Panel Blog

           On April 15th I was part of a conference panel as part of an assignment. My colleagues and me were supposed to present a project we had previously done called  "Caged Paradise: A Web-Based Research". It describes an studies the perception of others about Puerto Rico, according to our findings on the Web. There were also 3 three more groups presenting on the same subject. Our research indicated that the perception of  Puerto Rico in the web is very positive regarding its beauty, landscapes and commodities, but it is negative regarding the people and the safety in the island.

 

            The positive feedback on Puerto Rico was mostly referring to the exotic paradise island it can surely be. There were great comments on the beaches, the food, the sights and party. People were attracted to Puerto Rico by the idea of escaping their life. Anyhow People are apparently also repelled by Puerto Rico's  "sketchy-nes" , criminality and service.

            I believe there is some truth to these comments but many of the information was exaggerated, generalized and/or was not supported by any facts.  There is definitively a lack of real knowledge about Puerto Rico and that is why many just take shortcuts and                                                                                                   generalize.

 

            My experience giving speaking in the panel was great, i really missed exposure to these type of assignments. I felt confident with the presentation and the material  which made it much easier. I think most of the presentations showed very similar results but it was really interesting having so many vantage points discussed in the panel.

                        

Time to Say Goodbye

                        Finally after a long semester of working with my blog it has finally come to an end. This blog was created as part of the Journey in Literature class. The class revolved around the concepts of internal and external journey and the blog played a important role on channeling our external journey. Since it is finally over as used to, I will reflect upon the experience and offer closure to my blog A Road Worth Travelling.

                        After adding this final blog i will have completed my 14th blog. The blogs were mostly about class readings, movies, conferences, and assignment reflections. They all have some relation to the "journey" theme, also  "identity" and "perspective" themes were present in most blogs.

                        Looking back on my older blogs I notice that there has been a lot of change between the way i started writing and now. First of all the style has gradually changed from an essay-like blog, to more of an actual blog. I allowed myself to express my ideas in my writing rather than completing a mere task. I also learned how to better implement visual aids, and use external sources for reference. I also noticed i have improved my methods for presenting an idea and getting my message through. It has become much more simpler and straight forward which I believe is a more effective method.

                        Commenting is another skill that I have gained while making this blog. Aside from making our blog we were also instructed to comment on our partner's blogs. At first most of us didn't really commented that much and when we did comments weren't all that good. We after learned from an article on the art of commenting called Sharing and Responding by Peter Elbow. He offers a few techniques on how to make useful and correct commentaries. My favorite technique was "I believe...", it consisted on picking a premise and explaining why do you support and believe it ( it can also be used negatively as "i don't believe...").  Once the comments started improving they were a really useful tool to improve or edit previous or future blogs.

                        

My favorite post was "Tourist For a Day", which consisted on me visiting a touristic area and describe my experience. I was supposed to make myself as much of a tourist as possible to really appreciate how others were around tourists. It was a great tool for understanding the concept of perspective and was a really fun assignment to do.

                        Overall the blog was a useful experience that helped me develop myself as a writer and critical thinker. It combine many abilities such as creativity, redaction, and originality. I can't say I enjoyed the project as a whole because most of the time it was frustrating but it is one of those things you come to appreciate when you see the final product. I hope you all enjoyed my blog and "in case I don't see you, good afternoon, good evening, and good night." (The Truman Show)

Tourist for a day

            I decided to do my "Tourist for a day" assignment at a very local place which like China Town and other commercial entities tourist tend to visit: The Arecibo Flea Market. My choice may seem strange, but it  is the largest one in the Caribbean and it gets its share of tourism. The flea market is home to a variety of interesting food, products, services and activities you can find there.

            When I paid the parking entrance I identified myself as a tourist  to the security guard and I asked for recommendations for kiosks to visit. Immediately he mentioned a list of places I should not to miss. It was interesting that on the way out when returning the ticket he asked me "how was it?", I of coursed answered him "It was great , thank you" and moved on.

            Once inside I headed to the kiosk that sold native fried food and asked her what she had, she answered but I hesitated, so she went on to explain to me each plate. I finally grabbed an "alcapurria" and kept moving. 

Next stop was "la pica", a typical gambling game that simulates horse races. Again I asked the vendor about the game and he explained the rules and how prices worked. This is almost miraculous because if you have played "pica" at a full table you should know that the "collector" never go out of their way for a client or talk too much since he is focused on the bills that are                                                                                           moving around the table.

                        

Then I strolled down the aisle with kiosks selling DVD's and "fakes". I felt some looks on me, more than usual while going through kiosks which had products that "illegal", more than usual. Anyhow they were not really alarmed or worried about my presence. One of the main reasons I picked the flea market, was because I was genuinely curious on this specific reaction. I wouldn't expect any different, since they are used to selling to tourists, still the illegal distribution and piracy is  a taboo that lies in the gray zone of legality. I would have liked to bargain also as a tourist but didn't plan on spending more money. This would have been interesting because i have  bargained as a tourist any times and enjoyed it and find it interesting.

