So Miami: Sorry, Miami

This week one of the kids told me that he/she did a certain mean thing because another sibling had done a similar mean thing to them.  Not really satisfied with that excuse, I told that child that blaming other people for their problems will do nothing to fix them.  Naturally, I need the same advice.

Except I don't usually blame another person, I blame a place.  Sometimes this is justified: why is the traffic snarled?  Bloatingly populated Miami.  Why is my neighbor loud?  The un-blended culture of Miami.  Why are my eyebrows sweating?  Hot and humid Miami.  But I get into such a habit of place bashing that I start blaming it for everything I don't like - why don't the water bottles all fit in their storage basket?  Why did something important get lost?  Why are we out of toilet paper?  Obviously because we live in South Florida.

What?  How did that happen?  And the consequence is that I stop trying to improve my habits and stop looking for solutions and just let Miami take the heat.  So I wonder if instead of resolving to blog more often, I need to resolve to rearrange my kitchen, to be more thoughtful as I put things away, to keep on top of basic needs.  And maybe I shouldn't blame everything else on Miami.  I don't have to go places during the worst traffic, so I usually don't.  I could talk to my neighbor about their music (but I don't because that's my non-confrontational culture not blending in).  I can hide inside in the A/C - and sometimes I do.

Miami is not such a bad place.  Any place can become a tedious place to live and sometimes that tediousness is our own discontentment fanning a flame of resentment.  And that, to quote Forrest Gump, is all I have to say about that.

So our co-op group resumed last Friday.  The China class was a breeze - the kids were dolls, they loved the chopsticks.  The Lewis and Clark class was good, but hard.  The classroom is really small, so trying to take video on the room is a challenge, but the kids all think it is a fun idea.  All we filmed was a scene representing the Louisiana Purchase - which is an interesting topic all by itself!  We did the scene as if Napoleon met personally with Jefferson in the United States - and really inaccurate, and I told them that, but some of the reality is going to be too hard to make into short videos. 

Irene has pretty much mastered the balance bike.  She LOVES to go downhill with her feet up.  I love that it is lightweight and easy to store.  And boy is it fast!  

After many years of being told we should enter craft items in the youth fair, this year we are making it happen.  The fair is in March and each of the kids (except Irene) has registered for 12+ divisions so that will keep us busy!

Notice the splint is gone!  They asked her to buddy tape the finger to the ring finger for 2 more weeks.

 Our Venus Fly Trap has flowered:

 I bought this one at Aldi several weeks ago. 

 And we had a very nice rainbow last week.

 My tomatoes are growing well.  One is smaller - bigger than grape tomatoes, but not big tomatoes - and it has lots of little tomatoes already.  The other one is an heirloom tomato and they are supposed to be big.  It has two tomatoes, but a lot of flowers.  Still  moving them once a day so that they get maximum sun. 

So Miami: Where are the Flip Flops?

I really should learn from my experience and stock up on flip flops in the summer.  Because even though we wear shorts and flip flops year round, it never fails that the retailers stock up on things like these:

There are racks and racks of sweaters and winter pjs and boots, but why?  We've had a significant cold front this week and never once have I thought I needed gloves.  But I do need flip flops for two of the kids and the only ones left are too big or have some other unwearable flaw (some of us need fashionable flip flops!)

So Miami: The Beach

Most of my "So Miami" posts end up being quirky things about living an a ethnically diverse city, so this one may be applicable to any city near a beach.  Earlier this week, some friends invited us to join them at the beach.  My friend wanted to go to the lighthouse on Key Biscayne (Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park).  I haven't been there in more than 5 years, but I knew what I was getting into, so with trepidation, I bit the bullet and we went.

And what I want to highlight is the tendency to live "so close to the beach" and never go to the beach.  That is because getting there is exasperating.

