Can I admit my brain is melting? Between vacation recovery (I drove 900 miles to NJ for my high school reunion and back) and 98-degree heat, me muero. I have barely kept up with the world in the last two weeks, hence we have been buzz-less.

So, I have a few links to share, but if you’re game, how about leaving us links and coolness you’ve been buzzing about this week?

Me first…In case you don’t already read the fabulous Spanglish Baby, I guest posted over there recently, offering up Sneaky Spanish Lessons.

Latinas are offering their perspective on feminism over at Viva La Feminista, for a series called Summer of Feminista. The essays are wonderful and thought-provoking. My own will run in September.

Spendy for a good cause. Give $3 at Macy’s through August 1 and get a $10 off coupon to use toward one $50 purchase. Your $3 will go to Reading is Fundamental. Find out more at the RIF/Macy’s site.

OK, now you. Open buzz. Que esta pasando in your world?

******* We want to know your story! Share your cuentos, videos and fotos about growing up, and living Latino, in the U.S.How to contribute to the Tiki Tiki.Come on, no seas penosa!

Un poquito mas:

1. Musica, Sofia, Spanish Buzz and Giveaways
2. I Like It: Enrique y Mariachi for Today
3. Join the National Discussion on Work/Life Balance

[NOTE - 7/28/2010 - Congratulations to the winner of The Red Umbrella giveaway: Tracy. Thanks for sharing your story about the Kindertransport, too. Send me your snail mail address and I will get the book out to you. Thank you for entering.]

There is an episode in Cuban history that not many people outside of our community are aware of .

When Castro and his cronies took power, not only was personal property at risk of being confiscated by the new communist government, but parents were going to lose their rights over their own children.

Desperate and terrified Cuban parents made the unthinkable decision to send their children out of the country rather than risk losing them to Marxist-Leninist indoctrination.

Airplane tickets and passports were clandestinely secured. With the help of the Catholic Welfare Bureau (Catholic Charities) of Miami 14,048 (!) Cuban youths were placed in foster homes and orphanages throughout the U.S during those years.

The largest recorded exodus of unaccompanied minors in the Western Hemisphere was known as Operation Pedro Pan. From December of 1960 to October of 1962 they left Cuba, a few at a time.

The Cuban parents who sent their children out of the country didn’t know if they would ever see their children again. Many did not. About half of them were reunited with their parents. But if you were to talk to most Pedro Pans today, they are nothing but grateful to their parents for making this impossibly heartbreaking sacrifice.

My friend, Christina Diaz Gonzalez has taken on the topic of the Pedro Pans and has crafted an absolutely beautiful story. The book is called The Red Umbrella. It is an historical fiction novel that follows 14 year-old Lucia from her carefree life in a small town in Cuba to an unknown future, without her parents, in the heart of Nebraska.

The story strikes a personal chord with Christina, as both her parents and mother-in-law were part of  Operation Pedro Pan.

Carrie and I had the privilege and pleasure of meeting Christina in May at Cuba Nostalgia in Miami. (And yes, as a matter of fact, she is absolutely adorable, but that’s not important right now.)

(Of course, Carrie got up close and personal with the video camera and got Christina to give us some Tiki Tiki love.)

I was so personally delighted with the book (and with Christina, herself) that I asked if I could please promote her book. She graciously agreed.

Christina will be in Southern California this coming weekend.

So, readers, please get yourselves over to one of these signings. Get a copy of this beautiful book. Pick one up for a friend. It’s written in an elegantly simple style and would be most appropriate for a young teen. My Lucy is reading The Red Umbrella as I speak write.

Christina will be at:

SCBWI Annual Conference
July 28 – August 2nd
Los Angeles, CA

Saturday, July 31st at 6:30 pm
Vroman’s Bookstore
695 East Colorado Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91101

Sunday, August 1st at 2pm
Borders Bookstore
100 South Brand Boulevard
Glendale, CA 91204
(818) 241-8099

Please go and meet the lovely Christina and and get yourself a copy of her beautiful book. Tell her Marta sent you.

