Final Blog Reflection

Since the first weeks of this semester we have been creating blog posts about many activities that we talked and did in class. My blog is called "A Journey with Liz". I chose this title for my blog because by reading my posts the reader will be able to, in a way, "go" with my on my external journey. 

Our first blog post was to present ourselves. Throughout the semester we were given many assignments and reflections to post on our blog. Since our topics were travel, tourist and journey, we basically wrote various reflections using movies, essays, or even our personal experience. We also had the chance to attend panels and ceremonies which, I believe, were very excellent and surpassed my expectations. 

First of all I have seen the my external journey and my writing has improved very much through out the different entries for my blog. Since the very first blog I have not only improved my writing but I have been able to expose many of my other ideas. The external journey in this blog has helped as well as the internal journey with my journal and compasses. I am not very much of a writer but this technique has helped me overcome my fears of writing and jotting down different ideas. I have improved my vocabulary and have written more than I usually do. 

One of the posts that I would like to highlight was the "Journal Reflection" post. I believe this entry made me connect my internal journey and writing. In this post I explained how the journal helped me overcome many aspects of my life during this semester. It helped me find who I really am and to define what is to come in my future. I learned many things throughout this internal journey with myself. I have learned that I am independent woman, ambitious when it comes to my studies and in some way, triumphant. By writing down many of my daily thoughts I have been able to find who I really am and what I would like to be when I finish my studies. This semester was a very rocky and tough one to deal with, not only academically but personally. Many emotions came and went. On the other hand, by writing a blog about my internal journey I was able to learn about my external journey as well. Being able to have my own blog for my English class not only helped me in my external journey, but it also gave me courage to write my ideas in public blogs, social networks or even write an article in the future.  

In conclusion, it is important that I emphasize how this blog has helped me with my English writing. I am very proud of the way that I was able not only to write but to reflect on many topics that we discussed in class. For example, one topic that I never usually thought about before taking this course or watching films and writing our blog posts was "tourists vs. travelers". This topic really caught my attention and the way the films and the discussions we had in class helped me understand the difference. Lastly, I would like to say that this external journey has helped me as well as the internal journey. I am very sure that many of my classmates and group mates can also relate. They also had very great blog entries which I had enjoyed reading and commenting. Overall I can say that for being my first blog, it was a helpful tool and hopefully it won't be my last. 

47th Annual Literary Contest Awards Ceremony

On Wednesday April 9th we had the opportunity to attend the 47th Annual Literary Contest Award Ceremony. The ceremony was held in Amphitheater 4 in DMN. The ceremony started off with a presentation by our professor Dr. Cynthia Pittmann titled: "Writing Practice". In this presentation she gave us an idea about how morning writing is a very great tool. Some examples used during her presentation were that writing in the morning helps you remember your dreams, discover hidden motivations, helps you know what's bothering you, helps you be more proactive about solving problems, etc. She ended her presentation by stating that it is important to use paper and a pen and to "Enjoy the ever enriching conversations with yourselves". The UPR Tuna also presented various pieces. Before the award ceremony began Dr. Elsa Luciano read and discussed her essay "Read first then write". In her discussion, Luciano was able to express the importance of reading and how reading helps us be better writers. 
After Luciano's presentation the award ceremony began. There were 9 judges and about 78 entries this year. The first prize for poetry was for Javier Acevedo Arus with his poem "Sanitation". He also won third prize for his essay "Believing in Bi". First prize for the essay was Yadmila Matos Serrano with her essay "Winning the War". Lastly, first prize for the short story was our classmate Claudia Cruz Rivera with her story titled "Made with Love". All three of the contest winners read their pieces to the audience. They we all excellent and very unique. Overall I do believe that it was a great experience. I also would like to congratulate all the winners for their effort and courage. 

Journal Reflection

As we began our external and internal journey, we were assigned a journal where we shared our own thoughts, with ourselves. It was exercises that not only let us jot down our daily ideas and plans but also helped us get looser and have more confidence in our English writing. We would write down the first things that came to our minds in ten minutes. The class was given six rules from Natalie Goldberg’s “Writing down the bones”. The rules were the following:

1.  Keep your hand moving

2.  Don’t cross out

3.  Don’t worry about spelling, punctuation, grammar.

4.  Lose control

5.  Don’t think. Don’t get logical.

6.  Go for the jugular.

By following these six simple rules we were able to start our internal journey in our literature course. Nevertheless, it was kind of awkward and slight difficult at the beginning because we were not used to writing everyday for ten minutes.

