My Big Fat Cuban Family: A Cuban-American Blog

The Circle of Life

Some (very simplified, don't judge me) Cuban History for today:

In 1902, a bloody war had been fought between Cuba and Spain for Cuba's independence. The Cuban's won. It was quite a crushing defeat for the Spanish. They never quite recovered from it.

The president of the United States at that time was Theodore Roosevelt who had actually fought with his Rough Riders in Cuba and believed in Cuban independence.

On May 20th, 1902 Cuba was declared free of Spanish rule and winner of the war. (Not sure exactly how this is achieved. I picture a boxing ring and a referree holding up the hand of the winner, but that's probably not how it happened, and for sure it's not important right now.) Cuba was free.

May 20th is still celebrated as Cuban Independence Day.

(I found this somewhere in my archives. It reads:

"In celebration of the Anniversary of the Independence of Cuba

The Ambassador of Cuba

requests the pleasure of our compnay

at a reception

On Thursday, May the twentieth

at ten o'clock p.m.

Rsvp                                     Cuban Embassy"

 

The U.S. had been involved in this Spanish American war and was now committed to helping the Cubans rebuild. One of the proposed initiatives was to send Cuban teachers to Washington D.C. to the White House to be honored as the best in their country and given support and materials to take back to Cuba. 

Why all the history? I had a conversation with my mother, Luza last week....

Me: "I've been invited to the White House!"

Luza: "Then you'll be the 2nd one in our family."

I scoured my mental rolodex trying to remember who exactly in the family had received an invitation to the White House. As it turned out, she was referring to her own mother, Osmunda Perez-Puelles, one of the teachers chosen by President Roosevelt to be honored there. That was in 1902.

This photo was taken much later, obviously. Circa 1959. That's my grandmother, Osmunda, in the center surrounded by her (grown) children.

Fast forward to this week in My big, fat, Cuban family's history:

I am honored and humbled to announce that I was chosen as one of the Top Latina Blogueras by Latism (*Latinos in Social Media). And I also received an invitation to the White House. (I know. Shut up.)

Here I am surrounded by my supportive (and long-suffering) husband and (grown) children.

As you read this, I will already be on my way to Washington D.C. to represent. Represent what?

My culture, my heritage, my passion for all that is good and holy about family.  This is why I write my stories and invite you into my world. And now I'm getting some cool recognition. From the White House. On the exact 110th anniversary of Cuban Independence. Coincidence? I think not.

It's the circle of life.

Happy 20 de Mayo!

On the stage of the Hollywood Bowl (Pinch me.)

I'm going to write about the Hollywood Bowl today.

Just as a warning - this post may get all emotional and gushy (<--is that a word?) because I LOVE the Hollywood Bowl. I love it so much I want to marry it. There's going to be gushing. And photos. And videos. And more gushing. Yes. It's uber-nerd heaven.

The Bowl is just so thoroughly So-Cal-Iconic. And I am totally enthralled and in love with its rich history. I'm pretty sure my first exposure to the Bowl came from Bugs Bunny in Long-Haired Hare, where he plays Leopold Stokowski. (Yes, I'm nerdy enough to know this stuff, but that's not important right now.)

In case you've never seen it, here you go. Watch. And love.

I happen to agree with Bugs: The Bowl is "acoustically poifect." You're welcome.

Of course, one of the most magical Hollywood Bowl Moments happened in August 1964.

The Beatles came to Southern California and performed in this iconic venue. *insert teenage girl scream here*

*sigh* That's history right there. 

I'll also never forget the magical night I saw Tito Puente and Celia Cruz there. I was massively pregnant with Lucy at the time and thought my child might be a few weeks early because I started having contractions during the concert, and then I was conflicted because it was CELIA and would I really have to leave if I was having a baby? (That last factoid might have been an over-share. Or it falls under their tag line: There's a story in every seat.)

All that to say this: I love the Hollywood Bowl. It is unparalled as a concert venue and during a show you can even see the Hollywood sign peeking out from the next ridge over. It's quite magical.

So you can imagine my excitement when I was cordially invited to "the Hollywood bowl stage for a cocktail party to celebrate the upcoming summer season" by my friends at the LA Philharmonic.

Wait! Did that say "to the Hollywood Bowl STAGE??"