I loved this book so much that I have procured two copies of The Red Umbrella to give away.

To be entered in the drawing, please click on this link and comment on the same  post over at MBFCF or right here on the Tiki Tiki. Answer one or both of the following questions:

• Are you personally related to or do you know any Pedro Pans?
• Is this the first time you’ve heard about the Pedro Pan exodus?

I’ll be choosing a winner on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 11 am Pacific Time.

By the way, one of the reasons this story impacted me so much…

My brother was a Pedro Pan.

(cross-posted at MBFCF)

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Un poquito mas:

1. Coming to America – My Story
2. America Libre: A Book Giveaway
3. Giveaway: Spanish Children’s TV Show DVDs

Please click the headline link to see the videos in this post.

Happy Friday, Tiki Tiki readers. Lots in el buzz about contests, giveaways and habla habla today.

[WINNERS!: 7/14/2010 - Congratulations to the three Tiki Tiki iTunes card winners: Karen, Melek, and Lisel Laslie. Thank you all entering!]

We’re giving away three pre-loaded iTunes music cards filled with cool new Latino music.

Why? Well, this weekend in New York, Latino musicians have taken the city by storm at the Latin Alternative Music Conference. In honor of LAMC, Café Magazine is giving away iTunes gift cards preloaded with artists from the Nacional Records label. There are 20 songs on each card, which  include: It’s All About Dun Dun by Quiero Club; 9.6 by La Bien Querida;  and Vamos Ya by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs

Check out Café’s coverage of LAMC, their newly launched Café con Música page for all things music and follow along with their musical tweets from the conference @cafeconmusica.

And the Emmy may go to… Sofia Vergara, as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett for Modern Family. Bet Sofia is feeling a good el buzz today for her Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy nomination. Good luck, funny mujer.

And speaking of  buzz, enter to win a Spanish Buzz Lightyear doll at Spanglishbaby and enjoy the video presentation by editor Roxana’s beautiful little girl, who loved Buzz long before he became cool again.

She says: “Este es me muñeco favorito porque habla español.’’

Did you hear that, toy makers?

This giveaway ends Friday, July 16 at midnight EST and you must have a valid U.S. address to enter.

Got a little one whose too old for a Buzz Lightyear? Well, how about winning the Quinces of your nena’s dreams. Verizon is giving away a big, fabulous pachanga at My Fabulous Quince.

You can find all the rules and details in the press release over here on the HispanicPR Blog. The grand prize is worth more than $45,000.

Like to grill?

A smart reader pointed out that regardless of where one comes from, the phenom is the same, such as, the big city adult reaches back to hold on to the small town he came from. But, I am fascinated by the topic when it comes to Latinos, and Latinos of my generation specifically. We were born here. We’re American, but so many of us are trying hard to pass on la cultura de la casa to our children.

There would be no Tiki Tiki Blog if not for this desire to retroacculturate.

The follow-up post was about the images in Spanish I see around me here in Nashville, something that I still am surprised by, given where I live.

OK, OK…here is one we’ve been attempting to get in since June…a winning recipe by a realtor in Arizona. He produced a new version of Pastel de Carne y Verduras that we will put on the family table this fall. (It’s too hot in Tennessee to cook like this right now.) Pero, anyway, Leo Valenzuela, of Snowflake, Arizona, won a $3,000 dining room make-over for his Grand Prize in QueRicaVida.com’s “La Receta de Mi Cocina” contest. Keep an eye on Que Rica Vida for future contests.

You can find the recipe in English and Spanish over at Mama Latina Tips.

Me? I will be at the pool drinking these Blended Golden Mojitos, with dark rum and agave (I will have to sneak them in, of course…But, worth it.)

Feliz weekend, y’all.

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Un poquito mas:

1. Giveaway: Bilingual, Spanish Alphabet Learning Cards
2. Giveaway: Spanish Children’s TV Show DVDs
3. My Fabulous Quinceañera: A $45,000 Pachanga

Rick Najera. You know that name? Probably. If you don’t, you do know his work. Te lo prometo.

