I left San German a different being.

By: Dawn Scales
Wednesday May 23, 2007

There was no turning back, all our belongings, all 10 tons of extra baggage were packed and we were on our way to San Juan after spending four nights at the Universidad de Interamericana (University of Interamerican). Now that was an experience. Spending four days on a college campus in Puerto Rico really isn’t too different from spending time at OU. Many of the students were going through finals so staying out late was rumored not to be happening but every night there was a crowd of guys posted up in the game room or court yard. Most of the individuals that stayed in the dorm were athletes so they had no problem walking around with their shirts off or sporting skimpy little shorts. I was feeling the atmosphere though, even though I don’t speak fluent Spanish or even maintain adequate Spanish I was able to communicate with them. I knew enough words to get by and a few students that knew English that could help me out.

Students at the university made the visit worth while.

It was amazing how many students I came in contact with that didn’t speak English when speaking around a large group but once around a smaller group they would open up and by the end of the night they were speaking fluent English. I later found out that most of them were shy or not so sure about their English. I on the other hand would try anything to connect, throwing out words that weren’t conjugated and even acting out words. Basically I looked like a fool and then I would ask a person sitting right next to them a question and they would know how to understand and speak almost perfect English. That cracked me up really. I’m over here struggling and you’re secretly watching me probably thinking, “what the heck.”
The night before we left Steven, our host, gave Kendal and I some wise words to leave with.
“Do what you have to do to succeed, there will be people who will spite you and dislike you but in the end you have to be strong and do what you got to do,” he said.
I thought that was great how he cared that much to share those words, they struck me and added yet another factor to my loving Puerto Rico.
While in San German I also got my labret pierced. Yes, kind of a random act but I saw a flyer and noticed how cheap it was so I thought what would be better than to get a hole in Puerto Rico. So Angela and Jessica accompanied me while Rosa Sierra drew a dot underneath the middle of my lip and inside, clamped and thrust a needle from the outside through the inside of my lip. I thought it would hurt even more. It hurt but not as much as I thought.

Getting my labret pierced in San German was more than amazing. Rosa was off the chain.

That night the ball fell off and I found myself at the piercing shop the next day. After minutes of trying to reopen it Rosa had me fixed up and in no time conversation of religion had spawned, only because I initiated it of course. She immediately said she hated religion.
“People here are so judgmental and because I wear a lot of black I seem to be targeted a lot,” she said.
She followed by telling me a story about how she walked out of her shop one day and this woman handed her a flyer saying she was a sinner and she was going to hell if she didn’t follow the teachings of God.
“Religion is confusing and if God is going to send someone to hell because they follow a different teaching, I don’t want to be associated with a God like that.”
Despite her views religion seems to be ever present in every aspect of life. The art, the buildings, the numerous churches dispersed around the area, the jewelry and even the people walking around all scream religious affiliation.