Tag Archives: friends

Christmas Sancocho d’Pennsylvania

Posted by on December 30, 2011 No comments

Here are bits and pieces of an email I got and because of it I made some new friends. I love being able to make new friends.

First email from Greg:

(edited) I stumbled upon your writing while I’m researching a Christmas gift for my brother’s girlfriend who originates from the DR. She’s new to the family and none of us knows much about her. Your Christmas page was helpful in many ways but I think most helpful by being a friendly voice and a potential advice giver:)
As it turns out, we live in Pennsylvania! (Thanks a lot for including your current temperature on the site!). You’ll be aware that I can’t do much in the way of fireworks here…but I’d like to give her a piece of familiarity as part of her Christmas. I’m thinking about making a special food. Any suggestions about what that might be and recipes? I don’t know her family’s traditions so I’m looking for a truly universal DR food.
Thanks for your time Janette and thanks for such a great website.

I sent him some suggestions about making Sancocho or some other Dominican type food. Maybe getting some Mamajuana or some Dominican rum and got this response:

(edited) I think I’m going to make Sancocho d’Pennsylvania. There’s no cob corn available now and goat meat isn’t readily available….but it is Pennsylvania it is deer hunting season after all so I might adapt with some venison. My thought is that squirrel or rabbit might be better replacements but that venison will be gamey enough as a substitution. We have plantains aplenty though…amen to our diversifying population:)
My favorite thing about that recipe is its size! You can tell that it comes from people who value large family gatherings. There will be about 12 of us on Christmas day and I’m quartering the recipe. I wish there were 50 of us:)

We sent another email or two and we agreed that in PA Sancocho game meat could be a substitute, as the recipe is not set in stone.

On December 24th Greg sent an email:
(edited) Janette….It has begun. Venison defrosting now:) Debbie took over so I’m reduced to writing about the project….but hey, she’s a better chef than I am and doesn’t swear while dicing vegetables:)
I think this is going to work out well. Rick gave me a big Venison roast and probably 20 pounds of pork that his father raised. When I got the beef today, the butcher severely cut his price on the beef (just nice…I didn’t know until I was paying)
Anyway….Christmas music on and dogs asleep everywhere…kids cleaning the play room and Sancocho started. It’s a good Christmas Eve. Thanks for being part of it, Amiga:) Merry Christmas.

The next communication I got had the end results and the picture included.

(edited) PA Sancocho was a hit! Lorena was thrilled and surprised. She didn’t know it was coming but coincidentally had been describing it to my brother the night before.
We made a few substitutions based on availability. We used a turnip to replace one of the root vegetables and of course, the venison instead of goat. The first substitution went unnoticed but we asked for feedback about the deer. She said it tastes just like goat:) I even found fresh corn on the cob:)

The whole family really enjoyed it and my mother’s lasagna went un-eaten….which means I got a lasagna to bring home. (Bonus:)

They got to enjoy their PA Sancocho and all I got was a lousy picture..jejej. I am so happy that I could help them show their new Dominican friend a good Christmas. That was so nice of them to care about her and work to make her feel comfortable and at home.
Sancocho made in Pennsylvania

There are still many good humans in this world and this family is some of them.

The First Week

Posted by on January 11, 2006 No comments

When I got into the country and all through customs with my dog Sniffy and a few extra boxes of belongings (I didn’t get searched, I think they just wanted me and my barking dog, who had to pee, out of the airport). I was wheeling down the ramp to my waiting friends.

They both arrived in separate cars because of all the stuff I had. Good thing, it would have never fit in one car. Of course Uncle Juan had to reprimand me for being s stupid moving to DR when most Dominicans want out. But then he knew me well enough by then that I had a hard head and would do as I wished anyhow.

We got all loaded up and Carlos had the back seat all covered, don’t want to mess up his fine leather seats!. We were on our way to a big adventure.

They made arrangements for me to stay with an Aunt because she had dogs and would be OK with it. Of course first we had to stop and get a Presidente beer. Sniffys first time in a Colmado. She was right at home.

We arrived at the Aunts home and first thing she wanted to tie my baby out back with her dogs. Sniffy would never go for that. She would howl all the time she was chained up. She has never really been tied outside. She’s part of the family. Where I am she is. We discussed it for a while (which I have since learned that this is the Dominican way also, everything that one does or plans to do has to be discussed, “what if this happens”, or “maybe this might happen”, instead of just doing it and moving on. I kept telling them that I could not stay there if Sniffy had to stay outside.

