Dream Pursuers Blog Reflection

INGL3135 truly deserves its name; it certainly is a journey through literature. Thus journey in literature instilled a different perspective in me. My mind perceives situations differently, each experience brings about a modification in our identity, and it has the power to develop our outer and inner journey. Each location irreplaceable, it holds its own place in time where its uniqueness brings about knowledge, beauty and growth.

Creating and writing a blog certainly and profoundly instilled betterment in my flow of ideas, in the way I present my thoughts and feelings; in the words and vocabulary I use to communicate with the world. It certainly helped me expand my versatility, to modify my style and to improve my English writing.

After assimilating all the knowledge I learned throughout these past few months, I’m eager to travel the world and write a blog post about each and every new destination I navigate. There are a variety of different cultures waiting to teach me new lessons and ways of life.

I truly believe that participating in new experiences enriches our lives and makes us smarter in every aspect. This blog experience has truly deepened my hunger for knowledge and has stimulated my spirit of adventure.

I’m dearly and extremely grateful for the unmatched spiritual growth this whole experience has offered me. I’ve definitely seized such great opportunity to recognize there’s a whole world to see, and a lot to learn. It has expanded and extended my thirst for awareness, and reinforced in me the wonderful infatuation that education can bring to us rational beings.

I’m sincerely grateful for such an honoring experience, and I can’t help but to hope that this new and fervent sentiment keeps divulgating itself towards myself and towards those that surround me.

Reflection On Working With The Fortunate Travelers

Working with Valeria, Alessandra, Liane, Hector and Antonio has truly been a marvelous experience. I remember the day our professor assigned us into groups, the Doctor already had us sorted out so we didn’t have a say in which group and with whom would we be sharing our time and experience with. Nonetheless, I’m truly honored and thrilled to live the privilege of working with such considerate and responsible students.

Since the beginning I was eager to get to know new people, making new friends is always an excellent habit to make new bonds and develop our social skills. Since the first day we got along pretty well, we had some minor differences deciding how were we going to communicate outside the classroom and what name we were going to select, but it all worked out fluidly and dynamically.

Throughout the journey every single member collaborated in it’s own special way, and everyone had a unique gift to offer. Ideas were constantly flowing through our minds, and creativity was always a part of our equation.

My favorite Project from this class was the one were we worked on Carl Jung’s trip to Africa. We even gathered together a Saturday because we really wanted to get a good grade. We laughed, we had fun, and we did a magnificent work were everyone collaborated and played an important rule in the final product.

As the communicator I definitely grew spiritually, emotionally, personally, intellectually and academically working with our exquisite team. We seized each opportunity; we developed respect and consideration among ourselves. And I can even say without a hair of doubt that se transmuted ourselves from strangers to friends. Thank you guys, hope we all live a prosper and healthy life.

One Day As a Tourist In Old San Juan

There’s a beautiful place in the Caribbean that I have the blessing to call home. An insurmountable beautifulness characterizes my homeland, and it’s heavenly shores are inevitably an addictive trait. However, most citizens seem to appreciate the tourist that come and visit our treasure, at least they do if thus tourist demonstrates a charismatic personality and a friendly vibe.

As an assignment I played the role of being a tourist for a day. What better place to visit and pretend to be a tourist than our very own Old San Juan? It was an exquisite Sunday noon, the sun was candent, and my family and me were up to accomplish the being an American tourist for a day mission.

We started strolling along the streets in a cheerful manner, and since it was my assignment I decided to step up and start acting out my false tourist identity. I was as happy as can be, I smiled at everyone, and from time to time I waved at people while exclaiming an enthusiastic: Hello! It really felt homely and cozy. Life gives you what you give to it; if you feel cheery and friendly it will respond you in the same manner; it’s like an echo.

Eventually we kept walking until we reached “La Mala Vida” en exquisite place to eat and have a good time. Our plan was to start speaking in English, impose our false tourist identity and culminate in the same manner. Nonetheless, we get in, we speak to the hostess, we settle at our table for five and when the waiter arrives she was the daughter of my mother’s cousin.

