Letter from Puerto Rico, to one, and all

Sandy,

On our floating home here we realize just how much we take our physical inde-
pendence as a given. We ferry and lift all of our own fresh water in 50 lb jugs from shore back to the boat and do a lot of other manual stuff. Our attitude changes when one of us bruises or strains something and is suddenly in less than peak form. When that happens it's really just an inconvenience compared with, say, a worker in the 3rd world (or 1st or 2nd for that matter) whose family might not eat if there's a minor injury or sickness. Reminds me of a story in the book, City of Joy, about a rickshaw puller in Calcutta who was always on the verge of collapse or starvation, and then would get hurt.

Speaking of books, I haven't heard of the writer Van Gieson but will check her out. Since you mention Shape Shifters, I have enjoyed some short stories in The Mysterious West, ed. by Hillerman, and also several Nevada Barr mysteries which are each set in a different national park. In other veins, Attack by Yasmina Khadra was pretty interesting as a look at the Palestinian/Israeli rift. I want to get to Independence Day by Richard Ford and Money by Martin Amis, mainly to see what they're like since I don't read that many current novels. Mostly nonfiction, although now that I've got more time I'm going back to try some "classics" like Don Quixote, with its Spanish roots, and Middlemarch by George Eliot which I liked, although years ago I would just not have been able to get into it. I should mention a book about writers and language that I thought good is Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose. She illuminates a nice range of authors without being pedantic.

As for Puerto Rico, yeah I think it's about time to move on as the storm season tapers off even though this is a pleasant island with friendly and interesting people. Things are somewhat uninspiring here now since Debby has been back in Minnesota helping her mother for the past few weeks with a couple more weeks to go. Met a British couple here the other day who have been visiting PR on their boat for the last twelve years. They like the natural environment but are dismayed by the American/West Eur. direction they've seen some things going in that time.

You notice vehicles driving around booming LOUD music from external speakers(for political candidates), slick TV programming and advertising, burgeoning fast food joints and epidemic obesity—all just like the states, except childhood obesity here is something like 50% higher than in the US. But some features are homegrown and not an evil Western influence. There are a great many stray dogs roaming around the towns and also incessant barking through the night. ( http://www.saveasato.org/ ) (www.saveasato.org/animalhell.htm) ["Sato" is slang for a street dog in PR] We also hear widespread rooster crowing in the wee hours from residential neighborhoods. Since we're anchored in the harbor at a distance from most of the racket, the cocka-doodle-doing is really not bad, reliable like a clock with preset alarms. It takes some getting used to the plentiful chickens in this small town wandering around yards and sidewalks. (Is there a vaccination for bird flu?) Puerto Ricans take it all in stride and are generally warm and welcoming to strange visitors who show up on boats. We have also always felt safe here, unlike many places in the states.

Much of Puerto Rico's population is poor; per capita income about half that of the state of Mississippi. Yet you don't get the sense of poverty, just simple living. The island does lag behind the US economically, but is quite prosperous by Caribbean or Central American standards. People from the Dominican Republic or Haiti, on the next island over, would give a lot, and probably do, to make their way to PR, and then maybe to the states if really lucky.

But the Puerto Rican economy seems to be in a downhill slide, so seeing the greener grass depends on where you come from. Unfortunately the island government here, which might be a source for some leadership, does not seem too competent(they're not alone), mired down in Latin bluster and corruption supported in great part by American tax dollars. Everything is complicated by the odd political atmosphere that colors people’s outlooks according to how they see PR's future: 1) continued status as US commonwealth, 2) statehood, or 3) independence.

There could be a general vote here someday on PR’s status; the arguments on all sides are endless. But I would bet that PR as the 51st state is fairly unlikely, while becoming an independent country would be stepping off into a black hole, unless another well-heeled sponsor came along to prop the place up. Someone like, oh I don't know, say… Hugo Chavez, who would no doubt love the opportunity to imprint his brand of dysfunctional government on a fresh, desperate populace. Not that Chavez hasn't done some good things in Venezuela and elsewhere with health care, poverty programs, etc., etc. Most likely if the independence scenario did come about, and Chavez made a move toward "our" former colony, the US would respond by sending in the Marines (to PR or VZ?)--a tried and true remedy in this region--rather than let a rich, well-armed nutcase gain influence over this strategic real estate. We'll see what happens.

Enough spouting off for now. You have your own spectacles to watch in California which seems to be trying a few good things and has its own strongman in office.
Until later,
Larry