We find friendship in unexpected places. I found friendship in unexpected places. I found friendship in Perú. I had this dream that I would arrive in my Peace Corps site and start working right away in things that would ‘change the world’. Have I changed it yet? I doubt it. What I do know though, is that I have changed myself, at least so far. And hopefully along the way I changed a person or two. As a Community Health Promoter I do not feel like I have done much to change my community. As of right now I have not had the chance to do anything meaningful, at least that is how I perceive what I have done here so far.
I have made friends though. Many who I just play volleyball with, and a couple who perhaps I have had the chance to illuminate, if I may use that word, in matters of the world. Here are some of their stories…
One of the first friends I made in site was a fourteen year old kid named Gonzalo.
I think we clicked because I accepted him for who he was. He was a tall, extremely lanky, expressive and at the same time delicate boy. He came from Lima with his sister to visit his dad who is a native from my town. I have two strong memories of the boy. The first of other kids laughing at him for not being able to hit a volleyball. The second of spending time with him and his sister at his dad’s restaurant watching Bollywood movies and trying to imitate Indian dance moves. I remember saying goodbye to him in the plaza, and him telling me that he wanted to travel the world like me. I gave him my cell number when he left assuming I would never hear from him again. How wrong was I! We exchanged a couple text messages before his departure to Argentina with his mom. After a month or so of not seeing each other he made sure to call and say goodbye the day before he left for Buenos Aires. I hope to email him once in a while. I know he will be happy that he made a friend from a country he didn’t even know existed.
The second person I made friends with was Yuli. She works at her dad’s restaurant and their store. I have found myself spending a lot of time with her in the past two months because she is always around. She is studying tourism in Huaraz, our department capital. I can have really smart conversations with her about anything, she is very smart. She is the only person in my town who knows some English, so I try to help her in the conversational level. Right now she is not studying because her oldest sister is no longer around, so she has to help all the time. I tell her constantly to keep studying, and remind her of the importance of finishing her degree. I know she will finish, at least if I stay around and keep reminding her.
The third position goes to my new friend Doña Eulogia. I haven’t talked to her much but I consider her my friend. I remember my second day in site. There was a party in town and she dragged me to the dance floor. It was hilarious and so much fun. A couple weeks after that I interviewed her in her house. So far, she has the most humble house I have had the chance to visit, yet she is the most energetic person in my whole town. Yesterday I was walking to my house when I encountered her. Interesting interaction that was. She was very happy to see me. Then she asked me if I had some rice I could give her, and then invited me to her house for food. I came to her house an hour later with a pound and a half of rice. And left an hour later with a belly full of delicious potatoes and cabbage and having read a full chapter of some religious book she made me read. I listened to her talk about her family, her experiences, and her hopes for the future. She gave up the chance to move to the States with a family from the US embassy because she was afraid to miss her family. Right there we clicked again. I completely understood. With tears in my eyes I told her that I missed my family. “Your mom must really miss you” she said to me. Silence. No words could come out of my mouth. “I know” I thought to myself as I hoped she could not see the tears streaming down my face in her dark ash stained kitchen.
Lastly I have made friends with Cynthia and John, two siblings from Lima who spend their vacations in my town with their family. I leave them for last because perhaps they are the ones I have touched the most. I have had the chance to spend time with them during the last two months, and have had a ton of fun. Cynthia is going back to Lima because college starts up again this week. I never imagined how much I meant to them until yesterday when she gave me a card she made from scratch. It was beautifully decorated and said beautiful things inside. She made me realize that sometimes just offering people your friendship is enough to change who they are. In the letter she says how much these past two months have meant to her, and expressed how much admiration she had for me. It is difficult to find people in the “sierra” or mountains who truly understand what Peace Corps is, but she gets it. Sometimes when I’m frustrated she calms me down by telling me that it is normal to feel frustrated as a Peace Corps volunteer. I will truly miss her here in Huantar, and I look forward to the moment we meet again. I will think of her everyday when I look at my wall and see her card taped to it.
