Chelsea in Puerto Rico

December!?!? And still in the 80s : )

2008-11-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Puerto Rico!!! Hope you all had a wonderful and filling Thanksgiving---filled with food and filled with thanks.

Tomorrow is December already!?!? What? How did that happen?

I apologize for going so long without updating. I can’t believe a whole month has already passed. The past month was filled with even more travels and even some visitors! I’ve had to learn to be flexible and patient with the way the University works down here (I’ll explain) and how to take charge, be organized and be a hostess.

At the end of last month we had an unscheduled “academic recess” ordered by the University President. Apparently, the janitorial and grounds keeping staff were threatening to strike and in order to prevent the actual strike from happening, the President called a recess to allow for negotiations. We didn’t have classes for a whole week. Two of those days, Mon Nov 3 and Tues Nov 4, were already scheduled due to days off for the elections. Anyway, we had a whole week off! Since there was already a scheduled long weekend, Cara and some of her friends (the same ones we went to the river with) had already been planning on making a trip to Culebra, a little island off of the main island’s east coast. I was invited to go with. We left Friday afternoon. It took us quite a while due to traffic and rain to get to Fajardo, the city on the east coast where the ferry departs from. Because we arrived a little late and because it was a long weekend, the afternoon cargo ferry (cargo so we could bring Cara’s car) was already full. We would have to wait until the 4am cargo ferry left…a whole 12 hours!! Ugh. Lets just say it was a long, frustrating, sticky, uncomfortable and sleepless night waiting in the guagua (pronounced: wah-wah, the Puerto Rican word for big cars/trucks). We were at the ferry dock by 2:30am ready to get in line and get on. We made it on and I was able to sleep a little on the ferry’s uncovered upper-deck. There was a nice, cool breeze and the stars were so amazing and clear. I think I saw about three shooting stars before I drifted off. We arrived to the port in Dewey, Culebra’s only town, a little before 6am. It was pretty much deserted. The friends that we were supposed to be traveling with had come over on the passenger ferry the night before and had already spent the night at a campground on Flamenco Beach. Now we just had to find the campground and find them. Cara had been to Culebra and to the campground once before and kind of knew the way. After turning around once, we knew we were on the right path and made it to the campground just as the sun was coming up. We couldn’t find our friends right away so we just went out and laid our towels down on the beach and took a nap. We were tired, stinky and needless to say, a little cranky. Shortly after we’d lain down, Rene came walking down the beach. He took us to the campsite and we set up our tent. Then I headed back to the beach with my towel to catch some more sleep. The campground is about twenty steps off of the beach, so I didn’t have to go very far. I laid my towel down on the most beautiful beach I had ever seen in my life and rested amongst the fresh breeze, the sound of the waves and the coolness of the morning air, untouched by the sun’s fierce rays. By 9am I was awake again and ready to enjoy the day on the small piece of paradise. All seven of us loaded up into the guagua and were in pursuit of a good snorkeling spot. We found exactly what we were looking for on Melones Beach. The coral and the fish and everything were absolutely amazing! We snorkeled for almost two hours and I didn’t get bored once. It was so exciting watching the coral wave at you, the schools of fish (BIG and small) scurry when they saw you coming, the lazy jelly-fish lounge near the surface and the small octopus act like a scardy cat in our presence. It really is a whole different world down there. I was so impressed and will forever remember that day of snorkeling. After that we had some snacks and drank some water and then headed to the next beach. We went to Zoni beach, which is on the north-eastern side of Culebra. I was too tired to swim anymore and just laid my towel down and was lulled to sleep. The others swam a bit and walked up and down the beach. We made it back to the campground just as the sun was setting. We washed off under the cistern, put on fresh clothes, plenty of bug spray (the mosquitoes were fierce) and headed into Dewey to find a real meal. We settled at Heather’s, a bar and pizzeria. The pizza we ordered (spinach, pineapple and froschetta cheese) was wonderful and hit the spot. We walked around the little town a bit more and were back at the campsite and snug in our tents by 10pm. The next day (Sunday) I was awake and on the beach by 7:30am and spent pretty much the whole day on Flamenco beach. I just couldn’t get over how beautiful it was. The water is roughly eight different shades of blue-green-turquoise. The sand is white and soft. The palm trees a pure green and the sky an endless blue. I swam, napped and walked around the little paradise. On Monday we were up and all packed by 5am. Since we were unable to make a reservation when we had come over on Saturday morning because we’d been told all of the Monday cargo ferries were full, we had to get into town to see if there would be room for us on the ferry to get back to the main land. It turned out there was room for us on the morning ferry AND room on the evening ferry. Cara really wanted one more day to explore, so we made a reservation for the 6pm ferry. We left the little town and headed back to the campground. Instead of parking ourselves on Flamenco beach we took a twenty minute hike up and over a little mountain to get to Carlos Rosario Beach---which was pretty much deserted and maybe ever more beautiful than Flamenco! The water on that beach is so crystal clear you feel like you’re in a pool. You can see your feet when you’re standing in water that is up to your neck. If you look underwater with goggles you can see for quite a distance. It was amazing. We soaked up the sun, swam amongst a school of friendly fish (they looked like angel fish) that came right up to us, shell hunted and snorkeled a bit. We made it back on the ferry and onto the mainland by 8:30pm. We were tired, well sunned (I’d never been so tan in my life!) and ready for a good nights sleep in a real bed. We drove to Guaynabo, a suburb of San Juan where we stayed at a friend’s house. Cara and I both slept sound.
We drove back across the main island to Mayaguez on Tuesday, Nov 4…Election Day both in the U.S. and in Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans are politic crazy. People were nuts---out in the streets shouting for their favorite governor candidate, waving political flags out the car and honking—constantly. Meanwhile, Cara and I were very curious as to what things were looking like back in the US. Both of us had voted via absentee ballot three weeks prior and were anxiously awaiting any news. We made it back to Mayaguez just after dark. I took a shower, talked to my mom and Sean on the phone (I hadn’t had any service while in Culebra), applied aloe vera and went to bed. I woke up the next morning to numerous text messages and voicemails announcing that Sen. Barack Obama was our new President-elect!
