Topics of the Week

This past week was filled with interesting news here on the island. It started off with Governor Fortuño's announcement on Tuesday announcing the layoff of more than 30,000 public employees beginning July 1st of this year. This was met with many, but yet peaceful, demonstrations by la Fortaleza (the governor's residence) by unions. Many people are angry and upset, but I believe most do realize the dire economic situation which the island faces. There are no other options. In fact, the island's bond ratings are close to being downgraded to junk status by Moody's. Along with the $5 billion dollars coming from the federal government to help stimulate the local economy, Governor Fortuño has also proposed el plan estímulo criollo, which will inject an estimated $500 million to help numerous sectors of the economy, such as infraestructure projects, small to medium businesses, amongst others.

Now switching gears and moving on to another hot topic here on the island... the trial of former governor Anibal Acevedo Vila, who is accussed of breaking campaign finance laws, seems to be going well in his favor. Halfway into the trial, the judge has warned prosecutors saying they have not shown enough evidence to prove the governor was guilty of any conspiracy.

Moving onto sports, it's nice to finally see something else dominate the front page of the Sunday paper besides boxing. As most baseball fanatics might already know, the World Baseball Classic is currently taking place in several different countries, including Puerto Rico! Yesterday, Panama was defeated by Puerto Rico in a shutout game, 7-0. The biggest upset was the game between the Dominican Republic and the Netherlands, who were the underdogs. The Dutch won by 1-0! As I'm one who tends to root for the underdogs, and someone very close to me is Dutch, I can't help but say "hup Holland hup!"

(Images obtained from www.endi.com, photo by Juan Alicea).

Headlines from Puerto Rico

If you can read Spanish, you're guaranteed to find some of the most amusing, as well as horrifying headlines, while flipping through any of the newspapers in Puerto Rico. Just last week, there were a series of bank roberries around the island. In one of the tabloids, the headline read... "Padre e Hija en un Robo Bancario" ("Father and Daughter in a Bank Robbery"). Unfortunately, bank robberies are quite common here, although there has been a significant decrease compared to 2007, according to the local papers. Fortunately, in this case, this father and daughter team got caught.

Moving on to another topic... school violence. "Él Tiró el Puño y lo Cogí Yo," ("He threw the punch and I got hit"). In this case, the victim was a woman who works at a public school as a lunch lady who was playing the role of a mediator. As is usually the case, the who's in the middle of a fight is always the one who gets hurt. Fortunately, school shootings are not common occurences here. However, you will occasionally read about cases of teacher assault and vice versa.

This past weekend, to my utter disbelief, the most ridiculous news of all appeared on the front cover of the Sunday paper. "Recaudan $316,000" ("Raised $316K), talks about the soon-to-be-former Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá (pictured above, with his wife), who is reportedly having trouble paying his legal fees. He is currently facing 24 counts of corruption charges and is in debt up to his neck. To be precise, he owes an estimated $1.6 million. So, he and his party (Partido Popular Democrático-PPD) decided to start a fundraising campaign. The amount raised to date falls short of what they expected, but the Populares remain hopeful. Why? Well, apparently, the $316K does not include online donations and those made at Banco Popular (the largest bank on the island) branches. So, for an island of just under 4 million people, I think there's just too much craziness going on here.

(Photo credits: 1st photo- Patricia Díaz Ortiz, Primera Hora and Ramón Tonito Zayas/El Nuevo Día, 2nd photo)

Omar, Where Art Thou?

For the past two days, people have been extremely nervous about Hurricane Omar. It certainly doesn't help when the local papers play on people's fears and blow things out of porportion. The headlines make things look a lot scarier than they actually turn out to be, and that's typical of the local media. For the past few days, the headlines just made it seem like Omar was destined for Puerto Rico. Everyone began to stock up on food and all sorts of necessities. Fear sells, I suppose.

As with most people who live here, I was waiting for Omar. I just wanted this to come and be over with! Unfortunately, my line of work does benefit from emergencies such as hurricanes. However, when people become desperate and can't get what they want in the manner in which they want it, things can get ugly. I was actually quite afraid of the consequences of Omar. Thankfully, all turned out well but the past two days were quite tiring, to say the least. I am also glad that Omar decided to change its trajectory towards the East. Phew! What a relief!

