Learning through Music

Ever since I came back to Puerto Rico, I've re-discovered the beauty of the Spanish language. A wonderful way to enjoy spanish is through music. Even if you don't speak a word of español, I think you'll enjoy the video above. This song is constantly on the radio here, it's sung by an Argentinian group called Los Cafres and I find myself singing to it whenever it hits the airwaves. I think music is such a fun way to learn a language.

I confess my Spanish is not perfect but I can hold a conversation very well, and I don't have the typical gringo accent. Yes, I can roll my r's! In my case, as I was born in Puerto Rico, I was fluent when I was a child. However, I practically lost all my ability to speak español when I moved to New York at a very young age. So, I am now making up for lost time. I did take Spanish in high school, and was exempted in college, but I never spoke it on a daily basis. Even amongst my Latino friends, we only spoke English. I know, it's such a shame. However, I acquired two other languages, English and Chinese (Cantonese), while growing up in New York.

Now that I'm back in the Island of Enchantment, I am trying to speak as much Spanish as I can. The best way, obviously, is to practice by speaking with the locals. This, however, is not easy. People look at me and assume I don't speak a word of Spanish and automatically speak to me in English. Yes, it's annoying. Nevertheless, I speak to them in Spanish. I also have someone who always gives me the best Spanish language books to read. Although I'm not a subscriber to the Coffeebreak Spanish podcast, I know it's a great resource for those who wish to learn Spanish. Last, but not least, it's all about the music. Listening to music allows you not only to learn the language, but it also teaches you a lot about the culture.

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.

Happy 4th!

It's a long wíken ("weekend" in spanglish) here in Puerto Rico as well. A friend of mine, who lives in New York, was quite surprised that we celebrate the Fourth of July here. However, since the Island of Enchantment is officially part of the U.S, it's really nothing out of the ordinary. Besides, who would object to a day off from work? As most Americans celebrate the birth of their country with barbecues and fireworks, so do many people here.

I would say that most Puerto Ricans do not consider themselves to be American, despite having a U.S passport. For the record, those born in Puerto Rico are automatically U.S citizens. However, if you ask a local of what nationality they are, he or she would most likely say "yo soy boricua" (I'm Puertorican). Obviously, there are many American influences here. Not to mention that hundreds of Puerto Ricans serve in the U.S military. There are just so many gray areas in life. For better or worse, I believe most people here know their fate is intricately tied to the U.S.' I think the commonwealth status of Puerto Rico symbolizes a marriage of convenience. Indeed, I find Puerto Rico to be an interesting place because it seems to be in conflict with its own identity. An independence party does exist, but they never seem to gather enough support among the constituency.

On the 4th of July, for most Puerto Ricans, it's a day to relax, and head to the beach. All government agencies, and many local businesses as well, are closed. Have a great 4th!

Less than Enchanting Customer Service

One of the things I find most frustrating about living in Puerto Rico is the terrible customer service I often get. Generally speaking, whether it be at restaurants, shops, insurance companies, etc., it just seems to pervade every corner of the service industry. As for contacting government agencies, where you'll be lucky if anyone ever picks up the phone, I shall touch upon on a future blog entry.

Obviously, I do realize the fact that this is not New York City and people work at a different pace. However, what annoys me is the inefficiency and lack of training that people get. The local culture doesn't place much emphasis on giving its customers the best service possible. I've lost count how many times we've gone to restaurants where the waiter just seemed to have disappeared or paid no attention to us at all. What happens is I usually don't end up ordering the dessert I usually crave so much.

It's a shame how people don't realize the importance of providing good customer service. Perhaps, they just don't want repeat customers. Recently, we had a plumber come to our house to give us an assessment of some work that needed to be done. He had promised to contact me with a quote shortly. Unfortunately, more than a week has passed, and we still haven't heard from him. "El cliente es primero" literally means "the client comes first." I'm afraid this is a principle that does not apply to the "Island of Enchantment."

(Photo credit: www.ideasparapymes.com)