You are, have been, and will continue to be the soul of this diary. I wish in one of the last chapters of this series to talk about the Puerto Ricans.
The people of this Island, are as local as the endemic frog, the coquí. The "Boricuas" (the inhabitants of Borinquen or Puerto Rico) carry with them in their identity and their flag the word 'mix'. The "Taínos", Spaniards, Africans, North Americans, Corsicans, Cubans, English... The "Boricuas" are at the same time all races. All skin colors, all hair tones and all heights fit into a "boricua". Everything fits, with nothing to spare.
But I think all the similarities y common features that during these months I have been able to observe and appreciate can be found where their enormous heart is, rather that in that exterior that many times serves to create groups, exclusions, prejudgements...
But if there ever existed an essential condition to be or consider oneself "boricua", it would be without a doubt the joy. People during all these months of my stay have suffered one of the worst periods in many aspects of their recent history, but that not have for a day stopped singing, making music, dancing, and specially smiling or smiling at me.
The "boricua" smiles and enjoys, and smiles and lives, with the most common or seemingly insignificant daily events. A good breakfast, a good cake, a good dance, and of course the good company and the encounters with other people are more that enough motives for lips to turn more concave. The "boricua" is a eminently social being, finds and recognizes himself/herself through patriotic symbols that are as humble and as charged with history and meaning as a plate of rice and beans with "tostones". In the majority of the cases it complements with an enormous generosity to others that becomes in many cases in extreme hospitality.
The "boricua" is pleased by simply spending a nice time with good people. But if these people go to their country from abroad, they are even more interested in their culture, folklore, gastronomy, history, etc. The pride of the "boricua" turn into kindness and attentions with the curious visitor.
In the last five months of my life, these have been the people that have treated me, that have attended to me, that have welcomed me until I have felt like I'm home. Therefore from here an enormous gratitude to them and my envy too. To their innate capacity for enjoyment in every moment or situations of life... cheers!
