Yardies, at home and a farrin' (Part 3)

[*JG* 2]

I have FOUR days off this weekend for the Easter holiday I can't wait. What is everyone doing this weekend? My mom is taking me and sis to a spa for the day on Saturday And I told Tony we would go shopping at some outlet stores about 90 miles from us - I put aside some income tax money for it.

So far, we are only off Good Friday.....Andre's attempting the driver's license test.

[Jayandmars 0]

So far, we are only off Good Friday.....Andre's attempting the driver's license test.

Jay's Parents are coming over on Sunday for dinner. I was told by the DMV that I cant apply for a license until I am a resident. This contradicts what is on their website.

[nyseness 0]

OMG...........never eating manish water again.........NEVER EVER!!!!!!!!!!!

SAME HERE!

OK...here's a little tip from a born Jamaican. ALWAYS ask what's in the soup or, if you've already taken a few sips, DON'T ask what's in the soup. I grew up in the city (Kingston) and took my first trip to the 'country ' when I was about 9 years old. The family welcomed us with open arms and a kerosene pan (ask your spouses about this) on an open wood fire in the front yard bubbling with soup. I have to admit it smelled delicious...and I was presented with a steaming hot bowl. I had to take my time and skim from the top because it was so hot. When I finally got down to the meat of the matter...there was a completely intact jawbone staring back at me..complete with molars, premolars and inscisors embedded in the blackest gums I had ever seen. I think the goat was suffering from gingivitis. I dropped the entire bowl and all but puked.

The other usual culprits for turning any non-jamaican off our cuisine are:

Chicken foot soup...also curried chicken foot

Cow foot..sometimes the skin of the cow (not the hide) is added to this dish.

Cow cod soup (which is the ####### and ####### and, incidentally, come from the bull - not the cow)

My girlfriend's mom used to deep fry chicken heads for her ..beaks, eyes and all. I kid you not.

Tripe..as in intestines..with broad beans.

Cow head...as in the brains...with broad beans

Light...which is the heart of the cow

Cow tongue...I hear it is delicious when smoked

The USA has a nasty habit of deporting turkey necks to our shores...so we cook those up with broad beans too.

Some people buy fish heads only because the rest of the fish can be too expensive for their meagre budgets.

One thing I must say about my people...no matter what it is...they season up their meats and marinate them to perfection and when cooked and served with some good rice and peas or yam, green bananas and cornmeal dumpling... if you close your eyes and forget where the meat came from...you are in for a culinary masterpiece.

My 3 cents!

Mars.

Girl you making me hungry!! I used to eat tripe and beans often but can't find anyone to cook it like JA. I don't know how to so my mom cook it for me. I also love cow foot w/ butter beans and my grandma used to make the best chicken foot soup!!!!

Edited April 3, 2007 by nyseness

[Jayandmars 0]

Girl you making me hungry!! I used to eat tripe and beans often but can't find anyone to cook it like JA. I don't know how to so my mom cook it for me. I also love cow foot w/ butter beans and my grandma used to make the best chicken foot soup!!!!

We should make a point of collecting our parent's recipes.

[*JG* 2]

So far, we are only off Good Friday.....Andre's attempting the driver's license test.

Jay's Parents are coming over on Sunday for dinner. I was told by the DMV that I cant apply for a license until I am a resident. This contradicts what is on their website.

That's what I have been saying all along. Andre couldn't get his permit until he had his green card and social security card. He got all of that and we have been practicing for a few months now. Hope he's as ready as he thinks he is.

[Jayandmars 0]

That's what I have been saying all along. Andre couldn't get his permit until he had his green card and social security card. He got all of that and we have been practicing for a few months now. Hope he's as ready as he thinks he is.

It's so frustrating. I can't work...and I can't even do anything on my own because as far as they are concerned I don't exist yet. It's hard sometimes but I am trying to be patient. At least we are together...I'll count my blessings.

[darlene 0]

It's so frustrating. I can't work...and I can't even do anything on my own because as far as they are concerned I don't exist yet. It's hard sometimes but I am trying to be patient. At least we are together...I'll count my blessings.