The evening was beautiful in that perfect Spring-evening-in-Southern-California way.

It's always surprising to me that the Hollywood Bowl is in such an accessible spot. "Yay! We're here!"

And to my everlasting delight, the party was ON. THE. HOLLYWOOD. BOWL. STAGE!

Someone pinch me.

So, I start hyperventilating just a little as we walked on to the stage.

The restaurants in the Bowl venue were all beautifully represented. My particular favorite is the Rooftop Grill. Of course, when you go to an event at the Hollywood Bowl, you must plan on arriving early and either bringing or pre-ordering a picnic. The picnic is  a mandatory part of the magic of the experience.

So it was that I found myself with Lucy. Having a picnic. At the Hollywood Bowl. ON THE STAGE. (I may just have to frame this one.)

Wait! Is that Gustavo Dudamel? The conductor of the LA Philharmonic? I may or may not have knocked over a few people to get to him. (My nerdiness knows no bounds.)

He is from Venezuela, and I briefly spoke to him in Spanish (of course) and told him I was Cuban, at that exact same moment a musical piece was playing written by a Cuban. Full disclosure: He was the one who pointed that out. I was in Star-struck Super Fan mode.

"Hola, Maestro! You are my biggest fan!"

Okay, maybe I didn't say exactly that, but I was excited and tongue tied and thrilled to be in the presence of such greatness. By the way, if you live in Los Angeles or the surrounding areas and want to experience classical music in the most engaging way, do yourself a favor and go see Gustavo Dudamel conduct the LA Phil. Seriously.

Let me take a moment from documenting my craziness to tell you about the awesomeness that can be found at the Hollywood Bowl over the summer.

They have THE BEST program for kids called Summer Sounds. I have a friend who religiously takes her kids every summer and swears it's the best thing in town. Watch this:

You can thank me later.

There's way too much fabulousness for me to list here in this one post (please click here for more information) but let me just tell you that we are already looking forward to John Williams (right?!), Ruben Blades (yes, please!), and Placido Domingo, and perhaps even the Grease Sing-a-long. (I have very ecclectic taste in music, okay?)

Did I mention we were standing on THE SAME STAGE where all this amazingness will take place?

I was completely giddy thinking of all the times I had been here and all the amazing acts that have stood on this very stage. So I gushed to Lucy (much like I'm doing to you now) and sighed and laughed out loud. And I pointed to the different seats I had occupied and of course, I told her once again the story of when I thought she might be born prematurely in this same spot because I just couldn't bear the thought of leaving this magical place in the middle of a show.

And then she turned to me and said, "I didn't get it until just now."

Summer can't get here soon enough.

{A special thank you to the Hollywood Bowl, the LA Philharmonic, and alPunto Advertising for a magical evening.}

What Mom Taught Me

In case you missed last year's surprise Mother's Day post, here is the link.

Also: Mom. You really should change your password once in awhile...

- - -

 Mami taught me how to have great adventures.

We have driven to Vegas together more times than I can count.
Today, I love driving and am always ready to take a road trip.

We saw the GoGo's at Mandalay Bay (outside on "the beach" - aka The Pool) and we got drenched. Afterwards, we were sitting, still dripping, and having a cafecito while watching the people who had just come from an Il Divo concert head into the casino. We couldn't stop laughing about the people being dressed to the nines while we were dripping.
I wish I could remember what was so funny about the guy we met in the elevator, but at the time it was the funniest thing we'd ever heard.
When a friend invited me to the symphony, I knew how to dress because of that dripping in Vegas moment... and I still make friends with people in elevators.

She took me to New York with her right after 9/11. We FLEW. The two towers were still burning, but we went.
When she mentioned a trip to San Antonio to cook Cuban food for our troops, I bought my ticket right away.

We have gone to Miami plenty of times for Cuba Nostalgia because she had taught me to be proud of my heritage and my culture.
When abuela asked if I would take her to Cuba to be reunited with her siblings (for the first time since fidel took over) I did not hesitate; I went to Cuba.

We have met totally famous people and been total dorks about it.
People have treated us like we're famous and we have been total dorks about it.

We saw (presidential hopeful) Mike Huckabee at the airport, but I was convinced it wasn't him. She went up and shook his hand. She was right.
We were in L.A. and I said "Mami, that's Pitbull," but she wasn't convinced it was him. We eventually shook his hand. I was right.

