Este semestre

This class was very different than the normal college experience. Not only in the expected sense of a high work load, but mainly in the sense of the class itself. Not many classes at UT are as small as this one. Also, very few classes involve me as a student so directly. The up close and personal way that makes the class so different and entertaining really involved me and allowed me begin to understand a foreign language more fully than I previously could have imagined. Knowing that 506 is only the beginning, I can only hope to find everything the same in the next series of Spanish classes (except maybe a possible course load reduction....but probably not).
One thing about the class I wish to learn more about is the Latin American countries themselves. Previously, I was set on visiting Europe and Spain wasn't high on the list. Now, I'm almost split between my history interests in Europe and my Spanish cultural interests of South America. Now, it seems like Spain would be a great compromise between the two interests. Hopefully, as I'm certain to need Spanish in some foreign place eventually, I'll be able to look back to this blog and this class and remember how it all started with having to ask my girlfriend if there was an accent in este semestre.

Me gusta...

Me gusta el espanol. I've learned Spanish to a greater extent and I'm super pleased. Something that I wanted to talk about is quince's. I had one when I turned fifteen but it was somewhat not traditional. Instead of having the big white dress, I decided to do things on my own and wear something that was unpredictable but now that I think about it I wish I would have stuck to my roots and would have just done it since it is a major event in every girls life. I guess that's why I'm clinging to my Spanish for dear life. I don't want to change. I want to eat frijoles and arroz I want to party with the raza! Being here is slowly changing me, like Alejandra was explaining how she integrates words in English into her Spanish. That's unacceptable to the family but I hope that I am able to stay true so I can pass on Mexican culture to my future kids.

Popular fiestas in Spain

There are many festivals held in Spain. Actually, There are so many fiestas that even if you could attend more than one a day you would not be able to see them all in a single lifetime. I thought I would pick a few out and let yall know about them!

Las Fallas: This fiesta is known as one of the most unique and crazy festivals in Spain. In Valencian, Las Fallas literally means "the fires". This festival is a 5-day event in which over three million people gather to create and destroy ninots. Ninots are lifelike satirical scenes and current events. They often are of corrupt politicians and Spanish celebrities. Many are several stories tall. The ninots are left in place until March 19th. This day is known as "La Crema". During the evening, young men stuff the ninots with fireworks with many people surrounding. At midnight, all ninots are set on fire. Firemen cover storefronts with fireproof tarps to keep the fires from spreading. Each year, one ninot is spared from destruction by popular vote and is exhibitied in a local museum. There are many other events happening at this festival also. There are bullfights, parades, paella contests and beauty pageants during the days leading up to "La Crema".

Lunes de Aguas: Family and friends meet at the River Tormes for a huge picnick on the Monday after Easter. This is time for people to relax, have fun, and eat all kinds of food. The origins of this fiesta actually had to do with prostitutes being banned from the city during lent. When they were allowed back into the city, having to cross the river to get there, many people came to meet them with a party to welcome them back. This celebration continues on today!

San Fermin: This fiesta is celebrated in Pamplona. It is a week long event that begins on the sixth of july and ends at midnight on the fourteenth. everyone is accepted at this festival, young and old, religious and non-religious, local people and outsiders. It is known for the spectacle of bulls running.

Semestre

So, this semester of Spanish...I've learned quite a bit.

Most of all, I think confidence has been gained in speaking (or at least TRYING) in Spanish, in everyday life.

I think the biggest test of faith was when I was with Jennifer in Fiesta today. We both were looking at candies that were popular in Mexico, but really had no idea.

We both stood there, confused, and a couple of ladies were next to us speaking in rapid Spanish.

Jen and I looked at each other, and started laughing. Should we ask them? shouldn't we?

Eventually, we got over our fear, and asked them in spanish if they could help us.

It turned out they knew English, so the rest of the conversation was easier. But, just asking them was a step in the right direction.

Thanks :)

Puerto Rico

Lorna taught us quite a bit about Puerto Rico when she visited our class on Thursday. She talked most about the tumultuous political scene within the country. Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States. Basically, this relationship means that Puerto Rico is subject to the bills that pass in Congress, while having no say themselves in the process. They do have their own government, and remain mostly autonomous, but Puerto Rico is ultimately still ruled by the U.S.