Needless to say she frantically started to speak in Spanish saying how such a long time we haven’t seen each other, asking how were we doing this past couple of weeks, exclaiming that she was very happy to see us, that her sister Works at “La Mala Vida” from “La Placita” in Santurce, that her mother was going to the gym. Suddenly we completely forgot about the assignment and responded in the same language she was speaking to us.

We wanted to go to the movies, but before leaving Old San Juan we visited a few chapels and again, polite small talk erupted from our conversations with the people in the area.

Being a tourist in my homeland was a great experience; people tend to believe that when you’re a foreigner visiting another land the citizens will treat you differently. And maybe they do, but at the end of the day it’s all about the attitude you assume, the personality you emanate, the kind gestures and words that you speak what will determinate the treatment you’ll receive from others.

Reflection on The Rum Diary

Paul Kemp is a supposedly failed writer who ends up traveling to Puerto Rico. Here he finds and gets a job in a local newspaper in Puerto Rico’s capital, San Juan. We can appreciate how Paul and Sala are othered by the newspaper’s editor who presumptuously thinks he is better than those two alcoholics, thus since the beginning we can appreciate how othering takes place in this Young man’s life.

Everyone has an identity, but not everyone gets to perceive the real identity of a person. However, his new coworkers quickly sentenced Paul identity. Then there’s Chenault, a fascinating woman who he met while she was skinny dipping, avoiding a Union Carbide Party. This same woman out groups Paul, she already met him and she indiscreetly pretends to meet him for the first time. It’s evident and clear that there’s a shift in perspective from both sides, especially from Chenault who now has a fiancée named Sanderson, a freelance realtor who offers Paul a job in which consists on writing ads for his latest venture.

The story develops and Kemp’s perspective changes, he starts to understand the local’s point of view. There’s a lot of poverty and misery in this new lands in which he resides. He starts assimilating how the tourism is a mask of the reality, he starts to comprehend the location and perspective of the locals, and that the newspaper does not want him to write about the reality because it may compromise the island’s tourism. We see how he is practically forced to out group the locals and in group himself with his superiors at work. He must exclude the poor, somewhat ignoring the real life situation, and write to promote the tourism.

Kemp eventually prefers to participate in a real estate scam with Sanderson and Sala. As it goes wrong he ends up in jail, further realizing that there is much poverty not only on Puerto Rico, but on St. Thomas as well.

As the story develops, both Sala and Kemp are excluded from the real estate deal. Searching for a job they head to the newspaper they worked before, to their surprise the newspaper is closing.

He then takes matter into his own hands when he decides to write an article about poverty and murky deals. They need money and can’t seem to find any, so they commit illegal actions participating in a cockfight and winning it, but the police is searching for them.

Finally Kemp abandons his new life on the island escaping with a boat. He gets to New York, he publishes his articles, he marries Chenault, find his voice as a writer and becomes a successful journalist.

A little on “Teaching” and “Helping”

The book Down on The Island is a great book written by Jim Cooper, an exquisite memoir about an American English Literature Professor who worked in Puerto Rico at the Colegio of Mayagüez during the 1950’s. In his book he depicts his opinion of The Colegio, of the country, about his coworkers, students and the role politics played in those days. Cooper taught a second hand language to a culture that was foreign to him, not an easy task, but he took on the Challenge. He was considerate while understanding the differences and working in their favor, as a result he overcame various obstacles.

In the chapter of Teaching, Cooper explains how he was the only continental professor that enjoyed from previous teaching experience. He was in charge of putting order in the system, while writing a new syllabus for the course, a task he must fulfill on his own since his boss didn’t believe in the Puerto Rican’s capacity to learn.

He states how Spanish was Puerto Rico’s indigenous language, and how English became a second hand language. The situation signified that students who were educated in the public system wouldn’t dominate the English language. Even the pronunciation seemed compromised to these student, most couldn’t understand the difference between high or hi, reach or Rich. The few students who were able to do well in class were the students whose family had sufficient Money to give them an education abroad or in a private school.

As a result of eagerly wanting to receive a good grade and not having dominion of the language, students started to cheat in the exams. However, this situation was not exclusive to the English department, during a meeting a Spanish Literature professor how students cheated in their Spanish tests as well. The problem strived from the erratic student perception of the students, who thought their actions as helping instead of cheating. He states how clearly didn’t understand a difference between getting a grade and earning it.