Going back to classes after a whole week off was really hard. It had been so nice to travel and be lazy. Plus, November 7th marked three months since the semester had started. I’m used to getting ready to start taking finals when the three month mark arrives…here I still had another month of classes.
However, things went relatively fast because I was anticipating and planning for the arrival of my first visitor from home—my mom! I went and picked her up at the airport in San Juan late on Thursday November 13th. My friend, Raiza, came with me as she’s very familiar with the San Juan area. It was so wonderful to see a familiar face---especially my mom’s face! Its amazing how safe and comfortable you feel once you know your mom is there to make everything okay. We had a wonderful long weekend. She came back to Mayaguez and was able to see the apartment, accompany me to History class, meet the ladies in the exchange student office and meet some of my friends here. We spent Saturday night at a small hotel near San Sebastian, a small town up in the mountains. Our hotel had an amazing view over a man-made lake. Saturday we went to some different lakes up in the mountains. We took a boat ride across to a restaurant for lunch and then got back on the road and headed to San Juan. We spent Sunday night and Monday night at a guest house in Condado, a district of San Juan. We were about two blocks from the beach. On Monday we went to the Bacardi rum distillery and took a tour and spent time in Old San Juan. The distillery was very interesting and well presented. We shopped and shopped in Old San Juan. It was sad to drop my mom off at the airport on Tuesday morning and make the drive back to Mayaguez. Oh, that’s another thing---I drove in Puerto Rico which was a whole new experience in itself, and actually a bit fun. People here are crazy drivers…no blinkers, sometimes adhering to stop signs, slow at merging, quick to use their horns…crazy. But I was able to do it.
So it was back to classes after a nice visit with my mom. I’ll admit, I felt a bit lonely after having had her company, but I just had to keep in mind that Thanksgiving would come soon enough and then Sean would be here to visit. I was really wishing that it would be Thanksgiving right then. Hmmm….well, wishes come true!
The next day, Wednesday the 19th we didn’t have any classes in honor of a Puerto Rican holiday (Discovery Day or Invasion Day---the day that Columbus landed on Puerto Rico in 1493). I was talking to my mom on the phone when Sean’s mom, Lori, called. Since I’m not so good at doing the call-waiting thing I kept talking to my mom and decided to call Lori back when my mom and I were done. Then pretty soon Sean was calling me, but again I decided I’d call him back. Then my phone beeped that I had a voicemail from Sean’s mom. Then another beep telling me I had a text message from Sean. Okay, I thought, something is up. I said goodbye to my mom and called Sean right away. He told me he had some news…that his mom had accidentally bought his plane ticket for the wrong dates, a week early which meant he would be in Puerto Rico….the very next day! My wish came true! We were both excited but overwhelmed at the same time. I had to do some rearranging of reservations and he had to talk to some of his professors and get ready a whole week early. It was lucky his mom had checked her email that morning because the airline had sent her an email about checking-in for the flight and that was how she realized the mistake.
It was so wonderful to see Sean! We had an amazing weekend on the island. The weather wasn’t so nice, but we did make it to a beach and were able to swim a little bit. We also spent time in San Juan and on Saturday night, went to Fajardo to the Bioluminescent Bay. We took a kayaking tour and we both absolutely loved it. There are only five bioluminescent bays in the world; three of them are in Puerto Rico and with the others in Jamaica and Bahamas. The most basic explanation I can offer is that there are plankton (the organism the lowest on the food chain) in all bodies of water. In these five unique ecosystems the plankton are much like fireflies. Meaning, at night you can seem them as they light up. Unlike fireflies, however, they don’t just light up at random. These plankton light up when they sense movement. It is a defense mechanism for them. For example, shrimp eat these plankton. When a little shrimp is swimming through the water looking for food, the plankton lights up because of the movement, exposing the shrimp to fish (next on the food chain), which then see the shrimp because of the light and eats the shrimp—thus the plankton is safe. Its fascinating. We kayaked across the bay from shore, then through mangroves and into Laguna Grande. As we got further from shore and closer to the laguna the water was getting brighter and staying lit longer as we paddled. Each stroke glittered. When we put our hands in the water and wiggled our fingers the water sparkled. We were in awe. To read a little bit more on it go to: http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/laguna-grande-fajardo-bio-bay/ and/or see something on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux5RBHOJIK0&feature=related (at about the 1:30 min mark).
Our weekend together ended all too soon. Thursday-Sunday afternoon went way too fast. But it was refreshing for the both of us to get to spend time together on the beautiful island and it was so great for Sean to do some traveling and see a new part of the world. He loved hearing the Spanish and was continually asking me to translate signs, song lyrics and what people were saying. I didn’t mind one bit. It makes me so happy that he enjoyed seeing and experiencing a culture and country so different from the United States. We’re both looking forward to future travels and he even indicated that he’s interested in learning Spanish!
After another wonderful weekend it was back to classes again. It was another short week, however, as we had Thursday and Friday off for the Thanksgiving holiday. To celebrate Thanksgiving I went on a short trip with Cara and another friend, Pilo, a native Puerto Rican. We headed south-east and spent a night there at a really cheap (and mildly sketchy) guest house right on the beach—we could even hear the waves at night! It was really relaxing—spent time on the beach doing yoga, swimming, shell hunting and reading. For Thanksgiving dinner we had rice seasoned with curry and lentils cooked with eggplant, carrots and potatoes and a side of avocado. Both Cara and Pilo are vegetarians, so no turkey for me this year, but the rice and lentils were absolutely delicious! It was a great little trip and I was happy I got to see that part of the island. We drove along Route 901, a scenic drive along the coast. Absolutely gorgeous. I counted my blessings with ease.
This week of classes will mark the four month anniversary of the semester….its really getting long for me. Then the next week I have all of my finals (keep your fingers crossed) and hop on the plane to come back to MN! Classes have been going well; I’ve been getting mostly As and Bs on papers, projects and tests. Finals should be just fine.
I hope all is well back home---sending you warm and tropical thoughts!!
Thank you for reading—sorry it got a little long.
Take care
Chels