Reflection on A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid

            This is a reflection about a fraction of  the book A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid . She is originally from Antigua, but now live in the United States. She shares with us about her experience in her early days in Antigua, and how it defined her. The book also presents the authors perspective on her island and the tourist who visit it and her feeling towards her land before and after it was occupied by England. Even though the text is not physically divided, the themes are presented in the order i mentioned them previously.

            Initially Kincaid starts by giving us a descriptive tour of Antigua as she thinks it looks through the eyes of a tourist. She then starts pointing out the things that as a tourist you would notice and those that stand ignored, all this in a deeply judgmental tone. She does not sympathize a lot with tourist and makes it clear by calling them "ugly human beings". She uses this term throughout her book  to refer to the egocentrically, selfish, ignorant, and all around negative perspective of tourists. The reason why they are ugly according to the author is because when visiting a place they are there with pleasure as first priority, hence ignoring all the problems worth noticing around them. She criticizes how tourists would walk by destroyed buildings that have been destroyed by a earthquake years ago and get to the hotel and just be enjoying themselves after witnessing so much need and suffering. 

                         

      She also explains that when a tourist travels he is searching to escape the banality of his everyday life, so he travels to a poorer place with poor conditions, away from the people they love and the ones that love them, all to be frowned upon by locals. The feeling of wanting to escape from your life exists in everyone, but not everyone can satisfy it. This is why natives look at tourists with dislike and envy, because they are enjoying themselves carelessly for once like the natives wished they could.

"'Oh, what a marvelous change these bad roads are from the splendid highways I am used to in North America.'” _{(referring sarcastically to tourists)}

            In the second part of the book the author shares with us about how England colonizing the island changed Antigua and her feelings towards it. She says that after the colonization Antigua was stripped of their culture and heritage and was given a new one. England did so well on spreading and imposing their culture that the Antigua that once existed was no more. Also the English people living in the island where arrogant and racist, but the natives didn't seem to notice much. The doctors also had a similar attitude, the treatment their patients received was very impersonal, and where treated with disgust as if their presence was unhealthy.

            Because of this she feels as if she has no real identity because the one her country have does not really belong to them. She wanders if she is more related to either country but seems confused and uncertain, as she said "... no motherland, no fatherland, no gods.".

            I found very interesting the psychoanalysis she makes about the motives of tourist for traveling and find that it happens to be very true in most cases. I am not convinced that her perception on tourists is fair to the tourists, even though this may be the case of some, many tourists will take into perspective everything around them without ignoring the unattractive things happening but will still hold distance and respect when it comes to laying their hands on others business.  I believe that her perspective is so negative because she has been through a tough times as an Antiguan and she resents what the English, whom are outsiders like tourists, robbing her of her culture.

Reflection on "Helping" by Jim Cooper

           Earlier in my blog I wrote about Jim Cooper's book Down on the Island and I will be discussing it again. The selection I wish to discuss this time comes from chapter 8 of his book which is  named "Helping". In this chapter, like in the previous one, the author narrates his experience as a teacher at the University of Puerto Rico, at Mayaguez campus. It takes place during the 1950's, when Puerto Rico was still building and developing their program of education. He points out and discusses the problems he has been having with students, specifically those related to cheating.

            When Cooper was a professor at UPRM, he had problems with his students copying of one another. Even though cheating is common practice he felt that the problem was specifically greater among Puerto Rican students.

"Cheating goes on in all schools ... but I hadn't

seen it done as openly and outrageously as

 it was in Puerto Rico." – Jim Cooper

            When he questioned his students  about copying he would usually think it was no big deal and proceed to explain that their intention was just helping his fellow student. This lead him to think that the root of the problem " was about what was considered cheating and what was just "helping"." It seemed as if students lacked the competitive factor which characterized American students. The lack of competitiveness between the student can be translated into abundance of cooperativeness. 

            Upon further inspection it was evident that the cooperativeness exhibited by Puerto Rican students was the result of cultural factors. Cooper clearly states that "Puerto Ricans are de most hospitable people in the world." Hospitability is the primary suspect according to the author, because we are hospitable we treat others as friends, helping another student succeed  is looked upon as a friendly gesture since the opposite will result in letting him fail. Puerto Ricans frown upon looking at fellow students as rivals since it is perceived as selfish if one wishes another student to score lower than you, students are instead thought to be cooperative and not competitive by family and even teachers sometime. In comparison American culture promotes being competitive and students will usually cover their papers from others.

