Jamaica Kincaid's Quote Reflections

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The quote I am going to explain is by Jamaica Kincaid.  The quote is: “Every native would like to find a way out, every native would like a rest, every native would like a tour. But some natives—most natives in the world—cannot go anywhere. They are too poor. They are too poor to go anywhere. They are too poor to escape the reality of their lives; and they are too poor to live properly in the place they live, which is the very place you, the tourist, want to go—so when the natives see you, the tourist, they envy you, they envy your ability to leave your own banality and boredom, they envy your ability to turn their own banality and boredom into a source of pleasure for yourself.”  For most people, this can be applied in their lives.  But I lived in Puerto Rico, a perfect vacation island.  This, for the regular civilians in the island can experiences an inner journey of their country, my country.  The reason that most of  the civilians of the island that can’t experience of the inner tourism is because they might have a busy live, not necessarily because they are poor.  I considered that Puerto Ricans are native and tourist at the same time because this is one of the best vacation island in the whole Caribbean.  In other words, Jamaica Kincaid’s hypothesis can be applied for certain places but not all of them.  In this case, my beautiful island, Puerto Rico her hypothesis failed.

Happiness Journey

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Eric Weiner, writer of the book Geography of Bliss, wanted to show how someone can reach happiness by traveling.  The main character was born in 1963 “year of the smiley face”, is a little ironic because he doesn’t consider himself a happy person.  He also says, the you write about you know and that he has travelled to unhappy places like Iraq etc… we can assume this is because that what he know or he is: an unhappy person.

A quote that I found interesting was: “happiness is not inside of us but out there”. That quote can then answer my statement that the main character is in search of happiness by travelling. We read the chapter 3 which is a travel to Bhutan “Happiness Is a Policy”.  The Character says that Bhutan national anthem is happiness as a doctrine of Lord Buddha. In this country happiness is an important thing for their culture.
Happiness is culture, so in some way, happiness is relative.  Citizens of a country depend a lot of their cultural view of what things are, how moral works and the emotional view of things. I think that what can make me happy, for another person it doesn’t mean that my feelings will be same as mine. Like in this stories, his way of searching for happiness is travelling because he has being all his live an unhappy person.
In easy words, happiness depends in you, depends of your moral views, the way you see things, and your emotional view of things.  In addition, happiness depends also in your social construct which is culture.  Culture is an important part because like we have already said, is something that has influence in you that comes by default in our lives.

One Time as a Tourist in Vans Shoe Store

I work on a fragrance store called “Fragrance Outlet” in The Outlet Mall in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico. I have always speak in English when a client enters the store I work on, when they are a “tourist” even though there is some that look just like a Puerto Rican.  Most of them, I just speak to them in English because you never know, probably they are Nuyoricans.

 So, I tried to pass out as a Nuyorican but obviously in another mall.  The mall was Plaza Carolina in Vans shoe store, I was wearing my working outfit, which it is compose of a formal shirt, pants and shoes, no Puerto Rican goes to a mall in that clothe… When I enter the store I spoke English to the sales associate, at first I thought they were going to notice that I was faking it, but no, it did work out!  She started assisting me in English so I continue. By mistake, I said a word to her in Spanish, I thought I messed it all up but I tried to persuade her that I knew a little Spanish because I was from New York. “Yo solou hablou un poquitou the español” with that americanish nuyorican accent. I can’t believe she believed it!  Maybe not, but she continue helping me in English. I did notice a little difference in the way she assisted me, most of Puerto Ricans when they go to the mall they don’t like a lot of assist from sales associate, including me. I saw that she assist so well I just couldn’t buy her. So I did take home my vans, very rare by the way.  At the end of the sale I laugh with her because I told her the truth and that is my story of my trying to pass as a tourist.

Before I Lived

Before I lived, I had this dream that I was going to be born in January, 1995 in Carolina, Puerto Rico.  I was going to be born in the UPR Hospital aka the “matadero” which is a Spanish word for slaughterhouse.  I remember that dream like if it was yesterday.  Thinking of it now, it is like having a dejavu of my present life.  I have these pictures in my mind which I can easily describe for you and that I am going to do it so you can get to know more about my past.

As you already know, before I was born, I had a life.  These memories are like a mirror of my actual life. Another of those dreams showed me that I was going to have a successful in life, goals in which I am still working to achieve them, but because I already lived it, I know I already achieved them.   For example I dreamed that in my childhood I was going to be a mature kid.  The reason that I considered myself a mature was because I was surrounded by adults my whole life.  This dream showed me how I was going to achieve getting accepted in the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. 

They called me José A. Rohena Calzada.  Why José? Because my grandfather’s father name was José and my dad was also named José.  This dream showed me how I was going to pass through hard times to become a better person.  How I had to grow from separated parents.  How I had to dwell, when they fixed their relationship problems, losing my father from cancer and then 3 months later my grandfather.  My grandfather was the man who taught me values with his example, he was the man who raised me.  My father, I got to know him well when he came back to restore the time he wasn’t with me, I was 15 years old.  What I learned from him what his positive attitudes even in the worst times.  Those two men are extremely important in my life because they both showed me how to love and how to care about others.