Last night, in San Juan, we just got a tiny bit of rain and practically zero wind. Ironically, people received little warning over last month's storm, which caused major flooding and landslides. Whereas with Omar, the press couldn't talk enough about it. Like many other things in Puerto Rico, everything works backwards here.

After the Record Rainfall...

... comes the massive clean-up. Most of Puerto Rico woke up to sunshine today, after several days of cloudy skies and heavy downpours. I have never seen so much rain here, and I don't think many people were expecting to see so much of it either. There was no warning of massive rainfall and there were no evacuations prior to the arrival of this tropical storm. According to the local papers, Puerto Rico got hit with 26 inches of rain in 24 hours this past Sunday. This is the worst rainfall in 100 years in Puerto Rican history. Sadly, four people died and there are thousands of flooded homes. The hardest hit areas were the Southern areas, such as Patillas, Guayama and Yabucoa. The image on the left was taken in Cabo Rojo, in the Southwestern part of Puerto Rico.

San Juan was largely spared of the awful wreckage which can be seen throughout many parts of the island. As I flipped through the papers, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the terrible images. The governor is asking for help from the Federal government, and has allotted $50 million in emergency funds for the affected zones. He has also declared today a tax-free (IVU) day in order to "help those affected." Isn't this just the strangest way to help the victims of a flood? Well, it is an election year. Perhaps, a more effective way to help the general public is for the government to implement a better system of informing and evacuating the areas which will most likely be affected, as well as the flaws in the infraestructure and structural system in the island. In general, flooding in Puerto Rico is actually quite common whenever there's a heavy downpour. There is obviously a serious problem in the planification in which some residential areas, roads and highways were constructed. I am no expert in these matters but, evidently, the sewage system throughout many parts of Puerto Rico also needs to be examined.


(Photo Credits: Tony Zayas/El Nuevo Día, Heriberto Castro/Primera Hora, respectively)

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)

Obesity in Puerto Rico

Did you know that roughly 65% of the population of Puerto Rico is obese? According to a recent study I read in the local paper (note: it's in Spanish) an estimated 97% of those living in the Island of Echantment will encounter weight-related health problems by 2025. Eating fast food, having a sedentary lifestyle, and owning a car, among many other factors, makes it quite difficult to be healthy. In the battle of the bulges, the U.S is probably the first country which comes to mind, but Puerto Rico is actually much worse. In fact, having an obesity rate of 30.6% makes the U.S look skinny.

If you've ever visited Puerto Rico, you'll easily recognize this problem of obesity. Unfortunately, I don't think people realize the consequences of being heavy. Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and respiratory problems, are just some of the life-threatening illnesses which may result from being obese. Obviously, adopting a healthy lifestyle does require a lot of effort and discipline. Sadly, hardly anyone ever walks here. Moreover, many people prefer to undergo gastric bypass surgery. Recently, the local government passed a law which actually requires health insurance companies to cover this procedure. Isn't it sad when people choose to go under the knife, instead of just eating less and excercising more?

Many things in life are easier said than done, I agree. However, one would think, each and everyone of us is responsible for our own health. Sadly, the truth of the matter is, obesity has become a serious public health issue throughout the world. Childhood obesity is especially of utmost concern. Roughly 30% of children and adolescents living in Puerto Rico suffer from weight problems. I suppose it would help if they have role models to look up to, not to mention spending more time off the couch. Watching the Olympics every night has left me inspired, especially seeing Michael Phelps work his magic. I sure hope that many others are inspired by him and start being more active!

(Photo Credit: Carla D. Martínez/El Nuevo Día)

Let the Games Begin!

Since this past Monday, the local papers have been intensely covering the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, which officially kicks off after tomorrow's opening ceremonies. Although Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth of the U.S, it does have its very own delegation. The Island of Echantment was first recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1948 and has won six bronze medals since then. Interestingly, all six were won in one single category... boxing! This year's delegation is at a mere 22 athletes, which would make it the smallest in the past 56 years. The previous Olympic Games in Athens, the delegation comprised of 43 athletes. So, what is the cause of this dramatic drop? Personally, I think Puerto Rico is too heavily focused on baseball, basketball and boxing. Yes, the three B's. On the other hand, some blame the intense competition in the international arena.

