The Facebook and blogging life of an expat suburban mom working in Corporate America consists of harmless posts on life's small victories or trivial gripes about the stresses of work or family life. Until one day an issue gets hold of you and makes you want to step off the safe zone, take a stand, support a cause. For me, the wake up call is what is happening at the University of Puerto Rico these days.
The Puerto Rican government has really f*ing bungled the UPR student strike situation. They are inflexible and narrow-minded in their plans to whittle down our premier higher education institution. I have always been so proud that in Puerto Rico we have a higher percentage of high school graduates that go to the University than in the United States. What a shame that our governor believes education is not for all, only for the privileged ones.
Fortuño's government has consistently mocked and minimized the students' concerns, and now that they have unleashed SWAT on them, blood has been spilled and the possibility of escalating violence and maybe even loss of life looms. While all of this is happening, they are courting the powers that be in Washington DC to gain support for a referendum on political status. Are we supposed to believe all their hollow "self-determination" and "people's choice" pro-referendum rethoric? Their actions with regards to the University strike prove that they do not care about what the People want.
Dios nos coja confesados.
https://twitter.com/#search?q=%23huelgaupr
http://rojogallito.blogspot.com/
Showing posts with label Puerto Rico. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Puerto Rico. Show all posts
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Huelga en la Universidad
While I live my life in this little suburban bubble, back home there is turmoil at my alma mater, the University of Puerto Rico.
I sympathize with the students and their demands, and I hope their voice is heard and nobody gets seriously hurt.
I sympathize with the students and their demands, and I hope their voice is heard and nobody gets seriously hurt.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Expat
On March 31st I hit a milestone. I have now lived in Houston for 10 years. Roughly a fourth of my time on this earth has been spent in good ol' Texas. It blows my mind.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Nostalgic
I miss Old San Juan, walking down calle Tanca, the adoquines, taking a stroll amid the hustle and bustle of tourists, shop employees and government workers. I wish I could visit Old San Juan without a list of things to do and see. I don't want to be a tourist in my homeland.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Fear of Flying
Paula took a plane to Puerto Rico yesterday. She arrived on the island at 9:30 at night. It is the third year she travels unaccompanied, but this time was especially hard for her. After seeing the story of flight 447 plastered all over the news, she was understandably scared of a plane crash.
Friday, May 29, 2009
In the news today
Government Layoffs
The Government of Puerto Rico has announced layoffs, almost eight thousand people affected in this first round. I wonder what my father, who was an economist and a career government employee, would say about this. Would he agree that it's necessary to fix the deficit?
The fact that the local government is the largest employer on the island is seen as a civic duty by some, a necessary evil by others. Still others deplore the bloated bureaucracy and look up to Corporate America and their methods for inspiration. It seems the Governor belongs to that camp.
It used to be that once you became a government employee you were pretty much set for life (unless you were a political appointtee). There must be a lot of people in shock right now.
I do not know what to make of it. I remember when I lived on the island and made fun of how big and inefficient government was. There seemed to be no incentive for excellence. It's probably true that the government can continue to function with less people. But to see the government is taking its cues from profit-driven entities and cutting people off faster than you can update a spreadsheet, is unpalatable. On an island where a large part of the population lives below the poverty line and where unemployment runs high, at least government employees had a job to go to, rather than collecting welfare.
Are we sure the solution to the deficit is to layoff people? Has Fortuño's government already cut all the superfluous spend they can? (Somehow I doubt it.) Where are these people going to find jobs? Will they be strongly encouraged to pick up and leave the island, just like in the days of Manos a la Obra?
Roadside Caymans
I guess there are worse things than finding yourself on the street with no job. You could find yourself out on the street next to two hungry 200-lb. Caymans.
Public Suicide
A man committed suicide in the city of Caguas by hanging himself from a water tank, visible from a busy exit at Toll Road PR-52. It's the 127th suicide this year on the island.
Suicide is no laughing matter. I can only imagine the desperation, the extreme emotions that drive a person to take his own life. I wonder why he chose to do it in such a public manner.
The Government of Puerto Rico has announced layoffs, almost eight thousand people affected in this first round. I wonder what my father, who was an economist and a career government employee, would say about this. Would he agree that it's necessary to fix the deficit?
The fact that the local government is the largest employer on the island is seen as a civic duty by some, a necessary evil by others. Still others deplore the bloated bureaucracy and look up to Corporate America and their methods for inspiration. It seems the Governor belongs to that camp.
