polyglottony

21 Road Rules for driving in Puerto Rico

2013-01-13T12:07:00.001-05:00

Successfully driving in Puerto Rico is no small feat. For a country that is so laid back in pretty much everything else, they are some of the most impatient drivers! Cars are a necessary evil here, since if you want to get pretty much anywhere outside of San Juan, a car is necessary. Lots of people rent cars when they come here too. If you're ever going to drive in Puerto Rico, there are some very important rules of driving if you want to survive!

1. Red lights are a suggestion, not a hard and fast rule. Actually, it's technically legal to go through a red light at night, but you must come to a complete stop first. But that's a 'suggestion' too, right? Yellow means speed up. Red means the other side still has a few seconds till it turns green. So everybody and their mother will try to cram through the intersection. The people going in the other direction will begin honking the horn. You just stay stay in the middle of that intersection on a red light though, because you have important places to be!

Speed limits and stop signs are also optional. I personally have rarely seen someone getting a speeding ticket (see #3). Going too slow is actually a hazard here, so speed up. You must be going at least 20 miles over the speed limit.

2. Someone is being too cautious for your liking? Just pass them! Are you in a designated turning lane with no arrow (or a red light!), waiting to make a left hand turn across 4 lanes of traffic? If the person in front of you is too skittish and hesitant, just pass them and dodge into oncoming traffic. I mean, they'll have to stop, right?

On highways, passing on the right and left is okay. If you're a slow driver, it's okay to be in the furthest left lane, and vice versa.

3. If you're a police officer, just drive with your lights on constantly. You're not actually pulling anyone over. It doesn't matter if the person in front of you is about to have an epileptic seizure, you just need to look cool and assert your authority, damnit! Not to mention, the lights alert everyone that you're coming... I mean, you don't want to have to stop playing Angry Birds to actually pull someone over, right?!

You probably won't get stopped for anything here. Unless you forget to renew your registration. Then you will be stopped within hours, fined and ticketed, get your license plate taken away, and given a date in court. No joke, this just happened to me.

Oh, I'm not actually pulling you or anyone over. I'm just going to annoyingly tailgate you with my awesome flashing lights for about 15 minutes, and then I'll pass you! This is especially cool at night!

Told ya!

4. Miss your exit or turn a mile ago? Just back up! It doesn't matter how far back it was, you don't want to take the wrong exit and waste time backtracking, so just back up in the shoulder, even if you realized you missed it like 5 minutes ago and you're on a 4 lane highway!

5. Arrows are strange alien symbols. This one REALLY grinds my gears, and everyone does it. I have gotten into numerous arguments with friends who do it all the time. I present to you the following scenario, which happens specifically at an intersection right by my house EVERY TIME I go through it to make a left to go home, wherein I am in the left hand ONLY turning lane, with an arrow. There are three lanes. But sometimes this turning lane has a few cars in it. So the logical thing to do is to use the next lane over, which you cannot turn from, right? So you stop there, waiting to turn too. Causing the people who want to go STRAIGHT, to have to move into the next lane. Then, you must cut in front of EVERYONE who is actually in the turning lane:

Of course, there are also cars in the opposite direction who are trying to turn too. And this road is small, and hilly, and full of potholes, just in case it wasn't exciting enough for you! So traffic ALWAYS forms because everyone from the lanes that aren't supposed to be turning are trying to merge onto this narrow street, all while not getting stuck in a giant crater in the ground! And it's steep, so of course, that's always fun when there is an inch of space between you and the car behind you and you have to stop and start up again, hoping not to roll backwards hitting him! This can occur even from the furthest right lane as well.

By the way, the lack of understanding about what an arrow means also applies to ONE WAY STREETS. Just go whatever direction you feel like! Also, suddenly need to go the other way? Just make a U-turn! Those silly signs saying no U-turn don't mean anything? After all, arrows are alien code! Extra points if you make a U-turn into oncoming traffic on red!

6. Bored while driving? Driving is the perfect time to gab with your girlfriends, send that e-mail, put on your mascara and eyeliner, fix your dubi or rollers, or even knit that sweater you've been working on (swear to god!) All while eating your alcapurria and blasting the lastest reggaetón or salsa hit! Even better if you are doing all of them at once!

7. Turn signals and brake lights are so last century. Don't use your turn signal. Ever. People are smart, they need to keep up! You just change lanes and make turns and cause accidents, who cares? You're the one in front! Also, when some poor lost soul does use their turn signal to merge or change lanes, you must teach them the error of their ways and purposely speed up so they can't get in.

If you use your turn signal to indicate that you "called" the parking space someone is about to leave, you're just asking for it! It's not finders-keepers, it's whoever can pull in faster!

Also, don't worry if your brake lights aren't working. It's perfectly safe, and nobody will stop you anyway! This also goes for side view mirrors, head lights, and taillights.

8. White diamond lanes are NOT carpool lanes. Anyone who lives in a place that uses a white diamond, such as California, to indicate carpool or HOV lanes, the white diamond in PR does not mean the same thing. I accidentally made this mistake the first time I drove here and narrowly avoided an accident, learning the hard way!

(Source)

Here, painted white diamonds on a lane mean it is a lane for BUSES ONLY! And these buses are normally going in the opposite direction. Which means, not only could you get fined, but it could be dangerous

9. Parking. Of course, lines to indicate parking spaces are just pretty little decorations someone painted on the ground, just like any traffic signs and pedestrian crossings, right? You must do your very best to take up as many parking spaces as humanly possible. Also, parking straight and well-aligned is so overrated! If Plaza Las Américas (the biggest mall in the Caribbean) gets too packed at Christmas time, feel free to invent your own parking space, even if you block a lane and not even a bicycle can get through! Sidewalks, someone else's drive way, yellow lined curbs, handicap spaces all are valid too!

You may also double or triple park, or park your vehicle in a moving traffic lane, thus blocking traffic. Getting your empanadilla at the roadside stand is way more important!

10. Have a tire budget. It is very possible you will spend more money on tires than gas. In the year I've had my car, I have had over 4 flat tires. The road conditions are not always the greatest because of the rain, so potholes, sometimes more like craters, abound! You must begin to make a visual roadmap of where the potholes are on your commonly traveled roads to remember to avoid them, like you're in a video game!

A note about road conditions: In very rural areas, unpaved roads are common, which are a joy when it rains. Also, painted lines marking the separation of different lanes tend to fade on highways even in San Juan, so lanes are not always clearly marked.

11. Tapón. Tapón. Tapón. Traffic jams (tapones) are everywhere, and when you least expect it. During prime commute hours, ni se diga. But even when you least expect it, there will be traffic. Double or triple the time you think it will take to get anywhere, and that's how long it takes. Extra points for funeral processions!

