Travel Book Reflection ☼

A couple of days ago I finished reading "A Trip to the Beach", the travel book I chose for my final literature paper. The narration is told from the perspective of Melinda and Robert Blanchard, whom were once tourists in the island of Anguilla. They had come for vacation to the island, but they found it so serene, beautiful and relaxing that they decided to move over there permanently. They had not realized they would eventually create an escape from their daily rushed lives into their home. Building a restaurant near the beach, was their main impulse, due to that the last time they spent a perfect day at the beach, except that at the end of the day there was no good place around to eat dinner.

Melinda, the main speaker, narrates the hardships they went through as they tried to build the restaurant; for it is not easy to make business in foreign land! She compares it with her view as when she was a simple tourist enjoying Anguilla’s calm beaches and soothing sun. Though, the feeling that the ocean brings to her is incomparable, as if it were something special for her. Certainly their lives had changed but for good. This, Mel realizes by the time the restaurant was completely built; she and Bob had learn to live on island time (a phrase used to describe the locals’ dull pace). In Anguilla time seemed disregarded, which brought a sense of peacefulness, in contrast to their exhilarating life in Vermont. Mostly, they liked that business was in a way informal, though at that same time strict and costly. 

Successfully, with lots of work they had built the best restaurant in town. The book is thrilling, humorous and informative, having some recipes and aspects of the Anguillan culture. Their restaurant, even after a very bad storm, is still in Meads Bay in Anguilla. After reading this book I would like to visit it, so I looked for information about them and here's their web link, which also includes the staff (the same characters of the narrative) and information about their Anguilla's Children Fund... Blanchards Restaurant

My Blog's Reflection

Hello everyone! The creation of this blog was and will continue to be a very important part of my journey. I knew this from the moment I was choosing its title, and then, to the "completion" of all my writings. (Though many of these thoughts keep developing along my daily life!!) I didn't find it complicated to make the blog, since I had previously created one about Syria's culture for a history class in high school, and currently I have one about poems I have written throughout my life.

As I learn more everyday about literature and its connection with life itself, reflections and thoughts about certain aspects evolve in my mind. At the end of the day, I'm glad I have a place to write these, and I believe someone somewhere in the world will read them, and can also create their own reflections, or maybe have an insight through mine's. I am also grateful to have the opportunity to share with you my anecdotes and some photos that describe myself or way of thinking. The blog has allowed me to open up to the world, meanwhile aiding in the development of my writing skills to a higher level. 

A blog is all about creativity, and making connections with many people, whether it is for informational purposes or just for enjoyment. I believe it is a way of leaving a mark, or a will by impacting others (those who decide to read your writings). Not only my blog "Journey", but many blogs are truly a unique form of expression! I encourage anyone to create one, and leave a small trace of their life journey, for written words might be the footsteps that will never be erased.

"Curious Travelers" Group Reflection

At the beginning of the semester, in my “Journey in Literature” class we were assigned into small groups with classmates whom we would work together until the end of the course. From that moment a new external journey had begun for me. As my classmates and I chose our group name, we got to know a little about each other … finding out we were all studying natural sciences! For, we decided to name ourselves after Curious Travelers. Given that all science mainly begins with curiosity, it involves the willing to discover while moving through our own journeys. 

We also had our different roles; mine was the task manager. I was in charge for tasks being done and in the right timing. Personally I really liked our group’s dynamic, since we worked all together and most of our writing compositions turned out to be quite fluent by combining all ideas as a final one; I felt as if we were connected! I must admit that this group experience gave me a lot to learn as for my internal journey, and external journey in terms of communication and expression. Since I can consider myself as being introspective most of the time, I had an opportunity of meeting people and sharing my thoughts with them. Now, I know I must expand my journey’s barriers, because if I do so, I’ll receive more of these great experiences, which will lead me to the path to success in life. I believe we had a great interaction as a group. I must highlight that it was very interesting, that from such a big group we were all put together. 

Among our various works and presentations are the analysis about our Puerto Rican identity, Jamaica Kincaid and Carl Yung's book of dreams. For these we worked together in reading the text and expressing our thoughts, which were then written and combined to be presented in class. Throughout this process we overcame our difficulties, and each one of us realized our different tasks. I would like to add that I have enjoyed reading my group members' personal blogs in which they have done their own analysis of these and many aspects discussed in class. I invite you to visit their blogs; in continuation,I leave you a link to their amazing blogs! 

☼ 460 meters per second  ☼  Every word is a new world 
☼ Let's travel a little... ☼ Me, Myself and My World 

TOURIST FOR THE DAY in CONDADO, PUERTO RICO

Hi everyone and a warm Welcome to the exquisite area of Condado!!! Before talking about my experience from the perspective as a tourist with the beautiful beaches, the sunny weather and the fantastic culinary experience, I want to let you know that there is more to this beautiful area of San Juan. Looking back to history Condado was urbanized in 1908 by two brothers, last named Behn. They decided to start the urban development of “El Condado”. The Behn brothers constructed a bridge to replace the rock and wood platform that connected San Juan with the “Isleta of San Juan” (or small island part of San Juan). This is now called “Puente Dos Hermanos” or Two Brothers Bridge, and is used as the main entrance to the attractive area of Condado.

