Demonstration, and A Unique New Friend

Greetings! Here's an update on the past few days... on Sunday, I went with my friend who is from Old San Juan and 2 friends from my group to a demonstration against Donald Trump trying to buy up La Perla, "the most beautiful slum in the world." The march was filled with people wearing white shirts for solidarity, dancing to the music playing in the streets, and chanting together about saving La Perla from gentrification.  Our friend said that being a part of this demonstration (we marched and wore white in solidarity as well) was something that very few visitors to Puerto Rico have had a chance to experience.  After the march, we invited two of our new friends to our hotel to salsa in our room!

Sometimes the Universe allows for interesting experiences to come your way... yesterday morning, I was in the elevator coming back from a morning run on the beach, and a man walked in and introduced himself.  We talked in the elevator, and exchanged numbers, especially because the man said he was from LA and had met a couple other UCLA students within the past few days.  When he gave me his number, he said his name was Roy Lewis.  I immediately had the feeling that he was the NFL player said to be staying at the hotel, so I googled his name... and it was! He plays for the Seahawks, not that I really follow football all that much.  I laughed when I entered my room, thinking, "That's pretty cool! First time meeting an NFL player!"  Later that day while I was studying by the pool, I saw Roy again. A few hours later, I got a text about wanting to go to dinner! It was unexpected, so my roommate and I went to a taqueria with Roy, and ended up meeting some friends from our group there as well.  Roy brought his friend Gustavo, the head of the club that is located inside our hotel (called Brava), which is said to be the most popular club in San Juan.  We all were talking and laughing, and Roy said that he was happy to have met us because it reminded him of his carefree college days.  He and Gustavo invited us to a club called La Respuesta, which is a funky club with a DJ and an art gallery all around the walls of the club! We all danced until the wee hours of the morning, and both Roy and Gustavo were incredibly respectful, treating us as if they were our older brothers.  I felt thankful for their generosity in taking us out but also in taking care of us for the entire night.  It was really interesting to talk with Roy a little bit about his childhood and his family.  He grew up in South Central LA (around where I now tutor with Project Literacy), and with his money from football he is supporting his 6 siblings and his parents.  He was a very down to earth guy, and we had a wonderful time.  And Gustavo said that whenever we want to get into our hotel's club, just give him a call... and that he would make drinks 1/2 off for UCLA students!

El Yunque

Today was the most beautiful day I have had in Puerto Rico thus far.  This morning I left at 8am with Sergio and 8 other students to El Yunque, the only rainforest within the United States.  We drove in 2 cars to the rainforest for about $20 each, and instead of spending $50 for a short hike, we spent the entire day on hiking trails, swimming in waterfalls along the way, and hiking up a steep mountainside to one of the highest lookout points in the rainforest.  I needed this; time outside, being basked in and connecting with nature.  My group was absolutely amazing, I feel like I have really found some friends with a similar sense of adventure here, and a similar outlook on life.  We laughed so much the entire day.  After being in the rainforest from morning until early evening, we grabbed some dinner and then headed to a bioluminescent lagoon.  We swam in the ocean beforehand, and unfortunately I got stung by something in the water!  However, the sting only lasted about 10 minutes, so I think I am totally fine. All in all, leaving the hotel at 8am and returning at 11pm made this day the most fulfilling day I have had in Puerto Rico.  Now, time for some sleep!!!

Another Night!

It seems to hold true that the more open you are to connections and new experiences, the more you attract those connections and experiences.  Tonight I went with a few friends to meet up with the 2 girls with whom we went salsa dancing last night, and they took us to the college town in the area.  We met a bunch of laid back college kids who all hang out together at the same spots on Thursday night, which has now been deemed college night in the town.  Since the island is relatively small (you can drive from one side to the other in about 4 hours), and since the youth from San Juan hang out in the same 2 towns, most students who go out know one another very well and are excited to see one another and catch up.  Everyone is so friendly and open to meeting new people, so I have come to know a bunch of young locals when I go out.  Not everyone on the trip is having this experience; many are hanging out closer to the hotel.  However, I was craving an authentic Puerto Rican experience, and now during only my first week here, I have already had them.  And when we meet up with locals, we really do talk about current events, debates in Puerto Rico about independence, the lively student protests that recently occurred at the University of Puerto Rico because of the fee hikes, and race/identity.  It is absolutely incredible to look around the room and see that each individual is from a mixed heritage (African, Indigenous, European), yet calls themselves Puerto Rican without question.  In the U.S., many people of mixed race have to constantly explain their race, where each parent is from, etc. Not here. You are simply Puerto Rican.

It was comforting when myself and 3 of my friends from my program were walking to meet our Puerto Rican friends and a few others from our group.  Two guys who are friends with the girls we have been hanging out with and who saw us earlier in the night would not let us wait for the other half of the group by ourselves; instead, they went out of their way to walk us to our meeting spot and wait with us until our friends came.  It just goes to show that in certain cultures, taking care of one another even if you don't know the person very well is a common practice.  Because if you help a stranger out, that stranger will one day help you out when you need it... karma.  Sounds like Ghana!

Salsa!