Hurricane, River Adventure and more Bomba y Plena

2008-10-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

Hello to all and hope you’re all having a good weekend. Its been two weeks since I’ve posted so I’ll do my best to fill you all in.
The week of Oct 13-17 was an eventful one. On Monday evening, we started hearing on the news and reading on weather.com about the possibility of a tropical storm hitting us later in the week. By Tuesday evening, we knew a storm was going to hit us—with chances of that storm turning into Hurricane Omar. At noon on Wednesday our University cancelled classes for the rest of the day and we were told to get ready for a hurricane. It wasn’t expected to hit us on the west directly, rather, the center/ center-eastern part of the Island.
Grocery stores were crazy. Students were leaving town. Elementary-high school students were let out. People were told to go home from their jobs. I had never seen such crazy/frantic traffic! It started raining hard around 2pm. It rained on and off until about 7pm that night. Then it stopped. No rain, no wind, not even thunder or lightening. The hurricane had turned and gone east instead. Whew. Close one. We ended up having classes the next day, however, there weren’t very many students there because everyone had gone home to be with their families for the hurricane. It was quite an experience. I was happy when the weekend came.
Last weekend was pretty amazing! I went with my friends Cara, Alizah (both exchange students), Renae, Ruthie and Luis (Puerto Ricans) to a river in the rainforest area in Maricao. It was an unforgettable adventure. The forest was almost an hour ride south east into the mountains from Mayaguez. Up. Around. Down. Lets just say I was’nt feeling so adventurous by the time we arrived at our destination—a small opening that reminded me of a gravel/dirt pit with no gravel or dirt that was just off the road and served as our parking lot. We got out and stretched. I tried to drink a bunch of water and shake the nauseous/foggy/uncomfortable feeling (and headache) from my system. Then we started walking into the forest. We walked. And walked. Across the river, up a steep path, down, across the river again and so forth. It was a lot like the car ride except I wasn’t getting sick from this. Everything was green and lush. You could see where landsides had happened in the previous weeks from all of the rain the area had had. Finally, Renae said, “Ya estamos llegando…” (We’re arriving), which I’d learned in Renae language…and in Puerto Rico, that we were about 20 minutes away. We encountered the river and followed it for another 15 minutes. We walked on the bank when there was one, otherwise we went on rocks or in the water. The river was mostly clear and ankle to knee deep. Occasionally it became murky with the kick up and stirring of the clay/silt/sediment that was woken up from its resting place by our intruding feet. It was a beautiful day—perfect for the river. The air was fresher up in the mountains and in the forest, and a bit cooler.
Finally, we arrived. What I saw in from of me at first was just a big pool of clear water. As I looked closer, I saw its source: a beautiful waterfall about four stories high. I looked up above it and I could see another one, pouring into the lower one. We sat in awe for a few minutes when Renae announced, “Subimos.” (We’re going up). Hmmm. It was ridiculously steep and I didn’t see any stairs. Definitely no elevator. “We’re going to climb??” I thought, with some panic.
We started by climbing out of the river bank up onto this big, tall rock. From there, it was mostly plant, tree and root infested earth and mud. It was so steep. On more than one occasion I wondered what in the heck I was doing and wished I had a safety harness. I tried to remember to plant my feet firm and use my legs as much as I could…a little something I’d learned while experimenting at the climbing wall at UWS. We came close to some more rocks and climbed up, on and around them and there we were, right up next to the top waterfall; sitting roughly two stories about its pool. We sat on the plateau and took it all in. I can’t even describe with justice how incredible it felt sitting up there. The constant melodic sound of rushing water coming from the fall, the cool breeze, the fresh smell of earth and water, the clear blue sky, green trees and the rush of just having climbed was almost a spiritual experience. I thought, “Wow. Our God is an awesome god,” as I took in my surroundings.
After resting a bit, Renae and Luis thought it was time for a swim. After surveying how to climb out of the pool, Renae let out a yell and leapt off the plateau, landing into a cushion of water below. Luis shortly followed. They swam around a bit in the pool and then climbed up onto to jump off again. “Brican, brican,” (jump, jump) they encouraged us girls.
The thought hadn’t really crossed my mind since I’m usually such a wimp when it comes to stuff like that. But I’d just finished climbing all that way and thought, “Why not?!?” I tell you, something strange came over me. I felt unusually calm about doing something that I typically think is crazy. I was a bit anxious, maybe a bit terrified, but also sure of what I was going to do. I handed my camera off to Ruthie, stripped down to my swim suit and got closer to the edge. I was shaking a bit, well, maybe trembling. “Go for it,” Alizah was saying. I knew I couldn’t look down because then I’d be too intimidated and I knew that if I waited any longer I’d back down. I crawled out toward the ledge. “Ready!?!” I asked, more so to myself, and slowly rose and jumped. I screamed. In terror, disbelief and for the excitement and joy. I’d like to say it was a graceful jumping and landing, but it wasn’t. I got water up my nose and it burned. Not to mention the wedgie of a lifetime. But it was worth it! The water was shockingly cold. It took my breath away. The wind down in the pool was strong. But I felt so free and wonderful in that moment, down by the waterfall. So vulnerable, yet so safe. I treaded water for a while, then went and sat on a rock by the edge and waited for Alizah, Cara and Ruthie to all take their turns jumping. We stayed in the fresh water for a while but then got cold. We made the tricky climb back up to the plateau. The rocks were slippery and there wasn’t much to hang out to. I had to take on a Spiderman mentality…NO looking down—and no stopping to think about the what ifs. I was so thankful for all of the weightlifting I’d done in my life.
