Sistah-cuz and I-dont-want-to-talk-itis

The other day my neighbor had fallen ill and asked me if I could take her to the hospital (she’s fine, just a little stomach virus) and so during that 6 hour process, I squeezed an hour and change out to talk to good ole sis-cuz.  What is a sis-cuz you ask?  Well, I’ll get into that in a minute.  First, the conversation.

This conversation was significant because after pouring a quarter of my soul out to her, I ended my thoughts with “I have to write about all this stuff.  I just need to figure out what's appropriate for the blog.”  Her response was “Yeah, I noticed that lately your writing has seemed less intimate.”  That line stuck with me.  I knew it was true.  I’ve been juggling so much lately that the blog has been suffering.  Sure, I added recipes and even a cool video, but the stories have taken a back seat.  So, let’s get back to story time…

Where do I start?  OH ok, first let me explain the sister-cousin thing.  Sister-cousin, sis-cuz or sistah-cuz is my second cousin, which means she’s actually my mom’s first cousin.  She’s older than me and has sub sequentially been around since before I was born.  When my mom was pregnant with me, and Danny (big bro) was only about 5 years old, sistah-cuz (who is also super private hence why I’m not using her name nor pic) would hang out with my mom and sleep over whenever my dad was working (he’s a firefighter and they often have overnight shifts).  Eventually, I was born and she continued to be a staple in our household. 

Don't sweat me...

Sistah-cuz has always been like a big sister to me.  When I got my first boom box (Yes, I said boom box!  It was pink and grey and it was so cool!!  I just wanted to have it strapped to my shoulder all the time!), she gave me my first Whitney Houston tape (Yeah, I said Whitney and what?).  It was a homemade tape and had like every song Whitney ever made!  I would lock myself in my room for hours singing, dancing and acting.  Most of the time, I ended up acting out the same scene over and over again: 

I’m a great singer with a voice just like Whitney’s. 

Principal Taylor (played by me) would introduce me to an auditorium full of my school mates “…and now presenting Michelle Gonzalez…” 

I would come out, hand my microphone (brush) to myself (I am playing two people after all) and say in my most elegant voice “Thank you Principal Taylor.”

I’d then turn to the audience and say “It is such a pleasure to be with you tonight.  For my first song, I’d like to perform ‘I Believe The Children Are The Future’ because I truly believe the children are the future.” 

Then, I’d press play on my boom box and go to town!  At the top of my lungs, without a care in the world I would belt out my song as if I was Whitney at the Super Bowl.  I always made sure to stand in front of the mirror though.  I was convinced that the key to singing like Whitney was to get your mouth open wide like hers, while having your teeth show like hers, and having your tongue vibrate like hers.  If I could emulate that, I knew I could sound just like her.

I would then end my song and pause for the rousing applause that was sure to follow (performed by me as well).  My heart would swell with appreciation for all my adoring fans and I would bow with dramatic grace.  If I really had time on my hands, the crowd (me again) would demand an encore.  Principal Taylor (yep, me) would beg me to come out and suddenly there I was again, performing another great number.

I was often brought back to reality when Ma or Pa would knock on the door and either inform me it was dinner time, remind me I had homework to do, or simply say “Misha, I think you should chill out for a bit.”  I can imagine that what they heard was their little girl screaming Whitney Houston lyrics at the top of her lungs in her bedroom (there’s only so much of that one can take).  Although, I always dreamed that one day they’d come in and say “Where did you get that voice Misha?!”  They never did. 

Ok, I strayed way away from the point…sistah-cuz…we support each other, we argue with each other, but above all, we love each other.  She is, in short, my big sister, always there just when I need her (sometimes even when I don’t even know that I need her)…we just happen to have a different set of parents.

On to the next…I miss my family and friends.  That’s expected, I know.  But, what wasn’t expected was the feeling of unimportance.  Sistah-cuz e-mails me, at minimum, three times a day.  Bless her heart.  Sometimes she e-mails me so much I just let them come in and then respond to all of them back to back in one sitting.  Sistah-cuz has always been like this and in truth, there were times in the past that it would really annoy me.  It’s amazing how being thousands of miles away can change all of that.  She and my boyfriend are the only two people I speak to on a daily basis.

