"Down on the island" Helping

Helping. How can we define this concept? Helping, according to dictionary.com, is to give or provide what is necessary to accomplish a taskor satisfy a need; contribute  strength or means to; render assistance to;cooperate effectively with; aid; assist. This concept is what everyone should aim to. Yet to what extend should we help? In what scenarios should we help? Is it right to help no matter the cause? These are all questions that from a young age we are taught in much disguised matters and scenarios. As Puerto Ricans we are taught to help others, which is good, but to what extent or cost? When it comes to the phrase “hazme un favorsito" we are open to the idea of doing the favor, having in mind a future situation where we are the ones that need a favor.  For example, when we first take an exam the teacher gives out the instructions which would consist of "stay focus on your paper", "don't let anyone see your paper", etc. etc. And we do it as told by the teacher. As the years pass the habit becomes more flexible. Our eyes start turning to other papers, later we start talking, and we exchange answers and even rely on others to get a good grade in the test. Our excuse is the concept of helping. "Oh teacher, I was helping him." Is this a problem or is it actually "helping"?

 

 In the chapter "Helping" in Down on the island, Jim Cooper explains the different situation he had when he was teaching English in PR. He describe how copying was encouraged by the public education system and the society. Yet he was not able to understand why this was until he learns about the culture and the traditions of the people in PR.

With the US invasion the presence of capitalism was little by little taking its place in PR. It took some time, time that I believe is still present and going, for the Puerto Ricans to get used or to put in practice the capitalist principles.  As part of a capitalist society we are encourage to be competitive. We seek or best interest and not necessarily what benefits the whole. We maximize our gains and we strive to be the best in everything. So what could be best, helping or being self-centered and selfish?  The answer is depending on the situation. Not necessarily just because in a situation one is not helpful means one is being selfish.

How do I define helping? Key words are cooperate and contribute to what is best not only for one being but for everyone. This concept of taking into account the well-being of everyone and everything is known as ethics. By enforcing you would be considered (under a capitalist view) being in the equivalent point where your maximization will be the same and your contribution to society.

Small Place

Antigua

In the first selected reading from A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid  she writes about how tourist act and say during their visit in the island of Antigua. Antigua is a small island in the Caribbean, former english colony. One of the things Kincaid emphasize is the way the tourist constantly compare the way things are done in the island with the way they do it in their country.

The road on which you are travelling is a very bad road, very much in need of repair. You are feeling wonderful, so you say, "Oh, what a marvellous change these bad roads are from the splendid highways I am used to in North America." 

This is said with a slight sarcasm, cause even though the tourist might feel a sense of adventure the truth is that when he goes back to his country he will not miss them at all. 

Another factor she portrays of the tourist is that they stroll around fascinated by the "new" surroundings without actually understanding the significance of it and what the surrounding and people are trying to portray and what it represents. For Kincaid it is unjust the thoughts and attitude of the tourist that, maybe unconscious, but hurtful toward the natives in the island. She believes they see the island as an escaped from their systematic world and appreciate the islands historic culture nor customs and ways.  Tourist forget that people live there and have a culture.

"Down on the Island" Teaching English

 

As you can see the title "Down on the island"  is literal referring to down of the US in the island of Puerto Rico.

“Down on the island” is a book written by Jim Cooper and published on 1994 that narrates, with few details, some of the incidents he had while teaching English in the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez. To be more specific he refers to the entries he made on his diary between the years of 1951 and 1954. It was interesting reading these two chapters because they illustrate a bit of the way an American saw and tried to interpret the Puerto Rican lifestyle at that particular historical moment. Until 1948 all courses at school were taught in English. That year the Education Commissioner Vilaroga passed a decree stating that the courses would now is taught in Spanish with the exception of English.

Cooper at the beginning of his stay here in the island, the director department assigned him to be part of the Syllabus Committee. When he saw it he could not understand why the freshman students were reading poetry and short story when the kids that were arriving to the University had none or little English preparation. With the (more or less) ten year gap between the change of the language the course were going to be taught, there was also a change in the students. This would also explain why grandparents might know better English than our parents. Because our grandparents were taught many course in English maybe they learned a little more than our parents who were only taught English at English, which would equal around 1 hour a day in exposure to the language.

This change in students complicated and compromised the syllabus to also change, but even though Cooper saw the need of a new syllabus the director, Dr. Beckwith, in the contrary did not. “Dr. Beckwith’s (director) only comment was that the only way to learn a language was to learn to love its literature. He was one of the many continentals then on the island who didn't believe Puerto Ricans were capable of learning anything anyway.”   Finally when he was able to change the syllabus to a more accurate based on the real needs for the new arriving students the difficult job was to communicate and understand Puerto Rican culture which would influence the way students learned.

“When, shortly after I arrived in Puerto Rico I met John Henry, the English supervisor in Cabo Rojo, near Mayaguez, I was vaguely aware that the Department of Education, highly centralized, was putting in a new English language program, imported from the University of Michigan.”

At the beginning of his stay in the island he cared little about the Education system in Puerto Rico, but when he focused his energy to change the English syllabus he suddenly became interest in what happen with the public education system.  While he learned about the program he understood that it was not fit for implementation in Puerto Rico. He was right. 