We rested a while on the plateau and then headed back down to the bottom waterfall. It was just as difficult going back down as it had been climbing up. We all had to take our time. At moments, my life was depending on the strength of roots or vines no more than an inch in diameter. I lost my footing once or twice—luckily I only slid a bit before I was able to catch it again.
Back down at ground level we took another swim in the same cool, fresh, clear water. We made our way over to directly under the fall. What a rush! It was hard for me to keep my eyes open because the blasting mist and wind kept making my contact lenses fold. I clung to the rocky wall and had the best shower ever; feeling the water tumble over me.
We swam a bit more and took some pictures and marveled. Then we began the trek back to the car. The Puerto Ricans told us we’d be taking a different way back- a shorter, more direct route. Also a more wet, slippery and dangerous route. We followed the river back. Instead of walking up and around it like we had on our way in, we walked, swam and slid in it. To add another challenging element, three of us had brought bags, mine and Cara’s containing our cameras. We constantly were strategizing and using teamwork to keep the bags safe and dry—also to support and help each other. It was pretty neat. And beautiful. I felt so rustic—so natural. Like a “taína” woman—the native people from Puerto Rico.
By time we made it to the car we were all wet, dirty, and hungry. Some of us had scrapes from slipping and sliding on the rocks—we all had smiles. Our bags and cameras had survived too!
On our way back through the winding mountain roads we spotted orange and guava trees. We stopped to pick a bunch to hold us over until we got back to Mayaguez. The oranges here are very different looking—not orange at all. Instead, they’re yellow, and as they ripen, they turn green. They taste pretty much the same though. I’m not a huge fan of guava, just had one bite and that was enough.
The ride home was pretty quiet. Everyone was worn out. When I made it back to my apartment I took a shower, grabbed a quick bite to eat and crawled into bed for a nap. It was such a wonderful day—and we were so lucky that our Puerto Rican friends took us to the river and to the falls.
The rest of last week was pretty uneventful. Which I’m okay with. We’ve had some roommate drama, so I can appreciate a quiet week.
Yesterday (Saturday) was another exciting day. I went to the University for a three hour long workshop on the Puerto Rican Bomba and Plena music and dance. It was so much fun and so informative. I loved every minute of it. Some members of the group that I usually go to see perform every other Friday night were there. They were demonstrating and teaching. Both types of music are rhythmic and have drumming as well as other percussion instruments—one maraca, a rough-sided thick stick that one rubs a metal pick against and a hollowed out small tree-trunk that is held between the knees and hit with drumsticks.
Plena music is made by smaller, tambourine-like drums. (To see a video clip I took of the Plena music and to see some of the dance go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAh5w16hTLg). Bomba music is with bigger, congo-like drums. I’m sure there are differences in the singing too, but I didn’t quite catch them. They also showed some of the basic dance moves for each. Bomba and plena music always inspires such a great, feel-good environment. It is almost like hypnosis or meditation—time passes by so fast!
The professors in charge of the workshop kept stressing how important this music and dance are to Puerto Rican culture and just how important music in general is to the culture. It was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning.
Cara and I went to a beach for a bit afterward. Then I spent the rest of my evening and night in. Resting. The heat and the sun make me tired!
This morning (Sunday) I went to church and out to eat with a friend. I am hoping to do some laundry (if the laundromat isn’t too crowded), do a little bit of homework, try to upload some videos on YouTube and then go for a run.
I hope all is well there. My brother informed me last night that Minnesota could be seeing some of the “s” word soon! So hard to imagine down here—I really feel like I’ve been stuck in July for three months.
Thank you for reading and take care.

Article

2008-10-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

Saludos a ustedes y sus familias de Puerto Rico!
No classes today for us. We’re observing Christopher Columbus Day. Too bad it wasn’t a really nice and sunny day—could’ve gone to the beach. But instead it was overcast and we had a good rain from 1-3:30pm. Its okay though, I’ve spent the day getting caught up on a few correspondences and uploading photos on Facebook and videos on YouTube from my weekend adventures.
Yesterday I went to a Bomba y Plena festival in Hormigueros, a town next to Mayaguez. It was absolutely wonderful! I love this traditional music and dance! If you go to youtube.com and type in ‘Festival de Bomba y Plena’ my vid-clips should come up. It was great. And I’m so jealous of the beautiful Puerto Ricans who seem to be born with the moves to match the wonderful rhythms.
I finished my article for the student newspaper at UWS on Friday morning. It turned out a little long, but I hope it gives people an idea of where Puerto Rico is and what it is like.
Otherwise, not too much other news. Classes are keeping me busy. I have one test this week and it will be intense— the Rules and Regulations of Volleyball for my coaching class. I thought I knew the rules pretty darn well, having played so much, but there’s some variations from the high school rules/NCAA rules and the international rules. Plus, a lot more technicalities than I realized! Study, study, study.
Thank you for reading!
I hope all is well in the States!
Take Care

Article for The Stinger:

Its early August and I just stepped off of the plane in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, right after the sun had set, and was hit with intense heat and smothering humidity that I could not remember ever experiencing before. The air smelled like fresh land that had just been tilled and there was a strange, rhythmic chirping sound coming at me from all directions from some serenading critters that were hidden by the absence of light. In a matter of twelve hours of traveling, my environment had drastically changed and my adventure as an exchange student at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez through the National Student Exchange organization had officially begun. Despite having close ties to the United States, and even being considered U.S. territory, Puerto Rico is a whole different world, with a very different lifestyle, language (Spanish), countryside and culture.