12. Horns are musical instruments. Feel free to honk them whenever you feel like it. Especially in traffic just for the heck of it. The more the merrier! Honking your horn is OBLIGATORY as soon as the light is turning green, if the person doesn't move within the first nanosecond or inching up while the light is still red.

13. The word "merge" doesn't exist in Spanish. You must force yourself into traffic at all costs. You must not let anyone else in, for that matter. You have the right to cut in between any two vehicles you choose. Feel free to stop moving traffic on a 3 lane highway in order to change lanes to get where you need to be! Do not leave more than 2 inches of space between you and the car in front of you, or someone WILL force their way in.

14. Driving is the best place to meet people and catch up! See a friend going the other direction on a two lane narrow street? Feel free to just stop and have a conversation and shoot the breeze! Why not share a cup of coffee while you're at it? People behind you can find alternate routes; after all, that bochinche is too juicy to pass up! Same goes for hitting on jevas (girls) walking by.

15. Fake out everyone while turning! When making a turn, you must make a pretend to turn in the opposite direction as wide as possible, and then swerve the opposite way in the last second! Extra points in parking lots!

16. Driving is a great time to release your anger! All of these things might bring on some road rage. So naturally, you need to flip the bird, honk your horn, maybe even get out or your car, all while threatening and saying insulting things like:
-Canto cabrón!
-Mamao, adónde tú vas!?
-Bicho es! Ni pal carajo te voy a dejar entrar!
-Me cago en la chocha pelú!

Of course, do this at your own risk. You probably don't want to get shot, after all. Funnily, my road rage is completely in Spanish now, even when I'm the States!

17. When you cause an accident, DENY DENY DENY! It wasn't your fault you were talking on your cell phone and didn't see the person in front of you had stopped! Start immediately insulting the people with whom you were in the accident, waving your hands and pointing fingers.

18. Don't actually know how to get anywhere. First off, street names and route numbers are superfluous. Nobody knows what those things are. When giving directions, say things like:
Keep going straight. when you see the place that used to be the old Fulano's Pharmacy, make a left. Then, when you see the tecato (homeless drug addicts, normally asking for money) in the red shirt on the street corner, make a right. Sigue por ahí pa'bajo until you come to your second Burger King and the third Walgreens. Then you go like 2 minutes and you're there.

No criticism intended, but, I have found that locals don't have the best sense of direction. I have only been here a year, am not that great with directions, but when driving in caravan, many times I end up leading a group of Puerto Rican friends who have lived here their whole life, to get to somewhere fairly well-known. Yes, it's that bad! I think the mentality is, if you get lost, don't worry. De la Isla no te vas a salir! (You're not going to leave the Island!)

19. You must pay the tecato toll. Speaking of tecatos, it's probably a good idea to keep some change on you. They really don't do anything and are pretty harmless, most of them are too strung out to even realize what's going on, but they will probably walk by your car at red lights and give you a sad face with an empty Subway cup. If you don't have change or don't want to contribute to their next hit, just shrug your shoulders and say something like, "Acho mano, no tengo chavo!" and they will probably keep going.

If you want to avoid them all together, the best tried-and-true trick, tested by yours truly, is to pull out your cell phone and become really engaged in your conversation Pretend you just got some really great gossip, or found out your boyfriend is cheating on you. Hit the steering wheel a few times and talk loudly and they won't even look twice. Swear to god., works every time.

However, it is necessary to pay the tecato when he is being 'helpful' and 'saving' you a parking space or 'helping' you park. After all, he knows where your car is. If you pay him the tecato toll, he'll make sure nobody touches your car. If you don't, you might come back to find some fancy new artwork painted with a key over your vehicle.

20. Strange conversions. Just like the confusing political situation of the island, things are kind of confusing here. Like Gasoline is measured in liters. Speed limits are posted in Miles per hour. Distances are all marked in Kilometers. Keep that in mind when driving here!

21. Enjoy the scenery, it's not too bad! The good thing is, these rules are universal here. Because you know what to expect from drivers, there actually aren't too many accidents. Puerto Rico does not have the worst driving I've seen, by a long shot (I'm looking at you, Morocco!) And most parts of the Island give you such breathtaking scenery while driving, so just enjoy!

View from the road on the way to Old San Juan

The one with the Ghanian police officer

2013-01-05T16:41:00.002-05:00

The sounds of a loud charismatic speaker, singing, chanting, and praying wake me out of a dead sleep at 5:30 in the morning. In a temporary moment of confusion, I cannot place where I am or the strange room I'm in; a familiar sensation when waking up in a new place. It dawns on me. I'm in Ghana.

The sound turned out to be a student Christian organization having early morning worship on campus outside the dorm. The friend I'm sharing a room with and I look at each other, trying to make sense of our surroundings. It's our first morning in Ghana. Still a little groggy after the almsot 36 hours of travel from Puerto Rico to Ghana, we get ready and make our way to the designated meeting point. After a tour of the University of Ghana, with an impressively enormous and beautiful campus, and our morning class, we head out to Madina Market, an enormous market located in the capital of Ghana. This is the first time we've ventured this far into Accra, the Accra far away from the university. The almost fifteen of us split up into small groups into different taxis, planning to meet at a specific part of the market. After negotiating with the taxi driver over price (you barter and haggle for everything here!), we hop in and are on our way.

The taxi plows down unfamiliar roads. It's rained a little bit, and the cars swerve around the red muddy road, dodging potholes filled with rust-colored pools. Here in Ghana, the taxis do a curious thing. They are required to stop and get out of the car at designated checkpoints along the road and show their licenses or permits to the police. At one checkpoint, our cabby scoops up some money from the cup holder under radio the radio and gets out of the car. He heads over to the police officer and they shake hands and nod with an understanding, with a noticeably not present license on the windshield. So that's how things work! The taxi driver gets back into the car and we continue on our way to the market.

On our way to Accra market

Everything looks so different and new to my eyes, and I try hard to take it all in while the taxi whizzes along. Traffic begins to slow and thicken like molasses as we get closer to the market. We are surrounded by people and commotion everywhere, many tiny faces peering at the obrunis ¹ in the cab. An intimidating-looking armed police officer scrutinizes the vehicle and starts speaking in a mix of English, Ghanian Pidgin, and Twi with the driver, only about half intelligible to my hears. However, body language was certainly enough to get the gist. The driver pulls out some paperwork saying that it had expired. The police officer asks him to step out of the car. He gets out and we're in the middle of the market, with our group nowhere to be found. Not to mention, none of us have any way to get in contact with them, nor do we have any clue where we are! The driver and the police officer go off a ways, and the group of us in the car are debating on what to do. For a few of the people in the car, it was their first time out of PR, and they start to freak out a bit. We decided to wait it out in the taxi, and he comes back after 20 minutes. The police officer asks him to step out again and they go off and talk. One of my friend, S, goes into full-blown hysterics, drawing even more attention to the group of foreigners in the taxi in the middle of a crowded market. S starts to stuff all her money and IDs in the bottom of her shoes in a hurried panic. My advice to 'remain calm and don't draw attention' isn't taken very well. The sun is now beginning to set, which only adds to the tension. How much longer should we wait? All of the sudden, we see a familiar face. In an almost biblical scene, a tall, bearded, Ghanian man (a professor of ours at the University of PR who came with us) parts the sea of people and spots us in the taxi to rescue our sorry, lost selves! The taxi driver finally returned, who claimed he forgot to renew his registration. We then paid and tipped him, and proceeded to explore the exciting Madina Market.

