While waiting..

[lucybelle 453]

I meant to ask you... Do you know where there are any AMERICAN grocery stores? Maybe near the Airport or somewhere in SJ? I am arriving on Thanksgiving day and I told my husband I want to grocery shop before we head up the mountain to the house. Its a 2 hour drive from the airport. I want to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for them. Pali and Mega Super just don't cut it. Maybe Walmart but I wanted something different if possible

Walmart (in Escazu, the one I go to) actually has a whole gringo section around this time of year where you can get Libby's pumpkin pie mix, pie crusts, cranberry sauce, instant mashed potatoes, stuffing mixes, gravy mixes, everything. I think you can even buy frozen turkeys! Not sure about turkeys since I haven't made one before.

Another place I would recommend would be Automercado. It's got lots of imported stuff. But it's pricey!

I think for the most part you should be able to get just about everything in Walmart. And Walmart is much nicer here than in the USA. The food is good quality. It's not as cheap as USA Walmarts, but it's got lots of good stuff.

I'm sure your esposo knows of a Automercado or Walmart on the way! Good luck!

Edited November 18, 2013 by lucybelle

[LoveMyTico 999]

Walmart (in Escazu, the one I go to) actually has a whole gringo section around this time of year where you can get Libby's pumpkin pie mix, pie crusts, cranberry sauce, instant mashed potatoes, stuffing mixes, gravy mixes, everything. I think you can even buy frozen turkeys! Not sure about turkeys since I haven't made one before.

Another place I would recommend would be Automercado. It's got lots of imported stuff. But it's pricey!

I think for the most part you should be able to get just about everything in Walmart. And Walmart is much nicer here than in the USA. The food is good quality. It's not as cheap as USA Walmarts, but it's got lots of good stuff.

I'm sure your esposo knows of a Automercado or Walmart on the way! Good luck!

we usually hit the Walmart in Desamparados on the way to his house. As long as they have additional things for this time of year then I think I will be fine. Thanks. I askedmy husband but he only ever goes to Walmart when I am there. His mom has never been... She likes Pali but hten again, she isn't looking for american foods !

I hope Walmart has pre-cooked Turkeys !

[lucybelle 453]

we usually hit the Walmart in Desamparados on the way to his house. As long as they have additional things for this time of year then I think I will be fine. Thanks. I askedmy husband but he only ever goes to Walmart when I am there. His mom has never been... She likes Pali but hten again, she isn't looking for american foods !

I hope Walmart has pre-cooked Turkeys !

Yeah, Pali is the worst grocery store there is. They sell rice, beans and cans of tuna.

I'm going to be looking for turkeys this year so I'll let you know if I spot one in WalMart!

[TimandAna 37]

I hope Walmart has pre-cooked Turkeys !

Really? Represent and get a uncooked one! Haha

[LoveMyTico 999]

Yeah, Pali is the worst grocery store there is. They sell rice, beans and cans of tuna.

I'm going to be looking for turkeys this year so I'll let you know if I spot one in WalMart!

Im texting with my husband now.. He says he knows where the Automercado is but its very expensive.. LOL I keep asking him about pre-cooked Turkeys and if he can call and reserve one.. He just says we should be able to just go buy one.... IDK, maybe its me but I think you need to call ahead... thats alot of work to cook those turkeys and then not sell them... I think we need to put in an order..

It would be great if you can let me know where to get one so I can get him to call....he just doesn't feel the need to rush.. he's on TICO time

[LoveMyTico 999]

Really? Represent and get a uncooked one! Haha

I would love to buy an uncooked one but there is NO OVEN at my husband's house. How would you like to cook it ???

[TimandAna 37]

I would love to buy an uncooked one but there is NO OVEN at my husband's house. How would you like to cook it ???

Wrap the turkey in foil. Dig a hole and bury it with coals.... It works for pigs why not turkey's also.. Guess it's easy to tell I don't cook.. Haha

[LoveMyTico 999]

Yeah, Pali is the worst grocery store there is. They sell rice, beans and cans of tuna.

I'm going to be looking for turkeys this year so I'll let you know if I spot one in WalMart!

HAHHA You're not lying about the Pali.. I hate going there. When I speak english in that store I have a million eyes on me as I walk around.. I used to get weirded out by all the stares.. Now I just talk and talk and talk and look back at them !!

[LoveMyTico 999]

Wrap the turkey in foil. Dig a hole and bury it with coals.... It works for pigs why not turkey's also.. Guess it's easy to tell I don't cook.. Haha

I wanna eat the turkey some time in the 11 days I'm there... LOL you're funny

[TimandAna 37]

I wanna eat the turkey some time in the 11 days I'm there... LOL you're funny

Last Thanksgiving when I was there.. I ordered 5 meals from the hotel and said "Happy Thanksgiving!"

Which is another thing I bet she will love for the first time..