Bill Baggs, as the crow flies, is 13 miles from our house, but - being on an island accessible by only one bridge, it is 24 miles away.  On the way there, we traveled on average 18 miles an hour.  Still, when we crossed onto the Rickenbacker Causeway and the bay glittered up to us in perfect blue, I was ok with that.

Natalie took this - actually she took about 75 pictures just like this.

And the kids had an amazing time...

Look at those shades of blue!  It makes me want to paint it! (FYI - SPF 50, she didn't even have lines from her swimsuit!)

The weather was perfect, but too chilly to really swim, so I didn't have to be quite as much of a hawk and could relax.

But promptly at 2pm, I packed the kids up and we headed home "to beat the traffic" - which I'm sure we beat some of it, but we made about 12 miles per hour going home.

So in the end, we spent 30 minutes more driving than we spent at the beach.  And still - it was kind of worth it.  If for nothing else, to remind us that is is there and that we have to make the effort to go sometimes.  Fortunately, we live 5 minutes from the marina and 20 minutes from Matheson Hammock - both as fun for little kids and almost as fun for big ones.  Caleb definitely liked the "real" beach better.

So Miami! T-Mops

The first time I saw a T-mop, I was mystified as to what it could be. They would be propped up on porches outside. Eventually I realized that they were cleaning tools.  And it turns out, they are the best thing I've ever used to clean a tile floor.

Sometimes these are called Cuban Mops, which is probably why I'd never seen them before moving here. 

Instead of using a bucket, I mix dish soap and hot water in the sink and dunk in one of these:

Notice that parts of the package are in English and parts are in Spanish, but not all the English parts are translated into Spanish and not all the Spanish parts are translated into English!

Ring it out to your liking and drape it over the cross bar of the mop and get to work!  The drape method is pretty specific (there are youtube videos - and mine below is not perfect).  My Cuban neighbor drapes hers with such flair it is enviable!  The idea is for the mop to sort of wear it like a shawl.

Or get one of the kids to work!

If there happens to be a tough spot, I pull the shammy over it and rub it with my foot to get the spot off.  The shammy/t-mop combo is also effective at absorbing spills.

After all that, the shammy is machine washable and the T-mop lies flat against the closet wall.

P.S. you can use a towel if you don't have a shammy, that is, if you can find a Cuban T-mop!

The Death of Fidel Castro

I read on another blog that you should blog about your life.  Well, my life is set in Miami-Dade county where more than 34% of the population is Cuban.  On our street, of the people I know, it is probably about that percentage too.  So Cuba is all around me.  My next door neighbor was born in Cuba and came here as a young adult, and - kind of unusually, because this has not happened to me before - she is somewhat isolated at home with 2 small children.  I am the adult she interacts with the most during the day.  And I've found that we have a lot in common - maybe that is because we are in similar life stages, but that's ok.  I like her.

So when I found out Fidel Castro had died (btw, I think Americans call him "Castro", but Cubans call him "Fidel"), I couldn't wait to talk to her about it.  If you have seen the news, you have to notice the complete opposite reaction in Miami to the reaction in Havana.  In Cuba they are crying, in Miami they are throwing a party.  My friend said two things I think are notable - 1.  She was glad, but would have been more relieved if Raul had died!  2.  Most people in Cuba are glad he died, but are afraid to show it.  Political dissent is just not tolerated there. 

The thing is, the news did a couple of days about Castro's death and I'm sure it will pop back up again when his funeral happens, but I can't think that most of America gives half a thought to Cuba.  I know I never did until I moved to Miami.  When someone told me there was a large Hispanic population in Miami, I assumed it was a Mexican population  (about 2%).  I understand its significant location in regards to national security, and I believe people care (or would care if they knew) that our neighbors live with such fear, but I think people are overwhelmed with suffering on the news and can only really care about so much - so I think it's significant for me that I have someone in my life who I care about who has lived there.  All the news from places I've never been about people I've never met usually just interests me for a moment, but when I heard this news I couldn't help but feel glad - even though his passing doesn't change anything, he is a symbol of something that has hurt my neighbor and I hope that someday soon the people in Cuba can be free.