Evidently some of the situations postulated in this book are still valid nowadays, and it’s clearly affecting the student ability to receive a good education. Many students cheat, some don’t understand the material, and even professors seem to have given up on their pupils. We’re submerged in a dangerous cycle passed on from generation to generation. It’s time for actions, it’s time to recognize that cheating is not helping, and that helping is not cheating. There’s a difference. We must learn to work together as a team, the system, the students and the professor, our education and future lies solely in our hands and decisions.

Journal's Final Reflection

“I want to look into the parts of my personality that I hide from myself.” - Cynthia Pittmann

I am profoundly grateful for participating from the opportunity of fulfilling the journal task, this inspired me to write and exteriorize in a sincere way the plethora of thoughts that rush towards my conscious and subconscious mind on a daily basis. It has definitely been a compelling journey; I found what I needed all along, a genuine, authentic and truthful conversation with my own self to organize my thoughts, and ultimately the outcome of my life.

I’ve realized that we become what we think, because what we most profoundly think of we are bound to act upon; what we act upon is driven by the choices we make, the choices we make governs our outcome, our outcomes provide a feedback loop in which we can either positively influence our thoughts or negatively influence them. This influence manages to work itself upon our mind; ultimately emanating it’s frequency and energy to the universe, which in turn answers us with exactly what we gave. 

This assignment has somewhat incited betterment in my life, after its completion I decided to live every moment of my whole life in a 12/12 basis. I am aware of a useful compass that can guide me in times of turmoil; I just need to emanate an optimal spiritual and natural north; have a cascade of coherent, promising, fulfilling ideas in my east; embrace the beauty of emotions, bringing homeostasis to my south; and enjoy a healthy, energized, well able physic that’s capable of working hard and conquering dreams in my west.

Mysteriously this task has come to bring about a lesson I won’t soon forget. We need to shift our entire attention to the magic of the moment. We sometimes say that something’s missing in our life, and the only thing missing is presence. We need to train our mind to see the beautifulness and the good every single situation offers. This is your life, your decisions, your hopes, your happiness, and your dreams. It was Franklin D. Roosevelt who once said: “The only thing we should fear is fear itself.” So live a life you’re proud of and pursue every single one of your hopes, goals and dreams. Fear, remorse and regret are not an option. Let’s upgrade our mentality, let’s bring about a shift in our own awareness and subsequently we’ll light up the life of those that surround us. 

Dream

Dreaming is a natural behavior in human beings. Like breathing and receiving energy from our surroundings, every conscious mind develops hand in hand with a subconscious mind that tends to communicate with the individual through dreams. Undoubtedly it’s a remarkable tool. We as spiritual beings might as well be able to understand this method of deciphering one’s own mind. Our dreams may serve as an indicator informing us our specific instantaneous mental state, or a certain idea we can’t seem to get rid off. Our imagination develops a series of coordinated events in which a sequential order of outcomes brings about projections of an alternate reality, our mind has achieved a vivid portrayal.

Sometimes I remember having one dream in a particular night, other times I remember having a few dreams per night. I may recognize one or two events or details, but they swiftly vanish away. I’ve always found interesting the human capacity to actually fully remember a dream, and some may even achieve to lucid dream (to purposefully control a dream). And thus I’ve been interested for a while in getting to have a say in the sequential projection of these vivid images. I don’t recall ever having the same dream twice, but never the less I’ve sensed some similarities throughout a different number of dreams. I can’t help but to wonder that this must all mean something. How would my life change if I found out what it meant?

The morning I wrote the journal dream task, I stumbled in fascination. Keeping a written record of a dream is an excellent way to decipher the meaning of our dreams, to use it to our advantage. We need to enhance proper, productive and optimal communication with our own self; this will bring about the opportunity to manifest the same behavior towards others. I’ll definitely make this activity a well-structured habit; this will basically lead my way to understanding my own self, and subsequently understanding my relationships with others.

