Do it the Puerto Rican Style

By: Dianne Lee

I was still groggy when the bus left San German for San Juan. The night before, Kimberly and I had been stuck in the reception lounge after it started drizzling. It was then that I found myself trying to communicate with a couple of boys despite only knowing “Hola” and “Gracias.” Yet, fast-forward an hour later, we were hanging out a nearby parking lot where the university’s graduation stage stood. A car stereo provided us with repertoire music as we gathered in a circle and attempted to overcome language barriers. As usual, I pulled out my camera and suddenly, their eyes lit up.

A student making a funny face. Unfortunately, I forgot his name.

A smile is a universal language and we started going picture crazy. I watched, laughed and snapped pictures of the boys bribing the university police with alcohol, performing handstands, showing off their ‘sexy’ legs, and dancing to the music.


The initial group of students that started the party showing off their sexy legs.

Slowly, our group grew as a slow trickle of students started appearing at the parking lot. Some students had left their books behind to relax while others brought along their notes in hopes of studying at the same time. The university police cars kept stopping by the parking lots during their rounds and a few students would venture towards them and offer them alcohol. It was a form of corruption. Yet, it was moments like this that allowed me an insight into their culture – laid back. One police car even offered to buy ice after learning that the ice had melted.

Two students talking to the university police while the rest of the students continued chit chatting without a thought for the police.

By the time I left, the initial small group of seven had reached fifteen to twenty people. It was nearly three in the morning when I thanked them for their time and got ready to leave. They immediately began spluttering long sentences in Spanish, looking at me as if I understood them perfectly. I nodded my head and smiled. Ricky translated their farewells, good luck, safe trip and come back to San German for me. As I left the parking lot, I held on to my repertoire CD gift, and thought of how the students and I managed to overcome cultural barriers through a genuine interest and effort to learn about each other’s life and culture.


An overview picture of the students who were hanging out at the graduation stage in the parking lot.

What is a Territory?

right: Alcaldia (mayor's office)

By: Haley Hernandez

Before I got to Puerto Rico I wondered what it would be like to be surrounded by the exotic Caribbean culture but technically still in the same nation. Although the culture is quite different from anything we experience in the United States, when people speak to me in English and I pay for things in American dollars, I don’t blink an eye and question which boundaries I’m within.
Today, Monday May 21, I had an interview with the vice-mayor of San German about this sensitive subject of whether or not Puerto Rico wants to become a state. Prior to today I tried to get opinions from nice people I’d meet from Puerto Rico and ask how they felt about this topic. Nobody responded with indifference. With most people that I questioned, it was obvious with their reaction that I struck a nerve of passion within them. I’d be answered with an eager positive response or with a jumble of frazzled English as people searched for the right words to tell me specifically why Puerto Rico should remain independent. So as I sat in the press room of the Alcaldia (Mayor’s office) I took some deep breaths and hoped he’d respect my desire to become more educated on this subject instead of shunning my questions which I’d already experienced others doing quickly when I brought up politics.
“In your opinion, do you think Puerto Rico should become the 51st state of the United States?” I asked.
Vice Mayor, Damien Morales gave me a patient smile as he explained this “ancient” and continuous question that floats over the heads of the Puerto Ricans on a daily basis. He said he believed the ties with the United States were strong enough as they are and felt they should remain independent.
However, the story takes on new meanings every day. I came into this excursion having very minimal information compared to what I know now. Every day I learn something new that changes the angle of the story. Either people telling me they didn’t want to be a state because they didn’t want English to be the main language spoken here or they wanted to be a state because they felt protected and wealthier as Americans. I’m enjoying learning more about this with each person I meet. Nonetheless, it doesn’t change the group’s question of “what is this?” Are we studying abroad, or not?