Thanksgiving dinners.. Chicken and dressing (not that stuffing ####### but with cornbread), cranberry sauce, mash potatoes with gravy, sweet corn, baked beans with bacon, sweet cornbread, deviled eggs, baked Mac n cheese, and home made pie... Mmmmm Then keep the left overs and tuber ware from the family! Haha

[Cathi 5,784]

Grate thread!

My husband actually misses the driving in Jordan, he says driving here isn't a challenge haha. I HATE driving in Jordan, it is insanity.

There are so many things he misses about home,

-the driving

-being able to go to dinner without spending a small fortune, the cost of,living is so much lower there in just about all aspects of life.

-He misses all the specialty markets for food and spices and meats and veggies and breads.Everything there is fresh. I miss that about Jordan too.

- he misses the hustle and bustle of the city, he lived in Amman. Even though we live in the biggest town in NH, it is not nearly as busy as the big city, after all it's New Hampshire.

- he misses having family around all the time. There was always mom, dad, brothers, sisters and extended family at home constantly. Here we live far from my family.

- he misses his moms cooking and eating all the parts of an animal, that in in my opinion, are not meant to be eaten. I do cook a lot of middle eastern food for him, but it just isn't the same. We don't have the fresh spices, and farm fresh yogurt and so many other things that are available there.

- here he HATES the winter. Then again so do I, and I grew up here.

Things he doesn't miss

- TV and movies. He is from a Muslim country so many shows and movies are blocked or edited because of the laws about dencency(not sure of that's good,or bad..lol). He gets to watch shows on tv when they are new, not years later as reruns with half of the good parts cut out.

- being able to watch soccer on TV in the comfort of his own home.

- the job market there is terrible, he is happy to have a job in his field with decent pay.

- he loves that here in the US we can drive a few minutes and be at the ocean, or skiing 5 minutes away, and less than an hour to Boston. He loves the different cultural sections of Boston, the north end(Italian section, he says he feels like he is in a scene from the Godfather when we go), Chinatown, Southie(Irish)He loves how different each state is and that you don't have to hop on a plane to vacation.

- he loves the different cultures and foods right at his fingertips, and that it's authentic. In Jordan there is one kind of food, middle eastern, even Japanese or Italian food is middle eastern...haha

- he likes the option to go to the gym 24 hours a day. Not quite sure he joined a 24 hour gym though, he only goes at night after work...haha

- he is amazed at how good the medical system and care In this country is, albeit expensive. It is night and day. Going to the hospital there is a scary experience. Been there, done that, it was the worst experience of my life.

I could go on forever about what he misses about home, and what he likes and doesn't like about the US. I just know that we are both incredibly lucky, to first of all have each other, and to also have the cultural differences that we both embrace into our daily lives. There are so many things I have learned from him, his family and friends and culture, things I never would have know unless we met. The intense conversations we have about the religious and cultural differences take place between us every da make us laugh, and cry( good crying)and make us think. What he has brought into my life, and into the lives of my children and family are endless. Neither one of us would trade our journey for anything. We have fun, we live life to the fullest, but most importantly, we love each other. More each day...

Edited November 18, 2013 by mimolicious

[TimandAna 37]

Grate thread!

My husband actually misses the driving in Jordan, he says driving here isn't a challenge haha. I HATE driving in Jordan, it is insanity.

There are so many things he misses about home,

-the driving

-being able to go to dinner without spending a small fortune, the cost of,living is so much lower there in just about all aspects of life.

-He misses all the specialty markets for food and spices and meats and veggies and breads.Everything there is fresh. I miss that about Jordan too.

- he misses the hustle and bustle of the city, he lived in Amman. Even though we live in the biggest town in NH, it is not nearly as busy as the big city, after all it's New Hampshire.

- he misses having family around all the time. There was always mom, dad, brothers, sisters and extended family at home constantly. Here we live far from my family.

- he misses his moms cooking and eating all the parts of an animal, that in in my opinion, are not meant to be eaten. I do cook a lot of middle eastern food for him, but it just isn't the same. We don't have the fresh spices, and farm fresh yogurt and so many other things that are available there.

- here he HATES the winter. Then again so do I, and I grew up here.

Things he doesn't miss

- TV and movies. He is from a Muslim country so many shows and movies are blocked or edited because of the laws about dencency(not sure of that's good,or bad..lol). He gets to watch shows on tv when they are new, not years later as reruns with half of the good parts cut out.

- being able to watch soccer on TV in the comfort of his own home.

- the job market there is terrible, he is happy to have a job in his field with decent pay.

- he loves that here in the US we can drive a few minutes and be at the ocean, or skiing 5 minutes away, and less than an hour to Boston. He loves the different cultural sections of Boston, the north end(Italian section, he says he feels like he is in a scene from the Godfather when we go), Chinatown, Southie(Irish)He loves how different each state is and that you don't have to hop on a plane to vacation.