This experience has been extremely hard. It was hard from the beginning and continues to be difficult. I don’t think it will cease being so. Hopefully these friends that I found along the way, and those I am bound to bump into in the future will walk with me hand in hand along the arduous yet rewarding path to December 2010.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Another note from Peru
At the moment I am sitting in the plaza of my town. I am writing this blog entry as I listen to huaino music and watch how people buy “salchipapas” from our only kiosk in town. The lady who owns the kiosk is real cool. She is the only person I have met in Peru who has my name, well it’s her middle name but that’s close enough. Her name is Domitila Claudia, and every time I pass through she smiles showing her silver teeth and says “good morning Miss Claudia”. She wears a really cool mountain hat htat compliments her round face. Her husband serves as bodyguard almost. Just acouple minutes ago he shooed a dog away with a slingshot. He probably is responsible for having injured the dog sitting on my feet right now which is missing an eye.
This letter was interrupted for a couple minutes because Maruja, a 38 yr old lady who looks sixty came over to talk to me. She is part of the Virgen de Guadalupe groupe who I have joined for their weekly prayer group several times. The group is interesting because their two main tasks are grinding in the Molino, and praying once a week, fascinating combination of work and religious life. I will join them again next week.
Warning: This blog flows like train of thought, so forgive me if it seems choppy.
I am also about thirty feet from my favorite “tienda” or store. I go there to chat and buy my food daily. The couple has four children; a 22 yr old Edith who is a sweetie and I love talking to, Miguel and Yuli who are 20 and study in Huaraz, the capital of Ancash, and Celia who is 6 yrs old. Last week I took something to the siblings in Huaraz and had some delicious mango smoothies with Miguel.
I have two favorite place sin my town. One is the town plaza because everything happens around it: the Municipality, pensiones, the church, school, and tiendas are around them. I enjoy watching people walk around, sit in benches, play volleyball and interact with each other. My second favorite places is the top of my mountain by th cell antenna. It has a gorgeous view down to the carretera or road overlooking snow topped mountains and the river. Sometimes I go up there and spend hours talking on the phone and writing poetry or plays.
I just spent 10 minutes talking to an Italian missionary who lives in my town. His name is Rafael, just like my dad and my brother. He is my age and is real nice. He runs a copper and metal workshop in the parish where kids come learn a trade. I’ve been over to the church a couple times to have tea or coffe with him. He has such an Italian accent it’s funny. Who knows, maybe by the end of my service I’ll be fluent in Spanish, English, Italian and Quechua. That would cool.
The situation in my family is much better now. I think my mom and dad really like me. I keep making food they like which is awesome. I am going to tell them not to cook tomorrow night. I want to make tuna stuffed caigua (a vegetable) with tuna and vegetables. Things are so good that my mom asked me to scratch her back yesterday. The cutest thing is that my little brother and sister call me auntie and keep hugging me. It’s truly adorable.
I will stop writing now. I should probably go interview and survey some people. Until next time!
This letter was interrupted for a couple minutes because Maruja, a 38 yr old lady who looks sixty came over to talk to me. She is part of the Virgen de Guadalupe groupe who I have joined for their weekly prayer group several times. The group is interesting because their two main tasks are grinding in the Molino, and praying once a week, fascinating combination of work and religious life. I will join them again next week.
Warning: This blog flows like train of thought, so forgive me if it seems choppy.
I am also about thirty feet from my favorite “tienda” or store. I go there to chat and buy my food daily. The couple has four children; a 22 yr old Edith who is a sweetie and I love talking to, Miguel and Yuli who are 20 and study in Huaraz, the capital of Ancash, and Celia who is 6 yrs old. Last week I took something to the siblings in Huaraz and had some delicious mango smoothies with Miguel.
I have two favorite place sin my town. One is the town plaza because everything happens around it: the Municipality, pensiones, the church, school, and tiendas are around them. I enjoy watching people walk around, sit in benches, play volleyball and interact with each other. My second favorite places is the top of my mountain by th cell antenna. It has a gorgeous view down to the carretera or road overlooking snow topped mountains and the river. Sometimes I go up there and spend hours talking on the phone and writing poetry or plays.
I just spent 10 minutes talking to an Italian missionary who lives in my town. His name is Rafael, just like my dad and my brother. He is my age and is real nice. He runs a copper and metal workshop in the parish where kids come learn a trade. I’ve been over to the church a couple times to have tea or coffe with him. He has such an Italian accent it’s funny. Who knows, maybe by the end of my service I’ll be fluent in Spanish, English, Italian and Quechua. That would cool.
