Sex and the City in Puerto Rico

One of the most anticipated movies this year, besides the new Indiana Jones release (which is this coming Thursday May 22nd), is the big screen version of the popular series Sex and the City.

While I'm vaguely familiar with the series, I can't say that I ever saw any of the episodes. If you're not sure what the fuss is all about either, here is a short description of the show (courtesy of Wikipedia):

Sex and the City is a multiple Emmy Award and Golden Globe award–winning popular American cable television program. The original run of the show was broadcast on HBO from 1998 until 2004, for a total of six seasons. Noted as one of, if not the most, important television shows for fashion and its industry due in large part to celebrated stylist Patricia Field[citation needed], it tackled socially relevant issues, often specifically dealing with women in society in the late 1990s, and how changing roles and definitions for women affected the characters.

The excitement begins this Thursday when the radio station Magic 97.3 hosts "The Official Sex & The City Party" at the Normandie Hotel. The party, which is sponsored by Dove chocolate, will feature music, ambiance, and style. Sounds pretty cool right, well you can't go! Well, that is, unless you have an invitation. In what can be called true Puerto Rican style, this party was advertised using a full page of El Nuevo Dia, carrying the small print "by invitation only". Why on earth would you spend the money to buy a full page advertisement to an event that was closed to the public? Further, why would you advertise an event that requires no participation, action, or interest by the public? Really, you got me. Unless, it is merely aimed at creating envy in the public that will not attend this exclusive event.

Gala Premiere

El Nuevo Dia and the Puerto Rico Art Museum are teaming up to present the gala premiere of the Sex & The City movie on Tuesday, May 27th. The premiere, which will take place in the museum, will feature a red carpet entrance, a Cosmopolitan Happy Hour, sponsored by Skyy Vodka, a fashion show, and a live performance by Black Guayaba.

I can't seem to find any information about ticket prices, or where tickets can be purchased, so I have a funny feeling that the premiere is invitation only as well. But at least for this event you have an opportunity to win tickets. El Nuevo Dia is sponsoring a contest for subscribers, where 25 people will win two tickets to the premiere. Head over to their website and fill out a contest enrollment form, and you'll be entered to win a set of the tickets. Be forewarned though, the form requires you to enter some pretty sensitive demographic information such as level of education and annual income. Oh yeah, you'll also need to answer a few Sex and the City trivia questions, but nothing a little Googling can't answer, wink, wink. You have until 10:00 a.m. on May 21st to enter the contest.

The movie will open to the public on May 29th.

Harmony and Peace Festival

Starting today, there will be a harmony and peace festival happening in the Jardín Botánico of Caguas. The festival, which celebrates the year of the planet. will take place through Sunday. It will open daily from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and tickets will be $12.00 for adults and $6.00 for children ages 6 to 12 years old.

However, according to Danny Rivera, who is not only performing during the festival, but is also the producer and spokesperson for the event, commented: We're aware of the tight economic situation facing the country, people who can not afford the $12 daily admission, can gain access to the facilities of the botanical garden with a donation. Which I think is a pretty cool policy to have for a peach and harmony festival.

In many ways this event is just like the many others you've been to on the island. There will be a special invited guest, for this event it is the The Monks of Tibet. In addition, Danny Rivera, The Flutist Enrique Cárdenas, The Harpist Elisa Torres, and Edwin Gerena will be performing through out the festival. There will also be lectures for adults and children, kiosks with natural products and health food, aroma therapy, organic drinks, and arts and crafts. Well, Ok, it's already a little different than most events here, but you know the typical offerings.

For me, what makes this event interesting is that the festival hopes to become a wave of tolerance and understanding and sow universal brotherhood, from Puerto Rico to the world. Amen brother! Rivera commented further, in a very Buddhist way of thinking, "It is not utopian to think that Puerto Ricans can live in harmony and brotherhood." For me, it's the hope of that harmony and brotherhood that should make us all strive for it, starting first, of course, with the man in the mirror (as Michael Jackson once said). So today, let's all start by committing random acts of peace, harmony, and brotherhood!

To achieve the festival's mission, the Buddhists monks will be leading meditations and providing lectures on violence and suicide, but they will also be doing one other thing which is literally amazing. They will be constructing a sand peace mandala. Taking all three days of the event to complete, the monks will build a mandala out of sand and on the final day, in a dissolution ceremony, destroy the mandala. The creation and destruction of the mandala is a reminder of the profound Buddhist concept of impermanence.

Did you know?

For Tibetans, this art is called dul-tson-kyil-khor, which literally means "mandala of colored powders." Formed of a traditional prescribed iconography that includes geometric shapes and a multitude of ancient spiritual symbols, the sand-painted mandala is used as a tool for consecrating the earth and its inhabitants.

According to Buddhist history, the purpose, meanings, and techniques involved in the spiritual art of sand mandala painting were taught by Sakyamuni Buddha in the 6th-century B.C. in India. This tradition has been preserved over the past 2500 years in an unbroken transmission from master to disciple.