So after it was dark outside, and we were still sitting there discussing where I was going to sleep, I finally got out the number for the hotel I always stayed in. I finally got them to let me use the phone after more discussion that the hotel probably wouldn’t let a dog stay there. I say just call the place and ask. Carlos decided he’d call because my Spanish wasn’t good.

The girl in the hotel remembered me and she asked the boss if I could have my dog, since it never came up before. She came back and said it was OK I just had to stay in a room in the back. Thank God for Apart Hotel Millenium! And also that I do work hard making myself be a memorable person..LOL!

Sniffy was right at home in the place. We went to the cafe and had a late night snack. Then we walked to the Colmado to say hi to some friends. Of Course drank some beer with them. Went back to the hotel, we both got our shower and went to sleep. She on her pillow and I on mine. Not sure if the hotel knew she slept in the bed too! But she is cleaner than a lot of humans I know!

We woke in the morning to Carlos calling to see if all was OK and he couldn’t take me around to look for apartments. So I started making phone calls to people I knew with cars, made arrangements to meet, got my paper and was off to look for a place for me and Sniffy to call home.

Felix Navidad

Posted by on December 25, 2005 No comments

Christmas again. I’m not really into Christmas anymore. About 2 years before my move to DR I decided not to celebrate Christmas. I told people it was my way to rebel against the commercialism of the holidays. I sort of liked it. I didn’t feel the pressure of having to buy gifts for people. I didn’t spend all that money an things that most people won’t use or need. (I feel if I want to buy someone something it means more if its not an obligatory gift bought on a day when one is supposed to buy a gift). My family didn’t like that I didn’t get into the season but I did what I felt I needed to do.

Now I sort of enjoy not celebrating. Getting together with friends and family is good but the gift thing. I’m not into that any more. That’s one good thing about Dominican Republic. Gifts are mainly for the children. Food and drink are for the adults, both of which I do enjoy.

When I was living in Colonial Zone for my first Christmas it was so nice. All the neighbors pitched in and put lights in the park and got a tree. They even had a band come and play in the park for tree lighting. The TV people were there also. It was a big thing. The ladies (not me) all cooked food and we shared all in the park. For me that was more special than all the gifts in the world. First that it was so simple and neighborly. Second that they included me, the new American neighbor, in the festivities. They all took me in. Even though I did not speak Spanish well. It was difficult communicating. Where I lived most have lived in the area for generations of at least knew someone that lived there. So for them to accept me really meant a lot to me.

I miss all my neighbors and friends there so much. I do hope when I return I can live in the same neighborhood with the people that I know and care about. Where I feel accepted and safe. I feel I belong in that neighborhood with those people. More than I ever felt I fit in to a neighborhood in USA.

Well..I have to call my Felix now. I miss him so. Then I’ll call my Dominican family, Mamita and Jimmy. Then my real Blood Aunt is coming for me and we will spend the afternoon with my grandparents, Maw and Pappap. After Aunt Lois is staying the night with me. We will have some laughs I’m sure. We always do.

Merry Christmas to all!

The Week of the Big Move

Posted by on December 18, 2005 No comments

The final week to be in USA arrived. Everything I had left at the flea market I sold for $50. I didn’t sell my Mobil home so I abandoned it. I sold my shed I built for $1000. All my credit cards had a forwarding address. Had my accounts all in order. All bills paid up. All was ready.

Preparing Sniffy, my humane society dog and best friend. I gave her a breed, a Miniature Barrel Shepard, because she didn’t have one and I didn’t want her to feel bad about that. I got her her flying crate filled with her favorite blanket and her cat bowl. All labeled. She had her traveling pills to relax her. She had all her stamps from Dominican Republic. She was already a Dominican citizen. I took her to the Vet for her papers to state she was healthy for the flight. When we came back to my parents house. My mother was sitting in her room. I went in to tell her Sniffy was all ready. She started crying,”Sniffy is going to die on the plane, she won’t like it there”. She cried over the dog! She never worried if I was going to be OK (this was a family joke for a long time)!

My friends had a going away party for me at the old local bar. My friend, Patty, took a video of it and I’ll cherish that video forever. It was a good time. An end to one life and a beginning of another. When a person moves all the promises of keeping in touch and visiting are forgotten in time. With the exception of a handful of special friends we have all lost touch. But its all OK. Memories of past times are always good.

My family also had a going away-Birthday party for me. It was a sort of picnic in the yard. Then we did a family dinner. It was nice. When we left the restaurant I hugged my grandparents good bye. I’ll never forget this in all my life. When my grandfather hugged me, and he hugged me tight. He whispered in my ear to go and do what I dream. Don’t worry what anyone says about what I do. Then he said, in a broken voice “I’ll probably never see you again. I love you”. It took everything in me not to cry. I didn’t want to break down in the parking lot. *My Pappap is now 93 and I have seen him again. Even when I think of this now I still feel tears welling up.