The situation in my family is much better now. I think my mom and dad really like me. I keep making food they like which is awesome. I am going to tell them not to cook tomorrow night. I want to make tuna stuffed caigua (a vegetable) with tuna and vegetables. Things are so good that my mom asked me to scratch her back yesterday. The cutest thing is that my little brother and sister call me auntie and keep hugging me. It’s truly adorable.
I will stop writing now. I should probably go interview and survey some people. Until next time!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
After Many Months! Update
Hi everyone! (written on Dec 24th, 2008)
I know, I know! This blog entry has taken forever to be written. Only I am to blame. I had various chances to write it but never did. From September to late November I was undergoing intense technical training, and I seldom found time to go online to write on my blog. Training was amazing; our group Peru 12 is really cool. I became good friends with all the new volunteers, and my host family was a real treat. Swear in was the 28th of November, and from there we embarked in our journey to our new sites.
Currently I have been in my site in the town of Huántar for almost a month. Things are going fine. I cannot say things are going great because it is very very hard to get used to the culture of the Andean mountains. On top of that, it is really tough that I have only been here less than a month and it is already the holiday season. I am writing this entry on Christmas Eve, and there is absolutely nothing going on. It’s very depressing that there are no Christmas lights, no Christmas trees, and no Christmas spirit. Today feels like any other day, which is good because I at times forget that it is Christmas Eve. Tomorrow two other volunteers and I are going to the nearest small city and spend Christmas Day together. It’s the first time I have spent the Holidays away from home, and it is terribly difficult. I keep thinking about how I celebrate it at home and get nostalgic. I know it is a new experience, and part of growing up is going through all of this by myself, but oh man, oh man, does it hurt to think that I am so far away.
My host family is a nut case. I really hope I get used to the living situation or else. My siblings are the cutest thing in the world, but my host mom I don’t think likes me very much. I guess it must be cultural differences, but talking to her is close to impossible. My dad seems like a cool dude; he doesn’t really mess with me much. My room despite being very cold, I can probably get used to.
My town is cool. We have a plaza, a church, a municipality, a school, and a couple stores. The mayor seems like a neat guy. He is working very hard to develop the town, and has been giving jobs to people to rebuild the health post, a school, the plaza and some streets. He comes from Lima, and is very interested in improving life in his district. Last Sunday another volunteer and I went to a meeting at the municipality. There was a discussion group about poverty and under nutrition. The district is starting to follow a national plan to target these problems, and Peace Corps is going to work hand in hand with the program.
The weather will be a challenge. I will probably get sick from colds often during these two years. If it’s sunny it is very warm, and when it rains it drops to the forties. The rainy season is starting now, and when it decides to rain, it rains! It usually rains harder at night which is good, because it helps me sleep more soundly.
Nature is truly magical. People keep saying it’s going to get greener around March but I really don’t see how it could ever get greener than this. The mountains around here are breathtaking. One of my hobbies is to go on hikes and enjoy nature. Everyone in my town has ‘chacras’ or plantations that they go work on during the day. Most people have corn, potatoes, wheat and lentils. It is truly beautiful.
We are celebrating New Years in Huaraz, our provincial capital. We are so lucky to have this place! It truly helps me stay sane. We meet over there every two or two and a half weeks. There are a couple cafes that we frequent and use the internet. There are also a couple clubs that we absolutely love. We recharge batteries for a couple days and return to our sites.
Work is slow. The first month my job was to get to know the town, and start making connections. For the next two months I will be doing a community diagnostic which hopefully will keep me very busy. So far I spend my days either going on hikes with the nearest volunteer or helping out a little at the health post. I spend many hours hanging out in the plaza, talking to the neighbors, playing volleyball, reading, and writing. I have been writing a lot of poetry, and now I have decided to begin writing a play. I don’t have much written yet, and that might be another way to keep myself busy.
That’s a quick summary of my life in Huantar! I really would love if you guys would call my cellphone or if you were to write or send care packages to me. I really miss all you guys and wish that I could call you guys this Holiday Season and tell you how awesome and special you guys are.