1,000 miles southeast off of the coast of Florida, where the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea meet, lies Puerto Rico, or the “Island of Enchantment,” as it has been dubbed by its inhabitants. The island, which is part of the Greater Antilles and is composed of a main island as well as a number of nearby smaller keys and islands, is a mere speck on a globe with its official square mileage totaling 8,569 sq miles; approximately one-sixth the size of the state of Wisconsin. Its miniscule size is deceiving as the Caribbean island seems to offer a little bit of everything: metropolitan areas, remote rural villages, mountains, buildings and structures that are more than 500 years old, a one-of-a-kind and world renowned telescope and observatory (Arecibo Observatory), caves, rivers, bio-luminescent bays, small market kiosks, large shopping centers, a rainforest, a desert-like region complete with cacti, and of course, beautiful beaches.

“The people of Puerto Rico are very friendly. We’re very happy and always smiling,” said Gildreth Gonzales, Director of Student Exchange Programs and International Student Services at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez. “I think it has something to do with the weather being summer-like all year ‘round,” she added.

The brilliant sun and beautiful skies must also have an effect on how the people view the concept of time. It’s impossible not to pick up on (or not to become a little frustrated with upon the first encounter) the widely used and accepted practice of “island time,” a more laid-back approach to reading a clock. It is not uncommon for a friend to show up an hour after an agreed meeting time, for a professor to arrive to class ten minutes past the scheduled starting time or for a store to be open or closed as its manager pleases, regardless of the posted hours. The people go with the flow to the extent that it’s a wonder how the Island operates and people get things done.

The make-up of the people of Puerto Rico is just as diverse and exciting as their beloved Island.

“There’s everything here,” says Julio Vega Cedeño as he describes the genetic and physical make-up of the Puerto Rican people. The second-year University student from the city of Ponce adds, “We have the stereotypical Latino, white, black and mix.” Puerto Rican roots date back to indigenous peoples who were conquered by the Spanish in the early 1500s. Slaves from Africa were brought to the Island by the Spanish thus resulting in the present day mix.

“We’re loud, too. We tend to be talkative and use our hands while communicating,” said Cedeño.

It seems that loud is a good adjective not only for the Puerto Rican people, but also for Puerto Rican culture.

The food is full of flavor and spice. Music is as essential as water. The rhythm and lyrics of Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and Reggateon flow from automobiles, lap tops, radios, iPods and homes, and are accompanied by dancing at all hours of the day and in any setting. And let’s not forget politics and debate, both of which are extremely popular and followed by people of every age to the extent that one could consider them sports here in Puerto Rico.

What is the most commonly debated issue? The Commonwealth status of Puerto Rico and its association to the United States.

“The best way to describe it is like being partners,” explained Gonzales of the relationship.

The Island was acquired from Spain in 1898 as a result of U.S. victory in the Spanish-American War. As a commonwealth of the United States, Puerto Rico is associated with and considered territory of the Red, White and Blue, but still operates its own government, with its own constitution and elected governor and legislature.

Puerto Ricans have been considered United States citizens since 1917. They apply for and possess U.S. passports, can travel as they please from the Island to the States (and vice-versa for mainlanders), they pay social security, can be a member of the Armed Forces, they learn English as required in public schools and use the U.S. Dollar.

“We don’t vote for the President of the United States. We don’t pay Federal taxes. We have a representative in Congress who has a voice, but not a vote,” explained Gonzales.
“It really is a unique relationship.”

The decision of whether to become an official State, remain a commonwealth or to become an independent country is constantly churning amongst Puerto Ricans. The choice to become the 51st state has been voted down by the people three times, with the last vote occurring in 1998. Today, there are three main political parties on the Island which are distinguished based on Puerto Rico’s relationship with the United States. The Popular Democratic Party (PDP) wants to remain a commonwealth, but enhance the status; the New Progressive Party (NPP) is in favor of achieving statehood; and Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) is in favor of becoming its own country as indicated by its name. Currently the PDP has the majority in the Puerto Rican legislature, but it only has a slight lead over the NPP, while the presence of the PIP is less dominant.

Another important aspect of life on the Island that is regularly discussed and carefully tracked is the weather, specifically June through November, better known as hurricane season.

“I think you get used to it and you expect it,” said Raiza Quintero on the tropical weather. The 21 year old citizen of Mayaguez added, “We prepare by watching the news. We have emergency plans.”

“Its more of a threat than an every year occurrence,” added Gonzales, who has experienced just one hurricane in her lifetime. She also noted that with the technology of today, people have the ability to watch a system develop and thus prepare. “In Puerto Rico, almost everyone knows a little bit about meteorology.”

The mountains and the beaches, the sun and “island time,” the culture and the threat of being pummeled by a natural phenomenon are all a part of life on the small Island. I am definitely getting the adventure I was longing for. The good news is, its not over yet.

Is it really Fall?

2008-10-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Its starting to feel a bit weird to me. Being on this Island in the never-ending season of summer. It feels strange...until I go to the beach and enjoy its mystical effects--beautiful sun, blue sky, rythmic waves, cool breeze, cozy sand and lively little critters. While I do miss the changing of the leaves, I'm enjoying experiencing this tropical weather. Lately we've been having days that are still warm--in the 80s--but are more bearable. At night the temperature has been dropping. I know this because I've been reaching for a blanket! We still get the occasional blazing hot day, but for the most part, I'm feeling more comfortable now than than I did in August and even into the first part of September.
No overly exciting or ridiculously terrifying things have happened since I last wrote. Whew! I realized that I forgot to report last time that I do have a bike now, which makes life a bit sweeter. I am loaning it from a friend who has upgraded his mode of transportation to a car. I'm getting test results back from classes and they're mostly in the A-B range, so I'm pleased with that. I can tell my Spanish is improving as I'm having to ask less and less questions for clarification in class AND because sometimes while talking on the phone to my mom or to Sean I have moments of native language blankness..where all I can do is think of the Spanish word, pronunciation and/or word order.
This weekend was pretty great for me. On Friday I met Cheril and her boyfriend Francis, who did his undergrad at the Colegio. They both are going to law school in Ponce (a city about an hour south of here). Cheril is a friend of my brother, Randy. She studied at UW-River Falls for two years and then worked at Hennipen County Medical Center (where Randy works) and lived in the Twin Cities area for a while before returning to Puerto Rico. When Randy found out that I was going to Puerto Rico he wrote an email to Cheril and gave her my email. She and I emailed a few times and talked on the phone before I came. After two months of being here, we met. On Friday we grabbed a bite to eat and spent some time at the mall. Last night we went bowling in a nearby city with her boyfriend, her boyfriend's brother and his girlfriend (both go to the Colegio) and a few others (who also attend Colegio). So I'm making more connections, which is exciting because they were fun, down-to-earth people.
Today I went to La Plaza Mercado, a big building in the downtown of Mayaguez that holds several little vendors. There's two levels and on the first floor there are three or four rows of little kiosks. Most of them are selling fresh produce, with some specializing in just fruits, some in just vegetables, but most of them both. They're all selling the same thing, but you have to hunt for the best looking stuff and the best prices. There is also a meat and fish section. The upper-level has mostly shops, but we didn't get to explore them as they were closed today. When I got home I enjoyed some fresh fruits-- papaya and a plum and then went to work on writing my first article of three that I am to write for the student newspaper back at UWS over the course of the semester. It is to earn credit for a Capstone experience, or hands-on experience, in some aspect of Mass Communication. My subject for my first article is general information about Puerto Rico...location, climate, culture and the relationship between the Island and the U.S. Good thing its not due until Friday so I have some time to organize all that I want to say. I will use the rest of my time this afternoon and evening to study for an upcoming Art History test (Wednesday) and go for a run.
I hope all is well back in the States and you're each enjoying the changing of the seasons and the excitements of Fall (football, elections, hunting, apples, Halloween preparation, etc.) If anyone sees any especially pretty trees or nicely decorated yards, please take a picture or two and send 'em my way! ceinerwold@gmail.com
Thank you for reading...Take Care