Sensory overload doesn't even begin to describe the experience; the sheer multitude of people, all new kinds of new and delicious foods to try, all kinds of goods for sale everywhere, all new kinds of sounds mingling together as they hit my eardrum. It was energizing and exhausting at the same time. Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of the Market, but HERE is a good one! Hours of exploring later, we made our way back to the University, almost forgetting about the incident in the taxi, although months later it certainly is something that still makes us laugh! Upon returning to our rooms, we crashed, thoroughly worn out by the day. And that was day one.

1. Common word in Ghana for westerners or gringo

Word of the week: ¡Qué bochinche!

2012-12-30T21:11:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've done a word of the week (let alone write on the blog)! Now that I'm on a break from grad school, hopefully I'll get some writing done (and I haven't forgotten about the postcards!) This week's word is bochinche, which is an extremely common word in Puerto Rico that means gossip! And of course, you can't talk about bochinche and Puerto Rico without mentioning... La Comay! The most-seen television show in PR, SuperXclusivo, is a celebrity gossip-turned-political commentary show featuring a giant puppet with a somewhat annoying voice called La Comay, or "the Godmother", famous for saying "Qué bochinche!" after revealing the juiciest happenings on the Island and elsewhere!

In a sentence: ¡Chica, tienes que escuchar este bochinche!

Other words that are derived from bochinche are:

bochinchar - to gossip
bochinchero, bochinchera - a gossips or someone who gossips or is gossipy

The word in more standard Spanish would be chisme, but in PR bochiche is omnipresent! The word chismoso in Puerto Rico can also mean someone who easily gets worked up over something, just like the word enchismar, which means to get upset or get worked up, as in: Marta se enchismó cuando le contaron lo que había pasado.

Now that you know how to properly talk about gossip, enjoy this clip from SuperXclusivo:

Rocking the vote in Puerto Rico

2012-11-06T17:11:00.000-05:00

Oh my poor little blog... completely neglected and abandoned, I ignored you when you needed me most! After my summer of globetrotting, you would think that I would have been extremely motivated to write and share my experiences. However, unsure of where to start, I procrastinated. And then I came back to Puerto Rico and the semester started and things got hectic, way more than last year! However, I decided that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to write about about the elections here in Puerto Rico. I hope to keep writing consistently from now on!

Puerto Rico not only votes today for their Governor and other elected officials, but also in a referendum or plebiscite to vote on the political status of the island, which hasn't been done in several years. As a result, this is a very important election!

The political system here in Puerto Rico works different than in the United States. First, although Puerto Ricans are US citizens, have US passports, pay taxes, etc., they are not allowed to vote for president. The political parties are also structured very differently:

These are the political parties: In the upper lefthand corner is the Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP), which is in favor of becoming the 51st state of the USA. The current governor, Luis Fortuño, is a member of this party.

In the upper righthand corner is the Partido Popular Democrático (PPD), which is in favor of maintaing Puerto Rico's status as a territory.

The next party is the Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño (PIP), which is in favor of independence, followed by the Partido Puertorriqueños por Puerto Rico (PPR), which is in favor of leaving the political status of Puerto Rico aside and instead focusing on social, economic, and environmental issues that affect the island.

Finally, there's the Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS) is a new party in favor of a sovereign Puerto Rico, in other words to stay a territory but to give the Island more sovereignty. Another new party, the Partido del Pueblo Trabajador (PPT), is in favor of the well-being "working people".

The PNP and PPD are generally two biggest parties. In each party, there are politicians on both sides of the political spectrum in terms of political, social, economic, and environmental issues.

As the elections grew closer, huge groups of people from different parties travel throughout the island, blasting music and political slogans from huge speakers mounted on top of cars, people with flags from all parties driving all around honking, causing massive traffic and confusion all of the island!

Here are some pictures of the past few weeks via Instagram:

The PPD outside my apartment in Río Piedras

"Dominicans with Santini"- Santini (PNP) is the mayor of San Juan in Santurce

PPD Caravana Política in Santurce

Ads to vote NO to the current status and pro-Independence during the plebiscite, Río Piedras

The Movimiento Socialista de los Trabajadores (Worker's Socialist Movement) organization saying "Who ever wins, the people lose: Don't vote!" in Río Piedras

Another add saying "Le'ts ask for it", referring to Statehood and becoming the 51st State in Santurce

PNP cars, with Unitedstatesan flags and everything in Hato Rey

PPD outside the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras

The Plebiscite!

Ballot for Governor

The Pro-Independence Party's (PIP) flag down the street, Río Piedras

PNP supporters going crazy in the street with palm tree leaves and flags on top of a bus stop, Carolina

"Say No to the Colony, Vote No November 6th" and the white pice of paper says "The politicians want to clean PR (by) dirtying the walls", Santurce

Juan Dalmau, the PIP candidate, Río Piedras

Signs for the PPT, Río Piedras

Election time is definitely an interesting time to be in Puerto Rico, we'll see what happens! I'll be posting more soon about my trip to Ghana, Morocco, Spain, Philadelphia, as well as announcing the winner of the postcard contest! It's not too late to comment on the previous post and get a chance to win postcards from my summer trip!

Happy 2nd Blogoversary to me!

2012-06-22T07:30:00.001-04:00

Greetings from Spain! Long time no write! I have access to a computer at the moment, and just wanted to announce that today is my 2-year Blogoversary here at Polyglottony! I'm glad I've been able to stick with this little project for so long, which is a pretty major accomplishment for me! Although not without bouts of radio silence (writer's block, travel, and graduate school being the major culprits), I want to thank all of you who take time to read my musings on the interwebs. I hope to continue to travel and write for years to come, as I still have so much more to learn and share!

I can't wait to tell about my newest adventures all over Ghana, Morocco, and Spain. Although I wish I could have posted more from the road, I don't regret leaving my laptop at home. I've been moving around so much, and it would have been quite difficult to carry, not to mention that my schedule has been so hectic, I don't know how much I would have been able to write, anyway!

