on closing wounds
Pasito a paso en la senda
Step by step along the path
Vamos a hallar la salida
Were going to find the way out
Abriendo puertas
Opening doors
Cerrando heridas
Closing wounds
Pregones: (calls) Que en la vida hay tanto por hacer
There is so much to do in life
Deja tu llanto y echa pa'lante confé
Stop your weeping and march forward with faith
Abriendo puertas
Opening doors
Cerrando heridas
Closing wounds
Yo te lo digo de corazon
I tell you from my heart
Que el año nuevo sera mucho mejor
That the new year will be much better
Abriendo puertas
Opening doors
Cerrando heridas
Closing wounds
Abriendo puertas
Opening doors
Cerrando heridas
Closing wounds
No existen barreras para ti
No barriers exist for you
Si te propones seras feliz, muy feliz
If you decide to, you will be happy, very happy
Abriendo puertas
Opening doors
Cerrando heridas
Closing wounds
Que el fracaso es puro invento
Dilemas are pure invention
Ya no me tengas con ese cuento, no, no.
Now don't give me that story, no, no.
That was the date Rodolfo Verdés made Luz Perez-Puelles his bride.
I love this picture of my parents. It was probably taken a few years after their wedding and of course, it was totally posed, but seriously, he always held her in such high esteem. And she thought he looked just like Errol Flynn. (isn't that cute?)
They were married for sixty years. Sixty years!
And he never forgot an anniversary. My dad was clever that way.
"Let's get married on New Year's Eve! It will be a great excuse to have a party and I'll never forget our anniversary!"
And so it was.
The thing is that everyone else remembered their wedding anniversary too. Old friends they hadn't seen in years would always remember to call and congratulate them on December the 31st. I loved that. It was such a quirky wedding date.
And so it is today. The first thing I think of on New Year's Eve is to call my mom, and comment on how it would have been 68 years today. My dad always sent her yellow roses, which was quite a trick on New Years in Southern California because all the flowers were all in Pasadena on floats for the parade.
My mom has a platinum band she wears now on a chain around her neck. It has a date on it and of course, I assumed it would be their wedding date, but it's not. Ooh, cryptic. I love that she has kept the secret of the inscription on her wedding ring. She said she wrote it down for me, but I'm liking the idea of my dad being a sort of international man of mystery. =D I. LOVE. THAT. Is it the date they met? Is it their first date? Is that the day he proposed? Was it a Monday? She has promised the ring to me with the solution to the cryptic date puzzle. So cool.
My life is richer because my parents went the distance. Or maybe it was just the cool wedding date that kept them together. I don't know.
But I do know that I'll never forget their anniversary either. . .
. . . or that my dad looked strikingly like a young Errol Flynn. =D
I wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year full of unsolvable romantic mysteries and the promise of much adventure!
My Big Fat Cuban Family: A Cuban-American Blog
My Big Fat Cuban Family is all about my Cuban American life. Enjoy my ramblings on my blog about my Cuban family, Cuban heritage, Cuban culture, Cuban life. And some decent Cuban recipes with pictures, too.