In writing seemingly insignificant details I could remember right after waking up, I managed to weave a coherent simulation of the dream I had that night. But it wasn’t long before the rushes of thoughts cascaded upon me and made me shift my attention. My conscious mind started focusing on the things I had to do before undertaking the various tasks I was bound to accomplish throughout the day.

Why do we dream? What should we dream about? Our dreams work as a compass, if it points towards fear we need to grow in that area, if it points towards faith and happiness it means we should pursue thus path to righteousness. Dreams indicate our intra-relationship current status; they reveal the predominant thoughts in our heads while inextricably affecting the outcome of our inter-relationships.

Jamaica Kinkaid

Jamaica Kinkaid

Small Place

In the first two chapters the narrator illustrates the reader how the former feels about her life, she stated how she resents the way it developed throughout the years. She clearly lived with indignation towards The English, they colonized her homeland, her small island, and left it to ruins.

She confessed about how a person like her sometimes holds retribution. She detested the day Antigua became a colony and succumbed to a whole new culture and way of life. She despised The Barclay Bank, the Mill Reef Club, and basically every institution that the foreigners from Europe, North America or any other rich country could afford to buy in her homeland.

However, even though the English belittled the Antiguans, the latter didn’t hesitate to celebrate the former's holidays. Some Antiguans didn’t even know that the holiday they celebrated was dedicated to the Queen’s birthday, nevertheless they went ahead and celebrated anyways. This sets a clear example of how power and influence played a major role in the outcome of the relationship between The English and The Antiguans. Antiguans invariably recognized that they were victims of an ill-mannered behavior the colonizers assumed towards them.

She resents her destiny, she wishes Antigua had never met the colonizers. She feels The English think Antiguans can’t run things. And she also recognizes that the English culture is an advanced one. English gave Antiguans  a God to worship. In England there are powerful people with monetary wealth and with knowledge; people that know that capitalism is a powerful weapon to have in your favor.

She states how being a tourist and going to Antigua for a few days is definitely very different from being a resident in thus land. When you’re a tourist you get to face their reality for only a few days, you're not permanently subordinated to the adversities such a poor island encounters daily. There even isn’t a capacitated medical personnel to cure the illnesses that the population may encounter.

Ultimately she strongly resents how a foreigner comes to her homeland to make her feel foreign, inferior and worthless. She felt abused by those ill-mannered people that took things that were not theirs, and she was specially struck by the erratic behavior they assumed.

‘Have you ever wondered why is it that all we seem to have learned from you is how to corrupt our societies and how to be tyrants?’

– Jamaica Kinkaid

Identity

“Home is variable and may be place of birth, place of residence or may be defined by the popular notion 'where the heart is'.” - Peter Roberts

My grandfather was a Spanish man who moved to Puerto Rico when he was a young fellow; he married my Puerto Rican grandmother and created a family here. Almost religiously at least once a year we fly to Spain to be with our family, thus we’ve always managed to conserve both cultures. Sometimes among us we speak in Spanish accent, we eat Spanish food as well as well as Puerto Rican food; it’s fair to say that we’ve managed to form a hybrid between both cultures.

Nevertheless, my heart is in Puerto Rico, I’ve lived here my whole life, and even though it needs a bit of amendment I love this land, it has forged me to become what I am today. It may be true that we have a noticeable criminality rate, some somewhat lousy politicians and administrators in our government, that we’re the only colony in the modern day, and that we have a huge cultural influence (especially through superstores) from the United States of America; but I believe in our capacity and potential to bring about good and prosperous results.

As a tourist I’d be delighted to be here, to enjoy from our sunny beaches, to marvel over our delicious food. This is a beautiful island, it has warm-hearted citizens and a friendly atmosphere, but as any civilized place on earth not everything is a utopia. Nevertheless, we have good libraries, good hospitals, good entertainment; you come visit us, and if you’re up for it you’ll have a great time.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, some might visit Puerto Rico and love it, while oppositely others might visit and absolutely hate it. You’ll never know if you never try. Personally, even though it gets pretty hot almost always, if you’re willing to be a positive influence I’d suggest anyone to come in as a tourist or as a permanent resident, either way, you’ll find the love in life, ‘cause life’s better the Puerto Rican way. :)

Dead Poets Society

The movie: Dead Poet Society, has really stricken ailment and beautifulness upon my life. The cast wonderfully depicted a marvelous interpretation of a well-structured, powerful message. Robin Williams, who played the role of “Mr. Keating”, “Oh captain, my captain”, really outdid himself.