I'd also like to present a small contest! I have accumulated lots of postcards from the places I've been on this particular trip so far! Want a chance to win them? Here's how:

-Comment on this post with a suggestion/curiosity/question about something you'd like to hear/read about in the future, from this particular trip or otherwise

-Contest is open to readers from anywhere

-I'll pull a 'name out of the hat' virtually to determine the winner

-I'll announce the winner at a future date, still TBD, and will notify the winner!

Being that I'm in Spain, instead of a cake to celebrate my blogoversary, a plate of huevos estrellados with jamón serrano and a caña seemed more fitting. ¡Feliz blogoversario a mí!

leaving on a jet plane

2012-05-27T08:55:00.000-04:00

Many apologies for not being very consistent with the blog these past few weeks! Finishing my first year of grad school proved to be fairly stressful and brought with it a great deal of work! In a few short hours, I'll be heading to the airport to board my first of many flights this summer. I have decided not to take my laptop with me to free up some space and pounds in my luggage, as well as to avoid any possible risks since I'll be moving around a lot. Unfortunately, this means I will not be able to blog as easily as possible. However, I hope to at least tweet and post to my Facebook page and Instagram with my phone. But don't worry, I will catch up on all my missed blogging opportunities when I get home!

Word of the week: pelao

2012-05-18T17:15:00.003-04:00

From the word pelado, meaning "peeled", "plucked" or "bald"... Here in Puerto Rico, pelao means "broke", or without money.

Used in a sentence:

"Oye, vamos a janguear hoy! Ya se acabó el semestre!

"Acho mano, no puedo, estoy pelao/pelá"

around (a small part of) the world in a summer

2012-05-05T13:49:00.002-04:00

For those of you who don't know, I'm about to leave for a trip that will take me to many places this summer. I'm very fortunate to be going on a trip to do research and linguistic field work this summer in Ghana with a professor and a group of students to do investigation and study African linguistic influences in the Caribbean. I leave in about three weeks and couldn't be more thrilled! Not only will I be in Ghana, but I'll be traveling to Morocco for the first time, and then spending some time in Spain visiting friends. I'll be gone from May to July, and then will either be around the United States (potentially on both the East Coast and in California) before heading back home to la Isla del Encanto.

My Visa arrived today and I'm ready to go!

Here's a map of where I'll potentially be this summer:

View Summer 2012 in a larger map

The itinerary is a bit complicated. To get to Accra, Ghana, we'll be going from San Juan, PR > NYC > London > Accra Ghana. To get to Morocco, Accra, Ghana > Lisbon, Portugal > Madrid, Spain > Tangier, Morocco. And finally, Madrid > NYC, and then whatever I end up doing before heading back to San Juan.

I'm extremely excited and a little anxious about traveling to a whole new part of the world. Additionally, it will be the longest time I'll be "backpacking it". Living abroad is a lot different than RTW ('round the world) travel. Packing becomes even more complicated, and moving from place to place for almost two months straight, not to mention how different all of the places I'll be are, is something that must be taken into consideration. I can't wait to have all new experiences to share!

Semana del Idioma Español

2012-04-24T13:14:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was the Día del Idioma in memory of Cervantes' birthday, and this week at the University of Puerto Rico, there's a lot of stuff going on to celebrate the Semana del idioma español. A friend of mine shared this photo and I thought I'd post it since I like the message. The text says "This is Spanish, many colors united by one language". It reflects the diversity of the Spanish-speaking world. For more on this, see my old post "debunking some myths"!

Confessions of a traveling reader

2012-04-17T22:42:00.000-04:00

My most defiant acts as a child were performed in the dark, assisted by a dim light from the hall outside my bedroom, my alarm clock, or a flashlight. Sometimes they occurred under the blankets. They were done in secret, anxiously awaiting the footsteps of my all-too-aware parents, hoping I wouldn't get caught. I had my stash-the-goods-and-feign-sleep down pat, just in case they came to check on me. It would keep me up all night, and transport me to other worlds, such to the point that I became completely unaware of anything else. It would become impossible to stop, and I would go hours without eating or taking a drink of water. In the morning, my sleepy, red eyes would betray me, and my parents would demand that I hand over the paraphernalia until I got a good night sleep and finished my homework.

Sometimes I would sneak it into school, hiding it under my desk and escaping the drone of the lesson on long division with decimals. I became quite good at multitasking my rebellious behavior while keeping up the appearance of an attentive student. Occasionally, I was caught red-handed, my punishment being putting my name on the board, receiving demerit points, an embarrassing chat with the principal, or even a detention. I would scrape pennies together to make $10 and beg my mother to take me to get some more, further fueling my habit. When I was old enough, my mom took me to get this special card that offered me free access to unlimited supplies. I would take home a huge stack every week, giving a defiant yes when asked if I would really get through all of them. It would cause me to steal from my dad's large collection, tucked throughout all corners of our home. I began to take these precious items everywhere, stocking up for especially long trips, stuffing my worn denim backpack to the gills. I turned into a junkie. Even a 20-minute car ride was difficult without some, and they became an almost constant companion on the road. Now that I live away from my center of addiction, I'm kind of at a loss. In case the title didn't give it away, my name is Ashlee, and I am a bookaholic.

I don't consider myself a very materialistic person. I like living in a small apartment. To me, less stuff means less clutter, less stress, and less to clean. I don't have an extensive collection of shoes or clothes that I feel I need to lug with me wherever I go. Moving to another country is definitely not conducive to such behavior. However, if I could have one item (okay, I suppose they are lots of items), it would be my library of books. I all-too-often frequent libraries, bookstores, yard sales, and helped organized used-book sales at my high school. I can’t stand to spend more than five minutes in a clothing store, but have to be dragged practically kicking and screaming out of a bookshop. This addict behavior has led me to amass quite a collection in my two-and-a-half decades of life. My dream is to someday have a library that rivals the one from Beauty and the Beast.

Forget a shoe closet, what girl wouldn't want this library?!
(source)

Books, while individually are quite tiny and light, quickly rack up pounds on the airport luggage scale. Given that I prefer to read hardback to paperback, this makes it even worse. I felt mentally and physically distraught when I had to decide which books to leave in Spain; it was like choosing among my children. I realize that to non-readers or more practical individuals, this must sound like complete nonsense. Books are ubiquitous; you can find them wherever you go. You don’t even have to pay for them at your local library. Many people never read a book more than once, and some even find the idea ludicrous, but not me. Rereading favorite books is a joy, and I love that feeling of familiarity with the words on the page and the characters in the story, as well as discovering things I had missed previously. Additionally, at home I have a good amount of books that I still haven’t read, and often times I wish I had them with me so I could start them.