Take care everyone! And God Bless! Peace in the New Year!
Claudia
I know, I know! This blog entry has taken forever to be written. Only I am to blame. I had various chances to write it but never did. From September to late November I was undergoing intense technical training, and I seldom found time to go online to write on my blog. Training was amazing; our group Peru 12 is really cool. I became good friends with all the new volunteers, and my host family was a real treat. Swear in was the 28th of November, and from there we embarked in our journey to our new sites.
Currently I have been in my site in the town of Huántar for almost a month. Things are going fine. I cannot say things are going great because it is very very hard to get used to the culture of the Andean mountains. On top of that, it is really tough that I have only been here less than a month and it is already the holiday season. I am writing this entry on Christmas Eve, and there is absolutely nothing going on. It’s very depressing that there are no Christmas lights, no Christmas trees, and no Christmas spirit. Today feels like any other day, which is good because I at times forget that it is Christmas Eve. Tomorrow two other volunteers and I are going to the nearest small city and spend Christmas Day together. It’s the first time I have spent the Holidays away from home, and it is terribly difficult. I keep thinking about how I celebrate it at home and get nostalgic. I know it is a new experience, and part of growing up is going through all of this by myself, but oh man, oh man, does it hurt to think that I am so far away.
My host family is a nut case. I really hope I get used to the living situation or else. My siblings are the cutest thing in the world, but my host mom I don’t think likes me very much. I guess it must be cultural differences, but talking to her is close to impossible. My dad seems like a cool dude; he doesn’t really mess with me much. My room despite being very cold, I can probably get used to.
My town is cool. We have a plaza, a church, a municipality, a school, and a couple stores. The mayor seems like a neat guy. He is working very hard to develop the town, and has been giving jobs to people to rebuild the health post, a school, the plaza and some streets. He comes from Lima, and is very interested in improving life in his district. Last Sunday another volunteer and I went to a meeting at the municipality. There was a discussion group about poverty and under nutrition. The district is starting to follow a national plan to target these problems, and Peace Corps is going to work hand in hand with the program.
The weather will be a challenge. I will probably get sick from colds often during these two years. If it’s sunny it is very warm, and when it rains it drops to the forties. The rainy season is starting now, and when it decides to rain, it rains! It usually rains harder at night which is good, because it helps me sleep more soundly.
Nature is truly magical. People keep saying it’s going to get greener around March but I really don’t see how it could ever get greener than this. The mountains around here are breathtaking. One of my hobbies is to go on hikes and enjoy nature. Everyone in my town has ‘chacras’ or plantations that they go work on during the day. Most people have corn, potatoes, wheat and lentils. It is truly beautiful.
We are celebrating New Years in Huaraz, our provincial capital. We are so lucky to have this place! It truly helps me stay sane. We meet over there every two or two and a half weeks. There are a couple cafes that we frequent and use the internet. There are also a couple clubs that we absolutely love. We recharge batteries for a couple days and return to our sites.
Work is slow. The first month my job was to get to know the town, and start making connections. For the next two months I will be doing a community diagnostic which hopefully will keep me very busy. So far I spend my days either going on hikes with the nearest volunteer or helping out a little at the health post. I spend many hours hanging out in the plaza, talking to the neighbors, playing volleyball, reading, and writing. I have been writing a lot of poetry, and now I have decided to begin writing a play. I don’t have much written yet, and that might be another way to keep myself busy.
That’s a quick summary of my life in Huantar! I really would love if you guys would call my cellphone or if you were to write or send care packages to me. I really miss all you guys and wish that I could call you guys this Holiday Season and tell you how awesome and special you guys are.
Take care everyone! And God Bless! Peace in the New Year!
Claudia
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Uncomfortably Numb
Classic songs are timeless not because of who sings them or because of their incredible music arrangements, but because of how their message reaches across cultures, genders, classes, and generations. I must confess I know as much about music as I know about rocket science. A couple days ago while lying next to the pool enjoying great tropical weather I listened to my ipod which had recently been updated with music with help of my brother. I laid there motionless, anesthetized by the sound of the wind when Pink Floyd’s most famous song started playing: “Comfortably Numb.” I had never heard the song before, and to be honest I thought Pink Floyd was a teenage punk band because my brother has a T-shirt with a weird triangle on it… until the song started.