Did you get your license? SS card? My husband did that right away. 10 days after he arrived we went to Social Security,

10 days later he got his card and them he went for his permit. They did give him a hard time but I went back with him with at least 7 different pieces of paper with his name on it. 4 ID's. That is insane. They finally took his NOA1 for the AOS as and ID.

He got his license 2 weeks later.

[*JG* 2]

Have you filed the AOS? Once that was approved and he got the green card, he got his social security number, driver's permit, state ID, began looking and got a job, and I put him on my bank accounts. It's been smooth sailing for the last few months since then. Hang in there.

[Minfay 0]

That's the problem....each State has different rules. We were able to get Roy his SS card right when he got here -- then we were able to get his State ID and he took the test for the drivers permit. I am too scared to let him drive so I don't know when he will get his license. He just said to me last night that he hasn't driven in a long time -- then I told him what happened to Damien and said he will NEVER be driving :lol: He didn't think it was funny.....

[darlene 0]

Bert has been driving everywhere. Once in a while he will start driving on the left side of the road.

[*JG* 2]

That's the problem....each State has different rules. We were able to get Roy his SS card right when he got here -- then we were able to get his State ID and he took the test for the drivers permit. I am too scared to let him drive so I don't know when he will get his license. He just said to me last night that he hasn't driven in a long time -- then I told him what happened to Damien and said he will NEVER be driving :lol: He didn't think it was funny.....

Andre drove maybe 3 times in Jamaica. When he got here, I nearly had heart failure every time he drove. We payed for one 2 hour lesson with a professional. Otherwise, I have taken him on non-busy streets during slow times. Every once in a while I will take him on a busy street (after making the sign of the cross!) We are going to practice some more parallel parking tonight, tomorrow, and Thursday and see how it goes on friday. I don't think he is ready yet; but maybe he will just prove me wrong.

[nyseness 0]

Thanks to all who have welcomed me here, and thanks for the congrats about the baby. (I am just now scrolling through and reading them now.) I have been so emotional lately, I feel a tear coming.

AlienUKGirl, congrats on your bundle of joy. Hey here is a question for you and your little one (and anyone else): patois or no patois. Lord knows I am still a beginner, but my husband surely will teach our child its Jamaican roots.

I am excited because even to this day I laugh at my hubby when he is on the phone yappin to his friends, so I can imagine how cute our child will be when it says its first "wa gwaan".

I think it's important for the children to know their roots and both cultures of their parents. My parents was very adament on that. We spent countless summers in JA learning all different aspects of life. My sister even went to school there. I believe it taught me a lot b/c I have learned to be appreciative of just about everything that life has to offer. I also sent my daughter to JA for several years. She attended primary school and she was way ahead of her class when she came back. The only downfall was the patois. When she came back she was very fluent and the school was having a hard time with her. She found it very hard to communicate w/the other students and teacher for that matter to the point she would start getting frustrated. She didn't want to attend school b/c they didn't understand what she was saying and would make fun of her. I eventually moved her to a different school and she was fine because it was a more diverse school and their were a lot of other JA'ns she could correspond with. Now she's 10 and able to go to switch back and forth but at first he was real hard for everyone!!! At home it was cool b/c everyone around her speak that way anyway but trust me....I was going to school daily to speak to her teacher b/c the problem was never ending.

[nyseness 0]

Good morning VJ family.

One of my worst nightmares happened this morning --Damien was in a car accident on his way to work. I have no idea how this man walked away without an injury. The car flipped over three times and landed on the driver's side...he had to break the window to get out. The car is totalled...I couldn't tell which end was which. Thank God he was wearing a seat belt or he would be flown from the car in the middle of a 4 lane highway. No other cars were involved...another car cut him off so he lost control trying to avoid hitting a tracker trailor. God is good. Damien still went to work and was worried about being late

OMG!!! I'm glad his ok and THANK GOD for the seatbelt...

[Dwarf_Ogress 0]

That's the problem....each State has different rules. We were able to get Roy his SS card right when he got here -- then we were able to get his State ID and he took the test for the drivers permit. I am too scared to let him drive so I don't know when he will get his license. He just said to me last night that he hasn't driven in a long time -- then I told him what happened to Damien and said he will NEVER be driving He didn't think it was funny.....