The Tibetan word for mandala is kilkhor, which means “center of the circle with exterior walls and surrounding environment.” Millions of grains of brightly colored sand, placed with great skill and patience using a metal funnel called a chak phur, form the intricate and beautiful geometric designs of the sand mandala sacred art form.

Tibetans believe that all who participate and watch the mandala process accumulate merit. The sand is traditionally made from ground precious stones. Since each grain of sand is charged with the blessings of the ritual process, the entire sand mandala embodies a vast store of spiritual energy.

To give you a little idea of how exquisite this art form is, I've included a couple of nice videos showing first the creation of a mandala and then the ceremony to destroy the mandala. It is truly fascinating and almost worth the price of admission just to witness this unique art form.

Monks Create Mandala



Dissolution Ceremony



Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: shutter.chick

X Encuentro Indígena de Las Americas

It has been just about exactly one year, since the Jardin Botánico de Caguas opened its doors. I'm glad I was able to attend at least one of the free inaugural events, because I haven't been able to make it back. I guess you can call me a cheap bastard, but to take the family out for a day at the garden comes to $21. Which really isn't that much, about the same as going to the movies, but given the rising prices of everything, it doesn't make much sense anymore to pay to see a movie in the theater when I can get them on DVD at CineBank in the gasoline station for $0.99. In my opinion, the garden should be cheaper than the movies, like I said just call me "maceta." I wonder how attendance at the garden has been this last year? If I were in charge of the facility, I think I would open the doors for free every once in a while to try and convince more people to become members of their Amigos del Jardin program which offers annual benefits.

Anyway, starting this Saturday the garden is sponsoring the X Encuentro Indígena de Las Americas and simultaneously the Primer Festival Indígena del Turabo. The events will run from April 12th through April 20th with hours daily of 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. There will be conferences, arts and crafts, exhibitions and a variety of musical and cultural concerts including performances by: José Nogueras, Andres Jimenez, Danny Rivera, Enriique Cardenas, Fiel a la Vega, Glenn Monroig, Tepeu, and Zoraida Santiago. Remi and Maria Chuzema will be providing concerts for the children. Now these performances will not all occur on the same day, but be spread out through the nine days of the program. Refer to the schedule below for details.

Of particular interest and importance, during the Inaugural day, the special invited guest is Dra. Rigoberta Menchú, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. She is an indigenous Guatemalan, of the Quiché-Maya ethnic group. Menchú has dedicated her life to publicizing the plight of Guatemala's indigenous peoples during and after the Guatemalan Civil War (1960-1996), for which she won the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize. The special invited musical guest on Saturday will be Haciendo Punto En Otro Son..

Tickets for the event are $40 for an all access pass to the activities, while a ticket to attend just the inaugural activity is $20. Daily tickets are the same as regular entrance to the garden, $6 for adults and $3 for children under twelve. The tickets are available through TicketMaster or at the Jardín Botánico. For more information call (787) 653-8990 or (787) 747-8396.

Sábado 12 de abril

9:00 - Feria de artesanías y kioscos - Plaza artesanal
2:00 - Presentación: Corredor Etnoecológico - Centro de interpretación
5:00 - Acto inaugural:

• Acto protocolar - Isla de la identidad
• Presentación de las delegaciones - Isla de la identidad
• Mensaje de la Dra. Rigoberta Menchú - Isla de la identidad
• Canción a Rigoberta Menchú - Tarima de Arcos
• Concilio Taino Gu Tu Ma Cu a Boriken - Isla de la identidad
• Haciendo Punto en Otro Son - Tarima de Arcos

Domingo 13 de abril

9:00 - Feria de Artesanías y kioscos - Plaza Artesanal
1:00 - La medicina verde nuestros abuelos - Centro de visitantes
3:00 - Payaso ReMi - Centro de visitantes
4:00 - Grupo Teatro Sur - Tarima de arcos
4:30 - Areytabal - Tarima de arcos
5:00 - Concilio Taíno Gu Tu Ma Cu a Boriken - Isla de la identidad
6:00 - Enrique Cárdenas - Tarima de Arcos
7:00 - Aníbal Puga y el Grupo Diabluma - Tarima de Arcos
8:00 - Grupo Tepeu - Tarima de Arcos

Lunes 14 de abril

8:30 - Actividades del Encuentro - Delegaciones en UPR Cayey
9:00 - Feria de artesanías y kioskos - Plaza artesanal
9:00 - Grupo Teatro sur - Área verde
10:00 - La cerámica indígena:modos de clasificación - Centro de interpretación
2:00 - Grupo Areytabal - Área verde
6:00 - Danzantes aztecas - Tarima de arcos
7:00 - Ceremonia Maya - Batey