This relationship divides the country between those that approve of the relationship, and those who want Puerto Rican independence. She also spoke about how this can even divide families, and used her own family as an example. I had no idea that the relationship between the US and Puerto Rico was so divisive. This is both enlightening, and mildly disturbing, as it seems we are subjecting them to rule without representation, which is what the US was originally founded to avoid. But that's for another post.

On a lighter night, she spoke about what people do for fun in Puerto Rico. Since it is an island, there are beaches all around... so many people travel to the beach to soak up some sun. She also talked about Old San Juan, where there are apparently a lot of bars to get cheap beer. These bars like to rip off tourists, however -- so be careful.

As far as music goes, the most popular seems to be reggaeton, which is a blend of Reggae, hip hop, and multiple other genres of music. Other more traditional music, like salsa, is still listened to though.

Overall, Lorna's talk was genuinely informative. I really didn't know anything about Puerto Rico before... but now I want to visit.

Puerto Rico

When Lorna came to talk about Puerto Rico, she left us with a lot of interesting information that I really enjoyed learning about. The first thing that interested me was her favorite food which is mofongo or fried plantains. I love food and so I am always willing to welcome in new tastes such as this. She also told us about her favorite celebration in Puerto Rico called Fiestas de la Calle San Juan which takes place in El Viejo San Juan downtown. It is essentially a street festival in one of her favorite places to hang out.
Something else she talked about was the presence of politics and political conversation all around Puerto Rico. It seems that it is the main thing being talked about among locals no matter where they are hanging out. The politics between the U.S. and Puerto Rico are very complicated with many facets and each person has their own ideas about what should or should not be happening between the two places. Despite all the political conversations and differences in opinion, Puerto Rico is still a generally welcoming place that doesn't really seem to hold resentments against people who come to visit from the U.S. which is very nice to hear because I would love to go and visit.

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is very different then other Latin American countries. In fact, Lorna said that Puerto Ricans don't even consider themselves Latin Americans. This belief may come from more than just a geographical context. Puerto Ricans share much more with the United States than any other Spanish speaking country. As a territory, the Puerto Ricans are split into two basic parties; one for independence, one for becoming a US state; but these parties belief don't draw simple emotions. Lorna reported that politics are everywhere in Puerto Rico. Where one may find a group debating a presidential nominee or the national news giving reports, the everyday American interest in politics pales in comparison to Puerto Rico's. People in the streets can be overheard heatedly discussing Puero Rican politics.
Another interesting part of this island is the city life. Lorna said that despite the islands relatively small size, it wasn't very walking friendly. San Juan is a city best traveled by train or car. However, once you reach Old San Juan, the Puerto Rican equivalent to 6th Street, tourists are easily separated from those who know the city. Lorna said obvious bars such as Senor Frogs will charge you up to $4 for a drink, where a local who knows people can get that same drink for $1.25 at another bar.

Puerto Rico

Lorna taught the class a lot about Puerto Rico last Thursday. Puerto Rico is a small country that is very welcoming to tourists. Her favorite part about the country is the people. She said that people usually are out in the streets and are very friendly. When she visits, she usually visits El Viejo San Juan to hang out with friends, eat, and drink. It is one of the major hang out spot. In January, there is las fiestas de la calle San Sebastian which is a huge party and is similar to parties on 6th street. There is music, arts and crafts that people can buy, lots of food, and people hanging out outside. The most popular music in Puerto Rico today is Reggaeton. The annual income is significantly less than the United States and is around $30,000. Even though the income is less, the cost of living is expensive since Puerto Rico is small and many of the prices are equal to the United States. Politics is a major issue in Puerto Rico. Everything is politics and everywhere you go you will her people talking about the subject, at family meetings, parties, and even in the streets. Some of the people think that Puerto Rico should become its own country while other people think things should stay the way they are. Basically, there are two groups of people based on their incomes. Poor people think there are many opportunities in the United States while the rich do not want to be tied to the United States. Some people however have a certain viewpoint even though they do not know the economic effects this would have on the country.

