Happy Mother's Day! Feliz Día de Las Madres!

As I've gotten older, I've learned to appreciate my Mother even more. Although I'm not a mother yet, many of my friends have become mothers over the past few years. I hear about their stories of juggling both having a career and being a Mom, and I have nothing but admiration and respect for them. Throughout my life, I've been blessed with having some of the most fantastic role models, many of whom are females.

I am not an ultra-feminist, but I find strong, intelligent and ambitious women truly remarkable. Make no mistake, I do also admire stay-at-home Moms. Staying home to look after a child is no easing task, and I don't need to have kids to know that. Women are indeed a stronger species!

Here's a wonderful poem by Maya Angelou:

"Phenomenal Women"
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet,
I'm a woman,
Phenomenally.

Happy Mother's Day!

La Ruta del Corazón Criollo

Yesterday, we stumbled upon the very quaint Centro Musical Criollo in Caguas, a city which lies just 20 miles south of San Juan. Caguas is very suburban, it has the typical shopping mall, Wal-Mart and it's filled with all the major fast food chains, such as Popeyes and Krispy Kreme. We stayed away from the strip malls and hung out at the charming plaza, where we enjoyed the sounds of a salsa band and saw a bunch of antique cars. Caguas is not a large city, and it is certainly not considered a tourist destination. However, with the creation of La Ruta del Corazón Criollo, the city of Caguas is trying to change that.

La Ruta del Corazón Criollo literally means the route to the heart of Puerto Rico. In this case, criollo is defined as the evolution of the Puerto Rican culture. This route begins at the visitors center, or the Oficina del Turismo, and is clearly marked by arrows. There are 10 points of interest along the way. Unfortunately, we only had enough time to visit the freshly painted Centro Musical Criollo, built in 1908, which has a small exhibit on some of Puerto Rico's most famous composers, such as José Ignacio Quintón. There were also displays of various musical instruments commonly used in Puerto Rican music, such as plena, like the guitar, tres, cuatro and bordonua. To get to the heart and soul of Puerto Rico, I highly recommend visiting and exploring the smaller cities and towns, and taking a stroll along La Ruta del Corazón Criollo.

Worldwide Alert on the Swine Flu

"No veo cómo una persona en Puerto Rico podría (contagiarse) con gripe porcina," said the designated Secretary of Health, Jaime Rivera Dueño in an article published in "El Nuevo Día" this past Sunday. Translation: I don't see how someone in Puerto Rico can become infected with the swine flu. Perhaps I'm going out on a limb here, but I think Mr. Rivera has not seen some of the latest statistics. Cases of the swine flu has spread to countries as far away as Spain, Israel and New Zealand. Although there have been no confirmed cases of the swine flu here in Puerto Rico, as of yet, I think it's too early to eliminate the possilibity.

The local authorities are working with the officials from the Central Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, and the island is said to have enough vaccinations for 1.4 million people. This is about 35% of the population. Some of the tips given by the CDC is to cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards, and avoid contact with sick people, as influenza is spread among people who cough or sneeze. For more tips, please click here. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified this outbreak a phase 4 pandemic alert, and is no longer able to contain it. FYI: yes, it's still safe to eat pork, as long as it's fully cooked.

Update (6/24/09): there have been 22 confirmed cases of the swine flu in Puerto Rico.

(Images obtained from the Associated Press and El Nuevo Día).

Domestic Abuse and Violence

Domestic violence is a very serious problem in Puerto Rico. Generally speaking, many attribute this to the machoism inherent in Puerto Rican culture. Sadly, the justice system here has also failed to help and protect most victims. The Oficina de la Procuradora de Las Mujeres is the local government agency in charge of women's issues, one of which includes domestic violence. So far this year, five women have been shot to death by a boyfriend or husband, and don't forget the countless others who have been beatened and battered. I know we are inclined to think of abuse as something entirely physical, but I believe mental abuse is just as bad, if not worse. It's also sexist to think of women as being the only victims. Especially when it comes to mental abuse, I believe men can often be victims as well.

Personally, I have never been (or know anyone) who has been in an abusive relationship. However, according to the Website of the National Women's Health Information Center, here are some of the tell-tale signs of an abusive relationship:

• Monitors what you're doing all the time
• Criticizes you for little things
• Constantly accuses you of being unfaithful
• Controls how you spend your money
• Humiliates you in front of others

For the complete list, please click here. If your spouse or partner exhibits any of these behaviors, help is needed.

(The image above was obtained from http://www.womenshealth.gov/violence/signs/)