- he loves the different cultures and foods right at his fingertips, and that it's authentic. In Jordan there is one kind of food, middle eastern, even Japanese or Italian food is middle eastern...haha

- he likes the option to go to the gym 24 hours a day. Not quite sure he joined a 24 hour gym though, he only goes at night after work...haha

- he is amazed at how good the medical system and care In this country is, albeit expensive. It is night and day. Going to the hospital there is a scary experience. Been there, done that, it was the worst experience of my life.

I could go on forever about what he misses about home, and what he likes and doesn't like about the US. I just know that we are both incredibly lucky, to first of all have each other, and to also have the cultural differences that we both embrace into our daily lives. There are so many things I have learned from him, his family and friends and culture, things I never would have know unless we met. The intense conversations we have about the religious and cultural differences take place between us every da make us laugh, and cry( good crying)and make us think. What he has brought into my life, and into the lives of my children and family are endless. Neither one of us would trade our journey for anything. We have fun, we live life to the fullest, but most importantly, we love each other. More each day...

That is so funny he likes the challenge of driving and I have to agree.. Not all parts are meant to be eaten.. Hahaha.. It's so nice that you both bring good parts of both culture to your lives.. It makes for a very rich family Thank you for the post it makes me smile

[JA_Martinez 81]

you all are making me laugh so hard, trying to work but this stopped me.

my husband is Filipino living in Japan for 30yrs now. rice has been part of his meal every day of his life. THAT might be a challenge here, but we'll make it work. there are alot of Filipino and Japanese places here; just have to find all of the stuff he likes most.

i was there for two months this past Jan/Feb...there can't possibly be food in the US as good as it is there....everything is fresh, all day every day. i miss that alot. I have to try to make this transition as easy for him as possible. i think he's generally excited to be where it's warm and where people / neighbors talk to each other. he knows they all know he's not Japanese (altho obviously fluent), so he's kind of the odd man out in general.

just my short story to fill the gap....we knew each other 40+yrs ago in high school...we were in Taipei together, I was in HS, he was in a Filipino band (sigh....my inner drummer!). when we all left there in early 72, we all lost contact. thank God for the internet and FB, by way of 3-4 emails they eventually pointed me back to him! That was April 2011, we were married in Osaka in Feb this year.....and then I left him behind.....and here we are. because he's Filipino he can't even come here on the VWP(even if he lived on the moon) to visit because they are not in the program. Bummer.

he told me his biggest fear is not knowing where he is and not knowing how to get around. i've decided i'm going to paint one full wall in my house white and then get a wall size map made of Central Florida and Orlando so he can study them when he figures out where he is and where he's going, I'll paint the wall!

[GoLdEnSkY99 54]

you all are making me laugh so hard, trying to work but this stopped me.

my husband is Filipino living in Japan for 30yrs now. rice has been part of his meal every day of his life. THAT might be a challenge here, but we'll make it work. there are alot of Filipino and Japanese places here; just have to find all of the stuff he likes most.

i was there for two months this past Jan/Feb...there can't possibly be food in the US as good as it is there....everything is fresh, all day every day. i miss that alot. I have to try to make this transition as easy for him as possible. i think he's generally excited to be where it's warm and where people / neighbors talk to each other. he knows they all know he's not Japanese (altho obviously fluent), so he's kind of the odd man out in general.

just my short story to fill the gap....we knew each other 40+yrs ago in high school...we were in Taipei together, I was in HS, he was in a Filipino band (sigh....my inner drummer!). when we all left there in early 72, we all lost contact. thank God for the internet and FB, by way of 3-4 emails they eventually pointed me back to him! That was April 2011, we were married in Osaka in Feb this year.....and then I left him behind.....and here we are. because he's Filipino he can't even come here on the VWP(even if he lived on the moon) to visit because they are not in the program. Bummer.

he told me his biggest fear is not knowing where he is and not knowing how to get around. i've decided i'm going to paint one full wall in my house white and then get a wall size map made of Central Florida and Orlando so he can study them when he figures out where he is and where he's going, I'll paint the wall!

HAHA that's funny that you will paint your wall, I think you should just introduce him to the GPS or get him a smart phone so he can ask "siri" please take me home and find the stuff around me

[LoveMyTico 999]

HAHA that's funny that you will paint your wall, I think you should just introduce him to the GPS or get him a smart phone so he can ask "siri" please take me home and find the stuff around me

THAT'S FUNNY !!! Thank God for GPS's and smart phones.

My husband lived with me when he was here so as long as his memory is in tact, he should be good. Getting around should be fine.

He still is funny about talking to other people in English. I am the only one who ever spoke English to him and in fact, he didn't speak a word of English when I met him. He always had that confused look on his face. I bought him some books and I sat with him and just spoke slowly. We used to sit for hours and I would google translate lyrics to songs that he liked but never knew what they were saying. We didn't even talk on the phone in the beginning. Just text. Such good memories !!! even now, I text in English and he responds in Spanish. I wouldn't trade that for the world. I could listen to his accent forever. I hope he never loses it !

Edited November 18, 2013 by LoveMyTico