When I think about the hours and hours of my life that were wasted sitting in el salĂłn, it depresses me.  Donât get me wrong, I love getting haircuts, color and new styles. However, spending entire Saturday afternoons at el salĂłn throughout my teen years was about way more than just the fun of it.
Growing up in Dominican Republic, el salĂłn on Saturdays was just what you did. It was a whole experience too â the gossip, the endless hours waiting with the same old magazine for your turn, the pressure to also get a manicure, the sauna feel of 10 professional hair dryers on at the same time, and of course, the serious tugs and pulls and possible scalp burns from getting your hair blow dried. Everyone knew that before going out that night, you had to go get your weekly perfect blowout. As many of you know, Dominican hairstylists have made an art form of this by using sheer muscle. Your hair just *had* to be straight before going out that night – never mind that a few hours later, between the heat and humidity,  your perfect hair would turn to frizz central after dancing for about five minutes.
The economic crisis we are in now has been called the worst since the Great Depression. It is different from the Great Depression because it started with a collapse in the housing market, not the stock market. The collapse in the housing market was blamed on sub-prime loans. These loans are made to less credit-worthy people and typically adjust to a higher payment after a few years. This loosening of lending standards drove up demand, which drove up prices. Supply also increased to meet the demand. When housing prices began to flatten out, many were unable to afford the payment on their adjustable mortgage and could not refinance. Housing prices began to fall and more people fell into foreclosure.
The increased supply of housing also had a downward effect on prices. The fall in housing prices and subsequent foreclosures put stress on the insurance industry and the financial services industry. Large companies like Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and AIG either went broke or had to be bailed out. This caused downward pressure on the stock market and soon the whole economy was in trouble.
As a child, I remember hating anything green, such as cilantro and peppers. But as I grew older, and started cooking on my own, I found that those same green vegetables that I hated as a child, were missing from my food. Mi comida didnât have that flavor that my Grandmaâs food had.
âEl sofrito es lo que le da gusto a la comida, miâjo,â said my Grandma in a telephone food emergency call.
Widely known in different countries by different names and ingredients, a sofrito is an aromatic, flavorful mix of vegetables that is used as the base in many Latin dishes. It is used in rice, stews, soups, and beans and to season meats like pork, chicken and fish.
Today, I will share with you my Puerto Rican version⊠with the help of my Abuela of course.
Iâm feeling exploited! I am currently hunched over my computer writing my blog and really feeling like I am not going to get anything out of this. Letâs see, what should I ask for? Should I ask for money? Nah, Being Latino is not a money making venture. Should I ask for fame? Hell no, I donât need paparazzi hanging out on my stoop. Maybe I should ask for a Being Ltino tee-shirt? Na, Iâll just get it dirty cooking at the shelter on December 11th.
What is Being Latino all about? Maybe we all need a refresher course. Being Latino is a communication platform to educate and connect all people across the global Latino spectrum. Itâs very simple. Some blogs educate, some make us think, some make us laugh. What is so hard about that? Being Latino is a Facebook page that attempts to bring US all together as a family. There are no political rewards, no money being exchanged, no one becoming famous!
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