Bust a Move!

A big city girl at heart, one of the things which I miss most about living in Manhattan is walking. In my erstwhile life as a New Yorker, and like most Manhattanites, I would very often venture into different neighborhoods on foot. Living in Puerto Rico, Plaza Las Américas (the mall) and Old San Juan are pretty much the only places in which I get to take my leisure strolls. Ever since a labrador retriever mix puppy entered into my life though, I have started to take more walks around my neighborhood. Although there are many dogs around where I live, I don't often see people take their canine out for some exercise. In the parking lot at the mall, cars would wait to take my spot even though there are spaces just 20 feet or so away. It's a tragic fact, but many people on the island abhor the idea of walking!

Condado and Ocean Park are perhaps the only two areas where I often see people run and take their dogs out for walks. In a place where year-round temperatures rarely dip below 70 degrees Farenheit, you would think that people would be active and lead less sedentary lives. However, the obesity rate in Puerto Rico is estimated to be 42%. Diabetes is said to be one of the leading causes of death on the island. Particularly worrisome is the 32% juvenile obesity rate, which is nearly double that of the mainland's. To confront this problem, an obvious solution is to promote and encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles. Urban planning (or lack thereof) in most of the island's heavily populated areas have been less than adequate though. Puerto Rico lacks the large, public open spaces characteristic of cities like Chicago's beautiful Millenium Park. San Juan's Mayor, Jorge Santini, is hoping to change this though. He is proposing to make his city more pedestrian (as well as tourist) friendly.

Dubbing it, "The Walkable City Plan," Santini is aiming to convert parts of Old San Juan into car-free zones, including the construction of a light rail line. The project would not be completed until 2030 and is expected to cost taxpayers at least $1.5 billion dollars. To help garner support for this initiative, Santini is hosting an event in Old San Juan this Sunday to encourage people to put on their walking shoes. Bikes and skateboards are also welcomed at the Walkable City ("¡Puerto Rico Muévete!" Translation: "Puerto Rico Move Yourself!" ) event. It is certainly no easy feat to change the mindset of people, especially when it comes to their lifestyle. Just like the U.S, Puerto Rico is a car-driven culture. However, if given more choices and alternatives to the automobile, people will be more conscientious and choose a healthier way of life.

(The image above was obtained from www.prmuevete.org)

Eating Local & Organic Food

With all the talk about the healthcare system, and the urgent need to reform it, the New York Times published a very interesting Op-Ed article, "Big Food vs. Big Insurance." Several weeks ago, Time Magazine also talked about the "The Real Cost of Cheap Food." During tough economic times, cheap food seems to be a more attractive choice for most people, despite the unhealthy consequences. Healthcare reform is important, but so are the choices we make as consumers when we head to the supermarket. Americans are seeing their waistlines gradually expand, which increases the likelihood of a growing number of diabetics, and other health problems. The fact in which a bag of potato chips is a lot cheaper than a pound of apples, doesn't help motivate people to eat healthier though. Let's not even go into the price of conventional vs. organic foods, especially here on the island.

In Puerto Rico, the healthcare system (which I will talk about in another blog entry) is also in tatters, and the obesity rate is higher than that on the mainland U.S. Eating healthy is often pushed to the backburner, especially since vegetables and fruits are so expensive on the island, which imports over 80% of its food, the majority coming from the U.S. In the supermarkets, I've seen more "del país" stickers (meaning it's from the island) on meat than on fruit and vegetables. Personally, I find Costco to be the best and most economical place to buy organic products here in Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, Whole Foods doesn't exist here yet (and I don't know if it ever will). However, in San Juan, Fresh Mart is the closest alternative. There are perhaps a handful of smaller health food stores.

The best place to buy locally grown food in Puerto Rico would be your local plaza del mercado, like the one in Rio Piedras. Being that it's a tropical island, many would assume Puerto Rico produces most of the fruit and vegetables it consumes. Sadly, that's just not the case. I'm looking through a couple of flyers from some of the local supermarkets here and I see iceberg lettuce (from California), cassava (from Costa Rica), grapes (also from California) and watermelon (from either the U.S or Puerto Rico, finally!). Out of all the produce which we eat at home, I'd say bananas and papayas are the only fruit which are locally grown. Although I've bought lettuce "del país," I have to admit it didn't look too appetizing and it didn't taste great either. Needless to say, I haven't repeated my purchase but I haven't seen it in the supermarkets again either.

At the Peak of the Hurricane Season

Those who live in the Caribbean tend to get a bit nervous this time of the year, because September is the peak of the hurricane season. For the North Atlantic, which pertains to Puerto Rico, the hurricane season officially begins in June and ends in November. Historically speaking, the months of August and September have been the most active. Here's a list of some of the major hurricanes and storms which have hit the Island of Enchantment:

1) Hugo, September 17th &18th, 1989, Category 4

2) Marilyn, September 15th & 16th, 1995, Category 3
3) Hortense, September 9th & 10th, 1996 , Category 1
4) Georges, September 21st & 22nd, 1998, Category 3
5) Jeanne, September 15th, 2004, Tropical Storm

Just like millions of others, I was nervous about Hurricane Gustav. After all, the scars and bad memories left over from Katrina are still deeply etched in the minds of so many. Thankfully, Gustav did not wreak as much havoc in New Orleans. However, we are just now entering the month of September and it looks like quite an active hurricane season. The National Hurricane Center and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have a lot of up-to-date information, as well as tips and advice on how to deal with a tropical storm or hurricane. For the moment, I have my fingers crossed hoping nothing comes directly our way.

(Images obtained from the National Hurricane Center, http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml)