Sagrado Corazon--primer dia

What a way to start a day--a delicious cup of Puerto Rican coffee! And then we were all off to our first class. Elena, our professor, had a lot to say about the geography and history of the island. I was especially interested in the fate of the Taino people who were indigenous to the area. Although many disappeared through disease, slavery, or migration, the Puerto Rican culture respects and holds dear this ancestry. Somehow, their identity seems linked to this indigenous culture, much more than to any present influences and proximity to the US. Our professor expressed that even Puerto Rico's 4 Miss Universe titles were due to the beauty of the Taino women . Another notion that was surprising to me was Elena's comment regarding the use of the term Latino. What should we be called Latinos? Do we speak Latin? That comment made a lot of sense to me as our country strives to use a politically correct term for the Spanish-speaking community. I'm thinking that being country-specific is the way to go... puertorriquenos, bolivianos, peruanos. Still the same question comes up...who am I? estadounidence which is a term that doesn't exist in our English language.
Profesor Ignacio proved to be interesting as a cultural anthropologist as we tried to grasp the concept of the Puerto Rican of today--a sum of his geneological heritage, his politics, his relationship to his family and the influence of his island's connection to mainland USA. He was able to help me put in perspective how the Puerto Rican sees himself connected to his community and to mine. I also began to understand the difficulty of the migrating Puerto Rican.
A returning Puerto Rican is not viewed the same as the non-migrating one. Puerto Ricans speak Spanish! But being bilingual is desired...just don't come back speaking "splanglish!" (my perception)
A tour of Old San Juan was enchanting...the narrow cobblestone streets, the old Spanish architecture and the breath-taking ocean so close. Who would want to leave?
The Bacardi tour gave me a new appreciation for rum. What an operation! And the free drinks were quite a treat. Our evening came to a close with a great meal; I always look forward to a Spanish tortilla of eggs and potatoes. I learned to enjoy them as a student in Spain and still make them at home. Buen provecho!

Anticipation

Spending many hours at an airport gave me hours to anticipate the coming experience in Puerto Rico. Having spent a week in "la isla de encanto" many years ago, I knew what to expect in some ways....the terrain, the size of the city, the tropical climate. But as the years have past and I have come in contact with different Puerto Ricans of our York community, I have many questions regarding the language, perspective, and attitudes of the people of Puerto Rico. ....
Why are many of my advanced students and even other Spanish-speakings adults so challenged to understand many Puerto Ricans that they encounter in classes or even in the supermarket? Is the Spanish so different from that of the classroom or of other countries? What are the attitudes of Puerto Ricans towards mainland Puerto Ricans and towards mainlanders in general? How do they perceive us? And, how do we even refer to ourselves? ....americanos, gringos, norteamericanos? Just what is the politically correct term?
And how special to anticipate the expected beauty of El Yunque and the beaches. My brief experience and pictures of the island always inspire another look at Puerto Rico. And then there is Ponce. For years, I have taught a little lesson on Ponce through a video of Puerto Rican boy and his grandfather. Finally now I will visit Ponce!
So the hours spent waiting for planes and pilots was spent with great expectations of the coming days.