In that sense, e-readers are a traveler’s best friend. A lot of the classics are free, the prices are generally cheaper, and they provide you with instant access to tons of books and your entire collection at once. While on a trip, you never have to worry about running out of things to read, or leaving something behind. Thousands of books can be held on these tiny devices, which save tons of space in your luggage and lighten your load. Despite the positives, for me the experience is nothing like reading a real book. Maybe I’m a romantic, but I love the smell and feel of books, new and old (scientists actually proved why!). I like touching the pages, dog-earing corners and underlining favorite quotes. I believe that the more worn a book is, the more it has been loved. Real books never run out of batteries or have to be charged. E-readers limit your exposure to new books as well. It takes away the experience of going to the library or a bookstore, as I have found so many great books by browsing shelves with no specific title in mind. They don’t allow for the displaying of your collection on bookshelves and walls of your home. What happens if the electricity goes, and all of your books are on your e-reader without batteries? At the same time, I wonder how I am going to lug home the almost four full shelves worth of books that I’ve accumulated during my few months living here in Puerto Rico when the time comes. Additionally, how am I ever going to get the hundreds of books I have at my parents’ home to if ever, whenever, and wherever I end up settling down? E-readers are fantastic for when I’m going on a trip, but at home, I prefer to read from real paper and ink. Thus, I feel like I’m in a catch-22.

Probably over the weight limit just with these! What I've been reading recently

I realize I'm slightly abnormal when it comes to books. I mean, what child gets books taken away from her as a punishment? Better yet, what parent grounds their child from reading? Many children have to be forced on pain of death to pick up a book. However, I know I can't be the only one who feels this way. How do all you other readers, travelers, and expats out there deal with this conundrum? Do you give in to the e-reader? Leave your collection behind? Shell out the money to ship everything?

La ciudad señorial

2012-04-13T09:23:00.002-04:00

A little while ago, I went to the southern town of Ponce for the first time. It's Puerto Rico's second-largest city, and its nicknames include "The Noble City" and "the Pearl of the South". Many sanjuaneros like joke about Ponce due to a friendly rivalry and call it the "Second City". The city of Ponce, which is not even an hour from San Juan, is very different in terms of architecture, climate, and culture. Whereas the northern part of the island is humid and receives a lot of rainfall, once you get to the south it is arid, dry, and desert-like. Ponce's architecture is a unique blend of Creole, Art Nouveau, and Catalan influences, and there's a laid-back, sleepy atmosphere throughout the city. It reminds me of a kind of Savannah or Charleston of Puerto Rico. Although I just spent an afternoon, I was very impressed by the city's beauty and how different it was from San Juan, and really want to return. Here are some photos!

La Cruceta El Vigia at the top of the city, à la Hollywood

View of the city from the top

Plaza Las Delicias

Parque de Bombas

Featured beach: Playa Escambrón

2012-04-03T07:31:00.002-04:00

With hundreds of miles of coastline to choose from and an astounding diversity of beaches when one considerst the relatively small size of Puerto Rico, there certainly are a lot of options. While the beaches of San Juan tend to be more touristy and crowded than the ones in other parts of the island, Playa Escambrón is a good escape. Unlike the more popular beaches in Condado and Isla Verde, it has almost no tourists, more palm trees and shade, no resorts or hotels obstructing the natural beauty, crystal clear water, natural reef formations that make a nice pool area with tranquil waves, a dose of local flavor, and a unique view of the historic Spanish Fort El Morro, the Capitolio, and Old San Juan. Not to mention the presence of convenient showers and bathrooms! It gets pretty crowded with locals on the weekends, and it costs $5 to park in the lot if you take a car, but it's definitely one of my favorite beaches in the San Juan area.

The Capitolio, El Morro, and Old San Juan to the left

Sunset over Escambrón

Word of the week: tapón

2012-03-28T09:28:00.000-04:00

Tapón. A frequently used word here on an island where it's rumored there are more cars than people, especially here in the capital of San Juan. In many places it means bottle stopper, cork, top, or plug, but here, a tapón is a traffic jam. It's also the main excuse for why Puerto Ricans consider driving more than 10 miles like going to the edge of the universe, especially during peak commuting hours.

An example in good Puerto Rican:

-"Oye, vamo' pa' Isla Verde!"

[Hey, let's go to Isla Verde!]

-'Táh loco! A esta hora va a haber un tapón bieeeen cabrón!"

[Are you crazy! At this hour there's going to be a sh**ton of traffic!]

Isla Verde is a part of the Metropolitan Area about 7 miles/11 km from Old San Juan where there are lots of beaches. Apologies for the language!

A pirate's view

2012-03-22T12:29:00.000-04:00

In Old San Juan lies the Castillo San Felipe del Morro, better known as just "El Morro". It's located on the tip of the peninsula of the historic center of the city. It's an almost 500 year old Spanish fort, designed to guard the entrance to the San Juan Bay from pirates and other invaders. Yes, it's a main tourist attraction, but there's always lots of locals too. It's lovely to walk around on a nice day and see all of the families flying chiringas ("kite" in PR) and enjoying a piragua (water ice/snow cone). There are tons of pictures of the fortaleza itself, so I decided to take some photos of the city and the ocean from the edge of the fort.

Old walls

Las garitas de la fortaleza

Isla de Cabras

La Perla

Cementerio de Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis

Also known as "Puerto Rico's Père-Lachaise"

View of San Juan

An iguana cogiendo sol in El Morro

Guest Post: Go Wild in Johannesburg

2012-03-22T10:26:00.001-04:00

The city of Johannesburg has a variety of interesting eco-tourism experiences because it’s a place where the wilderness of the African Savannah meets a magnetic urban jungle.

Johannesburg
Source: Kruger National Park

On the outskirts of the city are some of the best wildlife parks in Africa. Visitors can get up close and personal with lion cubs, giraffes and many other creatures that have fascinated people through the ages. They provide the perfect wildlife holidays for families and couples who are animal lovers.

It should be noted that Johannesburg has the reputation for being unsafe; however, this should not be a deterrent for people who want to go there. The city can be relatively safe so long as common-sense precautions are followed. Here are two must-see attractions for wildlife visitors to Johannesburg:

The Lion Park

After entering, visitors can get food and go up to giraffes and feed them. Get a four-wheel-drive and drive the family through lion camps, where lions yawn and tumble around together in the sun.

For people who want quality face-time with the lion cubs, it's best to go during the week when it's not busy. Make sure that there are no loose objects hanging out of the car and the windows are wound up; nobody wants to be a lunch time snack! Take a peek at the game area where herds of antelope, zebra and springbok run freely.

Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve

Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve
Source: Wikipedia

This is one of Gauteng's premier eco-tourism destinations, just an hour outside of the city. There are 134 km² of unspoiled natural veld (grassland), with beautiful and scenic hiking trails. The air is much more refreshing and clean than in the city, with an altitude between 1,545 and 1,917m above sea level. See some native species of eagle and plentiful game herds.