Puerta Rico and Lorna

It was so interesting to hear Lorna talk about Puerta Rico. She gave a ton of cool information. She is 28 years old and came to the United States when she was 24. First she went to Philly to study. Her favorite food from Puerta Rico is called monfongo. She said it is a delicious dish made with plantanes. She loves to go to the beach and to go to Old San Juan which is a fun downtown area where a lot of young people go to party. She loves las fiestas de la Calle San Sebastian which is a celebration in San Juan every year. One of her least favorite things about Puerta Rico is politics. Everyone has strong opinions on the politics especially regarding the United States. Some people hate the United States and some love the United States and want Puerta Rico to become a state. Lorna's father si part of a political party that wants Puerta Rico to be a state. One of her favorite things is the people. She describes them as friendly, warm, and welcoming. Overall I learned a lot about the culture of Puerta Rico and the different political opinions that people have there.

Please Don't Stop the Music

I find the compatriotism among the people from Spanish speaking countries to be extraordinary.

When the substitute was speaking about things people in Puerto Rico do during their leisure time, she mentioned that if you were friendly with and knew the locals, you could get all the $1.25 beers that you could handle. While this price, compared to a Thursday night on 6th, is not that amazing, the fact that there is such a genuine allegiance to one another in Puerto Rico is extremely amazing.

Also, in another classic example of public spirit, someone in class once mentioned remembering having seen a sign that read, "Watermelons: $5" and then right next to it seeing a sign that read, "Sandía: $2".

To me this is fascinating and to put it all in perspective, I wanted to see how Americans reacted to such remarkable patriotism.

With my newfound knowledge of this secret Puerto Rican brotherhood and with hopes of potentially scoring some sweet deals, I attempted to find a similar American brotherhood at one of the local Austin area stores.

Complete with my favorite "I wasn't earned to be burned" trucker hat and a bald eagle T-shirt, I headed to my local Best Buy and struck up an amazingly engaging conversation with the salesman.

For what seemed like hours, we talked about things like The Statue of Liberty, supporting our troops, George Washington, those little American flags, big American flags, Mount Rushmore, yankees, The Yankees and Thomas Jefferson.

Ultimately, the salesman informed me that despite the fact that I spoke fluent English and knew the locals, a PS3 was still $400, and I walked away empty handed.

I think the lesson here is that Americans aren't nearly as friendly as Puerto Ricans.

bananas and plantains and mofongos!

When Lorna told us that her favorite food was mofongos, I was initially unphased because I didn't know what the word meant. After she explained how the dish was made, I was actually stunned! Fried bananas mashed with chicken and seasonings did not sound appetizing to me. I decided to research the food item to try and gain a little more insight on why this was so popular in Puerto Rico. I first learned that mofongos are made with plantains, not bananas, which are actually different. In North America and Europe, the word "banana" is typically used to describe plantains but this is not accurate. The traditional plantains, popular in South and Central America, are like unripe, smaller, and less sweet bananas. This seemed much more complementary to chicken and seasonings. The mofongos are very popular in Puerto Rico and also the Dominican Republic. While researching this food item I also learned that in South and Central America plantains are also commonly used in other snacks like plantain chips. I read that these fried plantains taste starchy and are typically salted like potato chips. It was then that I realized I've actually had these plantain chips! I ate them at restaurant in Houston and I was mistakenly told that they were banana chips (proof that plantains are commonly mistaken for bananas). They were served with salsa and were very delicious! Now, that I've learned all about plantains and I've even tried some; I'm very anxious to try Lorna's favorite-- mofongos!

Lorna and Puerto Rico

Lorna was a great substitute.  At first she was a bit intimidating because she spoke a different Spanish dialect than we were used to.  She pronounced her "L's" almost as "J's" and it took a little while to get used to her accent.  This could be a characteristic of Puerto Rican dialect.

About Lorna:

She is 28 years old.  She lived in PR until she was 24.  She is married to another Puerto Rican.  She moved to Philedelphia for school.  She likes "Mofongo" which is a fried green banana-like desert.  