There have been, at most, a handful of friends who have truly reached out to see how I’m doing out here.  Am I angry? No.  Am I sad? A little.  Am I surprised? Not really.  I know that life goes on.  I made a decision to leave and I wasn’t exactly Queen of The Party Planning Committee before I left.  Through the years, I had systematically pushed my friends away.  I can now look back and realize that.  I can also recognize that it was a result of my own unhappiness. 

See, I was always happy-go-lucky-life-of-the-party Mish.  As the years went on, it somehow went from genuine to a front.  A front that I needed to keep up because I felt it was expected.  No one wants me if I’m not fun, I thought.   Then, it started to became harder and harder to put on that face, to feel like I could be that happy Mish again (especially not without the presence of several glasses of wine or other adult beverages in my system).  As the years continued to pass, even the drinks didn’t help.  So, I stopped showing up.  When I did show up, only half of me was really there.  I didn’t know how to just be anymore and so what it took to maintain a REAL genuine friendship, I no longer had.  It wasn’t until I was truly sick and tired of being that way, until I was ready to face myself and come to realize that the source of my happiness never rested in a bottle, or a food, or a person…could I truly change.  I was missing God in my life.  Pointblank period.  I finally allow Him to take control and show me the errors in my ways, to bring me back to the path of true love and joy.  Loving people even when they have been deemed unlovable.  Through this journey, I am returning to me, and hopefully, in time, returning to genuine friendship.

Now, we're in the age of text, Facebook and blogs.  It’s becoming a lot easier to have these surface relationships that just seem deep.  You can be in contact with someone without truly being connected to them.  Post a good morning on someone’s Facebook page and we truly feel like we’ve reached out.  “Oh yeah, I spoke to them today, they’re doing well.”  No, you text them.  They text back they’re ok but could have been smack in the middle of a meltdown and you would be none the wiser!  The cultivation of relationships is taking on a whole new meaning here.  A phone call is like the hardest thing for this new generation to accomplish, and it’s catching on like a disease.  I-don’t-want-to-talk-itis. 

I feel it even when I talk to my family, its like we’re all “too busy” to just talk.  At times, I too am a victim of the disease.  I’m hoping that by writing about it, it serves as a reminder that every now and then we must stop.  Dedicate time to catch up and really check in with those you care for.  Stop and make that call, even if it’s to say something as simple as this…

Eyebrow Update!

Its official.  I can now be found standing in front of my bedroom mirror with my brow brush and tweezer collection a determined woman.  I am breathing new life into these cejas one way or another!!  I think most of you remember my eyebrow debacle post...yep, the one whenI let my grandmother's hairdresser Mirta come near them...next thing I knew it looked like I had mini hairy boomerangs on my face.  Phew, I am happy to say that I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and with the help of a white eyeshadow pencil that I randomly had in my makeup box, an eyebrow brush and three different types of tweezers...I now have two eyebrows with clear arches!!!

Fresh from the battle known as Mirta's salon :(

Unfortunately the other day I got a lil frisky and tried to even them out some more without the eyebrow pencil present.  That was not the best idea and so they are a bit thinner than I'd like them to be.  But don't you worry, in about a month I think they will be just where I need them...arched, thick and long!  Yes, all of this would be way funnier for everyone reading this if pictures were included, but sorry folks I avoided cameras during my boomerang eyebrow stage. Wait, let me see.....ok fine here we go!  Notice the brow on the right is about half the length of the one on the right!  Uhh and can anyone see a clear shape here?!  Like what was she going for??  One fat one skinny?!  Mind you this photo was probably taken a few weeks after "the incident"...it was worse.

Recovery room

The silver lining is that I am finally learning how to do my own eyebrows!  Its amazing how tweezing one wrong hair could totally throw your whole shape off!  For the fellas who are reading this, your welcome...you have now received a crash course on just how precious eyebrows are, not to mention how treasured a good eyebrow person is to the ladies in your life.

Pizza in Puerto Rico!!

Pizza Man just knows he's got good pizza!