SO Miami: Cuban Vs. Cubano

Always on the lookout for potentially educational eating, I was drawn into Subway by this advertisement:

Having eaten an authentic Cuban Sandwich or two (or ten) I wondered if Subway could pull one off or if this would be like McDonald's serving BBQ in South Carolina.

Fortunately, our local Subway is in a strip mall with a Cuban cafe.  I decided the only way to truly compare the two would be to buy an authentic Cuban Sandwich and THE CUBANO. 

I also ran into Publix and picked up a couple cans of seasoned black beans:

(The other side is in English)

Here are the sandwiches side by side:

Authentic Cuban sandwiches are made on Cuban bread, which is nothing at all like any of the bread at Subway.  It has a thin crisp crust and the interior is very soft.  It is good hot with butter and goes stale extremely fast!

Here is the cross section comparison:

*  The true Cuban had more cheese (always swiss, so that is what I request on the Cubano)
*  The Cubano had much more pork and less ham, the Cuban had much thicker ham.
*  The Cuban sandwich had been pressed - this is standard.

When comparing its features, the Cubano is not a true Cuban sandwich, even with all the right elements, there are too many rules broken, BUT, it was one tasty sandwich!  I do not think it is nationwide - however, if you order the Applewood pulled pork sandwich on white bread, request a layer of ham, swiss cheese and have it toasted, then add only mustard and pickles, you can get the same sandwich. 

So Miami: Weather

This is the closest we get to fall!

It's the end of the dry season - even though we've had an unusually wet dry season - and that is when trees here lose their leaves (if they are the sort of tree that loses leaves, most here are not.)  It also means that it is almost time for the royal poincianas to bloom and the blue land crabs to coming knocking on our front door (and that is not at all an exaggeration!)

So Miami

So Miami: Feliz Navidad

Your neighbor may have given you a fruitcake, but mine gave us homemade caramel flan!

Feliz Navidad indeed!

So Miami...

Today we bid Flat Stanley, "Adios"

Two things about Miami that I hardly even notice anymore -
*Cuban Espresso is a communal drink.  You buy a normal sized Styrofoam cup of espresso and they put a lid on it and a stack of little plastic cups - I suppose you can drink it all, but the idea is to share the stuff by the 3/4 ounce.  I have not had much, but when I worked at a law firm one summer, a lady there made it every day and I had some from time to time.  It is POTENT.
*The guayabera - four pocket shirt or maybe a multi pleated shirt, I'm not sure which is the more distinguishing characteristic - they are usually white, short sleeved, and untucked (they would look very odd tucked in) and are acceptable as dress shirts for men here.  Although they seem to be a Cuban thing, I have seen plenty of American men wearing them as well.  Maybe I need to get Rob one for Christmas...

Correction

They do sell these at Publix...

They had them labeled at mamoncillo.  It was a better deal than the street vendor too.

SO Miami : Street Food

When we first moved to our part of Miami, it was relatively American and while the main intersections on US 1 had a lot of pan handlers, it did not boast many street vendors. The first two years I lived down here, I worked in the Sweetwater area, which is not relatively American, so I was already familiar with the offerings from these vendors and have been on the look out for bags of little green fruits for a while.  I am still waiting for a churro guy.  Definitely a day I hope the automatic windows aren't stuck closed!

I bought a little yellow mesh bag of these green fruits - easily googled, they are Spanish Limes or Quenepa Fruit or one of a huge assortment of Latin names. 

 To consume, after washing, you bite the outer layer to crack it open:

And pull the shell/skin/rind off.  Inside there is a slimy yellow ball.

The slimy part is sort of sweet-tart and you mostly suck the juice out of it.  It is firmly stuck to a seed that is about the size of a large marble.  The kids liked it and if you can believe the internet, they are really good for you.  You cannot find them in the grocery stores around here though...