It used to be that once you became a government employee you were pretty much set for life (unless you were a political appointtee). There must be a lot of people in shock right now.
I do not know what to make of it. I remember when I lived on the island and made fun of how big and inefficient government was. There seemed to be no incentive for excellence. It's probably true that the government can continue to function with less people. But to see the government is taking its cues from profit-driven entities and cutting people off faster than you can update a spreadsheet, is unpalatable. On an island where a large part of the population lives below the poverty line and where unemployment runs high, at least government employees had a job to go to, rather than collecting welfare.
Are we sure the solution to the deficit is to layoff people? Has Fortuño's government already cut all the superfluous spend they can? (Somehow I doubt it.) Where are these people going to find jobs? Will they be strongly encouraged to pick up and leave the island, just like in the days of Manos a la Obra?
Roadside Caymans
I guess there are worse things than finding yourself on the street with no job. You could find yourself out on the street next to two hungry 200-lb. Caymans.
Public Suicide
A man committed suicide in the city of Caguas by hanging himself from a water tank, visible from a busy exit at Toll Road PR-52. It's the 127th suicide this year on the island.
Suicide is no laughing matter. I can only imagine the desperation, the extreme emotions that drive a person to take his own life. I wonder why he chose to do it in such a public manner.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sunday
Not much to say lately. Today it will be a week since we came back from Puerto Rico. Amidst the mess, stress and clutter of my life in Houston, the trip is already starting to feel like a distant memory. I try to keep the memory close by calling my parents and fiddling with my pictures on flickr. Here are a couple of nice ones.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Monday, March 09, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Countdown
A week from today, we will be on a plane on our way to San Juan. I am excited, and hopeful. Also overwhelmed. I am sure that once I am there, I will spend the first few days complaining about everything, but by the end of my stay I will cry and dread the trip back.
Monday, February 09, 2009
RIP, Karen
I just got an e-mail from somebody I went to high school with. Last night a small Cessna plane crashed off the coast of Quebradillas back in Puerto Rico. One of the six passengers aboard the chartered plane was a classmate. She leaves behind family and friends, including a son. This is very sad. She will be missed.
Twenty-five day countdown
Twenty-five days from now we will be on a flight to San Juan. Gabe has been counting down the days since we bought the tickets. Paula is excited about seeing her dad. Isabel can't wait to seePuerto Rico. Everybody is excited. Everybody but me, that is. All I can think of is everything I have to do before we leave, all the packing and laundry loads and preparations. It makes me tired just to think of it.
Oh, but it will all be worth it, especially when I get to go here.
Oh, but it will all be worth it, especially when I get to go here.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Bajón de boricua
My parents are coming to visit next week. I can't wait. I need a boost.
Once again I have withdrawal symptoms. I am on edge. I am becoming translucent, slowly fading. I am turning gray. I am becoming a blob.
In December it will be three years since I last visited Puerto Rico. Three freaking years. I miss it so much it hurts in my bones, yet I am so afraid of going back and finding that the gray comes with me, that the stain is indelible.
At what point should I stop kidding myself and admit that I am effectively gone for the long term? What is the cutoff date when it becomes painfully obvious that I can no longer consider myself an island Puerto Rican? Why do I insist of making such a clear cut distinction between islanders and statesiders, and why is it that it upsets me to think that at some point I'm going to have to move from one group to the other?
Once again I have withdrawal symptoms. I am on edge. I am becoming translucent, slowly fading. I am turning gray. I am becoming a blob.
In December it will be three years since I last visited Puerto Rico. Three freaking years. I miss it so much it hurts in my bones, yet I am so afraid of going back and finding that the gray comes with me, that the stain is indelible.
At what point should I stop kidding myself and admit that I am effectively gone for the long term? What is the cutoff date when it becomes painfully obvious that I can no longer consider myself an island Puerto Rican? Why do I insist of making such a clear cut distinction between islanders and statesiders, and why is it that it upsets me to think that at some point I'm going to have to move from one group to the other?
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
It's over
My mom called me yesterday. She was upset. Her party lost the election in Puerto Rico, and she was taking it really hard. The evil people who want to cut up and give away the island to rich foreign interests have won.
After being away for 8 years, I had forgotten how strong island Puerto Ricans feel about their political party affiliations, and how heated and emotional they can can get, not just on election years but every single day.
I have never felt that pull, that passion while living here in Texas. I know partisan politics exist in the United States too, and that some people identify very strongly with their party. But there is a vast majority that is not affiliated, large numbers of people who do not define themselves by whom they vote for.