So during one of my very many car hunting trips with my Mr. Miyagi uncle (Tio Edwin), we somehow ended up talking about pizza.  Specifically about how I'm really going to miss New York pizza and how the last time my parents visited, they tried a pizza place near Mama's house and absolutely hated it.  He simply responded "There are some good pizza places here.  You know, like Pizza Hut, Little Caesars..."  I couldn't help myself.  I scoffed.  Yes, like scoffed out loud.  I followed my scoff up with "Tio.  I'm a New Yorker.  Wait, weren't you a New Yorker?!  Pizza Hut?!  Little Caesars?!  That's not real pizza."  He chuckled and said "Actually there is a pretty good place around here that I can take you to sometime."  I told him I'd be interested to go and left it at that.

Fast forward to this week...I checked in with my aunt and she told me we had a date.  "Tio Edwin wants to take us out for pizza tomorrow night."  It warmed my heart that he remembered and turned my stomach when I realized that I really wasn't sure what I was getting myself into.  Pizza in Puerto Rico??  It didn't help that when I arrived at Titi's house, Tio Edwin called and said "Does Michie want to go to Taco Bell instead?"  Ok, maybe I'm sounding like a food snob when I say this, but Taco Bell?!  Are we serious here?!  Ok, I think I am a food snob.  If my boyfriend is reading this, he's without a doubt, nodding his head in agreement.  I often remind him that TGIFridays, Applebees and Olive Garden are NOT appropriate date locations.  I enjoy food.  I enjoy good food, and if you tell me we're going out, Taco Bell nor unlimited breadsticks at The Olive Garden comes to mind.  If Taco Bell is considered to be in the same league as this supposedly good pizza joint, what does that say about the pizza joint?!  Needless to say, I was a little worried about what I would encounter on this pizza adventure.

Mmmm Pizza!

A half hour later we were on our way to the Puerto Real section of Cabo Rojo.  We made a few random turns and next thing I knew Tio's wife Carmen was telling my aunt she passed it.  We made a u-turn and pulled up to Claucamis Pizzeria.  There were quite a few men sitting out front...a few beer bellied 40+ year old biker dudes and a few 60+ year old obvious restaurant regulars.  They all had a drink in hand, and seemed to have been planted there for awhile.

We continued past the "regulars" and entered a pretty empty restaurant (minus another neighborhood hanger-rounder watching some random DeNiro movie with Spanish overdubs on the big screen TV).  Then, a highly-hair-gelled young man greeted us with a handful of plastic one page menus.    Like most restaurants here, appetizers include a medley of typical Puerto Rican snack foods (surullitos, tostones, bollitas de queso, etc.) as well as traditional Italian appetizers (garlic knots, mozzarella sticks, fried calamari).  The menu also offers everything from vegetarian slices to pepperoni, chicken and even shrimp!  They only have a few options of sizes (large pie, traditional slice, or sicilian slice) and beverage wise, they offer alcoholic drinks, sodas and even Piña Coladas.  Now, Piña Coladas are one of my favorite Puerto Rico drinks, but I passed on the opportunity to try one here for two reasons.  One, pizza and a Piña Colada just doesn't sound like an appetizing combination.  Two, once again I'm a food snob, so when I saw that the Piña Colada they offered was the pre-mixed machine version, I had zero interest.

After scanning the menu, we settled on a large cheese pie for all of us to share.  Then, Carmen and I also ordered a vegetarian slice each.  I'm finding that vegetables are a rarity in restaurants on the island so whenever I see the word "vegetable" or "vegetarian" on a menu, I am automatically drawn to it.

Vegetarian Slice

The vegetarian slice, had its high points and its low points.  They basically took a regular slice of pizza and threw a lot of chopped green peppers, white onions and mushrooms on top.  Then, to make it stick to the slice, they added a bunch of extra shredded mozzarella cheese on top!  The extra cheese was a lot and so it didn't really melt well.  In fact, it kinda made the slice look pretty unappetizing.  All in all though, I loved the crunch of the onions and pepper...also, I need to note that green peppers in Puerto Rico don't have the same taste as the green peppers we're use to in the States.  Here, the green peppers taste fresh, crisp and water like.  The flavor is smooth and not acidic at all.  The cheese slice could use a bit more sauce but the crust was delicious and overall the pizza was seasoned well.