He wrote the popular Latinologues, which played long on Broadway and after 15 years still plays theater stages across the country. He also wrote for Mad TV, In Living Color and he wrote the movie Nothing Like the Holidays with John Leguizamo and Debra Messing. His credits for TV, stage and film are very long.

Najera’s latest work is called Daddy Diaries: Diary of a Dad Man. It is his take on fatherhood from the Mexican-American experience.

“My children are of Mexican and Irish heritage. I thought about them not being of pure Mexican heritage. I did think that. Mexicans are very proud of their heritage,” Najera said. “I wondered what they would learn. I started to examine it and it is about them being more, not being less.”

Najera, a San Diego native, said he has thought a lot about how he was raised as he raises his own children, ages 7, 5 and 2. Their childhoods are very different than his own. His father worked five jobs, his mother worked two. Unlike his wife’s Irish-American family, his never took vacations.  And, while his family kept Mexican customs, his mother was raised in Boone, Iowa and traditional American customs and foods always were part of his life.

“I grew up on ham, corn on the cob and ambrosia salad — all wrapped up in a flour tortilla,” he said.

What Najera says he emphasizes with his children is the Spanish language. While learning Spanish was not as important to his own generation, he wants his children to speak Spanish and his oldest attends a Spanish immersion school.

“I look at my children and they are so light no one would necessarily identify them as Latino and I want to make a point that they would look like they were posessed by a Mexican for a second or navigate both cultures,” Najera said. “I sure don’t want some Mexican kid to call my kid a gringo.”

Daddy Diaries will be performed in October at the Covina Center in California. Video clip here.

In Latinologues, Najera has written about gang-bangers, Cuban prostitutes, janitors, pregnant “virgins,” traditional religious mamis and narcos. He captures the essence of people, and the funny in being Latino, so very well.

“Stereotypes do exist,” Najera said. “They are part of our culture, but I always turn it upside down and I give them a heart.”

“I think my characters are all very truthful,” Najera added. “At times even Latinos don’t like them.”

Najera says he appreciates how open people are with him in sharing their stories. He believes it is because everyone wants to be understood.

“That is why we try to keep culture alive,” he said. “We want our children to be able to relate too us too, we want them to have our shared history. Duality is very much a part of our lives.”

Look for Daddy Diaries, Latinologues and other Rick Najera projects in your city, or on TV. You also can watch two full episodes of Latinologues on YouTube. The characters are rich, touching, funny, and tragically truthful.

Here is Latinologues Vol. 1 and a link to Vol. 2. (Cubanos, be sure to watch la jinetera in Vol. 2)

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Un poquito mas:

1. Latino Video Dichonary
2. Duality of Being Latino in the US: Open Thread
3. El Diario: Latino world domination and Esperanza Spalding

So, welcome to Friday. I’ve been back from vacation for a few days and spending most of the time at the pool during Maria’s swim team lessons. Needless to say, my brain is fried from 98-degree Tennessee days and I have no real idea what is going on in the world.

So, for today’s el buzz, we’re going musical. I was looking around for new music for an upcoming road trip to Jersey for my high school reunion (Ay, Dios Mio! 25!) and found that Enrique Iglesias and el cubanito Pitbull have joined together for a song called I Like It.

Well, I love it. And, the good girl in me loves the bad boy in Pit Bull and well, combined with the cuteness that is Enrique Iglesias, it’s a winner in my book.

And, there may be few things more beautiful and fun as an all-woman mariachi band. Do you know the Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea? The Grammy-winning group has a new album, Viva La Diva.

I’m thinking — and hoping — these two songs set the tone for my weekend: Hot y mucho fun.

I’ll be cooking this easy paella, by the way. It’s from Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie, the Andalucia episode. Watch it online. Makes you want to go grab some castanets…and Enrique Iglesias, even, and flee to Spain for the summer.

Happy weekend, everybody, and hey, if you have any music suggestions, new finds, post them for us….just not the Jersey Shore theme song, OK?

******* We want to know your story! Share your cuentos, videos and fotos about growing up, and living Latino, in the U.S.How to contribute to the Tiki Tiki.Come on, no seas penosa!

