The 2010-2011 Class Experience Begins Here!

It's a new year and a new class experience for our group of travel writers to Puerto Rico. This year, Dr. Meta G. Carstarphen, course director, and Ms. Jocelyn Pedersen, guest lecturer, are leading this year's class members. Our preparation so far have included some field trips in Oklahoma and Texas to explore the ways in which different locales "communicate" their culture--through geography, monuments, signs, art, food, music and more. Our next stages include a fast-paced, immersion experience in Puerto Rico. For seven days, we will travel the Island to places such as San Juan, Fajardo, Luquillo, Loiza, Ponce, Vieques and points in-between. We are reading When I was Puerto Rican by Esmerelda Santiago, a wonderful memoir that will guide some of our own reflections on our Island experience. Along the way, the students will be developing their own stories which they are going to pitch to editors for potential publication. Their final group project will result in a multimedia display of some of their work. Follow our students' adventures, read their reflections and share your comments!

Unity In Puerto Rico

Unity In Puerto Rico

Zaina Al Ghabra

January 10, 2010

Traveling today has changed drastically when you compare it to the agendas of those who traveled before us. Back then travel was dedicated to advancing certain agendas. Those traveling to far away places were a minority who were assigned to certain tasks. Luckily today, more people associate traveling with leisure and as a way to learn about our world and all its complexities. Anti-conquest is a word coined by Mary Pratt, which refers to the innocence of travel rather than traveling for conquering and dominating other people and cultures. Many of us find ourselves traveling to far away places simply to fulfill a curious obligation within ourselves; thus reiterating the notion of anti-conquest.

Anthony Bourdain is a well-known author and chef who travels documenting his experiences and broadcasting them on the Travel Channel for the world to see; a luxury that was not readily available in the past. His series integrate Pratt’s notion of anti-conquest, as he travels to different parts of Puerto Rico and offers his own account based on what he has seen and experienced. More so, he offers pointers to those who plan on following his footsteps into unknown lands. Bourdain also emphasizes the importance of familiarizing oneself with the local population, gaining a “real experience, rather than being immersed in tourist destinations with other tourists.

When it comes to the amount of things I have witnessed and been a part of on this lovely Island, I can definitely say I was offered a well-rounded experience. Bourdain stresses on tasting a Piña Colada when in Puerto Rico, and I can walk away assured I was lucky to find and indulge in the freshest Piña Colada on the Island. More so, Bourdain emphasizes a little restaurant in Old San Juan called “Raices,” of which myself, Dr. Subervi and Dr. Carstarphen, along with a few other classmates had the wonderful opportunity of eating at. Not only did we eat there, but we indulged in the all famous Mofongo. Mofongo is a Puerto Rican delicacy composed of mashed triple fried plantains topped with your choice of meat, chicken, shrimp or vegetables. Bourdain also made sure visitors know the relevance and love people in Puerto Rico have for rice and beans.

Lastly, visiting Vieques, The Three Kings Festival, El Yunque Rainforest and the Bioluminescent Bay just last night, truly offered a tourist experience like no other. I feel as though I can walk away from this trip with a personal account of the Islands rich beauty, history, food, culture and people; Anthony Bourdain would be pleased. Of course none of this would have been possible without our amazing tour guides who gave us their all, our professors who are the backbone of the trip, and of course my fellow students who filled our journey with laughter and fun.

Business As Usual

by Vince Winston

Casually watching television a few years ago, I remember a commercial ad about crazy laws in the United States. It was publicity for a new website called dumblaws.com that would showcase unusual, uncommon and/ or silly laws. Things such as “one cannot catch a fish with their bare hands (Kansas),” “you may not drive barefoot (Alabama)” and “no vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 miles per hour (California) were some of their showcased laws. Never thinking such laws as this truly were enforced or given any credibility, I found this not to be evident in Puerto Rico.

It was roughly 10am on the 6^th day of January, a particularly warm and cloudy morning in Juana Diaz, when it began to rain. A small group of my classmates and I, hoping to gain protection from the rain, rushed into Walgreens to purchase an umbrella so that we could enjoy The Three King Parade without getting wet. We approach the aisle that had umbrellas and other similar items, but it was blocked by a small portable aisle on both ends. Not thinking more than this being a simple barricade due to a spill (or something related), we carefully entered and retrieved a few umbrellas. While at checkout, we were told that it was against the law to sell “commerce” to customers at that time. We were dumbfounded by this information.

After speaking with our tour guide, Francisco Jusino, we were informed that it was against the law for a business to sell non-essential commerce to a customer before 11am on Sundays and Holidays. Additionally, most non-essential businesses were to not open until 11am on these days, but Walgreens evaded this law as this were deemed a pharmacy. Upon further conversations with our tour guide and a little research, we found this law to be true. Religious groups enacted these “blue laws” as they did not want people to have distractions from going to church and spending time with their family. With this law in place, it would give them ample time to do so.

This strong religious influence on the law shows the presence and importance that religion still plays in the Puerto Rican culture. For a tourist this may seem as an inconvenience, but to the people of this island it is business as usual.