One of her favorite things to do when she visits PR is to go to the beach (which is only 20 minutes away).  She also likes to watch TV at her parents house because they have full cable :).  She discussed "El Viejo San Juan" which she compared to the "6th street scene."  Her favorite thing about that place is that they have $1.25 beers.  She thinks places like Senor Frogs rips off tourists because they charge $4 for beer.  

She loves the peope and the culture in PR.  She said that people are very welcoming and she likes that they kiss when they see each other.  

Her father is very into politics but like a lot of Puerto Ricans he doesn't really have a reason behind his political beliefs.  She would prefer the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States to be more fair and that the money should be more equal.  

She said that people don't make a lot of money in Puerto Rico and THEY DO PAY TAXES.  Middle class Puerto Ricans make about $30,000. 

Because it is an island- LAND is limited, and therefore VERY expensive!!!

The most popular music is Underground-Reagaeton.

I asked her about people walking around in Puerto Rico and she said that everything is kind of spread out and you have to drive everywhere.  

The end! :)

Puerto Rico

I realized something when Lorna was telling us about Puerto Rico on Friday. Unlike the Hispanic environment that I grew up in and am used to, Puerto Ricans are constantly engaged in talking about politics. Where I grew up, politics was talked about in hushed tones as if it was offensive. But in Puerto Rico, people talk about politics all the time. They talk about it on the street, in their house, among family members. Maybe because in the valley (where I'm from) there isn't a really big locally political problem such as trying to gain independence or not. I was just astounded at this aspect of Hispanic culture.
That's really the only difference I could deduce from Lorna's speech. Other than that, my family is also very hospitable and welcoming to others.

Plantain ◊ Plátanos Maduros ◊ Tajadas ◊ Tostones ◊ Patacones ◊ Tachinos ◊ Yo-yo ◊ Chifles ◊ Mofongo ◊ Alcapurria ◊ Mangú ◊ Ipekere ◊ Dodo ◊ Boli

So, what are these Plaintain thingies? Did you know bannanas are types of plantains? Well, when asked her favorite food Lori definately mentioned them and since 90% of the class was clueless I thought it would be cool to dive into the world of "plantains."

Plantain is actually used in many parts of the world. Florida, the Carribean, Central and South American countries like Peru, Puerto Rico, Columbia and Brazil and even African countries like Egypt and Nigeria (thats how I know about it). It can be cooked (like Lori talked about) or eaten raw, like when we eat bananas. And as shown by the title, each place calls the way they cook their plantain something different.

In the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico mashed baked or fried plantain is mixed with garlic and pork, chicken, shrimp, or beef. The mixture is then made into balls and eaten worm with broth. Plantain is eaten in other places in South America also. For example, plátanos is eaten in ecuador, colombia, honduras, and venezuela. It is made by removing the skin, fried, and adding salt.

In Nigeria, plantain can be made into dodo or with the yoruba's call Ipekere. The Yoruba people are one of the major tribes in Nigeria. I myself am Igbo so we just eat dodo or plantain. We slice the plantain diagnolly into large oval slices and fry them in oil. Sometimes we bake the plantain instead of fry it and cut it into pieces about 1/4 the size of corn on the cob and eat it with a stew. Apparently another type of plantain dish is Boli, but I have never heard of it.

A popular treat of not only Lori, but MANY countries including puerto rico, nigeria, and jamaica are the plantain chips or banana chips. They are basically fried in its starchy unripened form until it is as hard as chips. It TASTES real good. But some people don't like it, because they are not used to unAmerican food. But thats OK, because I like anways.

P.R.