Andre drove maybe 3 times in Jamaica. When he got here, I nearly had heart failure every time he drove. We payed for one 2 hour lesson with a professional. Otherwise, I have taken him on non-busy streets during slow times. Every once in a while I will take him on a busy street (after making the sign of the cross!) We are going to practice some more parallel parking tonight, tomorrow, and Thursday and see how it goes on friday. I don't think he is ready yet; but maybe he will just prove me wrong.

You guys have me rolling here! I too am worried about when Marlon gets here and actually drives! he offered to let me drive while I was in Jamaica but we didn't get around to it, thankfully!

OMG...........never eating manish water again.........NEVER EVER!!!!!!!!!!!

SAME HERE!

OK...here's a little tip from a born Jamaican. ALWAYS ask what's in the soup or, if you've already taken a few sips, DON'T ask what's in the soup. I grew up in the city (Kingston) and took my first trip to the 'country ' when I was about 9 years old. The family welcomed us with open arms and a kerosene pan (ask your spouses about this) on an open wood fire in the front yard bubbling with soup. I have to admit it smelled delicious...and I was presented with a steaming hot bowl. I had to take my time and skim from the top because it was so hot. When I finally got down to the meat of the matter...there was a completely intact jawbone staring back at me..complete with molars, premolars and inscisors embedded in the blackest gums I had ever seen. I think the goat was suffering from gingivitis. I dropped the entire bowl and all but puked.

The other usual culprits for turning any non-jamaican off our cuisine are:

Chicken foot soup...also curried chicken foot

Cow foot..sometimes the skin of the cow (not the hide) is added to this dish.

Cow cod soup (which is the ####### and ####### and, incidentally, come from the bull - not the cow)

My girlfriend's mom used to deep fry chicken heads for her ..beaks, eyes and all. I kid you not.

Tripe..as in intestines..with broad beans.

Cow head...as in the brains...with broad beans

Light...which is the heart of the cow

Cow tongue...I hear it is delicious when smoked

The USA has a nasty habit of deporting turkey necks to our shores...so we cook those up with broad beans too.

Some people buy fish heads only because the rest of the fish can be too expensive for their meagre budgets.

One thing I must say about my people...no matter what it is...they season up their meats and marinate them to perfection and when cooked and served with some good rice and peas or yam, green bananas and cornmeal dumpling... if you close your eyes and forget where the meat came from...you are in for a culinary masterpiece.

My 3 cents!

Mars.

Girl you making me hungry!! I used to eat tripe and beans often but can't find anyone to cook it like JA. I don't know how to so my mom cook it for me. I also love cow foot w/ butter beans and my grandma used to make the best chicken foot soup!!!!

YUCK! Marlon's mom almost made us chicken foot soup but when I told her I was not gonna eat it, she just made chicken and yam soup.

Good morning VJ family.

One of my worst nightmares happened this morning --Damien was in a car accident on his way to work. I have no idea how this man walked away without an injury. The car flipped over three times and landed on the driver's side...he had to break the window to get out. The car is totalled...I couldn't tell which end was which. Thank God he was wearing a seat belt or he would be flown from the car in the middle of a 4 lane highway. No other cars were involved...another car cut him off so he lost control trying to avoid hitting a tracker trailor. God is good. Damien still went to work and was worried about being late

Thank God he is okay!

To those of you with recent additions to the family, congrats on the babies!!!!! I so need to catch up!

Edited April 3, 2007 by FutureMrs

[nyseness 0]

Great News!

Jay is in Atlanta and is going 'Jamaican' shopping for me this evening! It's going to be interesting, I think, as he has sent me a text to ask how many POUNDS of ackee do I think I'll need. I called him back and told him I'd need some Thyme ...he said "well think fast because I can only do this today!".

Gotta love him.

Girl you making me hungry!! I used to eat tripe and beans often but can't find anyone to cook it like JA. I don't know how to so my mom cook it for me. I also love cow foot w/ butter beans and my grandma used to make the best chicken foot soup!!!!

We should make a point of collecting our parent's recipes.

Sure anytime.....