It was Mr. Keating who inspired and bettered the life of his students amidst his teachings through an english literature course in Welton Academy. He inspired his students to love poetry and to recognize that proper communication is crucial when dealing with yourself and with others.

Mr. Keating was a profoundly intelligent, wise and a well versed man who meant well and sincerely knew how to better the lives of the people who surrounded him. A clear example of his sagacity resides in how he stimulated Todd Anderson to flourish. He knew that Todd just needed a bit of faith thrust upon him. At the end when Mr. Keating was collecting his personals, Todd was the first to stand on top of the desk and claim: "Oh captain, my captain." It reminded me of the lesson Mr. Keating instilled in his students: "I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way."

Mr. Keating also impacted Neil's life. While in his office, Mr. Keating participated in a conversation with Neil the same day the latter’s father didn’t permit him to act in the play; it really blew me away. It was illuminating to hear how Mr. Keating’s advice was so powerful. He verbalized and demonstrated that he loved to teach and that it was a joy to live a life where he lived doing what he loved. He postulated how Neil had to tell the truth about his feelings. It all ended in a lamentable situation, but one gets to appreciate how Neil faced his father and tells him the truth about his own passion towards acting.

Thankfully, Neil and Todd weren't the only students transformed to a state of uniqueness and realness. Knox also demonstrated great courage. There’s a scene where Mr. Keating assigned the class to write an original poem and read it in front of the class. In this dynamic the movie’s audience could clearly perceive how Knox was already in love with Chris Noel. Again, he inspired a student to follow what the latter loves, to Carpe Diem, to seize the day. Knox even went to Chris’s school with a few flowers in his hands and a poem he read to her in front of a few students of her pedagogical institution. Nonetheless, later on he went with her to the acting play Neil participated in. Knox learned to communicate his ideas effectively; he acted with boldness and courage. He made a few presumptuous decisions, but he really seized the day, and it was Mr. Keating who greatly inspired Knox to harmonize his life with what he loves.

I’ve reasserted a few beneficent and stimulating ideas while enjoying the movie: “There’s a time for daring and there's a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for.” “You must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all.” "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation." Don't be resigned to that. Break out!.”

It established the importance of emanating uniqueness and originality: “Now, we all have a great need for acceptance, but you must trust that your beliefs are unique, your own, even though others may think them odd or unpopular, even though the herd may go, [imitating a goat] "that's baaaaad." Robert Frost said, "Two roads diverged in the woods and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."

All of the previously mentioned quotes are from Mr. Keating. This illustrates how he had an unmatched homeostasis in his spiritual life, and how he had the skill to exteriorize his wonderfulness and share it with the world.

DPS is truly a magnificent piece of art. It makes one notice that where there’s love there’s happiness, and that it’s all about having a great time living your life. It’s all about inciting in others the fervent yearn to make life extraordinary. Carpe Diem, live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.

The Script I Play In My Family

Ever since I was an infant my family shared this amazing view of the individual I was bound to become. They enrolled me in numerous productive activities that enabled me to live a healthy and prosper life. They led me to believe that my life had an inspiring meaning, that everything that crossed my path was destined for betterment.

I was born to play the script of a man who lived a graceful life, a life were constant improvement was not only possible, but also palpable. As I learned to focus, it became clear that irremediably of the present situation, I control the outcome of my own decisions and actions. This meant that my happiness and well being receded not among other’s decisions, but upon mine. 

I have an older sister and a younger one, and every single one of us holds a special place in our hearts. We’re inevitably irreplaceable, and if I had to choose all over again I wouldn’t change a thing.

My parents enrolled me in piano, guitar, violin and singing lessons. I’ve participated in salsa dancing, in soccer, tennis, swimming, basketball as well. All my life I’ve studied in great pedagogical institutions. My family taught me how to cook a variety of styles and meals, I’ve been taught to have insurmountable faith and to strive amidst the struggle and adversities.