Lorna was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She came to United States to study in Philadelphia. Her favorite food or dish from Puerto Rico is called “mofongo” or fried plantains. Fried plantains are raw bananas deep fried that can be served with garlic, chicken, pork or shrimp. When Lorna visits her parents in P.R., she loves to spend time on the beach which is only 20 minutes away from the house and visit El Viejo San Juan. “Old San Juan” is one of the main tourist attractions in P.R. Once a year there is a huge party called “fiestas de la calle San Sebastián” similar to parties that take place on 6th street in Austin. During this event musicians from all over Latin America come and play for free. Reggaeton which was only heard underground is now the most popular form of music in P.R.
Politics is a major issue in Puerto Rico. Everywhere you go you will hear different issues about the economy, government and other political related subjects whether it is at a party, family reunion, or a random conversation on the street. People want power and money or else they will never be satisfied. Salaries are very low in P.R. yet prices for goods are equivalent to that of the United States. Land is very expensive simply because it is limited. Islanders pay import taxes and elect governors. Political views toward the U.S. can basically be categorized into two groups: rich and poor. Poor people believe there are many opportunities in the U.S. to find a job, start a family, etc. Rich people, on the other hand, just want to become a state for no apparent reason. Some people just want to become independent due to the belief of unjust treatment from the United States.

Puerto Rico

We only had a substitute for a day, but I feel like I learned so much in that 50 minute time period. Our substitute, Lorna, not only was easy to relate to, but very honest as well. At first many of us were intimidated by her. After a time, though, we were more intrigued than anything else. I became very interested in learning more about how she had grown up. I was surprised at how frank she was about the political situation. She said that politics was basically all people talked about there, at any time of day.
She also talked about how her favorite thing about the country was the people. She said that there were always people in the streets and that in general, they were very accommodating and friendly. I was surprised to hear that unlike the US, the annual income there was around $30,000, which is significantly lower than that of the US. This is surprising because Puerto Rico is a territory belonging to the US. I think that more that anything else, she helped us gain a new perspective and hear both sides on the issue of Puerto Rico's independence. It not only opened my eyes but evaluate what I feel on the topic as well.

Puerto Rico

I really enjoyed our substitute last week. At first it was kind of intimidating because she has such a strong personality. However, we learned a lot from her about Puerto Rico, it's people, and culture. Puerto Rico is an island and is currently a territory of the United States. This is highly controversial in Puerto Rico, and the people are very opinionated about politics. The relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States is complicated, and the people have extreme perspectives on it. Some people think that Puerto Rico should become it's own country while others think that it's fine the way it is. The people who believe that Puerto Rico should stay the way it is have a nostalgic picture of the American dream and prosperity. The other side of this is that people believe that Puerto Rico would be better off if it was independent; however Lorna pointed out that they don't understand the economic effects that this could have on the country. Her father is a part of this group that believes in the independence of Puerto Rico or making it a state. Puerto Ricans do not get to vote in the United States elections because it is not a state, but they do vote in their local elections.

Lorna said that her favorite thing about Puerto Rico is the people. The people are very friendly and hospitable even to tourists. Even though the political scene is complicated, the people welcome Americans. I think this is really interesting because some places in the United States are not very hospitable. For example, when I travel to different states I can see the difference in the way the people treat me. When I went to California over the winter break, the people were very shady and stiff. A place that young people in Puerto Rico go to San Juan for a good time. San Juan is can be compared to 6th street in Austin. The area of San Juan where all of this takes place is filled with old buildings. The most popular music in Puerto Rico is reggaeton.

Puerto Rico

I believe we all enjoyed the substitute we had on Thursday, from her we learned a lot about Puerto Rico and its culture. Lorna was a very energetic and interesting person who I think was a perfect fit for our class. She started the discussion on Puerto Rico by giving us a little information about herself. She is 28 years old and just recently moved to the US after living in Puerto Rico for 24 years. She first moved to Philly to study and eventually moved to Austin to finish her studies. She stated that Puerto Rico is small, so when she goes home so usually watches TV, walks to the beaches, goes to Old San Juan, and enjoys the old colonial architecture. She said that the most famous or well-known party is “la fiesta de la calle San Sebastian” which occurs in January. This is a festival in which people party in the street with music, arts, crafts, and drinks. She then went on to explain her favorite dish to eat which is actually an African dish called fried Plantains or Mofongo. She then explained a little about the emphasis in Puerto Rico being mostly Politics. She said that their perspective is very misunderstood. Lorna states that the money and opportunity isn’t as fair as she wishes. Although Puerto Ricans are not very sure about the relationship and complications between Puerto Rico and the United States. I thought what Lorna talked about was very interesting and I was glad to become more informed on the culture and US relation with Puerto Rico.