Me n my Pizza Man :)

So, did we find a new pizza place in PR?!  YES YES YES!  Does it hold a candle to the pizza from Allerton Avenue, Lorenzo's in Philly or Patsy's in Spanish Harlem? Not a chance!  BUT, for Puerto Rico, it's doable.

P.S. - They also deliver!  Titi and I actually ordered in Sunday night (we checked out Lifetime love movies and the Grammys) and I'm very happy to announce that their garlic knots are absolutely delicious (not too heavy, not too skimpy, soft with a slight crunch, and made with real garlic)!!  They just need some help in the marinara sauce department...

Gingambo con Pechuga de Pollo (Okra with Chicken Breast)

Alright folks, its now almost dinner time!  Here is a recipe for Gingambo con Pechuga de Pollo (Okra with Chicken Breast).  Please note that okra naturally has a slimy texture so, if that will bother you, this is not the dish for you.  But, remember, okra is really good for you, so if you can try it, please do!

Chicken isn’t the only protein you can cook this with.  You can use bacalao (cod fish), chicken pieces, red meat, pork or other vegetables (should you want to a vegetarian dish). 

Materials:

Pot

Okra

Chicken Cutlets

Sazon con Achiote

Oil

Olives

Water

Sofrito

Step 1

Wash the okra and the chicken (separately).

You should wash the okra ahead of time so it has time to dry.

Cuttin' the chicken!

Cut the chicken into cubes

Step 2

Place the chicken in the pot with a medium flame

Place 2 tablespoons of oil in the pot and let simmer for about 2 minutes

Step 3

Place 1 tablespoon of sofrito in the pot raise flame to medium high

Add in about 2 or 3 spoonfuls of spanish olives

Add a half a packet of Sazon con achiote (to add color)

Add in one cup of water

Stir, cover pot and let cook

 

Step 4

Cuttin' the okra!

While the chicken is cooking, begin to cut the okra

Cut off the heads of the okra and then proceed to slice them into medium sized pieces.  (you should get about 4 to 7 slices per piece of okra)

Step 5

Throw your cut okra into the pot with the chicken (by this time the chicken should be fully cooked).

Cover the pot and let cook until the okra is soft.  Should be about 5-10 minutes depending on how much okra you use.

Almost ready!

Serve with starch (almedon) of your choice! 

We ate it with rice, beans and tostones!

Cooking with Mama is always fun, but sometimes we have some language hiccups as you'll see in the following video...enjoy!

¡Avena!

Alright folks, I hear many of you are freezing and sick and tired of snow.  No fear little icicles!  Here's something to brighten your cold and gloomy day as one of the benefits of cold weather is the opportunity to make yummy, warm, and comforting dishes!  Here's one straight from Mama's kitchen!  It's called Avena, which is basically oatmeal, but its Puerto Rican style...and its done with sabor (flavor)!  ¡Disfrute! (Enjoy!)

Pot (Casserola)

Avena

Splenda

Vanilla Extract

Cinnamon (Canela)

Milk

and

Water

This recipe serves about 2 heaping bowls (but can feed up to 3 or 4 depending on how hungry you are)

Step 1

In a pot combine:

4 spoons  of Avena

1 cup of milk

1 cup of water

*If you like your oatmeal dense lessen the water/milk, if you like it watery, add more*

1 packet of Splenda (or 1 tspn of sugar of your choice)

Mix with a spoon

Step 2

Stir in a tablespoon of vanilla extract (Mama prefers white vanilla over the dark kind)

Add in a tablespoon of  Cinnamon

Mix again with a spoon

Step 3

Place pot on the stove and cook it on a medium flame

Let it cook for 2 or 3 minutes

Turn off the flame and stir

Let it sit for about 2 minutes and serve!

Sprinkle some Cinnamon on top for flare and enjoy!

Breakfast is served!

Patitas Calientes, El Smurf and my new schedule!