Last night was beautiful. I went with 6 friends, including the head of UCLA Travel Study who is here for a week to evaluate the program, to salsa dance with 2 local girls whom we met at the beach.  We made sangria at Ava's (one of the girls from here) beautiful house in Old San Juan, and they hopped between places to salsa dance, ending at a place with the most incredible live music!  We were so sweaty by the end, and the girls and all of their friends taught us how to really salsa the Puerto Rican way! Of course, we weren't great, but we had the time of our lives. We walked back to the hotel, smiling and full of life and music.  I am so happy we met these girls, they are taking us out again tonight, and they are taking us to a demonstration on Sunday.  The demonstration is happening because Donald Trump is attempting to buy up one of the poorest but most historic parts of the island, La Perla, which also has one of the most beautiful views on the island.  I think the demonstration will be incredibly interesting, especially being able to be involved and speak with people about the issue of the wealthy buying up land and pushing the poor out, along with the privatization of what was once public, which seems to be a very big problem here as well.  It is so wonderful to speak with locals, because even going out at night entails talking about politics and current events with young adults such as ourselves.

We rented a car for Saturday to go to El Yunque, a supposedly wondrous national park here.  It's both cheaper and more liberating to travel to the park on our own and hike/swim in waterfalls to be limited by a structured tour.  We also want to save our money for when we go kayak in a Bioluminescent Bay, which is something that everyone says we have to do!

It is so nice to have Sergio, the head of Travel Study, here to help me process my experiences.  He used to be a student like me with the travel bug, and has incorporated that travel bug into his life as a Travel Study coordinator.  He was telling me that the feeling of guilt for being in such a beautiful hotel, observing the life of luxury that takes place in a part of the world where tourism is essential to the economy, while I am still processing my experiences from Ghana is tough.  He validated that feeling, but said that I do not need to feel guilt; rather, I need to appreciate the experiences I am having here, for we only have this one life.  Although I enjoy living more simply (so does he), there is also something to learn from being here in Puerto Rico, experiencing this culture.  I feel very lucky to have met him, along with friends here who have a similar mindset as I do about going out into this community and experiencing all we can during these next (now almost 3!) weeks.  I am finally feeling a bit more settled, and at peace.

Attempting Simplicity!

My second full day in Puerto Rico. Coming off my time in Ghana, I already know how to live simply.  It is just a bit more difficult to do that when you are surrounded by excess, by the realities of the tourism that is at the core of the economy here in Puerto Rico.  However, food shopping at the grocery store instead of spending money going out for each meal is easy for me, and running/doing yoga on the beach has the potential to be one of the most meditative, peaceful experiences there is.  Last night, I went out with friends, and we met some locals (who I also met on the beach because all of the beaches are public), I rode a mechanical bull, and we went to the beach to drink a bit and get to know one another.  I still miss Ghana, but I think this place will teach me that I can give myself permission to relax, take classes, explore, go out dancing, run, and take a break from being challenged so much both physically and mentally.  For some reason inner peace was so easy for me to find in Ghana, and I will need to find a way to accept and appreciate this down-time... something I have always had a difficult time doing!

Puerto Rico

I arrived here feeling shockingly confused. I walked into what I knew would be a very nice hotel, and memories of Ghana just came rushing in, flooding my mind. I came here with what I thought was a completely open mind, but I do not think I have fully processed my time in Ghana, nor will my experiences there be fully processed for a long period of time. Tears filled my eyes as I walked outside to the 3 swimming pools and the beautiful ocean. Why am I here? Of course, I knew that this was one of the only programs where I could get 2 full class credits towards my major, so that I can graduate on time and hopefully finish my Education minor along with my World Arts and Cultures major.  Lisa had a wonderful idea: think of this as a conference. A month-long academic conference, where I can also learn to enjoy the nice things that I am provided with here. I think this perspective will be incredibly helpful.

My friend Giselle from my trip to Ghana also had brilliant insight, which I am so incredibly thankful for.  She said to me, "You are who you are not where you are, so make the best of the luxury hotel, and keep your Tro-Tro- bush stops- Ghana simple life self." And she's right. I don't know what my time here is about yet, but if anything, it is about maintaining my love for a simpler life while I also enjoy learning and relaxation (which I don't know how to do very well).  I will also learn how to seek out adventure on my own, because this adventure was provided in Ghana each day.  Here I have a choice.  And I will be sure to make the most out of these 4 weeks!

End of the Road

It has been a long time since blogging, but that's because I have been in the field for a month conducting fieldwork, and then getting my 45 page Independent Study Project finished and bound!  But now we are DONE, just waiting to present our projects, and strangely waiting to return to the states.  This has been the most life-changing journey I have had thus far, and I have met some of the most inspirational, beautiful human beings during my time in Ghana.  This SIT group is my family, and I do not know how I will cope with being apart from them after forming this indescribable bond over the past 3 and a half months.  Transitioning from life in Ghana to life in the states will be beyond difficult, but for all of us, our bodies need some physical and mental nurturing after traveling around this country without rest for quite a long time.  I will miss this place so much, but I know that one day I will return.  I also cannot wait for planning my next travel adventures with this family, for we are all like-minded individuals who live to see the world.  For now, I will enjoy my last days in this country, with these beautiful people, and I will see everyone in the states very, very soon!