Martes 15 de abril

8:30 - Actividades del Encuentro - Delegaciones en UPR Cayey
9:00 - Feria de artesanías y kioskos - Plaza artesanal
9:00 - Grupo Areytabal - Área verde
10:00 - Indios de Borikén:nuestros primeros artesanos - Centro de interpretación
1:00 - Grupo escolar de Cayey - Área verde
2:00 - Arqueoastronomía indígena - Centro de Interpretación
7:00 - Concilio Taíno Gu Tu Ma Cu a Boriken - Batey

Miércoles 16 de Abril

8:30 - Actividades del Encuentro - Delegaciones en Jardín botanico
9:00 - Feria de artesanías y kioskos - Plaza artesanal
9:00 - Grupo Teatro Sur - Área verde
10:00 - La arqueología de la isla de vieques - Centro de visitantes
2:00 - Talleres: Danzas taínas y mexicas - Área verde
4:00 - Taller de plantas medicinales - Centro de visitantes
7:00 - Ceremonia de llamado del Tambor - Área verde

jueves 17 de abril

8:30 - Actividades del Encuentro - Delegaciones en Jardín botanico
9:00 - Feria de artesanías y kioskos - Plaza artesanal
9:00 - Grupo areytabal - Área verde
10:00 - Conferencia taína - Centro de visitantes
1:30 - Concilio Taíno Gu Tu Ma Cu a Boriken - Área verde
2:30 - Sobrevivencia Indígena - Centro de visitantes
7:00 - Ceremonia lakota: POW WOW - Área verde

viernes 18 de abril

8:30 - Actividades del Encuentro -Delegaciones en Centro Ceremonial Indígena - Utuado
9:00 - Feria de artesanías y kioskos - Plaza artesanal
9:00 - Grupo folkloórico - Centro de visitantes
10:00 - Grupo Folklórico - Centro de visitantes
10:00 - Los petroglífos del Valle del turabo - Centro de interpretación
1:30 - Grupo Folklórico - Centro de visitantes
7:00 - Glenn Monroig - Tarima de Arcos
8:00 - José Nogueras - Tarima de Arcos

Sábado 19 de abril

9:00 - Feria de artesanías y kioskos - Plaza artesanal
9:00 - Grupo Teatro Sur - Batey
10:00 - El árbol de los alimentos - Centro de interpretación
11:00 - Concilio Taíno Gu Tu Ma Cu a Boriken - Área verde
2:00 - Conservando el rostro de la madre tierra: Manejo forestal indígena - Centro de interpretación
4:00 - Presentación del libro "La historia de Agueybaná el bravo” - Centro de Interpretación
6:00 - Actividad cultural - Tarima de Arcos
7:00 - Grupo Areytabal - Isla de la identidad
8:00 - fiel a la vega - Tarima de Arcos
9:00 - Andrés Jiménez - Tarima de Arcos

Domingo 20 de abril

9:00 - Feria de artesanías y kioskos - Plaza artesanal
1:00 - María chuzema - Centro de visitantes
3:00 - Recorrido Arboleda ancestral taína - arboleda taína
5:00 - Concilio Taíno Gu Tu Ma Cu a Boriken - Área verde
6:45 - Zoraida Santiago - Tarima de Arcos
7:45 - Presentacion Lakota - isla de la identidad
8:00 - Danny Rivera - Tarima de Arcos

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: Daquella manera

XXII Puerto Rico Artisan’s Fair

On April 19th and 20th, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company is hosting the XXII Puerto Rico Artisan’s Fair. During the two day event, over 120 artisans will be selling their treasures on the grounds of Luis Muñoz Rivera Park in San Juan. Among many varieties of arts and crafts, they will most surely be displaying a remarkable art collection of saint carvings, glass and wood crafts, and paintings of diverse techniques.

In addition to the many displays of arts and crafts the event will offer an extraordinary musical program, folkloric shows, typical food and exotic drinks, kids activities and crafts seminars for children and adults.

The schedule for the two day event is as follows:

• Saturday, April 19, 2008: 10:00am – 10:00pm
• Sunday, April 20, 2008: 10:00am – 8:30pm
  

For more information, please call (787) 721-2400.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: Oquendo

Inés María Mendoza Rivera de Muñoz Marín

The Luis Muñoz Marin Foundation is asking persons possessing materials of a documentary nature about Inés María Mendoza, or Doña Inés as she was known, to donate the materials to the foundation. They are looking for photographic images, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and any audio or video recordings.

For those of you who were sleeping during Puerto Rican History class, Doña Inés was married to Luis Muñoz Marin and became Puerto Rico's First Lady when her husband became the first democratically elected governor in 1948. She lived in La Fortaleza for 16 years after her husband was successfully re-elected tree times.

The foundation wishes to incorporate the materials into a 100th birthday celebration for Doña Inés, who had she still be living today would have turned 100 back on January 9th. If you have anything that you think might be of interest to the foundation, please contact them at (787) 755-7979 or with electronic mail: flmm at coqui dot net.

La fiesta empieza...