Un poquito mas:

1. Pero Yo Siempre Cantaré
2. Jencarlos, Free Flights and Hot Links

With the Latino love of fútbol and the World Cup starting today, we thought it appropriate to highlight a newly released non-fiction book, The Boys from Little Mexico by Steve Wilson.

The book follows an all-Hispanic high school soccer team through one season.  Along with the soccer action, the book delves into issues of immigration, education, and self-perception, Wilson said.

From the book description:

In 2005, Woodburn High’s Bulldogs, aka Los Perros, will start the season with eight undocumented students, three boys who speak almost no English, a midfielder groomed to play for a pro Mexican team, a goalkeeper living in his third foster home, and an Irish-descended white coach desperate to lead all of them to success. Watched over by a south Texas transplant—a surrogate father to half the squad—this band of brothers must learn to come together on the field and look after each other off it.

The player featured in this scene below — described and excerpted for the Tiki Tiki Blog by author Wilson — Octavio, is an undocumented Mexican immigrant who came to the U.S. at 14 to visit his father, then stayed. The scene begins after Octavio, a senior, has injured his knee, making him unable to play for the rest of the season, and forcing him to make some difficult decisions.

Excerpt, from The Boys of Little Mexico:

For Octavio, the knee injury meant more than just not being on the team. As he limped across campus on crutches, he knew that his hopes of going to college might be over, for how would he pay for school if not on an athletic scholarship? He began to wonder if he should bother trying to stay in the U.S. at all. Standing on the sidelines, watching the team practice during the following weeks, he thought about this a lot.

The pull that Mexico—that his family and familiar things—had on him had never left. Since he arrived in Oregon, he had thought about returning to Mexico every so often, usually when he felt low. He desperately wanted to go back for a visit, but without the right papers, returning to the U.S. was expensive and risky.

There was another reason for him not to leave the U.S. Her name was Anita.

Octavio had first seen Anita when the boys team returned from an away game his junior year. A varsity girls game was taking place, and Coach Flannigan urged the boys to head over to support the girls. The boys didn’t need to be told twice. As Octavio lined up along the fence with the rest of his teammates, he noticed a particularly cute midfielder, whose hair bounced as she ran. Later, he saw that she was a pretty good player.

Over the next couple of weeks, Octavio learned that this girl’s name was Anita, that she was not dating anyone, that she had been born in the U.S. to Mexican immigrants, and that she was a serious student. He approached his courtship of Anita the way he approached most things. He thought about it for a long time, doubting himself, watching her from a distance. His friends, Cheo especially, encouraged him to talk to her, but he wanted to do it right. He wanted to be a proper gentleman. It was wintertime before he took any action.

Like a nineteenth century bachelor, he wrote Anita a letter, put it in an envelope, and gave it to a mutual friend to hand to her. The friend, perhaps not understanding the importance of the document, passed it off to Anita with a dismissive, “here,” and walked away. Anita opened it, thinking it was from the boy who had just walked away.

The letter said:

“Dear Anita:
You look like you are a good person. I would like to meet you and talk to you. Maybe we can be friends or even more than friends. We can meet and just let God decide.”

Anita, an adorable girl with a bright and easy smile, looked at it carefully. That’s really old-fashioned, she thought. Then she thought, who in the world is Octavio?

It took her a moment before she figured it out. For the past couple of months some friends had been telling her that there was a guy who liked her a lot, and she had asked them to point him out. When they did she looked at him closely, thinking, how does he know that he likes me if he has never spoken with me? Her friends had also told her that Octavio played on the varsity team, which Anita found weird, because she knew some people on the varsity team, and although she couldn’t go to all the games, she did see them in practice. She had never even noticed Octavio.

He’s not my type, she thought.

However, he had taken the time to write a nice letter, so she wrote back to him, suggesting that they meet and talk some time. A couple weeks later the two of them met by chance in the lunchroom and had a short conversation. Soon they were talking and texting every day.