Mami taught me to be fearless. And to be right. ;-)

Love,

Kiki Amy

- - -

My mom taught me to appreciate comfort.

I can remember sitting on mom's lap at Luza's old house, in the living room in the dark when she was trying to put me to sleep.  I remember sucking on her finger while she tried to rock me to sleep.  She always played with my hair to calm me down and I still run my fingers through my hair to relax now when I'm all wound up.  She would always say, "Who loves you more then anyone else in the whole wide world?"

She asked because she already knew the answer. And so do I.

Love,

Adam

- - -

Mom taught me to be fearless.

I remember the first time I had auditioned for my first musical. I was an extremely nervous, shy and quiet person. (Hard to believe now, I know.) Before I left, my Mom told me: "Be fearless. If you are fearless... they will respect you."

Every audition I’ve had since then, I have chosen to be fearless.  All because my Mom, I am now outgoing, well-spoken, respected and trusted by my friends. Thank you Mom, for teaching me to be fearless.

I love you, Mom! And thank you for letting me live. ;-)

Love,

Jon

- - -

My wife taught me the importance of telling stories.

When we are out at some family gathering or just out doing something fun together, she will stop and take photos or little video clips. I have to admit it used to drive me crazy.

But later when she writes about our time together or glues down the pictures in her scrapbook or tells these stories to our friends, I am grateful. She helps me slow down and see myself as part of a great story. Happy Mother's Day, honey. I love you.

Love,

Eric

- - -

My mom taught me how to learn… and learn quickly.

Imitation was a skill I developed at a young age. And I had always believed that if mom could do it, I could do it too. My mom taught me how to bake a perfect cake (from scratch), how to do laundry (don’t mix whites with dark colors), how to sew (keep your finger away from the needle), how to clean the bathtub (it’s not a fun job, but someone’s gotta do it)...

My favorite compliment was to be called “mommy’s little helper.”

Later, she encouraged me to pursue my own interests. If I wanted to know how to do something, I had more than enough resources to learn how to do it myself.

My mom is an intensely curious, playful, thoughtful, and opinionated woman with the greatest sense of humor. She’s brave and honest and deeply connected to her culture. She had an excellent fashion sense, she makes the greatest pastelitos de guayaba, and she loves a good story.

Thanks to mom, I learned how to be a good listener, how to take care of myself, how to apologize, how to be creative, how to write, how to take a beautiful photograph and, most importantly, how to say “I love you.” and mean it.

Here’s to the best teacher I ever had. Happy mother’s day, mom! I love you so much I could spit.

Love,

Lucy

- - -

Also, bonus picture of mom singing karaoke to Neil Diamond at the top of her lungs... on Christmas Day.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

 

Where in the world is Marta today?

I realize I haven't been posting as often as I like and I apologize, but that doesn't mean I'm not around. In fact, I seem to be all over the web today. I'm guest posting in a couple of places:

I have an essay about Mother's Day over at the Tiki Tiki. I tell you a lot about Luza. It's titled "My Mother. My Inspiration."  Or as I like to call it: Not your typical Mother's Day tribute. (But that's not important right now.) Click on over and leave some comment love. I think you'll enjoy it.

I also have a homeschooling article about how I taught both my boys to read over at Mommy Maestra. It's called "Tintin and the Reluctant Reader." Please click on the link if you're interested (or at least curious).

Thanks for your patience. I'll be back in my own neighborhood very soon. And have I got stuff to tell you!

Besos,
Marta

KIA "Fun and Forty" Challenge - Miami to Key West - Part 1

 [Disclaimer: I'm going to be posting about my trip to Miami and Key West in installments because there's just too much to tell, and because the awesome can't be contained in just one post. Also, please excuse the blurry photos that may or may not have been taken from the passenger side of a fast-moving car.]

Last week I had the pleasure of taking a trip to South Florida. The invitation came from Kia Motors.

"How would you like to drive a new Kia 2012 hybrid from Miami to Key West?" Umm...yes, please!

I had my bags packed before you could say, "pastelitos."

A group of auto writers and bloggers, which included Blogs by Latinas, Latina Bloggers Connect, and Mejorando Mi Hogar were invited to drive both the Kia Optima Hybrid (Not your average mid-size sedan) and the Kia Rio (FUNctional) from Miami to Key West.