It's that time of the year again...this weekend San Juan will celebrate the 38th edition of the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián. Cabezudos, music, Ricky Martin, and more music is the name of the game this year. This year's edition of the Fiestas will honor singer Rickey Martin who will be present on Thursday for the dedication ceremony. Tomorrow between 8:30 y 10:00 p.m., during a live transmission of the program “Así canta Puerto Rico” (TUTV), host Luisito Vigoreaux will conduct the dedication ceremony during a live broadcast from the Plaza del Quinto Centenario.

If you are planning to attend the party action, however, authorities are suggesting that participants take advantage of special preparations Departamento de Transportación y Obras Públicas (DTOP) has made to limit traffic into the Old San Juan. With a new promotion called "La fiesta empieza en el Tren Urbano", DTOP has designed an integrated an "integrated system" to transport passengers to Old San Juan. The service will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and service will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Service will be available during all four days until 2:00 a.m.

The integrated service will use the Tren Urbano, buses from the Autoridad Metropolitana de Autobuses, and even ferries from the piers at Cataño. DTOP authorities are referring to the service as the "Ruta expreso pa’ la San Sebastián... las fiestas empiezan en el Tren Urbano"’, because the service anticipated is an express route starting at the Sagrado Corazón train station in Santurce and offering buses every thirty minutes. There will 35 buses assigned to provide service.

While the service is not free, DTOP is offering a discount on an unlimited ticket. During fiestas, the ticket price will drop to $5, form $6 for an unlimited fare.

“PROGRAMA ARTÍSTICO”

All days:

• 7:00 a.m. - Diana por las calles de San Juan
• 8:00 a.m. - Expo. de pinturas y grabados (Casa Campeche)
• 9:30 a.m. - Expo. de pintura (Antiguo Convento de los Dominicos)

Thursday:

• 1:30 p.m. - Mapeyé en celebración 25to. aniversario Don Pedro y los Pitirres (frente antiguo Hijos de Borinquen)
• 4:00 p.m. - Nandy y la Plena Juventud (Escuela Lincoln)
• 4:45 p.m. - Corte de cinta y desfile de cabezudos / Comparsas por toda la Calle San Sebastián
• 6:00 p.m. - Banda Estatal de P. R. (Plaza V Centenario)
• 6:45 p.m. - Entrega de Premios San Sebastián 2008 (Plaza V Centenario)
• 8:00 p.m. - “Así canta Puerto Rico” (Plaza V Centenario)
• 10:00 p.m. - Atabal (Plaza V Centenario)

Friday:

• 5:00 p.m. - Gran Desfile de Pueblo (Calle San Sebastián)
• 6:00 p.m. - Banda Policía Municipal de SJ (Plaza V Centenario)
• 7:30 p.m. - Son de Plena (La Barandilla)
• 7:30 p.m. - Mario Hernández y Sexteto Borinquen (Plaza de Armas)
• 8:00 p.m. - Plenéalo (Plaza V Centenario)
• 9:30 p.m. - Willie Rosario (Plaza V Centenario)
• 11:30 p.m. - Sonora Ponceña (Plaza V Centenario)

Saturday:

• 11:00 a.m. - Desfile maestros y estudiantes (Calle San Sebastián)
• 1:00 p.m. - Batucada Baobá (Plaza V Centenario)
• 2:00 p.m. - Conjunto Típico Samaritano (Plaza V Centenario)
• 3:00 p.m. - Orquesta Son de Aquí (Plaza V Centenario)
• 3:00 p.m. - Bomba Tour (Plaza de Armas)
• 6:00 p.m. - Parranderos de Loíza (Plaza de Armas)
• 7:00 p.m. - Misa In Memoriam (Catedral)
• 7:30 p.m. - Son de Plena (La Barandilla)
• 8:00 p.m. - Orquesta Caribezón (Plaza V Centenario)
• 8:00 p.m. - Baile de época (Antiguo Convento de los Dominicos)
• 9:00 p.m. - Mapeyé (Plaza V Centenario)
• 10:00 p.m. - Cultura Profética (Plaza V Centenario)

Sunday:

• 10:30 a.m. - Desfile del Santo Patrón San Sebastián (desde el Colegio de Párvulos hasta la Catedral)
• 11:00 a.m. - Misa dedicada al Santo Patrón San Sebastián (Catedral)
• 11:30 a.m. - Simultánea de ajedrez (Calle San Sebastián, esquina Cruz)
• 12:00 p.m. - Orquesta de güiros - (Plaza V Centenario)
• 3:00 p.m. - Café colao (Plaza V Centenario)
• 4:00 p.m. - Trío Los Favoritos (La Barandilla)
• 4:00 p.m. - Ballet Guamanique (Plaza de Armas)
• 6:00 p.m. - Taller Retablo (La Barandilla)
• 6:00 p.m. - Bomba Tour (Plaza de Armas)
• 6:00 p.m. - Plena Libre (Plaza V Centenario)
• 7:00 p.m. - Ballet Jíbaros de PR (Plaza V Centenario)
• 8:00 p.m. - Luis Perico Ortiz (Plaza V Centenario)
• 10:00 p.m. - Millo Torres y el Tercer Planeta (Plaza V Centenario)

Objetivo Fama 5: Eres tú, y tú, y tú, y tú!