What I Learned About Puerto Rico

I learned a lot from Lorna on Thursday and thought I would cover a little of everything. Lorna lived in Puerto Rico for 24 years. She just recently came over here to finish her education. Her favorite food from Puerto Rico is Mofongo, which is fried plantains. She told us that there were many different ways that you could make Mofongo, but her favorite was with lobster and shrimp. We also discussed plantain chips, which I have never heard of.
Lorna also spoke of how small Puerto Rico was. She says that it is definately not like New York, where everyone walks everywhere. Cars are used to get around the island. There is also a train, but it is very expensive to use. When she goes back, she usually goes to the beach, watches tv, and goes to her parents house.
Lorna's favorite things about the island are the people, culture and the welcoming feeling when you go there. Her favorite festival is las fiestas de la calle San Sebastian. It is held in January. There are arts and crafts, food, and music. The festival is held outside on the streets of downtown.
Her least favorite aspect of Puerto Rico is the politics. She says that Puerto Rico is all about politics and it is a very complicated subject.
The most popular type of music in Puerto Rico is reggae tone. Reggae tone is a mix of rap and reggae. Reggae tone used to be called underground before it became what it is today. Pop rock and salsa are also two popular types of music.

Puerto Rico and Politics

I really enjoyed our substitute teacher on Thursday. She was so cute and very animated. I learned a lot about Puerto Rico that I did not know before, especially about the heated political debate that takes place every day there. We began by asking her basic questions such as "what is your favorite food" to which she responded mofongo- a veggie you fry with pork/lobster/shrimp/etc. She said you peel it and smash it with garlic. SHe also said she liked fried puntans. Her favorite place to go is Old San Juan which is apparently a lot like Europe with its colonial architecture. Her favorite celebration is Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastian which is a big party in January in old San Juan on the streets. She said bands come and perform and there is tons of food and other celebration. She also discussed her least favorite part of PR, which is politics. SHe said her dad is very involved in politics so it especially bothers her since she grew up listening to it. I did not know how much lower the average family income was ($30,000) in PR and that everything is still just as expensive, so in essence the purchasing power is what is so skewed. I also did not realize that all of the decisions Congress makes are automatically applied to PR, and they have little say in it. She said that the only people the citizens of PR can vote for is their own governor. I was definitely interested to learn all of this, and i feel more knowledgable about her culture and some of the US foreign policy with PR.

It was very interesting to hear the teacher talk about life in Puerto Rico compared to life here in the United States. Alot of the things she did seemed very similiar to the activities we do. She talked about her favorite celebration which was "las fiestas de La Calle San Sebastion". It took place in January and there is tons of music, food, and arts and crafts from all over Latin America. She also talked about how she loved going to the beach and to old San Juan, which reminded me somewhat of Austin's 6th Street. I thought it was very interesting how her least favorite thing about Puerto Rico was the politics. It seems as if everything there was based of politics and how complicated they could be. It seems to affect each and ever person living there or from there, no matter how involved you were or not. I also thought it was interesting that she said that most people from there are very nice to tourists because they want to practice their spanish, and vice versa.

Not here Friday, but I can write about Puerto Rico

What I've always found fascinating about Puerto Rico is how the people look.

Lighter skin, longer noses, long eyes. I guess it comes from the fact that i really like to draw faces.

I had always thought that they looked a bit mid-easternish, a lot of those that I had met.

Looking up things about Puerto Rico, I find that a lot of the heritage of the people there IS, indeed, Lebanese.

Whats even more surprising is that there were a lot of Chinese settlers: I wonder if any Puerto Rican people look even remotely chinese...

Love that lumpia....

One thing that Lorna talked about was mofongo which is friend plantains which I love and I can relate to because I love the chips. Not only that but other cultures eat fried plantains as well such as this group of people that I met from Guam who eat lumpia. There's different kinds but one of them has bananas which is soooooo gooood. An important aspect that she talked about which made me chuckle is that if you know the place and not just travel to tourist attractions, you can get cheap beer. This reminds me of Mexico because if you know the place or know some Spanish, you won't be cheated out of your money. Politics seems to be a big issue and it surprises me that they even talk about it in the streets and is an integral part of their lives.