I’m the mediator; I’m kind of the psychologist in my family. I’m sort of the one who’s always looking for peace, who doesn’t agree with altercation and the one who’s always willing to learn new things.

I’m eternally thankful for the script that my family instilled in me, and for that I can’t help but to quench my thirst for betterment. They established such high expectations upon my possible achievements that I can’t help but to improve and upgrade my habits. The only thing I would have changed throughout the years is lifting even higher the already high expectations we have upon myself. Maybe then I wouldn’t have wasted some of my valuable time; maybe then I’d be closer to become the mentally strong and disciplined individual I am bound to become.

Running Brave Reflection Part 2

Coach told Billy that the latter could out-run every competitor if he decided to live to his potential. Billy was a disciplined man, in a letter he wrote to his sister how he studied all night and read the same lectures several times until he had a meaningful understanding of the material discussed in class. He had pertinacity. He even verbalized to the coach how he dreamed of participating in the Olympics and winning the event, he knew what he wanted.

Continuous triumph bestowed upon young Billy: He won the MVP in a running tournament he participated, inducing him to feel as good as ever. He got engaged with Pat, his white heritage future wife he met at KU. He was offered a job at mutual. starting off as soon as he graduated. He started winning every single race he ran in. Everybody seemed to believe in him, even his coach told him how Kansas University had never won an NCAA championship and that Billy Could change that for them.

But eventually not everything developed perfectly in this young man’s life. After being invited to the fraternity party and presenting himself there, a member of the fraternity told him how the affiliation didn’t allow Indians in their club. His girlfriend’s parents demonstrated prejudice against Billy’s heritance. And the events that struck him the most were: when Eddie convinced Frank to believe that Indian’s didn’t belong in a White men’s World, thus leaving Pat’s parents house and abandoning Billy's company after being 10 minutes in the house. And lastly, when he walked into Frank's room to only find him laying in his bed with a bullet through his head and a gun in his right hand.

Obviously his family situation inflicted him the most. Around this time he began to loose focus, he began to loose races, and his inter relationships with his former track coach, his girlfriend and his potential future boss and co-worker began to decline. Inherently he began to doubt himself, and his temporary failure to formulate a strong intra relationship led him to screw his outer actions and outer relationships with the world.

We haven’t finished seeing the movie in class, but word has it he won the Olympics just as he stated in the coach’s office. He lived his words: <<You’ll be amazed at the marvelous results you’ll achieve if you add a lot of hard work to a bit of talent>>; something like that Billy stated in the movie, and frankly, that’s a life lessons we should all be inspired to act upon.  

Running Brave Reflection

Billy has talent. But was he born a natural elite runner? I choose to believe that he was a disciplined, well able, conscious, intelligent young fellow with strong convictions. Undoubtedly, his winning attitude is the most attributing factor throughout his development as an athlete and as an individual.

Since Billy was a little boy he grew up in a stimulating environment, he knew early on life’s not always fair, he knew he had to work his butt off if he wanted to become the magnificent prodigious man he strived to become. Reality struck him hard through his father’s death; through the discrimination he received by his track coach (Bill) when he said Indians were talented but not disciplined. Billy even received harassment by Dennis Riley (his future roommate) the first day of college in the showers room.

External situations spontaneously stumbled upon his path, but he had the choice to reflect upon those situations and act with respect and intelligence, towards himself and towards others. He decided that he was not going to be a victim; his internal relationships were so well structured he even inverted his external situations from adversity to opportunities. He became so internally strong in his beliefs that he was decided to assist high school every school day even though he had to run a few miles to get there.

Billy became an equilibrated, emotionally well-stabilized individual, thus he reached a high level of morality and sportsmanship. He refused to ridicule his opponents in practices and in official races. He stood up for his beliefs even though there were outside forces stimulating him to act erratically; he stood firm and never disrespected anyone in any way. He most certainly made his family proud, and carried their teaching in his mind and heart; like Billy stated in the movie: <<Frankie taught me how to use the legs, dad taught me how to use the heart.>> And evidently he was a Champion using both.