Happy Birthday Cha Cha Cha

Sunday was Meivis´s birthday. So on Saturday I ventured to the biggest supermarket I could find in hopes of finding the ingredients to make my mom´s yummy pumpkin cake. No luck, even when I looked up pumpkin in Spanish and successfully asked where a can could be found, I was let down when I was assured they don´t carry canned pumpkin in Panama. A search of the canned section confirmed this.

My next idea was a delicious pineapple upside down cake with delicate powdered sugar frosting made with the juice of the pineapple. I found the cake mix, the canned pineapple, but only granular and brown sugar. Even with somewhat successful translation I couldn´t find any powdered sugar. Later Meivis assured me she had never seen powerdered surgar in any stores.

I bought the cake mix anyways faintly remembering that you can make frosting from regular sugar on the stove. How, I dunno? I figured I would pop into the Internet cafe Sunday Morning while the cake was baking and Google it. I didn´t realize that on Sunday everything would be closed. Yikes.

Next option... Call mom of course. I called my mom and with her and her best friend Alice´s help we decided that yes I could make frosting on the stove and Alice described the process. I was limited on time, so the frosting didn´t turn out like I had pictured. The cakes on the other hand were gorgeous. Possible the best I have ever made. I was limited on supplies and only had access to a toaster oven. However, using a small casserole dish and a sauce pan missing the handle, I made two cakes.

I was a little anxious when I dribbled the sugar-pineapple juice concoction onto the cakes, but I had little choice. I took the bigger of the two cakes with me to Meivi´s sister´s house where we were celebrating with a Panamanian style Sunday afternoon BBQ. The house was small but luxurious. They had a new kitchen, flat screen TV and a mini pool in the back yard. At the back of the yard was a rancho (pretty much the roof of a beach style hut) complete with a mini pool table, bar and BBQ pit.

Just like a BBQ at my dad´s there was plenty of meat. There was also a basic Panamanian chicken rice dish and the best potato salad I have ever had in my life.

Once we got to the party I realized I should have brought both cakes. There were over twenty people there, including several of Meivi´s sisters and their spouses, kids, babies, and a few teens. At first I was worried I would end up being a wall flower while Spanish was whirling around. However, most of the people there spoke some English and several were fluent in not only Spanish and English, but also French and Portuguese. We sang Happy Birthday three different times...



I talked to the husband of one of Meivi´s friends and it turned out he was a Panamanian attorney slash business man slash pilot. We spent a while comparing the two systems, how you become a lawyer in the two countries, etc. It was insightful. I also played some pool, talked to a parrot, ate three servings of carne asada and so much chordizo I lost count.




When it came time for the cake and candle, I was worried about the sketchy frosting. My worries faded when I herd the sounds `um´ and `wow.´ Score! The cake was a big hit.



As a birthday present, I took Meivis to get a pedicure andmanicure in a salon, not on the streets :) I got just a pedicure myself. They didn´t have the comfy vibrating chairs or any Vietnamese women and I am pretty sure my cuticles were removed not just cut... My big toes were sore for two days. I was also worried because I saw that their serialization method was essentially putting the dirty utensils in some hot water and swishing. I shouldn´t have expected more considering the pedicure was only $3. I have examined and reexamined my toes in search of gangrene, keeping in mind that my health care ran out on the 12th and hoping that the Cipro I brought could kill toe bacteria. It´s been several days now and I am pretty sure I´m safe. The pain is almost gone...

Jeeni minus cuticles