Book cheap flights to Johannesburg, which is one of the most welcoming and exciting cities in South Africa, and discover the wildlife that’s just a stone’s throw outside of the city.

Disclaimer: This post was a paid guest post by Caliber Interactive. This views expressed in this guest post do not necessarily reflect my views, policies or beliefs.

My 7 Super Shots

2012-03-16T14:12:00.001-04:00

Practice makes perfect, is what they say. Ever since I was little, my Dad, an amazing photographer and world traveler, has tried to try to teach me the art of photography with a cheap disposable camera, or on occasion daring to let me use his own professional camera. Most of the time, it was an exercise in futility as I never have had quite the artistic eye nor the patience that he does. The majority, if not all, of those precious 24 slots on the roll of film would result in mediocre pictures, at best. Regardless, I enjoyed it. When I first ventured out on my own almost four years ago, I saved for a simple point-and-shoot camera. It's nothing special, but it's been my constant companion all over the globe. When Lauren at Spanish Sabores nominated me to take part in Hostel Booker's 7 Super Shots Challenge, I gladly accepted. I'm sure if my Dad reads this, he would have some "constructive criticism" and loving advice for how to improve these pictures, as I know that point-and-shoot not only describes my camera, but my photographic technique as well, but I do think he's taught me a thing or two after all.

A photo that…takes my breath away

"Go on a sunny day or it's not worth it," my friend advised me. Luck was on my side that day, and the beautiful stained glass work of the La Sainte-Chapelle in Paris glowed all around me. Sure, I may have another, better picture in my collection that would fit this category more, but this place truly took my breath away, as did Paris. (April 2011).

A photo that…makes me laugh or smile

"Quiero nadar en tu maleta!" ["I want to swim in your suitcase!"] my host mother's granddaughter, Fiona, said to me, tossing out all my neatly folded clothes while I was packing on one of my final days of study abroad in Madrid, Spain. She was a constant companion during my time there, waking me up at 7 am to desayunar, wreaking havoc with an adorable smile in a way only a two-year-old can. She always knew how to make me smile, and this photo is exactly how I remember her. Following Cat's and Lauren's 7 Super Shots, there's nothing like a child to make you laugh! (June 2008)

A photo that…makes me dream

The waves crashing off a small dock in Potala Pastillo, Puerto Rico, on the south side of the island near Ponce. The small island in the distance is the Isla Caja de Muertos. (January 2012)

A photo that…makes me think

What makes me think is the city of Rome itself. Very modern, yet so ancient at the same time. The Roman Forum certainly made me ponder how incredible it is that after thousands of years, it's still there. I love to imagine what it must have been like and how it must have looked a few millenia ago. (July 2008)

A photo that…makes my mouth water

This one was hard for several reasons. First, because I don't have many pictures of food. Second, because out of the few that I have, it was hard to decide which one made my mouth water most! I chose my picture of Padrón peppers, a pepper grown in the town of Padrón, Galicia, that are super popular during the short time they're in season. They are amazing. There's a saying in Gallego that goes: Os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non [Padrón peppers, some bite and others don't]. Okay, it doesn't sound as poetic in English, but I can assure you, if you're in Galicia, Spain, in early summer, you have to try them. They're sautéed in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, and have the most amazing flavor. Careful you don't get a super spicy one! (June 2011)

A photo that…tells a story

I love to imagine the life story of the people who live in this home in Venice, Italy. Who has the leopard/cheetah print sheets? What's the story behind them, if there even is one? What secrets are hidden in their dirty laundry? (June 2008)

A photo that…I am most proud of (aka my worthy of National Geographic shot)

Most definitely not National Geographic worthy, but I'm proud of it anyway because it's the most I've ever worked to take a picture! To reach the top of Cerro Santa Ana (Santa Ana Hill), in Guayaquil, Ecuador, you first must climb hundreds upon hundreds of steps. Once you reach the top, there is a lighthouse (more steps!) that provides you with an incredible view of the city that makes it all worth it. It always makes me reflect on my time in Ecuador and all of the people and friends I met there. (May 2010)

Now I'm supposed to tag people to participate! I nominate Liz en España, Graham in Spain, LatinAbroad and Becoming Sevillana!

Word of the week: china

2012-03-13T11:27:00.000-04:00

Dialogue on my first trip to Puerto Rico almost four years ago while ordering breakfast:

Waitress: Y para tomar ¿jugo de china fresco? ¿Café? [And to drink, fresh juice from China? Coffee?]

Me (to myself): fresh juice from China? fresh Chinese juice? What the???

(to waitress): Umm, ¿tienen jugo de naranja? [Umm, do you have orange juice?]

Waitress: (gives me an awkward look and shifts uncomfortably)

The novio: Sí, dos jugos de china por favor [Yea, two orange (Chinese) juices, please]

Fanta chinita puertorriqueña

In Puerto Rico, china (chee-nah) doesn't just mean the the country China or "Chinese girl", but "orange" (as in the fruit) and "orange color", instead of the standard naranja and anaranjado in other Spanish-speaking countries. After some intense investigation, (a.k.a. a brief survey among my fellow Puerto Rican linguistics students), it's because during the 19th century, a type of orange began to arrive from China, in boxes labeled "Naranjas de China" (Oranges from China/Chinese oranges), which were different from the bitter oranges that grew on the island, known as naranjas. Essentially, the two words exist to distinguish two types of oranges on the Island. In my experience, pretty much any orange here is referred to as a china, and many things orange-colored are referred to as china or chinita as well. Mandarin oranges are also referred to as chinas mandarinas.

escaping the city

2012-03-09T14:33:00.002-05:00

A little bit ago, I spent a weekend on la Isla Nena, Vieques, a tiny island off the east coast of the "Isla grande". The natural beauty of the island is unparalleled. Strict zoning laws are in place protecting the island from overdevelopment. It's nice to have a break from the chaos of San Juan and the metropolitan area. If you come to Puerto Rico, it's well worth the trip for several reasons:

-Solitude. If there are 10 people on the beach, that's too many.

-Beaches the way they were meant to be seen: without skyscrapers, hotels, and resorts in the background.

-No traffic lights on the entire island

-Beautiful wild horses roaming around

-The world's largest and brightest Bioluminescent Bay is one of the most incredible things I've ever seen in my life (check out the pictures on the link!)

-Ecotourism: kayaking, hiking, bike riding, horseback riding, snorkeling, scuba diving, and a whole slew of other activities

-A wide variety of beaches and sand, from white sugar coated groves of Playa La Plata, to the black volcanic sand beaches of Playa Negrita, and everything in between.

-Fresh seafood and other great local food options

You can either take a really short yet somewhat costly plane ride from the main island, which I've never done, or take the ferry for about $4 round trip from the town of Fajardo on the west coast. A trip to Puerto Rico would be incomplete without seeing its sister islands.