We stayed at the beautiful Shore Club in South Beach where we had a chance to unwind and relax a bit with a fabulous dinner at The Raleigh before our long driving day.

With my blog-friends and traveling buddies, Rachel Matos and Monique Frausto, or as we came to be known to the rest of the group, "The Bloggeritas."

We were paired up in teams of two in Miami and given instructions for the drive to Key West along with a trip legend.

The directions took us through the scenic parts of Miami as we made our way down to US 1 and on to Key West.

The challenge was to get the maximum fuel economy on the trip to the Keys. We were encouraged to attempt to achieve 40 mpg by going slow, not using the air-conditioning - that sort of thing.

My driving buddy, Rachel Matos (aka: The Art Muse representing Latina Bloggers Connect) and I figured we could sooo do this. However, we quickly agreed that driving in South Florida without air-conditioning was a bit barbaric.

Photo credit: The beautiful and talented Monique Frausto of Blogs by Latinas.

The 2012 Kia Rio was our car of choice. (Yes, darling. Come to Mami.)

Photo credit: Monique Frausto of Blogs by Latinas.

Mostly because it was a sweet candy-apple RED. And we both decided we look fabulous in red.

And it had a handy charger/ hook-up for my iPhone, which I had loaded up with my favorite salsa tunes for the drive. Thankyouverymuch.

And when I wasn't driving, I was in charge of navigating, which may or may not have been a mistake because of my tendency to talk so much and because I'm so easily distracted.

Plus, there was a photo scavenger hunt to find certain landmarks on the drive down to the Keys which provided yet another pleasant distraction on this particular road trip.

So we drove. And we talked. And we sang. And we laughed. A lot. And took photos. And shared the fun on Twitter. And the drive was so smooth and comfortable and fun that we kind of lost track of the goal.....

Look! There we are on the 7-Mile Bridge in that cute RED (!) Kia Rio.

Photo credit: Dole Photo

With all the driving, and photo-taking, and talking, and salsa music, and laughing and all that, the drive to the Keys felt pretty effortless.

We eventually reached Key West with a just few minor detours. (In my own defense, navigating while doing all of the above proved to be a little challenging for an A.D.D. type such as myself. That is all.)

We arrived at the beautiful Parrot Key Boutique Resort where we found time to do some serious Key-West-type relaxing.

Okay, so maybe one of us (*wink, wink*) might have stayed in the pool just a little bit longer than they should have and missed the trolley to the restaurant (but that's not important right now). Rather than having to wait and take another trolley and be late for dinner at the famous A & B Lobster House Restaurant, our hosts were gracious enough to drive me in the beautiful Optima sedan. Thanks, guys!

The winning team for the Fun and Forty Drive and Ride Challenge managed to get a whopping 48 mpg (!) in the Kia Optima. They did all the smart "hypermiling" stuff like going slow and driving without air and all that.

As a matter of fact, on the drive back from Key West to Miami, I got to enjoy driving the Kia Optima with my 2nd driving buddy, Camilo. We turned off the air and enjoyed the tropical breezes, and I managed to get pretty close to the 40 mpg mark.

While Camilo drove, I also played with all the bells and whistles. Hello, moon roof and cooled seats!

So, I can say that the 40 mpg goal was totally achievable with some "hypermiling" skills, but Rachel and I were a little.....well....distracted. Because driving both the Rio and the Optima was So. Much. Fun.

And isn't that what you want in a driving experience? You want to be happy and relaxed and comfortable. And Kia really delivered on all those counts. Bonus coolness points to Kia for making these cars super affordable, too.

How did we do in relation to the other teams?

Well, Rachel and I managed to come in dead last. (With a respectable 33 mpg.)

And for this we each received a memorable award. (Yes, that's a carved-coconut-pirate-head. Be jealous.)

I'm so grateful to Kia Motors for the wonderful trip and the totally fun driving experience. But as much as I love to travel, I was happy to be back in my own world.

With my own driver.

In my own Kia. ;-)

Thanks again, Kia Motors!

 {Disclosure: Kia Motors invited me to participate in this event and took care of my travel and accomodations. I was not compensated for this post. The opinion that the Kias were a blast to drive is my own.}