~Long overdue--some memorable experiences~

2008-09-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

I’ve been such a slacker! I apologize that it has been almost a month since my last update. Some monumental experiences have occurred and I will do my best to fill you in on things…
The first and most exciting thing I want to share is about something I did this past weekend. Saturday was the best, most amazing day that I’ve had since arriving here! It was an Island Wide annual beach clean-up day and I went with some girls from my history class who were doing the clean-up with their teammates from the University’s softball team. I was debating whether or not I should even go, because we had to leave the college at 7:15 in the morning! But I dragged myself out of bed by 10 after six and made it on time. We drove south a ways to Cabo Rojo, and a beach called Joyuda. We met with a bunch of other students from El Colegio and then divided into groups to go to different areas of the beach. The group that I went with ended up going to a small Island just off the coast called Isla Ratones, or Rat’s Island. We then went to a Snorkeling and Scuba Diving tourist business a little ways away to meet the owners who were donating there boat and snorkel gear for us, the cleaners! They were so friendly and gave us instructions and ideas of what to look for. We were divided into groups. There was a need for two ‘water groups,’ each group consisting of a kayaker and two snorkelers. The snorkelers job was to retrieve the garbage and bring it to the kayaker, who had a bag and a paper to document the items that had been found. The ‘land group’ got to comb the beach and island—it’s very small—I don’t think you’d even fit a football field with fan stands on it. I perked up at the mentioning of being a snorkeler and was able to have my first choice! It was so incredible!! There was plenty of coral reef and tropical fish to take in—wow! I had never really been snorkeling before, well, maybe in a pool or something. But I absolutely loved it. The water was really clear and it was just like a whole different world down there. The water around the little Rat’s Island wasn’t very deep so I felt pretty safe. My biggest concerns were struggling to find trash (which was the reason I was doing this) and being careful not to touch/bump/kick the coral on accident. It was hard to find the trash because some of it had been there so long that the organisms had adapted and started growing on it, so it was disguised. Also, sometimes there would only be a small section of a glass bottle or piece of piping sticking out. We found a decent amount of debris…mostly pop-can tabs and glass. It didn’t take us more than an hour and a half for our two water groups and one land group to complete the annual comb. By the time we got back to the main Island it was a little after 11am. There were sandwiches and apples waiting for us on shore. After some closing words, a group photo and some ‘thank yous’ we loaded back into our cars and I thought we were headed back to Mayaguez. Instead we stopped by to talk to some of the other girls from the softball team and learned that we’d been invited to someone’s house, who lived nearby. I couldn’t quite understand whose house it was; I think it was the softball coach’s. The Puerto Ricans really do talk fast…especially when they’re excited.
We got there and there were kayaks and when I looked in the back yard, there was a small opening leading into what looked like a tangled mess of thick, dried viney bushes with a river, or some form of water going through it. It turned out to be a mangrove marsh. The thick, dried, viney bushes and trees are the actual ‘mangrove’ and they grow in marshy, coastal areas in tropical climates. We hopped in the kayaks and took off through the maze of the mangroves. The path through them was narrow, and it was a little challenging trying to maneuver through, especially since in some spots the oar was longer than the width of the passageway. It smelled like a marsh and there were a lot of mosquitoes, but, it was beautiful and I really enjoyed kayaking! At the end of the maze there was a clearing; the mangroves had ended and now it was more like a bay of calm water. I could smell (and eventually taste on my lips) that it was saltwater. We went out to the middle and rested as a group and then pretty soon I was being told that we were waiting for a small plane to come and take our picture. Sure enough, about five minutes later we could hear a plane. It came, we waved and hollered and smiled and then when it flew back from where it had come, we headed back to the opening in the mangroves to wrestle our way back through the narrow turns and mosquitoes.
It was such an amazing day filled with outdoor activities, done best in a tropical paradise. Not to mention, the people I met were absolutely amazing and so friendly.
Oh, and I got a free t-shirt for doing the beach clean-up!
Another pretty significant experience has occurred since the last blog. This one, however, wasn’t so pleasant. Last week on Monday night I started having stomach problems. I’ll spare you the details, but lets just say I was pretty miserable while my body was trying to get rid of whatever was causing the upset…and not by vomiting. By about midnight things had only gotten worse and I was worried. I talked to my roommates, they did some googling online and we decided it’d be best to go to the Emergency Room; better safe than sorry. So, at around 1am we borrowed the car of one of our neighbors and headed to a hospital downtown that our Puerto Rican roommate recommended. We got to that hospital and walked into the emergency room. There was not a receptionist. No official worker there to take your information and hear your complaints. Instead there was a small stand with a guest book on it along with a machine that resembles those coupon spitters that you find in Cub Foods. The sign hanging nearby gave the simple instructions: sign your name, the date and the time and take a number from the coupon spitting machine and wait until your number is announced. I wrote down my name and took the number—96. There were at least 5 people sitting in the room…number 95 had signed in a good forty five minutes before me. Some Emergency room…it looked like it was going to be a long night. We knew there was another hospital in the area, in fact about two blocks away, so one of my roommates went to check out if they had an ER and what it was like there. She came back and said, “Lets go, Chels.” We went to the other hospital and instead of a coupon spitter and guest book, there was a receptionist and a computer. I filled out my basic information on the computer and soon a nurse in scrubs called me in a room to take my vitals and hear my reason for being there. From there we had to talk to the receptionist and get things straight about insurance. After a short wait I was called back through the double doors. What I saw was…scary. I was following a different man in scrubs. We walked by plenty of beds with people hooked up to IVs, looking and sounding miserable. We went to a small room in the back that had a desk, a few chairs and the usual examining bed/table thing. He told me to have a sit, didn’t identify himself and didn’t close the door. The woman in the bed outside and across the little hall, as well as the young man that I assumed was her son, could see and hear everything going on and they weren’t shy about staring at the blonde girl who spoke choppy Spanish. The man asked me my name, my birth date and why I was here. I explained the stomach issue and how my night had been going so far. He asked if I had allergies and wrote my answers down on some papers. He took a stethoscope and listened to my heart and then listened a bit on my stomach. He made some more notes and then got up, left the room and brought the papers to the nurse’s station. He told me to come and wait by the nurse’s station. There was another man, who was obviously in a lot of pain also waiting. There were no chairs. It was so awkward for me because I could see patients in their beds—it was not private at all. Yeah, there were some curtains hanging up, but they weren’t put up with privacy in mind. After about five minutes I grew tired of standing and was uncomfortable. I asked a nurse if I could go back out and wait in the reception area. She told me to go back down by the room that I had just been in a sit in a chair that was there. I walked back there, trying to keep my head down and eyes on the floor. I just couldn’t get over how open and exposed everything was. Unfortunately, the chair that I’d been directed to was outside of a bathroom and about 20 minutes and three patients coming out of the restroom with their urine samples later, I’d had enough. I walked out to the reception area and told my roommates I was ready to go. I would wait ‘til the morning and go to the student medical center on campus. I couldn’t handle the sights and smells of it back there, plus, I’d been waiting for what felt like forever and I didn’t even know what I was waiting for. I thought I was still waiting to see a doctor. I talked to the receptionist and told her I was leaving. She told me to wait and went back through the double doors. When she came back there was a nurse with her. They told me if I was going to leave I’d have to sign a statement. I went back with the nurse to the station and just broke down. I was so confused! And so scared to be in this strange hospital—so different from what we know in the U.S. Nobody had really told me what was going on. She started speaking to me in choppy English and finally filled in some blanks. The man that had listened to my heart and stuff was the doctor. He had ordered that I get an IV to be re-hydrated and given some antibiotics. She was like, look, it won’t take long and its going to help you feel better. I just wanted to feel better and not have to worry about it anymore, so I followed her back to bed #15 in the corner. She hooked me up to the IV and by 4am we were back home. I slept pretty much the whole day on Tuesday. I pushed fluids. My stomach was still gurgling, but it seemed that the antibiotics were helping, as the number of trips to the bathroom greatly reduced from those of the night before.
I didn’t really get a clear explanation of what was going on or what the doctor thought was wrong. They didn’t run tests or take blood or ask what I’d ate or anything, but the antibiotics worked. I do know that we’re lucky to have the hospitals and protocol and laws about privacy that we have. Hopefully, I wont have to deal with that again.
Other challenges have been with the weather. Thankfully all of the hurricanes have passed us so far. We have had some pretty crazy thunderstorms and rainfalls as they pass us by though. Ike especially gave us heavy rain, amazing lightning and booming thunder. As a result of heavy rains our water pressure weakens, and once even shut off completely. Our whole city was without water for about four hours or so, which was a weird and quite scary feeling. Unfortunately, when the water pressure weakens a lot of times it causes problems at the University with the plumbing and more than once I’ve found the campus bathroom doors locked when I’ve wanted to use them.
Currently we’re just getting over a Tropical Depression and it has been quite gloomy here with all of the wind and rain. We’re lucky though, our area hasn’t been hit nearly as hard as some on the Island have been the past two days. Areas in the mountains have experienced mudslides and there’s been some serious flooding in the south. We do have the occasional street that is flooded, but it could be a lot worse. We didn’t have classes yesterday due to heavy rainfall. I suspect many professors were having trouble driving to campus and the plumbing probably wasn’t working. Today was rainy as well and there were no classes, but it was a scheduled off day in honor of a Puerto Rican holiday, Grito de Lares (Shout of Lares)—an armed Independence movement that occurred on Sept 23, 1868 in attempt for Puerto Rico to gain freedom from the Spanish. The Puerto Ricans were able to take over the city of Lares on that day, but their conquering was short lived. The day is still honored and there is a small celebration in the city with plenty of crafts, music, dance and food.
Other than snorkeling, taking a tour of the ER and experiencing Island weather, I’ve been busy with school work. It has picked up significantly since Labor Day. I’m okay with it though because I actually am learning quite a bit---and double time. I’m learning more and more Spanish and interesting bits of history, art and volleyball. To add to it, I’ve started helping out at the on-campus pre-school that has 41 kids. They’re pretty fun to talk to and play with.
Oh, I almost forgot! I got my History test back about a week ago--I got an 'A.' Seems all of that studying paid off---or he was just really sympathetic. I took a test in Art History almost two weeks ago, but still haven't seen the results. The next two weeks I have four tests!
Thanks for reading, and I apologize again for taking so long to update. I will do better!
I hope all is well back in the States.
Take Care