Over the weekend, Univision announced the new group of 20 participants for the new season of Objetivo Fama. In all four Puerto Ricans made it into the field, all of them men this time around. The Puerto Rican participants are:

• Jonathen Ríos (Lares, 20 yrs old)
• Jometh Andújar (Carolina, 27 yrs old)
• Samúel Colón (Moca, 20 yrs old)
• Javier Baerga (Gurabo, 20 yrs old).

I for one am absolutely sick of the whole singing reality show formula, but I'm most definitely in the minority as both Objetivo Fama and American Idol killed all competitors last season. For me, between hearing the "judges" spout wisdom and critique and the returning host "Yuri (Eres tú)" it causes me more aggravation than the pleasure from actually seeing the contestants perform.

This year the judges on OF will be Fernando Allende, Roberto Sueiro, and the newcomer Jimena. A relatively young artist, with only three albums to her credit. Well at least she looks pretty from what I can tell...

The official broadcast to announce the new season is scheduled for February 2nd at 8:30 p.m. (of course on Univision).

Historic Lighthouses of Puerto Rico

In a way, this post picks up where one of my most impassioned posts left off. While I have some great news and information to share, let me get this off my chest first. If, as Mr. Jose Luis Vega and hundreds of others state, we have the talent to manage the restoration of the Fortin San Jeronimo, why aren't we using that talent to save the seven (yes, there are six more beside the Guánica Lighthouse) that are, according to some lighthouse enthusiasts, in danger of being lost forever?

It enrages me when we selectively choose when to claim our pride about being Puerto Rican. While we consistently claim our patrimony, how can such an obvious part of that patrimony (the beacons of safety for mariners) go so completely ignored and abused? I call upon us all to accept the challenge to take control of this situation and restore, preserve, and honor our patrimony represented in the lighthouses of Puerto Rico.

As part of DóndeEs.com' s commitment to preserve our heritage, we've created a new custom map that includes the locations and information for the 16 lighthouses of Puerto Rico. We hope that it will serve to raise awareness about the plight of lighthouses that are in need of repair and will stimulate interest in those that have been restored and stand as shining examples of our true patrimony.

Although one thing I'll confess right now there are some drastically conflicting information onthe Internet on the status and condition of the lighthouses, so the information contained here is a compilation, but bound to be somewhat incomplete. I hope to personally try to visit most of these in 2008 and verify for myself the state of this irreplaceable pieces of our history.

Lighthouses of Puerto Rico

The first lighthouse made in Puerto Rico was atop El Morro in 1846. In 1869 a proposal was approved that would establish 14 other lighthouses to create what was known as the "Plan of marine lighting system". This plan is documented in a nice graphic (provided at left, fyi, larger image if clicked on) will illustrates how each of the lighthouses would provide 360 degree coverage of Puerto Rico and provide protection for captains no matter what direction they approached. In the end, 16 lighthouses were built, with most of them finished between 1886 and 1900.

The lighthouses which are open to visit on a daily basis and easily accessible are (if you follow the link to the custom map, switch to Satellite mode and zoom in close for a excellent view of all of these lighthouses):

• Punta Morrillo, Arecibo (1898)
  
• Punta Higuero, Rincón (Restored 1922)
  
• El Morro, San Juan (1846)
  
• Cabo San Juan, Fajardo (1880)
  
• Los Morrillos, Cabo Rojo (1882)
  
• Punta de las Figuras, Arroyo (1893)
  
• Punta Mulas, Vieques (1896)
  

Doomsday Lighthouses

According to the article ("The Doomsday Lighthouses of Puerto Rico", Lighthouse Digest of February 2002) written by the Lighthouse People, Bob and Sandra Shanklin, there are eight lighthouses which are in grave danger of being lost completely and forever. Doesn't that word shock anyone else, forever. Luckily, one which they list as endangered, Punta de las Figuras in Arroyo, has been restored and is part of the Centros Vacacionales at Punta Guilarte, which is managed by the Compañia de Parques Nacionales. In what follows, is our hall of shame, the six lighthouses still in desparate need of our loving care and attention (status summarized from article):

• Faro de Isla Culebrita, Culebrita (1886) - This lighthouse was heavily damaged in Hurricane Georges. Most of the actual light part of the light house was lost, but the walls still seem strong.
  

• Puerto Ferro, Vieques (1896) - According to photographs and accounts by the Lighthouse People, this lighthouse is "in very bad shape". While at one time caught up in the Vieques bombing range controversy, it seems that this structure is indeed quite endangered.

• Caja de Muertos, Ponce (1887) - Although not in very good shape, Caja de Muertos Lighthouse was in the best condition of any we consider belonging on the "Doomsday List." The lantern room was rusty and in terrible shape, with no original lens, just a plastic optic.
  