I believe the most difficult task while writing the journals was not to get logical. Sometimes we students want to think about what we are going to write before actually writing the ideas down. On the other hand, the last rule, go for the jugular also was difficult. Maintaining one idea throughout the ten minutes without getting logical and thinking too much about the topic would make me break rule number one, which told us to keep our hand moving and never stop writing. I would throughout ten minutes try to expose what all my thoughts and the activities I had throughout the day or week.

Our daily compasses, which were three times a week, uncovered our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual thoughts without going in to much detail. As well as the journals, these compasses were a good way of having a true insight to how we were feeling day by day. It felt like therapy between the pen and I.

Throughout time, the journals and compasses were evolving more and more. I would include more details and would write big, sloppy and in different directions as well as writing more thoughts and ideas.

One important insight and example of my internal journey would certainly be the entry where I talk about my experience with my first interview to grad school. I was nervous the day before and right after finishing my interview, I wrote an entry explaining the relief of going through it. I do believe that the journal was a great tool to expose how I felt in such an important part of my life.

Overall, I do believe that the journals and compasses helped me get over things, come up with new ideas, jot down my happiness and sorrows, and let me develop my internal journey preparing it to what there is to come in the future. Right now I am at a great place in my academic career. I am looking forward to my graduation and beginning graduate school in one of the schools that I applied to. It will be a long journey to travel but the greatest way to go through it is by expressing of my internal journey though my pen. 

The Rum Diary Reflection

This movie not only portrays an American tourist in Puerto Rico but also someone who comes to live on the island and gets to know the culture through his eyes. The Rum Diary takes place in San Juan, Puerto Rico in the 1960's. Paul Kemp is a journalist who looks forward to publishing his own book. With various failed attempts he decides to take a job at a local newspaper in Puerto Rico. Being a New Yorker, he is completely unfamiliar with the culture and what this island has to offer. In some way we could catalog Paul as a tourist. He is new to this island yet he doesn't show much interest at first in getting to know Puerto Rico. On his first taxi ride the driver asks him "Primera vez en Puerto Rico" he immediately answers "I don't know Spanish" and without hesitation tells the taxi driver to keep the change. It's clear how Kemp had no interest in having conversations or surrounding himself with the locals. In the opening scene his boss, editor of the San Juan star, Edward Lotterman, compares Puerto Rico with England. He tells Kemp that “It’s a schizoid society, Kemp. They got two languages, two flags, two loyalties, two anthems. We bring stuff they never had; they either hate it or want more of it. It’s a reluctant part of America. It’s like England with tropical fruit.” This is how Americans that live in Puerto Rico view the island. They believe that Puerto Ricans are opportunist in such a way. Later on Lotterman asks Kemp “Been to Puerto Rico before?” Kemp answers no as he is unaware of the conditions of Puerto Rico and its culture.

When other visitors were interviewed they also had many misconceptions of what Puerto Rico is actually like. In an interview, one couple was asked about their experience in Puerto Rico. They were asked "Been to Puerto Rico before?" they quickly answered "No". They were also asked "What would you say you like most about Puerto Rico?" "The bowling alleys and the casinos", "Have you seen most of the island?" "We don't leave the hotel, it isn't safe". With the statements of this couple it is obvious the way tourists perceive Puerto Rico and believe that it is beautiful yet it does not have many things to offer except beautiful beaches and nice hotels.

During his stay, Kemp began to observe and closely analyze what really was going on in Puerto Rico. This is when he becomes a traveler and begins to internalize the situation of the island. He was well aware of many things such as poverty and bad conditions outside of San Juan's wealthier living quarters. Kemp was told to write in the San Juan Star an article called “10 things that I love about Puerto Rico”. He must not write about the cruel conditions that are seen on the island because it is bad for tourism and that was the point of the article, to promote more tourism on the island. This is when Paul Kemp believes he is not being honest and wants to find out more about the island and closely observes every detail.

It is at the end of his stay in Puerto Rico where he realizes and writes on his type writer his real discoveries in Puerto Rico and he writes “I finally understood the connection between children scavenging for food and shiny brass plates on the front doors of banks”. He uses this quote to emphasize the living conditions on the island and how they tourists are very naïve when they visit the island.