Labor Day Weekend

2008-08-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

Hello! Happy Labor Day Weekend!

So...the test yesterday. Whew. I studied quite a bit on Thursday night with another girl from the class. And it was still a struggle for me. The thing that threw me off was the professor used different words for things than the way that the text had described them. That made the multiple choice and true-false very confusing for me. Luckily I had my dictionary with me...but it was still really frustrating. I think I did okay on the short response questions, though. I answered them in Spanish....I warned the teacher and he said he'd "read it carefully..." I pray he's sympathetic to my first grade level vocabulary.
Today I went with Cara and her sister and her sister's friend, who're visiting from Oregon, to a beach. One up the West coast a bit, past Aguadilla. It was beautiful! The water was really rough though...due to the fact that there is a tropicla storm/hurricane about 60 miles away from the Island. (No worries, it'll miss us!) So it wasn't great swimming water. But it was breezy and great all the same to be on the BEACH!
I don't really know what else I'm going to do this weekend. Maybe the beach again tomorrow...we'll see. And then Monday = no classes! I'll probably use the day to study, as I have a test for my History of Art of P.R. on Friday, and a reading assignment for Spanish.
Hope you all enjoy the long weekend! Thanks for reading.
Take Care

Coqui

2008-08-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

Hola a todos!
Where does the time go? Its going to be September soon...I can hardly believe it.
We're a few weeks into the semester now and that means....dom dom dom...tests and quizes are looming ahead. I have my first one on Friday in my History of Puerto Rico class. Its worth 30 some points...so it'll be a good warm up. Its on the first two chapters of our text book...which I've read through and highlighted and plan to go through and read again. The teacher said it will be multiple-choice, True/False and three short answers...he told me I could write my short answers in English. We'll see how things go with the test. I just might surprise him and do it in Spanish!
This past weekend was another good one. Friday night I went out with some friends to a bar to dance and hang out. Then on Saturday I slept in and went with my friend, Cara from Oregon on a little sightseeing adventure. Cara has some friends from Puerto Rico who are letting her use a car of theirs while she's here. We hopped into her Toyota Land Cruiser in hopes of finding a beach somewhere on the west coast. We drove first to Rincon, but didn't have much luck. Then on to Aguada...cute town, but still couldn't find a nice public beach. Plenty of fenced off private ones! Then on to Aguadilla, another very neat coastal city, where we found the beach called Crash Boat. But by this time it was already 2 something in the afternoon and about fifteen minutes after we finally got in the water it started to get cloudy and we could see lightening and hear thunder in the distance. : ( We retreated to the Land Cruiser and tried to wait it out. It didn't really rain too much, but the lightening was enough to scare us away. So we went back the way we came. In Aguada we stopped at a little smoothie/icie stand and bought fruit smoothies. Amazing! Strawberry, orance, pine apple, starfruit...mmmm. When we got to Rincon we thought we'd try again to find a beach. We parked along a street and walked towards the ocean and sure enough...found a nice little area! But again...a few minutes after we hopped into the water, it started to rain. No lightening or thunder though, so we just swam in the ocean in the rain! It was quite the adventure. I would love to go back to Aguadilla and spend the weekend there.
On Sunday Sihin (my roommate from MN), Lyzett (from Mexico), Maria-Jose (from Guatemala), Hugo (from Mexico) and I went to Old San Juan. Our mission: to visit El Morro. We made it to San Juan by about 11am...it was already close to 90 degrees. We had to drive around quite a bit to find parking...its not a very parking-friendly place. Once we found a spot we took off on foot and made our way to El Morro or The Castle of San Felipe of Morro. It is a fort that the Spanish began constructing in 1539 and added to little by little until the 1700s. They wanted to protect their "Puerto Rico"...Rich Port. Its design is very intelligent and meant to prevent attacks from the enemy by way of water. It sits on the northwestern most point of San Juan. Today it is six levels tall and in a pointy-triangular shape. This was a strategic design so that the Spanish could fire at all different angles at enemy ships entering from any direction. The walls are extremely thick and the whole building is just impressive.
We also visited The Castle of Christopher Colombus. A fort that the Spanish built a mile or so away inland from El Morro constructed to protect San Juan from the enemy by way of land. It was completed in 1783 and covers an impressive part of San Juan. It also includes the city walls, which are 20 feet thick and encircled with the intention to protect the entire city up until 1897. There were only three or four gates/entrances to the city of San Juan when the Spanish were in control, so traffic was well managed.
As you can tell, I thoroughly enjoyed the day in Old San Juan. So much to see and learn. And the company was great...I really have some great friends here. And they're helping me learn Spanish.
Okay...and now...the Coqui (ko-kee)..the title of this blog. Coqui is a type of frog found here on the Island, in other parts of the Caribbean and in Hawaii as well. It is a small frog and found pretty much everywhere in Puerto Rico. They make the nights here come alive with their singing...the sound "ko-kee." Its great! I love the sound they make and I am able to imitate it quite well. Check it out on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54-FzuE-w0U I have to actually see one. I need to go on a little hunt. But when you go in the tourist/souvenir shops they have tons of Coqui paraphernalia. It has become the unofficial Puerto Rican symbol. I did a little research on the Coqui (since I'm so fascinated by it) and discovered that there are actually 17 different Coqui species on La Isla. Only two of which, actually make the "ko-kee" sound. And its only the males who make the noise. The "ko" to deter other males and to establish territory and the "kee" to attract the female. Quite interesting!
I think that is all for now. I have to go to my History of Puerto Rico class soon so I know whats on the quiz on Friday. Wish me luck!
Hope all is well in MN!
Take Care

2008-08-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

Long time, no blog! Sorry, its been about a week. We don't have Internet at our apartment yet and so if I want to go Online I have to do it on campus and then I feel rushed and blah, blah. Our landlord told us two weeks ago we were going to be getting Internet "mañana" (tomorrow)...."mañana" is Puerto Ricans' favorite word. And it usually means it'll get done when they feel like it...could be a few days, could be a few weeks. Its been something I'm trying to adjust to. In some aspects, its nice being more laid back...for certain things, though, its frustrating.
Last weekend, my second on the Island, was pretty great! On Friday night I went with a group of friends to a small bar to listen to live Bomba music. Its traditional music from here. Drums, small, medium and large played by hand and maracas were the basic instruments and the performers sang as well. They also had people doing traditional dance. It was incredible! Very chill music, with a sense of pride of their culture and heritage and great rythymn...the atmosphere was wonderful. Everyone was so into it. I think that I has been my favorite experience so far.
Saturday I went with my roommate and two other friends to Old San Juan. My roommate rented a car...we were going because she is interested in purchasing a motorcycle and the dealership is in San Juan. So we went and she looked at the bike and then we had a few hours to explore Old San Juan. A few hours wasn't enough! There's so much to see there. We're thinking of going back. The architecture and structure of the city is really beautiful. It actually reminds me quite a bit of the small German cities that I visited in May-June. Small streets, tall-multi level houses with cute balconies and windows with shutters...painted various pastel or soft-toned colors. There are also other interesting places I'd like to visit in Old San Juan...an old fort called El Morro, some parks, shops, etc.
This week has been going pretty well. No homework or tests yet. Just going and listening to lectures. The professor of my Basic Spanish class is really neat. There are 6 of us exchange students in his class and he does great with it. We've mostly been going over introductory stuff. The last two classes we've been talking about the origin of the Spanish language and how it has evolved and changed...and how Puerto Ricans speak "bad" Spanish compared to the rest of the Spanish speaking world. Meaning they use a lot of slang and have poor pronunciation. Much of the slang is the influence of the English language. For example, a common slang Puerto Rican Spanish word today is "raitru" (pronounced, righ-true). They use it in conversations. If someone is telling a story the listener may respond with "raitru," much like we use, "really" or "wow" or "right." The word evolved from English words 'right' and 'true.' There are a good handful of words like that. They're not in the dictionary, but they're common words that have worked their way into the Puerto Rican Spanish vocabulary...to stay. I have noticed the same thing, though, while talking to students from other Spanish speaking countries. Each country has words that mean one thing to them, but could mean something completely different to another person from a different country. Kind of like the differences between English in the U.S. and English in Great Britain, Canada and Australia. It has been interesting!
Other than that, things are pretty good. I learned a good lesson on Sunday about doing laundry. Its best to get up and wash the clothes in the morning, probably before 9am and hang them out to dry for a few hours so they're dry by 1pm, OR to wash the clothes at night and let them hang out to dry overnight and into the next morning. The afternoon isn't a good time for drying...due to the regular shower (sometimes downpour) that starts between 2:30-4pm. Lets just say it took a little longer than aticipated for my clothes to dry this past weekend.
I hope all is well with each of you! If you have any specific questions about the language, culture, my classes, the University, food, vacation...anything...just email me! ceinerwold@gmail.com
Take care

One week down....

2008-08-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

Hello! Its hard to believe that I'm already a week into the semester! But I guess I've seen, learned and experienced a lot, as well as met a lot of new people. There are a lot of students here on exchange. A majority of them are here working towards their Masters or here to do research. Mexico, Colombia, Sweden, Spain, Germany, Guatemala....whew! Its great though.

Last weekend, my first on the Island, was pretty relaxed. I went to the beach with the other exchange students. It was pretty nice...very hot though! Usually when you think of going to the beach you imagine laying out in the sun and/or playing volleyball or frisbee...not here! You can be in the sun for a bit, but you have to go in the water and cool off. Its just too darn hot otherwise. I did put on sunscreen...30spf, but still came out with shoulders the color of a lobster and feeling on fire. I'll need to remember to apply like every two hours or something. Sunday was a low-key day. I was tired from having been out in the sun! I did some grocery shopping and in the evening some friends and I went out to eat and to see the movie Dark Night. The place we went to was called Martin's BBQ. My first opportunity to try some traditional Puerto Rican food! Most traditional Puerto Rican food is fried. Yucca and habichuelas, rice and beans and plantains, chicken and beef are the staples. Usually prepared with garlic and oil and some other spices. Its not hot/spicy food. I tried a dish called 'mofundo.' It is made with yucca and plantains (bananas used for cooking) and there's garlic and some oil in it. It was amazing! I want to try and learn how to cook it so I can make it again once I'm home.
So far this week has been pretty good with classes and such. I dont understand every single word, but I get the jist of it. My professors are all pretty understanding and open for questions...I have had to use "the look of horror" in my history of art of Puerto Rico class one time, but I also have been able to participate in class when my professors ask for a recap on the lecture or ask for us to give input, so thats a good sign too!
We had a storm yesterday afternoon...it rained and rained hard for a good two hours or so. And there was thunder and lightening. The good thing though is now its a little cooler today. So, whew. I've succumbed to sleeping in as little clothes as possible...haha, otherwise its just too darn hot and sticky!
Hope all is well back in the Continental U.S.!