While in limbo between awake and asleep it began playing. “Hello,/ Is there anybody in there?/ Just nod if you can hear me./ Is there anyone at home?” it began in a spine-chilling voice. I opened my unUV-protected eyes, and looked up. At first I thought it was a joke. What?! It was not the tiny red devil who rests on my left shoulder. As the song kept playing I began to realize the masterpiece of a song that Roger Waters and David Gilmour had composed. It was so different that any other song I have heard before. It starts almost like a whisper on to the listener’s ear, and climaxes unquestionably with one of the best guitar solos ever.
The most interesting thing about the song I believe is how it speaks differently to different people. From the beginning of the song I was certain that being “comfortably numb” was about someone who had lost the ability to feel sympathy, love, sadness, frustration, and all other emotions that make humans sensible beings. When browsing the internet for the lyrics, I found various chat rooms discussing the “true meaning” of the song, whatever that means. I believe that songs, like poems and other art pieces, are on the eye of the beholder. We mostly listen to music but not truly hear what their message is trying to tell us. I challenge you all to listen to songs, hear with your head, and wait for your heart to respond to them.
This song spoke to me, and now just before leaving for my Peace Corps service in Perú it carries a special meaning. I never want to feel comfortably numb. If sometime you start feeling at ease in a state of stoic dullness MOVE. Find meaning in your life, get out of your house, meet people, take chances, do the impossible, challenge yourself to become responsive again. Dare yourself to LIVE again. At this point in my life I’m experiencing torrents of emotions and feelings that call me to action. I love who I have become, and it scares me to death that I will ever become numb. I know that the next two years of my life will make me everything but numb.
Comfortably Numb Lyrics (by Pink Floyd)
While in limbo between awake and asleep it began playing. “Hello,/ Is there anybody in there?/ Just nod if you can hear me./ Is there anyone at home?” it began in a spine-chilling voice. I opened my unUV-protected eyes, and looked up. At first I thought it was a joke. What?! It was not the tiny red devil who rests on my left shoulder. As the song kept playing I began to realize the masterpiece of a song that Roger Waters and David Gilmour had composed. It was so different that any other song I have heard before. It starts almost like a whisper on to the listener’s ear, and climaxes unquestionably with one of the best guitar solos ever.
The most interesting thing about the song I believe is how it speaks differently to different people. From the beginning of the song I was certain that being “comfortably numb” was about someone who had lost the ability to feel sympathy, love, sadness, frustration, and all other emotions that make humans sensible beings. When browsing the internet for the lyrics, I found various chat rooms discussing the “true meaning” of the song, whatever that means. I believe that songs, like poems and other art pieces, are on the eye of the beholder. We mostly listen to music but not truly hear what their message is trying to tell us. I challenge you all to listen to songs, hear with your head, and wait for your heart to respond to them.
This song spoke to me, and now just before leaving for my Peace Corps service in Perú it carries a special meaning. I never want to feel comfortably numb. If sometime you start feeling at ease in a state of stoic dullness MOVE. Find meaning in your life, get out of your house, meet people, take chances, do the impossible, challenge yourself to become responsive again. Dare yourself to LIVE again. At this point in my life I’m experiencing torrents of emotions and feelings that call me to action. I love who I have become, and it scares me to death that I will ever become numb. I know that the next two years of my life will make me everything but numb.
Comfortably Numb Lyrics (by Pink Floyd)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Random Quotes
Hello my fellow readers!!
My deepest apologies for not having updated my blog. As most of you know I have been quite busy taking care of two groups of 14 and 15 year olds in Spain learning Spanish. I have had a great experience, and cannot wait to go home in a couple of days.
Oh right, almost forgot. I´M GOING TO SERVE IN PERU WITH THE PEACE CORPS. Isn´t that great!? I´m really excited, yet a little scared. I´ll write more in the next weeks as the date approaches.