            I agree completely whit Mr. Cooper's opinion, since I am a clear example of this type of student. When faced with this situation it just seem natural tome to help a partner out, even though it is obviously not right. If you are Puerto Rican you have probably heard more than once about how we are supposed to treat others as if they where family. At an unconscious level this attitude becomes part of our normative in social relations. Like Cooper said, "Everything is on a first person basis in Puerto Rico", this makes it hard for us to alternate from being intentionally competitive  and just hospitable.

Reflection on "Teaching English" by Jim Coope

            I recently read a piece from Jim Cooper's book Down on the Island. The selection I wish to discuss comes from chapter 7 of his book which is appropriately named "Teaching English". In this chapter  the author narrates his experience as a teacher at the University of Puerto Rico, at Mayaguez campus, which was and is still one or the largest in Puerto Rico. It takes place during the 1950's, when Puerto Rico was still building and developing their program of education. He takes the time to point out and discuss the problems that both professors and students faced.

University of Puerto Rico , Mayaguez campus (Logo)

            The 1950's where a time of political change for Puerto Rico since there were many movements going, for example, in 1950 it Puerto Rico receive authorization under legislation to have their own constitutional convention and in 1952 the island became United States' Commonwealth territory ( Associated Free State of Puerto Rico).All this political activity lead to the rapid growth in the local economy and structure in general.

            Upon arrival one of Cooper first experiences was teaching English at the "Colegio", name given to the University of Puerto Rico (Mayaguez). As a first time teacher he was concerned with simply giving the class but he then notices there was much more he had not taken into consideration. Most of his students knew little to no English at all. The ones who actually knew English  where the students who came from private schools and hence where thought regularly and strictly in English. This made his task much more complicated.  When he tried to discuss these problems with superiors, he was told "the only way to learn a language is to love its literature", but how can one love literature without understanding it?

"This was common believe held by people who assumed a student

on the university level had been taught at least Latin and probably one

or two modern languages in high school..." -Jim Cooper

            Cooper went on teaching and doing everything possible to help the system. When picked to serve as "chairman of Syllabus discussion Committee" he, along with the support of some other professors was able to change the books, and the approach in order to make it easier for students. Still, professors were struggling with the approach and techniques and students where dragging lack education and structure which was supposed to be given to them in school.  Even after all the effort there was still much to overcome.

“It was clear that no matter what we tried to do,

 it was not going to help much in solving the

 overall problem of English learning in Puerto Rico.” – Jim Cooper

            I do not believe that all that effort did nothing to help in solving the problems Puerto Rico's education was facing, but I do understand the frustration he must have felt. Like all issues regarding a territory there is never much a single man can do, this is why it requires dedication from the general community. Jim Cooper may have not changed "The System" himself,  but he was one of the many people that helped by being concerned citizens and professionals with a real interest in educating.  This journey to get Puerto Rico's  education system to where it stands today was a long one, but it is responsible for making bilingualism part of our national identity.

My Journal Experience

                          

             Throughout the semester I have been writing a journal as an assignment. The assignment consisted in making an entry 4 to 5 time a week, only one entry per day. We were told to write freely and pick our own subjects to write about. During a 10 minute period we were to write what first came to our minds and just keep writing continuously. Even random thoughts that would seem to make no sense to others are encouraged. Stopping to think about what to write next or correct grammar should be avoided as much as possible in order to truly write freely.

            My finished diary held 40 entries of free writing total. Each of this entries was followed by a brief description documenting your writing experience. The toughest part of the free writing was precisely writing freely. I would have thought that not having a specific subject and being allowed to write "messy-ish" would make it easier, but I really struggled a lot with finding the necessary creativity to keep writing without stopping.   After writing these 40 entries I noticed how my writing skills had improved noticeably. I noticed my writing became faster and more fluid, I had stop less to look for the right words, and writing the entries was more pleasant after a while. My creative abilities have improved, that I know because I used to spend about a full two minutes just thinking about what to write and know the ideas come popping to my head much faster. Still I didn't notice much improvement in my grammar, which has always been dread full. I used to struggle creating good sentences. My fist entries consisted of very short sentences that didn't quite capture my exact thoughts, after some practice sentences started becoming longer and making more sense.

             There is a particular entry which I enjoyed really much. I was going through kind of rough patch and wasn't quite sure about what it was that was bugging me. On one day I sat down to write my entry as usual and the firs thought that came to my mind was about my problem which had to do with defining my identity. I was really able to just empty my mind on the journal as if I were talking to a friend. The writing on this entry was really fluid and sentences were really profound and self examinatory.  After writing the entry I found the root of what was originally bugging me. This made me feel really relieved about myself and since that day I started to enjoy and appreciate the importance of keeping a journal. This journal became a valuable tool for venting and organizing my thoughts when faced with a blurry idea.

            I learned that I am my best self at writing when I write about something that matters  and that actually means something to me. I found that I could actually be a good writer if I manage to enjoy it and practice on my diary even more.

            I was skeptical about the assignment, but that has changed completely. I exhort everyone to have their own journal to vent their ideas with.