A big difference between partisan politics in the US and in Puerto Rico is the fact that, at their core, Puerto Rican political parties are organized on the basis of a specific position regarding the island's political status vis-a-vis the United States. In an election where most voters were reacting to the current economic woes besieging the island by voting the incumbent out, a vote for the winning party will nevertheless be taken as a mandate for them to lobby the US Congress and push that particular political status option. That is what has my mom on the verge of tears. She is convinced this win takes us one step closer to statehood, and the sole idea makes her cringe.
Never mind the fact that this cycle has been repeating itself for decades as the leadership of the country goes from one party to the other. Never mind that in the last 41 years we have had three plebiscites, and yet the question of our status does not get resolved.
Some would say it will never be resolved.
After being away for 8 years, I had forgotten how strong island Puerto Ricans feel about their political party affiliations, and how heated and emotional they can can get, not just on election years but every single day.
I have never felt that pull, that passion while living here in Texas. I know partisan politics exist in the United States too, and that some people identify very strongly with their party. But there is a vast majority that is not affiliated, large numbers of people who do not define themselves by whom they vote for.
A big difference between partisan politics in the US and in Puerto Rico is the fact that, at their core, Puerto Rican political parties are organized on the basis of a specific position regarding the island's political status vis-a-vis the United States. In an election where most voters were reacting to the current economic woes besieging the island by voting the incumbent out, a vote for the winning party will nevertheless be taken as a mandate for them to lobby the US Congress and push that particular political status option. That is what has my mom on the verge of tears. She is convinced this win takes us one step closer to statehood, and the sole idea makes her cringe.
Never mind the fact that this cycle has been repeating itself for decades as the leadership of the country goes from one party to the other. Never mind that in the last 41 years we have had three plebiscites, and yet the question of our status does not get resolved.
Some would say it will never be resolved.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Untitled # 1
Last week a short story I wrote was published in a Spanish language literary magazine called Letralia. It is a magazine that has published texts by Paula's dad in the past. On a whim I unearthed something I had written a couple of years ago, gave it a few tweaks and sent it to the editor. I was pleasantly surprised when he replied they were publishing it. He asked me for a brief biographical note to include with the story, and I hesitated. I am not reallly an active writer (except for the the blog), so instead of providing a laundry list of published works, I put the link to Boricua in Texas on my biographical note.
This morning I found a comment left last night in an old post. A student from Puerto Rico wrote me to ask if I was the person who had written a short story they were reading in class. Their teacher had given them as homework to look for personal information on the author of the story. Since I do not have my full name listed on this blog, I believe the student found me through the link on Letralia.
I am not going to lie. At a time when I feel myself becoming increasingly invisible, it was damn good reading that comment and being reminded that there is more to my life than whatever it is I do at work these days. It is encouraging.
I hope the student found what they needed from the blog.
This morning I found a comment left last night in an old post. A student from Puerto Rico wrote me to ask if I was the person who had written a short story they were reading in class. Their teacher had given them as homework to look for personal information on the author of the story. Since I do not have my full name listed on this blog, I believe the student found me through the link on Letralia.
I am not going to lie. At a time when I feel myself becoming increasingly invisible, it was damn good reading that comment and being reminded that there is more to my life than whatever it is I do at work these days. It is encouraging.
I hope the student found what they needed from the blog.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Rains in Puerto Rico cause floods; 4 dead
A vaguada or tropical depression going through Puerto Rico has brought with it so much rain that there has been flooding, especially in the Southern part of the island. At least four people are dead.
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN2251557420080922
http://www.elnuevodia.com/diario/fotogaleria/462203
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN2251557420080922
http://www.elnuevodia.com/diario/fotogaleria/462203
Saturday, July 05, 2008
End of the weekend
I have really enjoyed cooking the last few days. One thing I am really proud to have prepared is empanadas de yuca. If you do not know what they are, you can find a recipe here, and another one here (this one has pictures).
I did not follow these recipes, but rather went by instinct. I had one large yuca that I peeled and cut into pieces. Then I grated it, first by hand and then using a food processor. Once the yuca was ground thin, I scooped it and put it on a strainer lined with cheesecloth. This is done to separate the starchy liquid from the yuca dough. The two empanada recipes I linked to above are missing this step (I took it from a pasteles de yuca recipe), but it is imperative to do so, otherwise your dough will have a very bitter taste. Trust me, you can tell when someone does not know how to prepare yuca well (or does not want to go through the trouble), because the bitterness will eclipse any other flavors in the empanadas, pasteles or alcapurrias.