• Faro de Guanica, Guanica (1893) -As I mentioned before, I saw first hand the sad shape of the Guanica Lighthouse. It is in terrible shape, much the same as Culebrita and Point Figuras. Walls standing and the tower, with piles of rubble inside, and only a part of the lantern room remaining. A photograph of the current shape of this lighthouse is available here.
  

• Isla Mona, Mayagüez (1900) - The lighthouse on Mona Island is abandoned, and there are several modern beacons to take its place. This lighthouse is the only metal tower lighthouse in Puerto Rico. We have heard that the man who built the Eiffel Tower, Gustave Eiffel himself, designed it. It is in terrible shape, and most likely will not be restored or stabilized due to its remote location.
  

• Los Morrillos, Cabo Rojo (1882) - While this lighthouse was listed in bad shape in 2002 in the article, the municipality of Cabo Rojo restored it again and now looks like the leading photograph at the top of the post, which was from May 2007 and it looks like it is in pretty good shape.
  

Dia de Reyes

The Epiphany is still a very special day in Casa Don Dees with one young'un still under 5, so our annual trip to the back yard to collect some grass still holds its magic. However, because we tend to avoid the oft mad-house crowds that can take over, we've never enjoyed participating in the annual Governor's Three King's Day celebration.

Several years back the celebration was moved from El Morro to its location for this year's celebration, el Parque Luis Muñoz Rivera. Next Sunday, January 6th, 2008, los Reyes, will visit Old San Juan starting at 10:00 a.m. in the morning. Besides the annual gifting by the Kings, I think (?), there will be plenty of activities to enjoy.

First, providing musical entertainment at the conclusion of the event 4:00 p.m., the artists invited include Zorro Viejo (Old Zorro or Old Fox, isn't that a little lame for a band name...), GrupoManía, and Alexis and Fido (here boy). In addition, there will be a Bethlehem recreation, machines, inflatibles, traditional games, a reading corner, games between families (no weapons allowed), and exhibitions. Across the street at Escambrón Beach there will games in the sand. And as always there will be kiosk with typical food.

Besides parking in Escambrón Beach, there is only street side parking available around the park, so good luck if you're heading down there, I think I'll just watch it on the live transmission on TuTV on channel 6.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: deramaenrama

Top Ten Lists for 2007

The Nielson Company has issued a fascinating year-end look at the most popular trends among Americans during 2007. I wonder how closely Puerto Rico matches up with this list? Surely the books section would be wrong (well except for the dominance of the "The Secret", as well as music, but there is probably some pretty accurate items in the remaining lists. The list includes media and consumer spending trends monitored by Nielsen:

• Television
• Internet
• Movies
• DVDs
• Music
• Mobile
• Books
• Consumer Purchasing Trends
• Advertisers
• Video Games

To see the list, download the entire PDF here. The Nielsen Company delivers and integrates the most comprehensive media and marketing measurement systems in the world.

¡Isla de la Muerte!

In a story that just cries out for some special attention, the infamous cartoon book heroes the Fantastic Four are coming to Puerto Rico to battle the, ... get ready for it ... you know it's going to be a good one ... could it be the famed injustices we Puerto Ricans can sense ... No ... could it be police brutality ... No ... could it be corruption in Government ... No ...give up yet ... yes the Fab Four are coming to our island of Borinquen to battle the ... Chupacabra. Yes our, now world renowned, goat sucker will be immortalized doing battle with The Thing, Mr Fantastic, Invisible Woman and the Human Torch. Wow, I wonder who owns the movie rights? This could be huge.

"It arrived in Puerto Rico more than 10 years ago."

"It kills animals by sucking their blood and then escapes without a trace."

"Many believe they've seen it, but no one has been able to capture the Chupacabras."

The comic book, which will be available in both English and Spanish versions, will go on sale December 26th. The title for the comic book will be "Fantastic Four: ¡Isla de la Muerte!" or "Los 4 Fantásticos: ¡Isla de la Muerte! Edición Boricua en Español."

The story line roughly follows The Thing traveling to a [get this] fictional annual festival in honor of The Thing in Old San Juan. But let's not sell ourselves short here, I'm sure after the comic book launches some numbskull will get the brilliant idea to turn the festival into reality. Hey, who ever said that fiction had to be stranger than life?

According to the story, The Thing escapes to the island every year, but this time he is followed by Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman and the Human Torch. "When The Thing visits the island for the first time, the people embraced him because he looks just like [the Spanish fort called] El Morro."

After a series of embarrassing situations for The Thing, the Chupacabras attacks start. LOL, that sounds just too good of a setup line, "After a series of embarrassing situations for [fill in the blank with the name of your most despised Puerto Rican political leader], the Chupacabras attacks start.

According to the comic's artist, Juan Doe, "Puerto Rico is literally one of the main characters in the book, it is the stage of our story and is filled with many little references that pay homage to the island and its spirit." As far as what the Chupacabra will look like, Doe explains that: "I basically took what was out there in regards to the popular beliefs of what the [they] looked like and meshed it all together to create something that had some basis in real life. I imagined them as an undiscovered species more than something akin to aliens or monsters."