What eventually won Anita over was Octavio’s old-fashioned nature, formed out of the stratified and oddly formal life of rural Mexico. He sent her flowers, gave her small gifts, approached her parents to request permission to go out with her. They spoke on the phone often over the summer between Octavio’s junior and senior year and by the start of the 2005 fall soccer season they were dating seriously and Anita had decided that Octavio was her type after all.

Octavio had left a serious girlfriend in Guanajuato when he came to America, had broken up with her rather than leave her not knowing when he would come back. He had missed her terribly, and had not been interested in another girlfriend for a while. Having found Anita, however, Octavio was reluctant to lose her. As he moped along the hallways and reluctantly watched practices, his heart tugged in two directions at once.

You can read more about the Boys from Little Mexico in the Oregonian, at Jared Montz Soccer and at the Amazon.com sale page.
Learn more about the book at the Boys website and Facebook fan page . Below is a promo video.

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No related posts.

Congratulations to the winner of the Le Baby Hair Gel:

Pam Pensiero says:

****************************************************

By Lisa Renata

When I was little and lived in Mexico, I remember that most of the boys (including all my younger tios) used to wear their hair all slicked back. They would get this effect with some sort of glossy gel. Though they all thought they looked good, I never really liked the look.

Then as I got older, the style was to use a gel or hairspray that shaped and molded your hair anyway you chose (you know, the kind that will break your fingers if you try to run them through the hair. Yeah, that kind) .

I didn’t start using anything on my hair until I was in high school. Hairspray was the thing, back then. A-lot-of-hairspray! (Remember the big hair of the 80′s and early 90′s?) Still, I didn’t wear much of it. And then my senior year I cut my hair short —  really short and to keep it in place I tried different kinds of hair gels and hated every single one of them.  In the end, I opted for a light-weight moose.

So needless to say, whenever I think of hair gel, I think either greasy or hard. And, neither interests me.

When I was asked to try a new hair gel for babies and kids, Le Baby, I hesitated at first. Then I checked out their site to see what they were all about:  They claimed that their gel was hypoallergenic (okay); no harsh chemicals, parabens, sulfates, nor tested on animals (this is good); fragrance free (also good, I’m too sensitive to smells. And really, who wants to smell a stinky chiquitins hair? Not me.); great for sensitive skin including those with eczema (got my attention- both my son and I have eczema.); never leaves hair stiff or sticky (hum, we’ll try it!).

Dejenme les cuento, I was impressed with Le Baby gel and my son loved it. In his words, “It’s my favorite mami.” Not that he had anything else to compare it too. But really, it does what it claims.

I tried it both on my 4-year-old chiquito and my 2-year-old chiquita. For the most part, it kept their hair in place, even after gymnastics class. And their hair never felt hard, nor looked slick. Yay! No bad flashbacks for me.

Another important thing is that my son didn’t have any skin reaction. Oh, so very important. And you know that little claim about being fragrance free? Well, every time I would sniff in the scent of my chiquitines hair (What! Don’t tell me you never do that?) I would smell a nice gentle fruity scent. Nice.

What I am the happiest about is that now my chiquito has something to claim his own. You see, the chiquita de la casa has hair accessories galore. Que para las tresas, que para las colas de caballo, y mucho mas.

He, on the other hand, only has a spray bottle of water and a brush. But not any more.

Win Win Win

You can win Le Baby hair gel for your bebe — or for you — by leaving a comment on this post and telling us about your pelo or your baby’s pelo. Let’s talk risos, pelo bueno, pelo loco, pelo chino…all types of Latina hair! Tell us funny hair stories, scary hair stories, sad hair stories.

The contest runs through midnight Tuesday, June 15. One winner will be chosen using Random.org and the product will be shipped by the contest sponsor, Le Baby, or its representative. Winner has 72 hours to respond to the Tiki Tiki’s e-mail notification, or another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: The reviewer received a free Le Baby hair gel in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of the product. Product retails for $9.95.

Lisa Renata is a US-born Latina who experienced Mexican culture first-hand when she lived there as a child. During any crazy week you can find her interpreting and testing for the school district ESL program, working on her blog Sabor a Cajeta, sewing or enjoying some calm time with her two kids and husband – and with a camera always in her hands.