Take care

Hurricanes, Mosquitos and Classes, Oh my!

2008-08-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello! Its Friday and that means I've already completed my first work week here on La Isla (the Island) as it is called by los puertoriqueños. Things are going well. I am getting more and more familiar with the area. The hardest thing to adjust to is the heat and humidty! I am always so thirsty and sweaty (ewww). The nice thing is that all of the buildings and classrooms and offices have air conditioning. Its a relief! Well for a while anyway, but then you get cold because you had been outside sweating so much and then you come into the cold air...but its better than sweating all of the time. I just have to remember to bring a light jacket with me.
One of the things that most people asked about back home was hurricanes. Yes, Puerto Rico is in great location for hurricanes and yes, it is hurricane season. At orientation on Wednesday our exchange student coordinator, Gildreth (Hill-dreth), talked to us about it. She told us that first of all, all puerto ricans are meteorologists. They're constantly watching the weather. She said that most of what La Isla gets for weather comes off of the coast of Africa and everyone watches that area. So, there is plenty of warning, unlike in our area, we have limited warming of when a tornado will strike. Gildreth told us that you have plenty of time to prepare. She also told us that we dont need to be relocated because our apartment is made of concrete. The main this is you have to prepare for 1-2 weeks without water or electricty. That means stock up on plenty of non-perishables and bottled water as well as candles, flashlights and maybe some good books and playing cards! She assured us there would be time to prepare and that she would make sure we're ready, if the situation arised. She also noted that the media often hypes up the worst parts and that in her lifetime (52 yrs) she has only seen one, Hurrican Georges in 1998.
The second caution we've been given have been the mosquitos. First of all, they're different here. Most of them are very small, like ants. I have seen a few Minnesota size, but mostly small little things. We have to be careful about how long the door is open and we've been advised to wear repellent. The reason we have to be wary of them is because they can carry a disease. The disease is called Dengue Fever. Its symptoms are similar to malaria. It is not always life threatening, but there are many different types and strains of it, some worse than others. One way to help minimize the spread of the virus is to prevent standing water. For example, not leaving cans or bowls sitting outside to collect rain and become breeding ground for mosquitos. The ladies in the exchange office told us that only 3 exchange students of hundreds have ever had problems. But I will stick to my Off Lantern that Sean bought for me, and mosquito repellent!
Thirdly, classes started yesterday. As of this morning, I have been to 3 of my 4 classes. I can understand about half of what the professor says. They talk so fast and use so much slang here on La Isla. It will get better. The courses I am taking include: Basic Spanish, Coaching and Officiating Volleyball, the History of Art in Puerto Rico and the History of Puerto Rico. I think the two history classes will be the most difficult, because I dont have any background in either. The volleyball course and the Spanish course seem like they'll be a lot of fun. I think I will learn quite a bit! I was surprised that most of my classes have the same number of students as they do at UWS, even though the University here (la Universidad de Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, or el Colegio, as it is called here) has about 10,000 more students! I was anticipating having classes of 50+ but so far they've been small, which I am thankful for. At then end of each class I have spoken with the professor and explained that I'm an exchange student and that I understand better than I can speak Spanish. They've been very understanding and said dont hesitate to ask questions, or as the history of art teach said, "Give me a look of horror," and they'll be happy to slow down and clarify. I think it will be okay.
Thank you all for the well wishes! I will keep you updated. Tomorrow we're going to the Beach! I hope you all are doing well.

Take care!

Saludos! de Puerto Rico

2008-08-05T12:25:00.001-07:00

Saludos (greetings) from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico! I arrived Monday night. Everything went pretty well with my flights. I flew from Minneapolis to Newark and then to San Juan and from San Juan to Mayaguez. The airport in San Juan was very confusing! And I had to lug my two bit suitcases around until I was able to find the counter of Cape Air (the airline I took from SJ to Mayaguez). After walking around and asking a lot of questions I was able to find it and the gate...the aiport was not labeled or organized very well. Then, I almost flipped when I saw the Cape Air plane! It was a tiny, tiny one, like a crop duster. There were six of us, including the pilot! I was nervous at first, but once we got up in the air, it was fine. It was pretty cool, because it flew low and I was able to see the island! It was so green and lush from the air. I took a taxi from the small airport in Mayaguez to the apartment where I'm staying. The taxi driver was very chatty and friendly.

The apartment is nice. It is small...only a small kitchen, three bedrooms, a short hallway and a small bathroom. But it is cozy and fairly modern. It will suit just fine. I have met one roommate so far. She is very nice.

I saw the campus for the first time yesterday. It's huge! And the sights, smells and sounds of the city are bold! The ladies that work in the Exchange Student office are very friendly and willing to help with anything.

After briefly checking out the Student Center, my roommate showed me to a grocery store. Some things cost the same, like bread, but some things are SO expensive, like cereal ($6/box) and notebooks ($3 for a one subject). I had to buy a few essentials...milk, cereal, peanutbutter, water, rice, etc.

It was pretty much a day of getting settled in. It has been a little bit overwhelming for me being in a place that is completely unfamiliar, but that will get better with time.

Last night I did go out with my roommate and some people that I met yesterday to have one margarita. We made a Birthday toast at a bar on the beach. It was pretty neat.

Today is an orientation day. There are 5 of us today in the group of exchange students. There will be two more coming, one a girl from Germany that will move into the third bedroom in the apartment that I'm staying in and another, a guy from Spain that will live in the apartment next to mine.

Classes start tomorrow! I'm excited and nervous, but it will help to meet more people and improve my Spanish!

I hope you're all doing well.

Take Care.

T - less than 1 month

2008-07-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

So, in less than a month I will be off on my little semester long adventure. As I continue to inform people that I'll be leaving for Puerto Rico in less than a month...to study...Spanish...yes, a whole semester......I'll be living in a house with other international students near campus...I'm going through an organization that UWS is affiliated with....no, I don't know anyone else who is going....blah, blah. Then, most people ask the question that is more complex than it seems.

Are you excited??

Yes. No. Ugh. Darn.
Some days I am really excited. Excited to meet people. To see Puerto Rico. To be on the beach. To be immersed in the Spanish language and culture. To test myself and see what I'm made of.

But other days, I am terrified. Of getting there and having to start all over. Having to meet people and make friends. Get used to the language. That I wont understand. That people wont understand me. That my classes will be too hard. That I wont like the house I'll be living in. That it will be too hard being gone, away from my family and friends and Sean. That I'll get sick, or something.

I'm stuck on where to stand on that question. But I'm going. Already bought the plane ticket and I'm sure Mama Jo would remove me from the family tree if I back out now.

So, for now I guess I'll have to say, "We'll see," when asked if I'm excited.

But this will be a place that I can communicate how things are going, what I'm doing, what its all like and such. I know this sounds lazy, but it'll be way easier than having to write 50 million emails. : )

Take care