Tetelque

Tetelque is that weird feeling between your tongue and your teeth when you eat unripe fruit or spinach. It's a cool Salvadoran word, but it has absolutely nothing to do with this blog.

My name is Christina. I live in El Salvador. (It's kind of a long story.) I'll probably write about that a lot. This blog was originally meant for my family, so they could keep track of my adventures over here, but I'm pretty sure they've never read it. So instead, I dedicate this to you, whoever you may be.



Interrogatives   Declaratives


My husband brought me a bunch of icacos last night, probably figuring that since I was so averse to the randomest flavors these days, the safest bet would be to bring me something with no flavor at all. Have you tried them? They’re like eating cotton candy, if cotton candy had skin and tasted like nothing. But the cool thing about this fruit is that once you’ve finished sucking all the flavorless goodness off the seed, you can then crack that seed to reveal a rather tasty nut. The nut itself tastes a bit like a Brasil nut mixed with hazelnut. I’ve totally sold you on icacos now, haven’t I.

My husband brought me a bunch of icacos last night, probably figuring that since I was so averse to the randomest flavors these days, the safest bet would be to bring me something with no flavor at all. Have you tried them? They’re like eating cotton candy, if cotton candy had skin and tasted like nothing. But the cool thing about this fruit is that once you’ve finished sucking all the flavorless goodness off the seed, you can then crack that seed to reveal a rather tasty nut. The nut itself tastes a bit like a Brasil nut mixed with hazelnut.

I’ve totally sold you on icacos now, haven’t I.



Now that @mishtun is in Haeundae, he’s got me all nostalgic. So, nostalgia pictures!! (Taken at Haeundae Beach, Busan, South Korea when I lived there about a million years ago.) Just tell me… is Taco Guy still there? I loved Taco Guy.



I love this picture, because it perfectly captures the relationship between me and one of my closest friends. Happy birthday, Adam!

I love this picture, because it perfectly captures the relationship between me and one of my closest friends. Happy birthday, Adam!



Flashback: Japan, 2003. My first (and last) time skiing. Spent the first half of the day falling into the cold, wet snow and the other half happily settled in the warm lodge eating ice cream and drinking hot chocolate.

The girl on the left and I had met in Japan and become really close friends, especially after discovering that we had grown up within 20 minutes from each other in New Jersey.

I was dating a Japanese-Salvadoran guy at the time, and shortly after, she ended up dating his younger brother.

Now she’s my sister-in-law, and we both live in El Salvador. 

Crazy, crazy world.



Feliz dia, madrecita…



Going to make some fresco de maracuyá. This fruit smells so gooood…

Going to make some fresco de maracuyá. This fruit smells so gooood…



My sister is laughing here because she thinks this says “Soybean paste A.K.A. Miso,” and I’m laughing because she doesn’t know that “aka” is Japanese for “red”.  :P

My sister is laughing here because she thinks this says “Soybean paste A.K.A. Miso,” and I’m laughing because she doesn’t know that “aka” is Japanese for “red”.  :P



What are your thoughts on nances?

What are your thoughts on nances?


Cortando jocotes



My beautiful baby sister. I miss her so much!

My beautiful baby sister. I miss her so much!



I’ve seen about twenty different pictures of cherry blossoms today, so I’m responding with some pictures of maquilishuat. 



Pregnancy cravings. I’ve already eaten ten of these in the past five days, and it looks like there’s no end in sight. And I can never decide between the arroz and the maiz, so I always have to get one of each. Which do you prefer?

Pregnancy cravings. I’ve already eaten ten of these in the past five days, and it looks like there’s no end in sight. And I can never decide between the arroz and the maiz, so I always have to get one of each. Which do you prefer?



Meanwhile, back in Philly…  My sister just took this picture of our family’s traditional Easter dessert, cannoli from Isgro’s.

Meanwhile, back in Philly… 

My sister just took this picture of our family’s traditional Easter dessert, cannoli from Isgro’s.


Jocotes, which are currently sitting to the right of me and quickly diminishing in number.

Jocotes, which are currently sitting to the right of me and quickly diminishing in number.


Cinnamon pull-apart bread: my contribution to Friday’s dinner. It was pretty delicious, if I do say so myself. The recipe can be found at http://joythebaker.com/2011/03/cinnamon-sugar-pull-apart-bread/

Cinnamon pull-apart bread: my contribution to Friday’s dinner. It was pretty delicious, if I do say so myself. The recipe can be found at http://joythebaker.com/2011/03/cinnamon-sugar-pull-apart-bread/