***********Gear Change********************
I now have a favorite sugar! :) Not because it´s sweet but because of the cool quotes that are on one side of the packet. They are soooo neat that I took like 10 packets before I left the café. Here are some of the quotes (sorry they are in Spanish):
¨...La única diferencia entre un loco y yo, es que el loco cree que no lo está, mientras que yo se que lo estoy.¨ (Salvador Dalí)
¨Los viejos todo lo creen, los adultos todo lo sospechan, mientras que lo jóvenes todo lo saben.¨(Oscar Wilde)
¨La vida realmente no es el tiempo que pasa sino aquellos momentos en los que el tiempo parece no pasar.¨(Susana Urquiza).
¨No hay nada repartido más equitativo que la razón: Todo el mundo está convencido de tener suficiente¨(René Descartes).
¨La vida es breve, el arte largo, la ocasión fugaz, el experimento peligroso, el juicio difícil.¨(Hipocrates).
¨Nunca hagas apuestas si sabes que has de ganar al otro, eres un tramposo. y si no lo sabes, eres un tonto.¨ (Confusio).
¨La diferencia entre lo que hacemos y somos capaces de hacer, resolvería la mayoría de los problemas del mundo.¨(Mahatma Gandhi).
¨Cuando yo tenía catorce años, mi padre era tan ignorante que no podía soportarle. Pero cuando cumplí los veintiuno, me pareció increíble lo mucho que mi padre había aprendido en siete años.¨(Mark Twain).
My deepest apologies for not having updated my blog. As most of you know I have been quite busy taking care of two groups of 14 and 15 year olds in Spain learning Spanish. I have had a great experience, and cannot wait to go home in a couple of days.
Oh right, almost forgot. I´M GOING TO SERVE IN PERU WITH THE PEACE CORPS. Isn´t that great!? I´m really excited, yet a little scared. I´ll write more in the next weeks as the date approaches.
***********Gear Change********************
I now have a favorite sugar! :) Not because it´s sweet but because of the cool quotes that are on one side of the packet. They are soooo neat that I took like 10 packets before I left the café. Here are some of the quotes (sorry they are in Spanish):
¨...La única diferencia entre un loco y yo, es que el loco cree que no lo está, mientras que yo se que lo estoy.¨ (Salvador Dalí)
¨Los viejos todo lo creen, los adultos todo lo sospechan, mientras que lo jóvenes todo lo saben.¨(Oscar Wilde)
¨La vida realmente no es el tiempo que pasa sino aquellos momentos en los que el tiempo parece no pasar.¨(Susana Urquiza).
¨No hay nada repartido más equitativo que la razón: Todo el mundo está convencido de tener suficiente¨(René Descartes).
¨La vida es breve, el arte largo, la ocasión fugaz, el experimento peligroso, el juicio difícil.¨(Hipocrates).
¨Nunca hagas apuestas si sabes que has de ganar al otro, eres un tramposo. y si no lo sabes, eres un tonto.¨ (Confusio).
¨La diferencia entre lo que hacemos y somos capaces de hacer, resolvería la mayoría de los problemas del mundo.¨(Mahatma Gandhi).
¨Cuando yo tenía catorce años, mi padre era tan ignorante que no podía soportarle. Pero cuando cumplí los veintiuno, me pareció increíble lo mucho que mi padre había aprendido en siete años.¨(Mark Twain).
Monday, June 9, 2008
Convertida en mujer
Fui rápidamente creciendo
para darme cuenta de que quien soy hoy
es posible no sea yo.
Me tuve que haber perdido
o algo no haber entendido.
Quizás entre el rosado de mi primer cumpleaños
y vestidos con lazos almidonados.
O quizás fue más tarde todavía
cuando ya practicaba con el pintalabios
que mi mama efusivamente me concedía.
Y a todo esto recuerdo me decía:
“las nenas más lindas son femeninas”
“calladita te ves más bonita”
En mi adolescencia adolorida
rellenaba con papel los sostenes,
me embarraba la cara
y sacaba las nalgas.
“Sin maquillaje no salgas de la casa”
“No te vallas a poner gorda como una vaca”
Las inquietudes me llevaban
A maquillarme aunque solo me vea el perro.
A pensar ser gorda sin serlo.
A tenerle terror al vello en el cuerpo.
A peinarme como una artista.
A vestirme como una diosa.
A asistir al gimnasio como religiosa.