Happy International Women's Day!

2012-03-08T08:28:00.002-05:00

Today, March 8th, is the day celebrated in many countries as International Women's Day. Growing up in the United States, I had never heard of this day until moving to Spain. Ironically, the first Women's Day was celebrated in the United States in 1908. According to the United Nations' page^[1] about the history of the day, "The Socialist Party of America designated this day in honour of the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York, where women protested against working conditions." My hypothesis is that because of its Socialist origins, the United States later distanced itself from the holiday because of its political connotations (i.e. the "Red Scare", etc.) Today, it's celebrated or recognized in many countries, including here in Puerto Rico, as "a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political."^[1] In some places, it is a mix of Mother's Day and Valentine's Day, where in many countries there is a tradition of men giving flowers to the women in their lives, and may even be a national holiday. In the United States, last year President Obama designated March as "Women's Month" in the United States. Today, it seeks to celebrate the accomplishments of women, promote gender equality and female empowerment, and love and respect for the female gender. Happy International Women's Day to all women and the men who care about us!

Some Women's Day posters I found:

German Women's Day Poster
(Source)

In Russian
The texts reads: "8th of March is the day of rebellion of the working women against kitchen slavery" and "Down with the oppression and narrow-mindedness of household work!"(Source)

Arabic Women's Day Poster
(Source)

Poster in Català
(Source)

(Source)

[1]UN: History of International Women's Day

Word of the week: cornflei

2012-03-05T11:34:00.000-05:00

Dialogue between a friend and I when I went with her to the supermarket a little bit ago:

Me: ¿Ya tienes todo lo que necesitas? [Do you have everything you need?]
Friend: Ay no, se me olvidó coger los cornflei. [Ahh no, I forgot to get Corn Flakes]
(we proceed to walk to the cereal aisle)
Friend: (grabs a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, ignoring the Corn Flakes)
Me: ¿No dijiste que querías Corn Flakes? [Didn't you say you wanted Corn Flakes?]
Friend: (gives me a puzzled look) Pues sí, ya los tengo? [Well yeah, I already have it]
Me: (blank stare)

In most of the Spanish-speaking countries I've been to, breakfast cereal is just known as cereal or cereales. Not the case in Puerto Rico. Cornflei (korn-flay), from the cereal "Corn Flakes" is the common term for any kind of cereal here. I'm not really sure how this usage came to be, but it's similar to how we sometimes use "Kleenex" instead of "tissue", except more confusing!

A Weekend in the Grand Canyon State

2012-03-01T09:39:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, I had to make a brief last-minute trip to Phoenix, Arizona. While I was busy for most of it, I did have some time to see some of the sights in a state I'd never been to before! It's amazing how different Arizona is from Pennsylvania where I grew up; the geography, culture, food, climate, etc. is all so unique, it really felt like I was in a different country. The landscape in Arizona is so beautiful as well. I really hope to have the opportunity to return to explore this singular state some more!

Taken from a car right after landing, the desert sky over Phoenix

Cacti!

Had to stop at In-N-Out Burger while on the West Coast, easily the best "fast food" in the USA

A taste of the Wild West

Towering cactus

Flying over Phoenix

Right outside of Phoneix from the plane

pleased to meet you

2012-02-26T10:23:00.004-05:00

My apologies to my small yet faithful group of readers; I've finally dragged myself out of the university library and off the beach, essentially the two places I've been finding myself lately, to sit down in front of a computer to update my blog! Let's see if I can get back into the rhythm of blogging regularly again!

In the United States, at least where I grew up, we tend to be somewhat cold when greeting people. We often shake hands or sometimes simply say "Hello!" when meeting someone new. Maybe we exchange a hug with a friend we haven't seen in a while. However, one of the first things I notice when traveling is how such greeting customs differ from place to place and region to region. Between exchanging words, hugs, all different forms of kisses, handshakes, bowing, waving, head nods, pats on the back, knocking fists, it can get a little complicated, before you add any gender, generational, social, and contextual stipulations as well! In many places, learning how to "faire la bise" ("make/do the kiss" in French) is an artform, and can get kind of tricky.

(Source)

First off, in many places, it's not really a kiss. It's more like you touch cheeks while making a kissing noise, in many cases making sure the rest of your body doesn't touch. In Spain, for example, it's two kisses from the right to left cheek exchanged between two women, and between a man and a woman. Men typically don't exchange kisses. This is the norm for pretty much every time you meet someone or see someone you know. In Puerto Rico, the same rules apply, except just one kiss with the right cheek is exchanged, however I still catch myself giving two kisses here in PR every once in a while out of habit! Many countries in Latin America follow this same custom as well. Sounds simple enough, right?

However, when meeting and greeting friends from Greece, France and Brasil, and many other countries, make sure you offer your left cheek first, or you might end up in an awkward position where you either almost end up smacking lips or do this awkward dance à la when you come across someone on a sidewalk and you both try to let each other pass. But wait, there's more! In Switzerland, people typically exchange three kisses, L-R-L, and in France, the number of kisses can vary a lot depending on the region as well. Additionally, in some places like Italy, exchanging cheek kisses between to men is common, often accompanied with a pat on the back.

Number of kisses in France (source)

Although some people from the US might feel uncomfortable, I never really minded exchanging kisses. I find it gets rid of any awkwardness about meeting a new person. In other instances it can be a bit of a rollo, for example, when you walk into a room of 15 friends and have to exchange individual greetings with everyone, rather than in the States where one general "Hey everyone!" will suffice. Oh yes, and it must be repeated when you leave as well!

Then there's the added complication of being a foreigner. Sometimes you might go for the kiss, but they offer their hand to shake, knowing that it's what's common in the States. And what about meeting another foreigner in a foreign country? Do you follow the rules of the country you're in, or the culture of that person? Now all this kissing business isn't so black and white after all! In some instances, I've gotten away with hand shaking or not kissing everyone being a foreigner (mostly out of laziness, I admit).

And what about meeting another Unitedstatesian while abroad? With many girls from the States I've met who also live in "kissing countries", we end up exchanging kisses. But what about with the guys? Even more complicated, as sometimes it crosses some kind of cultural comfort line in certain instances. Most of the time, it ends up turning into a comical situation where nobody really knows what to do anyway! How about when going back home? On my visits home, I find myself going to exchange a cheek kiss with friends who are often taken off-guard by it!

Here's a somewhat funny clip in French (with English text in the "Information/ Show more" portion on the YouTube page) about how to faire la bise in France. See how complicated it can be!

What do you think? Are there any different customs when it comes to meeting and greeting people where you are? Please note that these are just my observations based on the people I know; let me know if you have a different point of view!