******* We want to know your story! Share your cuentos, videos and fotos about growing up, and living Latino, in the U.S.How to contribute to the Tiki Tiki.Come on, no seas penosa!

Un poquito mas:

1. Giveaway: Mabel’s Labels
2. Cultura y el Corte de Pelo
3. Giveaway: Spanish Children’s TV Show DVDs

My husband often asks why I don’t post more celebrity stuff on the Tiki Tiki. I tell him that isn’t my thing. He reminds me celebrities are everybody’s thing. He tells me that he would look for any reason to post pictures of Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz.

Instead, he posts pictures on his own sports blog of athletes, celebrities ring-side and court-side and tennis stars dressed in scant tennis outfits. He covers the real news of sports too, of course, but people come in droves to see the famous.

And so, I am playing along today. Here is Salma, a prime and perfect example of Latina beauty and smarts. Every time I go to the grocery store right now I see this beautful cover from InStyle. And whoa, I learned she changed her name to Salma Hayek Pinault. Did you know that?

From the magazine:

“It was [daughter] Valentina’s request. I didn’t think about it until she brought it up,” Hayek Pinault told InStyle. “We were shooting a film, and she saw my chair with my name on it. She said, ‘What does it say there?’ And I said, ‘Salma Hayek.’ And she said, ‘What about Pinault? Why not Pinault?’ Because [in Paris] people say ‘Madame Pinault.’ I said to myself, ‘This is who I am now. I’m starting a whole new life. I’ve never been happier.

I will show the husband this post and I know one thing for sure…He will ask me: “But, what about Penelope?”

Do you want celebrity news on the Tiki Tiki?

******* We want to know your story! Share your cuentos, videos and fotos about growing up, and living Latino, in the U.S.How to contribute to the Tiki Tiki.Come on, no seas penosa!

Un poquito mas:

1. Mira, Mira: Dora, Salma and Veggie Cuban
2. Funnies, Food and Follicles
3. Dulce de Leche and Vlogging Latinas

Tennessee flood, 2010

My funny friend on Twitter, Yoly, suggested she could send a boat from Hialeah named “La Cachita” to rescue me in flooded Nashville. What a great visual to break through the real stuff I am seeing here. And, for nearly two days, I could have used La Cachita.

My town was surrounded by water on all three sides heading east — east where Maria was spending the night with friends, just a couple of blocks from where water rescues were taking place. We got her home Monday, but spent all of Sunday and half of Monday wondering when we would see our 6-year-old again. (She was having a blast, by the way…)

Dear Tiki Tiki-ers, some of you know that I live in a lovely little town outside of Nashville, TN. It’s a hamlet, a little village with great history, beautiful fields, rolling hills and a long, flowing river that charms and entertains us.

This weekend, the Harpeth River overflowed, as did the Cumberland River in downtown Nashville, the Mill Creek in South Nashville and other rivers, creeks, and tributaries. The place I have called home for nearly 19 years is devastated. Historic landmarks are damaged, we are under a water conservation order, more than a dozen people lost their lives, hundreds lost their homes and some still are stranded in homes turned islands — four days after the storms began. Several of my friends have suffered great losses.

The video I have posted contains some powerful shots, including some from the air, which give a better sense of the damage. My former employer, the local paper, has a gallery of aerial shots that takes your breath away. I wish I could embed it.

And here is a great piece of news coverage from MSNBC.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I wrote about my own experience and a little about my neighbors and friends over at Bilingual in the Boonies yesterday. My own home is safe, and for that I can’t stop saying prayers of gratitude.

If you can, please help from afar. Those of you who have lived through earthquakes and hurricanes and tornadoes know how difficult, and how long, the recovery process can be. So, here are two quick and easy ways to send your love to the people of Music City and surrounds.

• Text “redcross” to 90999 to give a $10 donation to the recovery efforts in the South. Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting redcross.org.
• Donate to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, a superb local organization.