Through his stay in the island he was exposed to a series of situations where he was able to understand the way kids learn and the reasons or at least what he thought were reasons enough that explained why kids were not able to learn English. Apart from the change of the language the courses were going to be taught in

A Room With a View

A Room witha View (19850) directed by James Ivory is an interesting movie based obviously on the novel written by Edward Morgan Forster. The movie portrays, in perfect manner, the liberal social behaviors against the ideals during the Queen Victoria’s reign. The title alone foreshadows what the strory will be about.  It begins in Florence Italy were Lucy Honeychurch,  chaperoned by her cousin and old maid Charlotte,  are staying at a guest house in a room with a view towards the park-side, while the Emerson’s (father and son) who have more liberal ideas that contradict the social norms present in the English society, have a room with a view towards the river. Later at dinner the Emerson offer to exchange rooms, which Charlotte took as lack of tact and propriety. During their stay, George Emerson and Lucy practically fall in love, but keep their sentiments hidden especially because of what society might say. 

Lucy is a passionate woman that through her ability playing the piano and what Mr. Beebs said: "If Miss Honeychurch ever takes to live as she plays, it will be very exciting both for us and for her," gives us a foreshadowing of what’s to come.  Even though from a high society and chaperoned by a Charlotte who tries to uphold what is said to be “proper” , Lucy somehow finds the understanding ad comprehension of the newly and liberal ideas the Emerson’s have which are contradicted by the character of Cecil Vyse, Lucy’s fiance, who would come to represent the social codes of that time.

Through the whole movie the conflict that Lucy and George had was based on facing the social consequences that would come if they decided to accept publicly their feelings towards each other. By Lucy’s part she was risking her social status by breaking an engagement with a well-recognized gentleman from the upper class and marrying a man from a lower class. From George’s side Lucy meant a purpose and the fulfillment of a joyful life and, plus, he would also be marrying someone from a higher class.    

The Emerson’s idea of life was directed toward the enjoyment and the beauty of life itself and little matter the codes and prohibitions the society had established as principles.  They let life go as it may and were open to the challenges it brought.  

There were certain stereotypical ideas of how each class in the English society at that time had to act. The differentiation between gender was clear and to pass the line of misbehavior could lead to an ‘out-casting’. Thus even though Charlotte tried to uphold those codes together with Cecil, Lucy acted in a proper manner but secretly, and maybe unconscious at the beginning, admired the way of thinking of the Emerson.  

We can see through the movie the whole process and development of Lucy from indecision at the beginning to total fulfillment at the end when she decides to finally show her feelings for George. 

"Eyes of a Tourist"

"La garita"

When we take a trip to another country we feel different. Whether it is the language, the people and atmosphere we feel different and as a consequence we see things different. How could that be? Yes. Once in the destination, usually, one gets to experience the tourist part of the country that was created with the intention of making you fall in love. Rarely, not always do we get to experience the real living atmosphere of the country being visited.  Yet if we do experience it we might see it with “eyes of tourist” which means to constantly search for the beauty and exquisiteness of it. Visiting we tend to ask questions, enter places without knowing their reputation, probably are nicer, happier people and acknowledge every single detail or at least detail that locals wouldn’t acknowledge.

On the contrary, as locals one stay in track with the routine. Acknowledging things that stand out and ignoring the little things that probably complete the whole. As part of the routine, nothing will call your attention, unless for a very short moment you turn on your eyes of tourist.

So how about acting as a tourist in your own country?

View of the "Isla de Cabra"

As a destination I chose San Juan. I went last week to “el Viejo San Juan” with my sister and spend a wonderful day.  We’ve gone thousands of times, but to do the same things, see artisans, eat a cup of “helado de coco” and that’s about it. This time we changed our plans. We got to “el Viejo San Juan” with no plans at all. First the journey to find a parking. Yet we were excited and trying to look at everything with the “eyes of a tourist”. As we walked all the way to the top of “el Viejo San Juan” we entered many gift shops and bought little souvenirs. Once in the top we entered el Morro, and took the agenda of seeing every single room and space of it. From over there we saw the magnificent Atlantic Ocean, the little rooms where the used to keep prisoners and also use as storage. To the other side one could see the beautiful “el Viejo San Juan”. The wind was incredibly strong and for some minutes we stayed focusing on the vast ocean, letting the wind hit our hair and do with it whatever it wanted to.  After that we went to the lower part of “El Morro” and where intrigued by a cat that was walking through the rocks at the shore. He seemed lost. 

"Ballajá"

Afterwards we decided to enter “Ballajá” that were the Spanish barracks from 1854-1864.  Little did we know that there was a museum on the second floor.  So our next thing to do was to see the museum. The museum had around different exhibitions; one was about different tribes and there distinction, another was about Puerto Rican and Caribbenan influence (in) music, specially salsa, movement in the United States, another was of the arts the students from the “Escuela de Artes Plásticas” had done, another of different tradition in fashion and design between countries, another of the history of PR and another of “El Barrio Obrero”. All very interesting.

There were mix feelings. With the attitude we had adopted people seemed to notice us more that usually, but at the same time the felt relax about it and didn't care that much. From our part we didn't care at all of anything, specially not on the way the were looking at us.

On our way to eat we got talking to some people and asked them about PR. They said that Puerto Rico was a beautiful place, place that they love but that it was going through a rough time. It was interesting because through that small talk one can see that there is hope for the country and that people still wish for the best for PR. That no matter what happens there is always going to be Puerto Ricans that will want to “echar pa’ lante” the country. So there is only one thing to do next, fight for the wellness of OUR PUERTO RICO.

My sister

My sister and I

View from el Morro down