The day to leave came. Billy Jay and my dad took me to the airport. My mom didn’t want to go, she didn’t want me to go and didn’t want to cry in public I guess. I had Sniffy, the dog, who weighed about 80 lbs. I had my 2 check in suitcases which I weighed to make sure they were exactly the correct weight, I had my carry on piece of luggage, correct weight. I had 2 a large plastic tote box filled with my computer and all that went with it. Got weighed in but it seemed that the scale was a bit off. They let the luggage go but I had to unload some of the things out of the plastic tote. No fax machine and a few other things. Standing there emptying out the box with all the cases and the dog barking in her cage surround me. I’m sure I was a sight to be seen.

So all was done and proceeded to the line to enter the airport. Hugged and kissed my dad and my son. I didn’t cry. It was hard not to when my son and dad both had tears in their eyes. But I did it. Even as I had to stop to get my carry on luggage checked out. I had a box with all my jewelry in it. There was porcupine quill jewelry, coon peckers, a few coyote teeth. Not your normal jewelry pieces. They inspected, questioned and let me through. As Billy Jay and my daddy looked on.

As I flew away from USA I didn’t feel sad. I was so excited to start a new life in Dominican Republic. Then when I saw “my island” I cried, as I always did and knew I was home. The Dominicana Gringa has arrived!

Continuing On With the Move

Posted by on December 16, 2005 No comments

When I came back home to Pennsylvania, USA from Dominican Republic after the big visit to the embassy trip I was ready to do what it took to be a Dominicana. I didn’t tell anyone right away, at least for the first few weeks. I can keep others secrets well, but my own secrets…well, there’s really no such thing.

So I started talking. I was a waitress at Kings Restaurant for almost 13 years. 4 different location. I was so worried I was going to be a lifer. So this was my only way out.(not really, but that was a big joke of us Kings long-timers)

I contacted the Dominican consulate in Philly and made a few friends there. I put my Mobil home up for sale. Started selling off stuff I didn’t need. Making lots of jewelry(that’s what I did for some extra money after I closed my business). Sorting through my accumulated junk. Funny how I got all the junk. I kept adding more junk but didn’t want to get rid of the old junk. So I bought a little bigger house so I could fit more junk. I built my own shelving so I could display all the stuff. I had a small shed out back but had to take that down to make room for a new and improved shed with a loft and work bench so I had room for all my tools and movers and rototillers and all the boxes of stuff that I didn’t want to get rid of but really didn’t want to look at either. Its hard to believe all the junk one can accumulate in a short time.

I was looking at things in my home town of Valencia and Mars in a different light. Like it was going to be the last time I saw these things. Things did look prettier. The sun rise and sets were brighter. The green of the leaves were more vibrant. But the snow was still as cold and I realized how much I did hate being cold.

The most difficult things to sell was my camping gear. I loved to camp and I had all the gear organized in alphabetical order(that’s what my friends used to tease me about). The week before I put them up for sale my aunt flew in from Chicago to make the last camping trip with me. Then it was in the paper and sold within a week. All gone for $500usd. A nice lady came with her truck and we started packing up. I was telling her all about what was there she was getting. I started crying. She felt so bad she offered not to buy the stuff. I had to sell it and she seemed nice so it was going to a good home.As she drove off with my most treasured stuff I cried. There was no turning back. I couldn’t live in USA without camping and be happy.

My tools sold fast also. My electric saws. Chain saw. Rototiller. Sanders. All went fast. This was difficult also. I was so proud of my work shop. All my tools in order on the peg board. Every nail and screw in order on the shelf by size and labeled nicely. After these things went everything else was easy.

I got a stall at the Flea and was there every Sunday selling all my collected belongings.
Then the 9/11 terrorist thing happened. People went crazy. At my job customers were telling me I was abandoning my country. Some would not even sit at my tables. Before 9/11 people were interested in my moving, how it was coming along, why I was doing this, all was good. After 9/11 I was the bad guy. I was abandoning my country. I was a tractor. Even tho I had already sold half of my belongings before the attacks. I had one very large fireman almost physically attack me over his table. My manager had to take me to the back of the restaurant to calm down. I was ready to fight the guy. I could have beat his fat butt, I know it! LOL!
It was time to move out on my place. I was moving in with mommy and daddy for the last month so I could pay up all my bills and get rid of my house. I was working a second waitress job at night to make more money. My son Billy Jay, came in from Louisiana, where he was living that month, to spend me last month in USA with me. I was giving him my truck and lots of good stuff for his apartment. It was great that he came to see me. Who would have ever known that this would be the last time I would ever see my son Billy Jay again.