A salir siempre bien olorosa.
A visitar constante el estilista.
A romperme los pies con los tacos.
Y a hacerme manicure en las manos.
Entonces me corté las uñas.
Me quité los zapatos incómodos.
Me hice en el pelo una cola.
Me lavé bien la cara.
Me dejé crecer todos los pelos,
me desnudé por completo
y me miré en el espejo.
Y me encontré.
para darme cuenta de que quien soy hoy
es posible no sea yo.
Me tuve que haber perdido
o algo no haber entendido.
Quizás entre el rosado de mi primer cumpleaños
y vestidos con lazos almidonados.
O quizás fue más tarde todavía
cuando ya practicaba con el pintalabios
que mi mama efusivamente me concedía.
Y a todo esto recuerdo me decía:
“las nenas más lindas son femeninas”
“calladita te ves más bonita”
En mi adolescencia adolorida
rellenaba con papel los sostenes,
me embarraba la cara
y sacaba las nalgas.
“Sin maquillaje no salgas de la casa”
“No te vallas a poner gorda como una vaca”
Las inquietudes me llevaban
A maquillarme aunque solo me vea el perro.
A pensar ser gorda sin serlo.
A tenerle terror al vello en el cuerpo.
A peinarme como una artista.
A vestirme como una diosa.
A asistir al gimnasio como religiosa.
A salir siempre bien olorosa.
A visitar constante el estilista.
A romperme los pies con los tacos.
Y a hacerme manicure en las manos.
Entonces me corté las uñas.
Me quité los zapatos incómodos.
Me hice en el pelo una cola.
Me lavé bien la cara.
Me dejé crecer todos los pelos,
me desnudé por completo
y me miré en el espejo.
Y me encontré.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Clinton Our Suga' Mama
“Is Puerto Rico on the Pacific?” Michelle Obama asked her husband this morning.
“No honey. It’s in the Gulf of Mexico.” Responded Barack as he continued to sip his Starbucks coffee and read his New York Times.
It comes to no surprise to learn that Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primaries yesterday in Puerto Rico. The Clintons spent much more time on the island than the Obamas. They never grew tired of eating arroz con habichuelas, holding press conferences, dancing salsa, and making promises to Puerto Ricans. Despite my discontent with the whole electoral process on the island, I must sincerely congratulate the Senator. She did a wonderful job at successfully convincing the electorate that if elected president she would address many issues of extreme importance to the island, among them the “problem of the status.” In other words, she would allow for Puerto Ricans to determine and decide how to resolve our current colonial status. Perhaps more importantly, she promised to help PR come out of its economic slump, and said to try to allow PRcans the right to vote in presidential elections.
Less than half a million people, much less than expected, woke up this morning to participate in the so-called democratic process. People cast their vote for a variety of reasons. All of them full of hope that these primaries would put Puerto Rico on the map. Who’s map? I’m not really sure. Marta Martinez, after voting said, “Now that the candidates have been to Puerto Rico, they have seen the problems and the necessities we have here. The expectations now are for them to keep their promises” (El Nuevo Dia).
Another headline today for El Nuevo Dia reads “Promises that might not be kept”. I wonder why this very short article waited until the day after the elections to get published. Does anyone actually think any presidential candidate in the near future will address any of our problems? Come on! Wake up and smell the coffee, the Puerto Rican kind!
Check out what our governor had to say, “I congratulate Senator Clinton for her victory today, but the real winner these primaries in Puerto Rico was the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico – Estado Libre Asociado- because both of the pre-candidates made strong compromises with Puerto Rico.” I guess the governor didn’t smell the coffee, much less had a cup. Click here
Don’t judge me wrong, I cast my vote in Missouri a couple months ago but for different reasons. I didn’t vote for what the candidates “said” they were going to do about Puerto Rico. I voted for their platforms in the US, things that actually matter to them, things they will get done: the war, education, economy, and immigration.
We are not the winners, the low turn out of people to the ballots today proves that most Puerto Ricans woke up, smelled the coffee, drank it, and then went to the beach.
PS: Picture credit: El Nuevo Dia newspaper. Taken during the Independence Party protest to the elections. These people had a LOT of strong black coffee.
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