Thank you in advance on behalf of the wonderful, kind, charming people of Middle Tennessee. Besos to all those who asked about me and mine, too!

******* We want to know your story! Share your cuentos, videos and fotos about growing up, and living Latino, in the U.S.How to contribute to the Tiki Tiki.Come on, no seas penosa!

Un poquito mas:

1. How to Help Haiti
2. How I Met My Gringo Husband
3. El Diario: Happiness and Robert Redford

So, we skipped el Buzz last week and didn’t even get a chance to talk about the talented and hot Ricky Martin and his big news, or the passing of the wonderful  Jaime Escalante, who inspired Los Angeles students to achieve and the movie Stand and Deliver.

Your editor apologizes for her journalistic failing last week, but makes it up to you today by telling you about Dulce de Leche everywhere, and some other good stuff.

First, the Tiki Tiki will give you a Week of Vlogging — vlogiando? —  starting Monday. Come back to see video posts such as a funny viejita talking about today’s technology, a Latina confessing a love of NASCAR and a half-gringita from SoCal getting in touch with her cubanita side.

We promise fun, and we’re asking you to consider sending us a video post too. Yes, you! Check out our Contributor page and the link to our YouTube group too. Come on, you can do it! No seas tan penosa.

Dulce de Leche for Everyone
How does a little dulce leche in your pocket sound? Nearly as good as some in your barrigita, let me tell you.

But, Nestle Carnation has launched a phone app to compliment its Mi Cocina Latina site, which offers hundreds of sweet and savory Latin food recipes from all over the Spanish-speaking world…and the United States, of course! Visit the mobile site, and the iTunes app site, or you can browse the main page online.

I’m all about the dulce leche. In fact, I am the self-proclaimed Diva of Dulce Leche. So, salivation in control, a quick exploration found 114 recipes with the ingredient of the dioses. You also can narrow the search by 21 Latin American countries like Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela.

Check out the Bolivian Tamarillo and Fruit Ice Cream and Guatemalan Canillas de Leche or “Little Milk Legs” or Creamy Margaritas.

Ay!

InStyle Cupcakes in Miami taunts me with images of cupcakes made of dulce de leche and guava, which they say is their hot seller. I can’t eat them until this summer when I visit the crazy Cubans who are my family. So, here is a public service for all of our Miami readers, friends and relatives — a picture of dulce de leche cupcakes. Go eat them and tell me about them, OK?

By the way, they also try the The Johnny Walker Cupcake, The Cuba Libre Cupcake, The Rum Runner, and the Margarita cupcakes. Report back, please.

Poemas y Poetas
April is National Poetry Month. (Yes, Dulce de Leche month would be better, but…) look at these cool ways to fill your mind with beauty and inspiration. Or maybe look up poems by Latino writers such as Sandra Cisneros, Jack Agueros, Luis Rodriguez, Pat Mora, Judith Ortiz Cofer and Gary Soto. You can search their names at Poets.org.

Celebrate Latino Children’s Literature
The Latin Baby Book Club is celebrating El día de los niños/El día de los libros, which takes place April 3o, by hosting a month-long series of information on literacy for its readers. From the site:

Día is a wonderful opportunity to share the rich, diverse cultural heritage of Latinos with people from all cultures and allows Latinos to share cultural pride in their oral and written contributions.

The Boldest Chick in Cuba
The Revolutionary that is 34-year-old Yoani Sanchez of the ground-breaking Generation Y, was featured on NPR today. Twice a week she teaches young Cubans about blogging, Twitter and other digital ways of telling the stories of their lives. If you’ve ever been afraid of opening your mouth, get to know Yoani. She’ll show you truth beats fear. Anytime.

And with that, me voy.
Happy weekend and see you back here Monday for the Tiki Tiki Vlogiando Time.

******* We want to know your story! Share your cuentos, videos and fotos about growing up, and living Latino, in the U.S.How to contribute to the Tiki Tiki.Come on, no seas penosa!

Un poquito mas:

1. How to Show Everyone What Great Taste You Have
2. How sweet it is
3. Got café con leche?