So Miami : Discarded Furniture

There is something about Miami that makes people abandon perfectly usable furniture.  A few months ago - before Irene was born, we needed some extra chairs, but lacked the extra space and I happened to find 3 wooden folding chairs when I took a short cut through a neighborhood.  People do this - particularly with chairs - they leave them on the side of the street.  Why they don't donate them to thrift stores, I do not know, but I see a lot of chairs, end tables, dressers, and TV stands on the side of the road.

Another time, I found an Ethan Allen end table on the side of the road.  It was really heavy!  We used it for a little while, but eventually took it to Goodwill with some other discards.  We also have a nice, small wooden bookshelf Rob found next to a dumpster.

Most recently however, I began searching for a sturdy chair to serve as Irene's highchair.  I had been at a garage sale and saw that the next door neighbors had set out two chairs - they had a sign on them that said "FREE" (although this is very uncommon).  I got out and gave each of them a rough shake.  One was pretty wobbly and I left it behind.  But the other seemed solid.  Its seat was stained and I decided to see what I could make of it.  I removed the cover, and thoroughly washed the cushion.  I recovered the cushion with a piece of scrap fabric and a piece of clear vinyl from the remnant bin and JoAnn's.  The finish doesn't match anything in the house, but is in good shape, so I left it.

"Let's eat!"

Once my neighbor left out a nice upholstered chair.  We didn't need it or have room for it, but I felt kind of a pang of regret at how it ended up going to waste because no one came and picked it up.  (There are people who drive around in pick ups looking for these sorts of things.)  It rained and eventually the city came and hauled it away.

Why do people do this?  Is it just too much frustration to haul it away?  Find a truck, load it up, get stuck in traffic when you take it somewhere...  And do people do this other places?

So Miami : The Name Game

Because Miami is such a...unique place...it is easy to describe something about it as being "so Miami".  And even after living here for 15 years, it still sometimes seems foreign, I am constantly finding things to be "so Miami"!  Therefore...I am going to try to blog about things that are "so Miami" to me when I think of them.  No pressure to do it weekly, monthly, etc.  Just when I think of it.

One thing that I very intensely dislike about Miami is how you are constantly meeting new people.  Occasionally this is fun, but most of the time it is exhausting.  Try name recall.  Yeah.  In the last 2 weeks I've met:

Sirai

Janine

Linda

Astrid
Dez

Mike

Stephanie

Katy

Katie
Laura
Karen

Charmaine

Duckworth

Lesley

Leslie

Faye

Grace

+ other people whose names I've forgotten

I also finally learned how to pronounce my neighbor's name Yaelis.  (Ya-eh-lise - Finally I asked her to spell it an she did then shrugged and said, most of my friends call me Ya-ya.)

There are people you get to know because they come to the same birthday parties as you (birthday parties are big here).  There are other people you know because you go the same places.  When they change jobs or schedules, you no longer see these people.  When I was a kid, we all got hyped up when a new kid came to school.  My kids meet new kids every week.  It's good they are good at meeting new people, but it's hard to get to know people that way.

Here are some things I've learned to make the most more out of living in a densely populated area:

1.  Make friends with families.  It is easier to keep track of who you know and how you know them!  This also helps make reference points with other people you meet.
2.  Make name associations.  My friend Taina said, "Just think Hyena with a T".  When I meet someone, I try to think of someone else with that name.
3.  Don't worry that you are wasting your effort if you make friends with someone who cycles out of your life.  Usually, given enough time, they will cycle back in.

On a similar note - I am taking a new members class at church and in my group, I am the only...non Jamaican!  Our pastor is Jamaican too and he teaches the class.  There is a larger, more diverse class later at night, but a group of Jamaican Kiwanis had a schedule conflict and asked for an earlier meeting.  I had a schedule conflict too!  Irene's bedtime!  It is fun. :)