Come back later for more of the story. Back to work on the web site….…

My big idea to move to Dominican Republic

Posted by on December 14, 2005 No comments

I had visited Dominican Republic 3 times before. Once to Punta Cana with friends then the other 2 times alone to Santo Domingo. All within a years time.(2000)

I completely fell in love with the country and couldn’t stop talking about it or thinking about it. I bought some books to learn Spanish. Bought Latin music CD’s and listened to them constantly. I went to my waitress job and tried to talk Spanish to my customers. Most put up with me but others would yell at me and tell me that I was in USA and to speak English. This made me more determined to learn something that most around the small town area I lived had no desire to learn.

I worked extra hours whenever I could get them. Went to the flea market when I could and sold my jewelry I made and whatever things I had left over from my Sun-N-Moon Native Creations store that I closed down the year before. Saved up my money so I could go on vacations to DR.

On the 4th visit I got the idea that maybe I should just move to DR instead of working so hard for just a week here and a week there. I was to the point where all I thought about was what life would be like living there. I was staying in an apart hotel near the presidential palace in Gazcue. I decided I would walk to the American embassy and see what I needed to do to be able to move there.
I really didn’t know where the embassy was but I had a general idea. I started out on my treks. It was hot and I was walking for a long time so I decided to head toward a little cafeteria where I made friends with the ladies that worked there. I had my lunch and enjoyed trying to communicate with my friends. One of the regular lunch guys was a taxi driver and he said he’d drive me to the American Embassy free so I took the offer.
He left me in front of the compound. This was pre 9/11 so there was just normal security around the place. I walked a while to find the gate. There was a little guard house and a Dominican man came out and said I couldn’t enter. I tried to tell him I needed to talk to someone about moving to DR. I had no idea what he was telling me but I was very persistent.
He would not let me in. He called another man over and he tried to tell me I was not permitted in. I kept saying that I was American and wanted to talk to someone. I didn’t have a passport at the time so I couldn’t prove I was American which really wouldn’t have mattered anyhow.
Finally the guard got on the phone and called someone to talk to me in English. The lady said that I needed to go to the consulate to get what I needed and she told me how to get there and which window to go to. Said bye to the guards and walked on trying to find the consulate.
When I did find it I couldn’t believe it. It was outside and had windows with letters on them where you had to talk to the people. So I got in the line. I got to the front and they checked my purse. They wouldn’t let me in! I had a camera in my purse! I tried to tell the lady to keep the camera til I was finished but she didn’t speak English and I finally figured out that she was telling me there was a little door down the walk around the corner and there was police and they could hold my camera for me.
I was getting very frustrated by this time. It was hot and I was all sticky and miserable. So I went around the corner and around the next corner and finally ended up back at the gate of the consulate. There was no door that I could see! I asked again and thought I figured out where they were telling me to go and set off again.
No damn door!!!
By this time I was just thanking God that I had sun glasses on because this way no one could see me crying out of sheer frustration. I had enough. I had spent most of the day trying to get this information and I had nothing but a headache and heart pulpitations from holding in my anger.
I realized I was near a friends house in Cuidad Universaria near Lincoln. So I went to the phone and tried to call him. It took me a while to figure out how to use the pay phone which made me cry more. And as I was mumbling not nice words To myself I finally got the phone to work. My friend answered and told me to come over to his house right away.
By the time I got there Alex had already ordered me a few grande Presidente beers to ease my nerves. That beer tasted sooo good. He and his brother, Warren cooked me some Venezuelan food (they are from Venezuela. I met the Warren on the computer and we are still friends). They had a good laugh at my expense when I told my story. I had no idea that this was the norm when trying to accomplish anything in Dominican Republic.
They called my friend Carlos to come for me. He finally showed up to take me to the Colmado, to get some food and then back to the hotel.
That day was the start of me not letting the country beat me down. I loved the place more. It was the challenge maybe. Who knows. That day I was so frustrated yet my friends were there for me. They made all OK. And for sure they understood and explained to me that this is the way of life here in DR. Everything you do takes forever to accomplish. It is very frustrating. But this is life and the life style of everyday living makes up for the moments of frustration.
Note** I never did get the information I wanted. I waited until I returned to USA and called the Dominican Consulate in Philly. The people there were great and helped me get myself and my dog to finally live in Dominican Republic.
Bless their hearts!