        Since we arrive to this bridge we start seeing the beauty of this amazing area, the elegant bridge surrounded on both sides by crystal blue waters of the Laguna, where for most of the time we can watch tourist and local people enjoy paddle boarding or simply enjoying the beach which is called “Playita del Condado” (Condado Small Beach). There we saw a recreational area were they have very important information about a complex urban ecosystem in the Laguna, such as the Brown Pelican, the Magnificent frigate bird and the Antillean Manatee. And from here we continue learning its history; in the beach of the lagoon we can see a small barrier of rocks & coral reef that one of them has the unique form of a dog as if watching the horizon. There is an old legend that a young Spanish soldier named Enrique, far from home, felt alone until he adopted a stray dog. He took care of the dog and cherished the dog’s companionship. He named him "Amigo" (Friend). The dog loved him, and all they had in the world was each other. One day, Enrique had to leave for a battle, but he told the dog that he would return. So the dog sadly watched the boat leave, he even swam away from the fort, to sit on a coral ledge to watch the horizon, and then to wait for Enrique’s return. He would swim to there every day, waiting and watching. And is still there awaiting patiently on guard, eternally watching the horizon, until he sees his owner back again… Legend says that the dog sat there for so long that he eventually turned to stone.

        That was a very sad story, but we kept on going walking through the beautiful Ashford Avenue of Condado, which by the way is named after the very well-known Dr. Bailey Ashford resident and doctor of the district. Next stop was very nearby, the amazingly beautiful Conrad Hotel, which from the street we can see a small bridge in midair going from one side of the hotel crossing to the other side. Here they told us that this bridge also had its history!!! This small air-bridge was built in honor of the acrobat Karl Wallenda, founder of the "The Flying Wallenda’s" which at his 73 years of age attempted to walk between two towers of the hotel, on a wire 100 feet above the ground and without a safety net in 1978 but unfortunately failed his attempt, when he fell of the cord and died, after a lifetime of famous acrobatic acts. His wife and son also acrobats commemorated his act, and fortunately completed the walk. Eventually the hotel built this bridge to connect both towers and named it “The Wallenda Bridge”.

      Continuing or journey the lovely Condado district we were told that the neighborhood experienced an economic boom in the first decades of the 20th century when some of the wealthiest families built their homes in the area. One of these were The Vanderbilt’s, which built a summer home in 1919 which today has been converted into the luxurious Condado Vanderbilt Hotel. This said our next stop was an amazingly tall hotel which consisted of two towers separated by an amazing central structure with exquisite Spanish Revival Style architecture, called the Grand Condado Vanderbilt Hotel. The Condado Vanderbilt was the first luxury hotel to open in Puerto Rico and was also the first hotel in Puerto Rico to have a casino. Can you say WOW!!!

          Not enough being said, walking out from the luxurious Vanderbilt, we stepped in to an amazing park that just by looking at it nearby you could feel the peace and tranquility it transmitted. TRULY STUNNING!!! It is called the “Ventana al Mar” (Window to the Ocean), it is surely is a window!! We could see families gathered together playing with children, adults gathered talking or couples romantically enjoying the wonderful view of the ocean, the trees and palm trees… this park is like a place to escape from the amazing, but sometimes fuzzy touristic area. It was simply breath taking!!!

 Next to the “Ventana”, we can see La Concha Renaissance San Juan Resort another of the famous luxury resorts, located at the Condado oceanfront. The hotel was first opened in 1958 during the Tropical Modernism Movement. This hotel has an amazing seashell-shaped structure which in the inside has one of the most famous restaurants of the area, Restaurant Perla (Pearl). 

           It has been known to be one of the most modern and luxurious hotels in Puerto Rico. It is a popular stay for many well-known Hollywood celebrities. In our stay here we met a couple of tourist all the way from Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, New York, Virgin Islands, and even Russia!!! We enjoyed a lot the hotel attractions as well as the amazing interior gardens and spots it has!!

     I took a picture of the Perla restaurant from one of the lobbies… it looks amazing at night!!! Talking about “night” what can I say about the NIGHT LIFE?!! It is incredible… awesome places, good music, great cocktails and fantastic people!!! Not to mention the extraordinary local people of P.R. who treated us so good!!! Our journey continues… 

I, accompanied by my sister, kept walking as a tourist through the picturesque streets of Condado, watching along the way very fine boutiques and excellent restaurants as well as admiring the breathtaking beauty of this exclusive area.

Here's a video which portrays similar features I enjoyed from Condado, PR from a perspective as tourist, though being a resident of this tropical island.