In my opinion, there's nothing better than watching athletes from all over the world compete in the olympic games. It's the commarderie and the spirit amongst the athletes which makes it interesting for all to see. I am also curious as to how the events will unfold during this year's games, as it is a symbol of China's desire to be considered as one of the superpowers of the world. Just watching the skirmishes during olympic torch relay made me wonder if the games were to take place at all. The whole issue of Tibet, human rights, and politics. Anyhow, I won't get into that. Regardless of all the controversies and issues surrounding this year's Olympic Games, I have no doubt in my mind that this will be one for the history books.


(Images obtained from the Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games)

Happiness Measured

Yet again, the "Island of Echantment" has made it to the top of another
list. This time, it was a study done by the World Values Survey which recently concluded an investigation of the world's happiest countries. Here are the top 10 :

1. Denmark
2. Puerto Rico
3. Colombia
4. Iceland
5. Northern Ireland
6. Republic of Ireland
7. Switzerland
8. Netherlands
9. Canada
10. Austria

According to the study, some of the world's unhappiest countries are Zimbabwe, Iraq, and Russia, amongst others.Whenever I come across these findings, I just ask myself... can something so subjective, such as happiness, really be measured? Yes, I'm well aware that these researchers most likely use some sort of formula to give weights to certain data findings (i.e life expectancy, political stability, GDP per capita, etc.) in order to come up with a number. However, I just can't help but take these surveys with a grain of salt.

Based on the findings of this latest survey, researchers concluded the strong correlation between prosperity, democracy and happiness. I suppose this makes sense because democracy allows individuals the freedom to pursue his dreams. Unsurprisingly, money is not the most important factor when it comes to happiness, as the U.S ranked 16th. After a certain point, money can only mean so much, right? In conclusion, this study found happiness on the rise in 45 of the 52 of the countries surveyed in which data was readily available.

Troubled Skies

Did you know that Puerto Rico's Luis Muñoz Marin International, located in San Juan, is the Caribbean's busiest airport? Perhaps, an unsurprising fact is the dependency of Puerto Rico's economy on the tourism industry. This was dealt a huge blow recently, when American Airlines decided to drastically decrease the number of flights coming in and out of the Island of Echantment. According to the local papers, the total number of daily flights will be reduced from 93 to 51. This is particularly bad news, considering that American Airlines practically owns the airport in San Juan. As the economy is officially in recession here, this decision certainly adds insult to injury. Subsequently, this reduction also leads to layoffs. An estimated 400 of American Airlines' employees, which amounts to a third of its workforce based in Puerto Rico, will be losing their jobs.

American Eagle, a subsidiary of American Airlines, will also be cutting down or entirely eliminating some of its flights in the Caribbean. Their flights will be reduced from 38 to 18. All changes will take effect this coming September. Citing high oil prices, many airlines have been forced to alter its routes in hopes of cutting costs and coming up with solutions to improve the bottom line. Increasing airline fares and charging for checked-in baggage are such examples. Recently, US Airways even decided to charge for non-alchoholic beverages (including water!) served onboard. Isn't this just ridiculous? The going is certainly getting tougher.

If you're planning on traveling to the Caribbean, do plan ahead. From the way things look, booking early will probably be the smartest move.

(Photo Credit: wikipedia.org)

San Juan: Best City in Central & South America

Based on the latest worldwide best quality of life rankings, San Juan is the best city in Central and South America for expatriates to live in. Overall, San Juan received a ranking of #72. This study was published by a management consulting agency with the purpose of helping multinational companies, amongst others, determine where to re-locate their employees. Some of the factors considered include the following: political stability, economic environment, housing availability, cultural offerings, etc. Most of the cities in the top 10 are in Europe.

I'd say I was pleasantly surprised to see San Juan, where I was born, receive such an accolade. While I have not traveled extensively in Central and South America, I must say San Juan is relatively prosperous and enjoys a stable political and socioeconomic environment as compared to other Latin American countries. Although I was not raised in San Juan, I do remember how it was in the past and a lot of progress has been made. This is especially true in terms of its infraestructure, and the attraction of investments by some of the world's largest corporations in the past 10 to 15 years. However, I do also see an ever increasing disparity of wealth.

Interestingly, if Puerto Rico were to become the 51st state of the U.S, it would also become the poorest. According to the 2000 U.S Census Bureau, the poverty rate in Puerto Rico is almost 45%. This is more than twice that of Mississippi, which is the most destitute in the U.S, at 16%. While this latest ranking shows how progress has been made, there is room for a lot more improvement. When there's a larger number of people who are living in economically precarious situations, it will most likely result in destabilizing and undoing the marvelous achievements of the past.