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!