Alright folks let’s get up to date.  Last time on “As Puerto Rico Turns”, I was a bit worried about Mama and the healthcare struggle.  Since then, I’ve undoubtedly gotten my prayer on.  I’ve also identified a few things I plan to (and have already started) implement in her routine, which will ensure that we’re doing our part in maintaining her health.  Within the days following my frustrated post, Mama had good news.  One of the neighbors volunteered to help us secure three doctors appointments so that we could have our choice of cardiologists to see.  Also, Mama has been sleeping better and I believe I’m pretty close to convincing her to join Patitas Calientes (Hot Feet).  They’re a group of senior citizens who gather three times a week at 7am.  They walk and stretch at the track that I run on.  The minute I saw them I thought of Mama.  She would have new friends her age and she would be exercising with me but yet without me!  I brought it up for the second time today.  She said something about she doesn’t think she should be leaving the dog alone so much.  I chuckled, shook my head and gruffly replied “Oh, por favorrrr.Mama” (Oh  pa-lease Mama).  She smiled and looked down, very aware of the lame excuse she just tried to pass off.  I’ll invite her again tomorrow when I wake up and every single time I’m heading out until she says yes.

Speaking of running…I am doing it!  I’m running in the World’s Best 10K in San Juan at the end of this month!  A few months before I left for Puerto Rico my always researching, always informative, big bro sent me a link to a video about the island.  In it, they mentioned an annual race that occurs in February in San Juan.  As soon as I saw that part of the video, I knew I wanted in.  So, I’m finally all registered and set to participate in my first race ever on Sunday, February 27^th!  I figure it’s a good fit and something I can train for by myself.  Stay tuned for pics and a mini tour of the San Juan area!

El Smurf

Speaking of mini tour…in the next week or so I am going to begin posting various points of interest, places to eat, things to see, places to stay in PR info on this blog.  My list of Puerto Rico visitors is growing so I want to make sure that I am (and in turn you are) as informed as possible.  I know I can be an awesome tour guide for all who visit (and maybe even get some part time work  being a real guide too).

How can I tour the island without a vehicle you say?  Well, we got one!  Yes, another one!  This one was way cheaper (with less mileage), Mama’s favorite car color (blue) and compatible with my iPod (I need my music).  I affectionately refer to it as ‘El Smurf’.  Yeah, it looks small, but it’s pretty roomy inside.  The only sucky part is that everything in the car is manual, which means I’m rolling down windows and unlocking (and locking) the car with the key (unbelievable right?!?!?).  It’s all good though, I’m just happy to have the freedom to go wherever I need to whenever I need to. 

Library

Speaking of freedom…with freedom comes much responsibility!  From as early as 5 years old we are given a schedule to follow.  For most of us, these prepared and regimented schedules only began to vary during our college years. Once we’re done with college, though, most of us head to offices that keep us on a 9 to 5 or 6 to 10.  Now that I’ve broken myself out of the labyrinth, I still need to create my own schedule.  One that allows time to do the laundry list of things I have to and want to do.  So, much like I did with my nephew and nieces when I was babysitting them, I created a schedule with Mama.  Here’s what it looks like (I even wrote it out on my dry erase board so if ever there’s a question about which day is what, she will know):

Mon. (lunes) – Cleaning Day (choose a part of the house to attack and I clean it)

Tues. (martes) – Store Day (every store her little heart desires to go to, we go on this day)

Wed. (miercoles) – Work Day ( I leave the house and head to the library at UPR  where I work on everything from my Spanish homework to video edits to my blog to finding a way to bring in some income)

Thurs. (jueves) – Beach Day (Mama, Max and I hop into El Smurf and enjoy a few hours relaxing on the beach.  Mama and I exercise with a bouncy ball while Max digs his paws and face deep into the sand.  Then, Mama sits and enjoys the shade while doing her word searches and I enjoy the sun while continuing to work on my Spanish, prepare my blogs and catch up on my spiritual readings.)

Fri. (viernes) – Work Say (I hit the library again and/or hit the streets for my Puerto Rico travel guide notes)

Sat. (sabado)– Free Day (This day is open for whatever didn’t get done/finished during the week and for extra time with the rest of my family members who live here in PR)

Sun. (domingo) – Church Day (Church, spiritual reading, cooking and Scrabble are usually on the menu)

Mama n Max at the Beach

Max

Mama with her chair and her tree

As you can see by the schedule, tomorrow I have a day of cleaning ahead of me (not to mention my AM run) so I’m turning in.  Don’t worry, another posting is on the way sooner than you think.  Hasta manaña folks!