Word of the week: janguear

2012-01-19T09:50:00.000-05:00

Advertisement near my apartment

It's been a while since I've done one of these! I've decided to get back in the swing of posting Puertoricanisms now that the holidays are winding down.

This week's "word of the week" is the verb janguear, or janguiar. For those of you who don't speak Spanish, j is pronounced like h, so the word sounds like "han-gee-ar". It comes from the expression in English "to hang out": jang, from the word "hang", plus the Spanish verb ending -ar. From this verb, we also get the noun jangueo (han-gay-oh), or "hang-out".

Both of these are expressions are extremely popular among younger generations, and are now pretty much mainstream. In good Puerto Rican, used in a sentence it would be something like:

Mano, vamo' a janguear este wikén!
[Bro, let's hang out this weekend!]

How to Survive the Fiestas de San Sebastián

2012-01-14T20:16:00.000-05:00

Puerto Ricans enjoy a good party. Where else do the Holidays last about a third of the year?! However, all of that pales in comparison to the four-day extravaganza in the middle of January, the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián, or "SanSe" as they are referred to locally. Think of it as a type of Mardi Gras, just without the beads. There are lots of food, libations, music, dancing, parades, and artisans selling their work. As Puerto Rico's largest festival, hoards of people come from all over the island to celebrate while Old San Juan is converted into one giant party.

While preparing to go, my friends started to scare me a little bit with all their warnings, as going to a party with tens and tens of thousands of "friends" can get a little tricky. Although I chalked some of it up to good ole' Puerto Rican exaggeration, it definitely helps to know what you're doing. This is my survival guide to the San Sebastian Street Festival!

1. Ditch the car and get there early. Many of the streets are blocked off, parking is essentially impossible, and the traffic that forms is insane, all creating for a nightmare if you plan on going in your car. The Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority does a good job at organizing shuttles that go from the Sagrado Corazón train station directly to Old San Juan. If you're trying to get there to enjoy the nighttime festivities, there will be a lot of people. My suggestion is to get there at least an hour before you want to arrive, and take the guagua (word for bus in Puerto Rico). It costs $0.75 per trip, and there are lots of busses shuttling back and forth, and they have an extended schedule during the fiestas.

Be prepared for a sea of people

2. Take a breather! The heart of the party takes place on San Sebastián Street, naturally. This and the surrounding streets are the most crowded, and at night it's like a sardine tin. If you're feeling a little claustrophobic, head to the "southern" streets of OSJ to escape. If you really don't like super extreme crowds where you literally can't even walk, but still want to experience the nightlife, go Thursday or Sunday night. It will still be crowded, but most likely it will be a little more bearable.

The Islet of Old San Juan, Calle San Sebastián in green

3. Leave the heels at home. Probably the only time you will see puertorriqueñas out without high-heeled shoes. Because of the intense crowds, tricky cobblestone streets, and the amount of walking that is done, comfort is paramount. It's also insanely hot. Wear sneakers, shorts, and a comfortable shirt. Sandals are a bad idea too. It's highly probable you will get your toes stepped on, some form of liquid spilled on you, etc. I also recommend leave the jewelry at home! If you lose an earring at SanSe, the likelihood of finding it is not very great!

4. Check out the live music, but get to the stage early. All of the main plazas of Old San Juan are converted into different stages featuring all different types of music, either live or DJs, with tons of variety to satisfy all types of musical tastes. Check out the list of performers and arrive early to get a good place!

José Feliciano was the artist to whom the fiestas were dedicated this year

5. Drink a lot. And not just beverages of the alcoholic type. It's important to stay hydrated so bring lots of water to be able to make it through the festival.

6. Cabezudos, vejigantes, y gigantes, oh my! Make sure you see a parade! Several times a day (check the schedule) there are parades with typical Puerto Rican figures: Cabezudos are giant papier-mâché head masks that are often satirical in nature, vejigantes are masked, clown-like figures, and gigantes are stilt-walkers. These figures, especially the vejigantes, are very traditional Puerto Rican symbols.

Cabezudos ("Big Heads") (Source)

Vejigantes (Source)

7. Take care of business at home. There are lots of porta-potties available but, as you can imagine, they are not a pretty sight after hundreds of festival-goers have used them. You get the picture. If you're slightly germaphobic, bring along your sanitizer and some baby wipes.

8. Cash is key. Food, drink, and the artesanal crafts are almost always paid for in cash, so come prepared. Speaking of money, food and drink can be overly priced, so keep that in mind. A Medalla Light (the most popular Puerto Rican beer) can cost up to $3-4, whereas normally you can get one for $1 or less any other time of the year out of touristy areas. An empanadilla or alcapurria can cost over $3-4 as well, when normally they're really inexpensive.

This year, more inexpensive places to find drink are at the Las Arcadas (?) on the Calle del Cristo right before the Hotel El Convento and the Cathedral as you head towards the Calle San Sebastián, at Tres Cuernos and other bars near the Plaza de Colón, and also down in the neighborhood of La Perla if you feel comfortable going there.

9. Less is more. While walking among a sea of people, for reasons that concern security and convenience, you are best advised to leave as much stuff at home as possible. Take as small a purse as possible, or keep your belongings in your pockets if possible.

Just a sample of what the fiestas are like!

10. Be prepared. There are several other factors to consider. There is always poor cell phone service or sometimes no service at all due to the sheer number of people in one area at the same time. Additionally, even if you can get a slight signal, you can't count on the fact that the person you're trying to contact will have one, let alone here it or be paying attention to his or her cell phone due to the noise, music, and crowds. If you're with a group, make a plan, because the chances of you getting separated in the crowds are fairly high. The buddy system, meeting points, time frames, etc. can all help, especially if you won't be able to contact each other easily.

11. Relax. Did all that stress you out? 'Cause it did me! Grab an empanada, take it all in, and enjoy. These fiestas might not be for the weak-of-heart, but they are lots of fun.

Puerto Rican fritura: sorullitos, alcapurrias, empanadillas, bacalaitos, tacos, and much more.

Llegaron los reyes!

2012-01-06T09:03:00.002-05:00

As mentioned earlier, the holidays in Puerto Rico are still going strong with lots of parranda and lechón. I've been busy because my parents surprised me with a visit for New Years, so I've been acting as tour guide showing them around the Island.

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Today is Three Kings' Day, or el Día de los Reyes Magos. Puerto Rican children traditionally leave a shoebox filled with hay, straw, or grass under their bed the night of January 5th for the Three Kings' camels. The Three Kings take empty the shoebox and leave the children presents if they've been good. Lucky ducks, they just celebrated Christmas a few days ago too! During the day, families get together to celebrate, which of course means lots of food. Most cities have a big parade and the Three Kings process through the town. At the mall, taking a picture with Santa Claus has been replaced with Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar. ¡Feliz Día de Reyes!