After grating and squeezing all the starchy liquid I could get out of the yuca, I was left with about four cups of dough. I mixed this with 2 small grated and pureed yautías (taro root) and two small potatoes, also grated and pureed. I added some of the annato oil I prepared the other day, to give it a nice color, and seasoned the dough with a bit of salt. Then I proceeded to prepare the empanadas. I stuffed half of my empanadas with shredded chicken, and the other half with picadillo, which was basically sauteed ground beef with sofrito and green olives.
The empanadas were delicious, even better than the alcapurrias I prepared the other day. Gabe loved them, especially the ones filled with picadillo. I am definitely making them again.
I did not follow these recipes, but rather went by instinct. I had one large yuca that I peeled and cut into pieces. Then I grated it, first by hand and then using a food processor. Once the yuca was ground thin, I scooped it and put it on a strainer lined with cheesecloth. This is done to separate the starchy liquid from the yuca dough. The two empanada recipes I linked to above are missing this step (I took it from a pasteles de yuca recipe), but it is imperative to do so, otherwise your dough will have a very bitter taste. Trust me, you can tell when someone does not know how to prepare yuca well (or does not want to go through the trouble), because the bitterness will eclipse any other flavors in the empanadas, pasteles or alcapurrias.
After grating and squeezing all the starchy liquid I could get out of the yuca, I was left with about four cups of dough. I mixed this with 2 small grated and pureed yautías (taro root) and two small potatoes, also grated and pureed. I added some of the annato oil I prepared the other day, to give it a nice color, and seasoned the dough with a bit of salt. Then I proceeded to prepare the empanadas. I stuffed half of my empanadas with shredded chicken, and the other half with picadillo, which was basically sauteed ground beef with sofrito and green olives.
The empanadas were delicious, even better than the alcapurrias I prepared the other day. Gabe loved them, especially the ones filled with picadillo. I am definitely making them again.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
A month of politically charged holidays
I grew up in a place that is highly politicized, where the choice of holiday to celebrate in July said a lot about one's position regarding Puerto Rico's political status and its relationship with the US.
You see, there's July 4th, known on the island as "U.S. Independence Day." And then there is July 25th. Also known as "Constitution Day", it commemorates the day in 1952 when the Constitution of the Commonwealth was signed. Both are official holidays. Everybody has the day off, and there are official government and political party events to either celebrate or protest.
The three main ideologies on the island are: pro-statehood, pro-commonwealth and pro-independence. The pro-statehood sympathizers privilege July 4th above July 25th. The pro-commonwealth group makes a really big deal about celebrating the 25th. The pro-independence contingent rejects both and protests US presence in Puerto Rico on those dates. Especially anathema to them is July 25th, for the date (not coincidentally) is also the anniversary of the invasion of Puerto Rico by US troops in 1898 as part of the Spanish-American war.
Add to the pot two other local holidays during the month, celebrating the birth of two famous historical figures (one of whom is identified with the pro-commonwealth cause, and another with the pro-statehood ideal) and it makes for one politically hyper charged month.
However, all that I remember now is the joy of being free from school or work on those days, and the ability to go to the beach and/or goof off. And I think most ordinary folks on the island just love their holidays and will take any days off they are given, regardless of where their political sympathies lie.
You see, there's July 4th, known on the island as "U.S. Independence Day." And then there is July 25th. Also known as "Constitution Day", it commemorates the day in 1952 when the Constitution of the Commonwealth was signed. Both are official holidays. Everybody has the day off, and there are official government and political party events to either celebrate or protest.
The three main ideologies on the island are: pro-statehood, pro-commonwealth and pro-independence. The pro-statehood sympathizers privilege July 4th above July 25th. The pro-commonwealth group makes a really big deal about celebrating the 25th. The pro-independence contingent rejects both and protests US presence in Puerto Rico on those dates. Especially anathema to them is July 25th, for the date (not coincidentally) is also the anniversary of the invasion of Puerto Rico by US troops in 1898 as part of the Spanish-American war.
Add to the pot two other local holidays during the month, celebrating the birth of two famous historical figures (one of whom is identified with the pro-commonwealth cause, and another with the pro-statehood ideal) and it makes for one politically hyper charged month.
However, all that I remember now is the joy of being free from school or work on those days, and the ability to go to the beach and/or goof off. And I think most ordinary folks on the island just love their holidays and will take any days off they are given, regardless of where their political sympathies lie.
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