This dream showed me how I had the courage to continue fighting for my goals, not only for me, but for them, especially for my mom because I am the only man left in her life. This had a meaning for me which the dream never explained to me and which I am now discovering.  That is, mutually, my mother and I be there for each other no matter what for ever and ever.

Naipaul's "Reading and Writing"

This is post is dedicated to last class which was Wednesday 10/21/2015 and the literature named “Reading and Writing”.  Basically we talked about the fiction put in autobiographies to make them more interesting.  This is what Naipaul used his autobiography to make it more interesting and to not be a flatten story.  Is interesting how Naipaul says he never considered himself a reader but a writer even though he never wrote a thing, but now he is doing well and we can observe it in his autobiography.

In addition, is interesting how the “Reading and Writing” starts, with a quote by Stendhal that says: “I have no memory at all. That’s one of the great defects of my mind: I keep on brooding over whatever interests me, by dint examining it from different mental points of view I eventually see something new in it, and I alter its whole aspect.  I point and extend the tubes of my glasses in all ways, or retract them”.  What the author is saying of his memory is a hyperbole, also I don’t consider it a defect.  I consider that helps him give more fiction to the story and help to not think a lot about.  What Stendhal said about how he keep on brooding over whatever interests him, you can relate it to the unconscious writing of Carl Jung, where you write your first thought with a second thought and relate them trying not to think, just putting the ideas logically.  Like we have said, Naipaul, has used this technique to make his story more interesting, he may may also be influenced by Carl Jung. The purpose is not about lying in your story but to not put all the truth.  This help to spice the things up, give interest to the readers. 

My Journal Experience

Dedicated to my Father...

What is my journal about?  Like I said in my last post and in my informal presentation, is not like the average journal from my classmates.  The cover of the journal has a different meaning; it represents my way of thinking, my passions and my work.  My inner journey, represents my goals and my most meaningful things in life, like the picture in the left which you can see my first tattoo, it represents my last day with my Father. I was their for you until the end, I LOVE YOU...

What I learned from this writing project?  Easy, I have developed better my writing process for an essay or something easy, as this post hahaha.  I have always practice the unconscious way of writing but I did not know Carl Jung conceptualize it.  This way of writing I have always done it in Spanish writing.  Doing this journal project has help me a lot directly in my English.  

Throughout the entries, I notice a big difference towards my fluency.  I also notice the most present entries, I went to the jugular easily, did not cross out or stop writing.  I was surprise of my consistent writing and how I got better doing this in English.  In my compasses I did not see a consistent pattern, I noticed that my point in every characteristic depended of the day and my college stress. 

What I learned about me?  I learn that I have a potential writing anything, it could be an essay or even poetry.  I never imagined I had those writing skills until now that I put them in practice for my journal.  I learned you can write anything you have in your mind without knowing you have it and has logical thoughts as finished or as a whole.  This journal will be useful in a few years to see how I changed in my way of writing or even in my way of thinking.

Inner Help, Reflection of "Life is a Trip"

We read chapter 5, chapter 8 and chapter 13.  Chapters, 5, 8 and 13, from the book “Life is a trip” are reflecting essay and I can easily relate to them in my live.  Chapter 5 “Searching for forgiveness in Vietnam” was an entertaining reading.  This chapter talked about the war of USA against Vietnam and how it was their relationship after the war.  It showed us the guilt and the way veterans from both countries felt because of the acts done by both countries.   Is fascinating how the American is searching for answers and wanting to know what Vietnamese feel in the present about Americans.

Surprisingly, the Vietnamese didn’t care no more and didn’t want to know about the what.  They forgive the Americans and the main character was surprise about their present way of thinking of Americans.  This reading make us reflect in our life about the things that we should forgive and just continue in our life.  We need to live the present and try to not remember the past because it will always be there. 

In chapter 8 “Meeting Maximon in Guatemala”, talks about a human God that smokes and drinks.  This is a ritual from the people that live there.  People think that he me relieve you from your sin because himself is a sinner.  The main character didn’t believe and stayed away until he understand what was the procedure of the way of the Maximon works.  He felt relieve when Maximon forgive him and he felt relief.  This we can relate to it as the as the last chapter.  But this time we can add that it doesn’t what kind the person that for example had a personal conflict with, you should always forgive to “relief” yourselve of inner damage.

In chapter 13 “the other side of the Pilgrims’ Road in Spain”, talks about the experience people have walking or traveling the “Camino”.  We can understand that this road is not any road, is a special road because the experience people have when they travel it.  Is a long distance road, people start working together to complete the “Camino”.  Is a pilgrim thing to do this walking and serving in the “Camino”.  People had empathy with the others while traveling the “Camino”, they served and help each other.  This reminds me of the way Christmas is in Puerto Rico.  Is the only season that people are happy and neighbors help each other or when you’re in the “Campo” or in a hurricane.  That is that sad reality we live in in the island.  Reflecting in the chapters, can help us understand and reflect on the way we are to others, how we should forget and forgive the past and help others for our inner help.