The big questions at this point are "Will the Fantastic Four capture the dreaded Chupacabras? ", "How will the Puerto Rico Tourism Company spin this?", and "If offended, will Governor Anibal Acevedo Vila demand an apology from the Fantastic Four?"

Ultima Hora: Día del Patrimonio Edificado

This Sunday, October 29th, the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña and the Compañia de Turismo will host the Día del Patrimonio Edificado, which I think means our "Building Heritage Day" or something close to that. The event is part of the hosts' ongoing and evolving program of "Vive Cultura en Ciudad Mayor".

As part of the theme "Nunca has visto el Viejo San Juan ni Puerta de Tierra de esta manera", Old San Juan and Puerta de Tierra will be seen, like never before. During the event many of the most popular architectural destinations will offer special activities and special tours such as (according to recent advertisements):

• the widest house in the western hemisphere
• the lodging where the legendary Moineau went swimming nude
• the graffiti left behind in the various cells which have held the most famous prisoners in our history.

The event offers a complete day of activities including:

• 9:00am – Misa festiva en la Catedral de San Juan
  Conjunto de Cuerdas de la Escuela Libre de Música,
  la soprano Millie Angie Pérez y los cuatristas Quique Domenech y Maribel Delgado
• 10:00am-1:00pm – Visitas y recorridos en el Viejo San Juan
• 2:00-5:00pm – Visitas y recorridos en Puerta de Tierra
• 5:00pm – Gran cierre musical en el Paseo de la Princesa
  Banda Estatal de Puerto Rico —dirigida por el Maestro Cucco Peña—,
  Son del Batey, El Comborrican y Millo Torres

The Luis A. Ferré parking lot located in Paseo de Covadonga will be free to all visitors on Sunday.

Participating Locations:

Old San Juan

1. Castillo San Felipe del Morro
2. Museo y Jardines de Casa Blanca
3. Escuela de Artes Plásticas
4. Cuartel de Ballajá
5. Museo de las Américas
6. Sala de Exhibición de Artes Populares, ICP
7. Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña
8. Liga de Arte de San Juan
9. Iglesia San José
10. Galería Nacional (Antiguo Convento de los Dominicos)
11. Museo de Arte e Historia de San Juan
12. Museo de la Raíz Africana, ICP
13. Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y el Caribe
14. Museo Felisa Rincón de Gautier
15. Museo del Niño
16. Catedral de San Juan
17. Departamento de Estado (Antigua Intendencia)
18. La Fortaleza (Palacio de Santa Catalina)
19. Capilla del Cristo
20. La casa estrecha
21. Casa Ramón Power y Giralt
22. Banco Popular de Puerto Rico
23. Museo de la Familia Puertorriqueña, ICP
24. Paseo de la Princesa
25. Arsenal de la Marina Española, ICP
26. Castillo de San Cristóbal

To participate in the guided tours, which will be lead by architects Diana Rivera and José Silvestre (inlcuidng other architecture students), you'll need to meet at either Plaza del Quinto Centenario (North Tour), Plaza de Armas (South Tour), or San Jose Church (Spiritual Tour) at 10:30am, 11:00am, 11:30am, 12:00m, or 12:30pm.

Puerta de Tierra

1. Centro de Recepciones del Gobierno (Antiguo Casino)
2. Casa Olímpica
3. Ateneo Puertorriqueño
4. Departamento de Hacienda
5. Biblioteca Carnegie
6. Casa de España
7. El Capitolio (los anexos)
8. Escuela de Medicina Tropical
9. Parque Luis Muñoz Rivera
10. Archivo General de Puerto Rico, ICP
11. Biblioteca Nacional de Puerto Rico, ICP
12. Tribunal Supremo de Puerto Rico
13. Hotel Normandie

To participate in the tours taking place in Punta de Tierra, which will be held by the architects Andrés Mignucci, Ivonne María Marcial, and Nelson Rivera, you'll have to meet at the Casa Olimpico or the Entrada del Tribunal Supremo at 2:00pm, 2:30pm, 3:00pm, 3:30pm.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: Face-2-Face

Note: We would like to thank user elwoodl for pointing out a minor (or major) oops on our behalf. Puerto Rico has the narrowest building in the Western Hemisphere certified by Guinness.

2do Certamen de Poesia José Gautier Benítez

The autonomous municipality of Caguas is sponsoring the second José Gautier Benítez poetry contest. The entry date for poems is the 11th of October and must be sent to the municipality by registewred mail to: 2do Certamen de Poesía José Gautier Benítez, Casa Amarilla Concha Meléndez, Apartado 907, Caguas, Puerto Rico 00726. The envelope must be prepared to meet certain rules, so I would recommend that you download the rules of the contest at the Caguas web portal.