A Reflection to a Conference of "Timothy Leary: The Harvard Years"

         A conference held on October 29, 2014 on the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras, in which I had the opportunity of assisting to, was of much admiration and enjoyment. At the beginning I had no idea what to expect or what it was going to be about, but then the introduction captured my curiosity as an auditor. From it, I learned the time period to which the conference was going to be focusing on, the sixties. I thought: "How amazing!", since I have always admired older generations, due to the fact that they portray various changes humanity have overcome. "Timothy Leary: The Harvard Years" is a book written by Dr, James Penner about Leary's thoughts and experiments of psychedelic drugs and its involvement in people's life.

I think it is interesting that someone believes that psychedelic drugs taken in controlled ways may help in the development of the person who consumes them. This involves perspective, since there are many ways to take in this believe, and also, not everyone believes so. It is important, too that we acknowledge the time period when there was a movement (involved in the introduction and use of drugs such as LSD and psilocybin) in the 60's. Everything is so risky nowadays, that having these might not be a good option, even though Leary describes they had a good effect in his first experience.

Picture taken from: http://timothyleary.org/#1

           I believe you can reach a similar state of mind through other means, since as Dr. Penner described, if the person that consumes it has not the adequate state of mind, the desired effect of reaching "enlightenment" might not be acquired. This is an interesting topic, but as well give the reader a lot to think about.

Dr. Penner, the author, has done an admirable work by bringing back the collections of Dr. Leary's writing including his scientific articles during his career as a professor in Harvard from 1960 to 1965. After the conference I got interested in the book, and into looking on some of Leary's quotes (activity recommended by the author), so I'll leave some of these below. Enjoy!

Picture taken from: http://timothyleary.org/#1

"The Rum Diary" Reflection

As part of the audience of The Rum Diary film, I not only enjoyed the movie for its humoristic feature but also received an insight of my country’s history since it is set on Puerto Rico in the 1970s. From an American, point of view we can appreciate some cultural aspects of the island, and problems it was facing at that time period.  This movie relates to some of Jamaica’s Kincaid defining characteristics presented in her many works, like “A Small Place”. These are: location, perspective, in-group, out-group, and othering, which are also reflected in The Rum Diary, based on the novel by Hunter S. Thompson. 

         The protagonist Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) is a magnificent author that applies for a job at a newspaper in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Even though at first he is given the horoscope section, later he is given a very important position, in which he is asked to write about subjects that would interest tourists visiting the island. Instead, Paul writes about Puerto Rico’s most decayed aspects, like poverty, criminality, and independence strikes. This certainly locates the audience as a natural of the island, inviting them to “live” and be aware of features other than Puerto Rico’s beautiful paradise. The character of Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart) presents the theme of othering given that he constantly marks the difference between him (American) and islanders from the Caribbean. Sanderson reflect the feeling of colonists’ oppression toward the colonized, and only sees the island as a gold mine, in which he will construct many hotels without realizing the destruction of paradise itself. His superiority does not only show with Puerto Ricans, but even with Kemp who is also American, and whom Sander tries to bribe so he writes good details of his property schemes.

         Chenault (Amber Heard), who is Sander’s mistress, plays the role the beautiful woman who is tired of her husband’s ego and wealth. It can be interpreted that she represents the theme of in-group, since she seems to enjoy from the Caribbean culture and has no problem in integrating to its people as we can see in the feasts. In return, ironically, she feels out of the group when she is with Sander’s friends. Every time she has the chance, she slips away to enjoy the island. In overall, I really enjoyed this movie; I found it very informative and I appreciate the recreation of scenes that were given, and of recognized places, in the 1970s on the island that have certainly changed over time. By presenting the culture and historical facts, takes me back to my Puerto Rican roots and reinforces identity.

Reflection to "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid

       As a reader, I thought the poem “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid is for the most time true; we get an insight of all the expectations society has for women, which we can see are more than those for men. In this whole work Jamaica describes various aspects women have to be careful about and also manage, not only in the household but also to be respectable women. Women apart from all the chores she’s expected to do, also have to acquire an honorable image. The food to cook, the way to dress and walk what to sing or say, personal appearance, and even her sexuality are all features women must take care about. By the title Girl we can infer that the mother is telling her daughter all these things in advanced, in the time just before becoming a woman, so that when she does, she becomes a good one. There’s no doubt this poem presents some feminism in relation to the author’s perspective, though I agree with what is written and inferred throughout the text.

         I can relate to the poem because, me being a girl, I am expected to do many, with some exceptions, of what Jamaica writes in her poem. In addition as to present times, we are expected to study and become professionals. Being brought down from generations, and as part of Puerto Rico’s values, a woman must act respectably in order to be treated as one; this is a very important trait that defines women. Otherwise, as the poem says, they would be the sluts by not controlling their nature. For me, this would be a delicate statement to say, since it can vary given the variety of conditions us humans live at and our incomprehensible ideals. The reader can also appreciate the strict tone Jamaica uses, which I believe, represents very well the significance of moral values to the people in these countries. Finally, Jamaica presents the theme of love, also in a feminist way, and recalls the distinctions between men and women. 

Here's a link to the poem, I invite you to read it, if you haven't:

http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/fiction/Girl/Girl.pdf