I was really interested in two things in particular about Lorna's talk on Puerto Rico: el viejo San Juan and the politics. El viejo San Juan is an old town with cobblestone streets and those colonial style buildings, definitely a tourist-y place because it's so pretty. Lorna said that when she goes back to Puerto Rico to visit her parents, she'll go out to el viejo San Juan and drink with her friends (and it's really good if you know the locals because it's cheaper than if you're a tourist!) I think that would be lots of fun especially in a town that has lots of history; that would be a cool experience. I like walking on streets of old towns just to soak up some of that rich history of the place.

As for the politics, she said that politics is so much a part of life in Puerto Rico that it dominates almost every conversation. She said that she doesn't like that. I think I would suffocate in that environment. The political atmosphere there is definitely more intense than in America (mostly because of more apathy in America), but I wonder if it causes any rifts between close friends or family members. For me, I've experienced losing a friendship because of differing views, and while neither of us would change our views, I don't think it was worth it. So Lorna said that sometimes she questions her dad about why he thinks that Puerto Rico should be a state. I don't know anything more about her family, but I wonder if it causes a lot of tension when stuff like that comes up at the dinner table or in other settings. But I guess if it's expected of you to talk about it and you were raised in that environment, maybe they're used to it.

Political Puerto Rico

After listening to the teacher Friday, I was very surprised that politics were such a dominating force in Puerto Rico. In the United States it is very good if we get about 60% of registered voters to vote in most elections. Also in the U.S., it seems most people do not care much about politics, and they have very little knowledge about why they support the particular candidate that they do support. Where as in Puerto Rico it seems as if politics often dominate the conversations and take up a large portion of the social scene in Puerto Rico.
I can see how politics are more dominate in a place such as Puerto Rico because they have many controversial topics to debate. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States so while they are not allowed to vote for U.S. officials, these officials are the ones who make decisions that affect them. The only political representation that those people in Puerto Rico have is an elected governor. I could see how this lack of representation could anger many, so this is one of the reasons for the extreme interest in politics within Puerto Rico. Also, many people there love being a part of the U.S. because they can freely travel between Puerto Rico without passports or any other documents because they are citizens of the U.S. essentially. These two different views cause much debate within the country, and I believe that this debate with continue. Some will probably want Puerto Rico to become a state like Hawaii, others will want independence, and other will probably not want any change. This debate will continue and the current context will depend on how the country is doing economically and socially! As a government major, I find this topic very interesting, and I look forward to researching it some more!

Mofongo!

It might have been because I was hungry, but I thought one of the coolest things that our substitute profesora shared with us was her favorite dish from Puerto Rico. It’s called mofongo (fried plantains) and it’s pretty much a mashed mound of plantains into which a combination of seafood, meat, or vegetables is added. My mom’s side of the family is from the Philippines and they eat a very similar dish which is fried plantains (or saba). Sometimes they dust it with brown sugar or they just eat it fried—it’s delicious!

After doing a little research, I found that Puerto Rican foods have their roots in Spanish and West African cuisines. Anyways, mofongo sounded very appetizing, so I looked up the recipe for anyone who is interested.

Ingredients:

(Plaintains with Pork Rinds)
3 green plaintains
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb. Crisp fried pork rinds
4 cups water
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
Optional: fried bacon, lard or vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Peel plaintains. Cut into one inch slices. Soak for 15 minutes in salt and water. Drain well.

2. Heat fat or oil(350 degrees if you are using a deep fryer). Add plaintain slices and fry for 15 minutes but do not brown. Drain on paper towel.

3. In a mortar(for pounding), crush garlic cloves and sprinkle with salt, add olive oil to the mixture and keep pounding.

4. Crush a portion of the fried plaintains slices and the pork. Add some of the garlic and olive oil mixture and keep pounding.

5. Spoon the mixture and shape into two inch balls. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you use all the ingredients.

6.Place in oven pan and keep warm until you are ready to serve.
Suggestions: Prepare chicken broth and pour over mofongo, so it will be juicy. Enjoy