The contest is open to all residents of Puerto Rico, expect for the employees of the Caguas Municipal government and their families. Each person can submit up to 3 poems, with each poem being between 100 and 300 verses. First place in the competition will receive a $1,000 prize, and there will be two second place prizes of $250 each. Finally, certificates of recognition will be awarded to the first and second place winners, as well as to the 10 runners-up. The awards ceremony will be the 12th of November in the Teatro Luis M. Arcelay de Caguas at 3:00 p.m.

José Gautier Benítez (April 12, 1848 – January 24, 1880) was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He is considered Puerto Rico's best poet of the Romantic Era. In 1878, he wrote the poem A Puerto Rico (To Puerto Rico), which was highly acclaimed by his contemporaries as one of his greatest works. A Puerto Rico also received an award from the Ateneo.

José Gautier Benítez died in San Juan, at 31 years of age. He was laid to rest in Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in Old San Juan. Even though he wrote less than a hundred poems, his works were considered better in quality than the works of other Puerto Rican poets of the time. Gautier Benítez's verses, titled Poemas (Poems) were published posthumously in 1880.

In store appearance for Wilo Benet

Tomorrow night, Sept 7th, at 7:00 p.m. Wilo Benet will make an in-store appearance at Borders in Plaza Escorial. Wilo Benet is the renowned local chef of Pikayo restaurant, and partner in the new restaurant Payá. More on those in a second....Benet is promoting his new cookbook Puerto Rico True Flavors

True Flavors is the accumulation of Wilo Benet's mastery of Puerto Rican cooking, his expertise in preparation, creativity, and finely-honed skills. Merging the tastes he grew up with, from his mother's "from-scratch" cooking, his grandmother's well-loved recipes, lunchtimes at public school, street vendors' fritters and roasted chickens, and all the other everyday-food influences of Puerto Rico, together with his exceptional culinary talents, he brings those historic true flavors of the Island into the 21st century.

In the book you'll learn how to make authentic Basics (adobo, escabache, mojito); Fritters (alcapurrias/stuffed yautía, bacalaítos/salt cod fritters); Soups such as sancocho/root vegetable & beef; Meats like carne mechada/stuffed pot roast; Fish (camarones al ajillo/shrimp in garlic sauce); Plantains (amarillos/sweet plantains, arañitas /plantain spiders); and Desserts (flan/custard pudding, dulce de lechosa/candied papaya), to name just a few of each. An example of one of the fritters recipes taken from his website is for:

Bacalaítos (Salt Cod Fritters)
Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces salt cod fillet, soaked overnight and drained
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon adobo
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Procedure:

1. Clean the salt cod: Remove any small bones and any tough skin from the salt cod, and coarsely shred the fillet into a bowl.
2. Add the flour, baking powder, adobo and cilantro to the bowl, and pour in 3 cups of water. Mix well until a chunky, unified batter that resembles pancake batter forms.
3. In a large frying pan, heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil to 350º F. Using a 2-ounce ladle and with a forward motion, pour the batter, in batches, into the hot oil, to form an elongated, flat fritter. Fry for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs, until crisp and golden brown. If the fritters happen to stick to the bottom of the pan while frying, use a thin spatula to detach them. Oil bubbling through the fritter during frying is a good indication of a perfectly fried bacalaíto.
4. Remove the bacalaítos from the oil, and set aside to drain on paper towels.
   

Because these fritters are extremely oily, I recommend standing them in a colander or placing them over a cooling rack to drain before serving. Serve immediately.

Probably the epitome of Puerto Rico's fritter, bacalaítos are still cooked in their original rustic form along the island's coast.

As is evidenced by his run of Golden Fork awards given during the annual El Nueva Dia "Certamen de Buen Comer", Benet's original restaurant Pikayo is a classic. A long time favorite of Ms. Dees and I, Pikayo has to be one of the best places for fine dining in Puerto Rico. His newest endeavor, Payá, features a good ol'e home town menu of criollo favorites in a more casual atmosphere.

Benet will also be appearing next Friday, Sept 14th, at the Borders in Mayaguez Mall. For more information please call (787) 751-1124.

El Barbero de Sevilla

I'd have to say, that right after avant-garde jazz, opera would have to be my least favorite music. I, in fact, pride myself with enjoying quite a wide range of music, if you were to find my iPod you'd see that this was true. But opera and me, ohh man, we're like oil and water.

I recognize the talent, I can admire the dedication, and even appreciate the passion of the performances, but I guess when it comes to opera, give me Tommy, thank you very much. I'm not dogging anyone if it's their thing, so if you are a fan, then you'll probably not want to miss the performance of "El Barbero de Sevilla", which I understand is a classic. Under the banner of Opera Al Fresco, the Cuartel de Ballaja will host the performance of the opera next Saturday, August 11th at 8:00 p.m.

The performance is not only open to the public, but it is also is free as well. With a prestigous collection of sponsors, the opera is directed by Antonio Barasorda (scenery) Jo-Anne Herrero (choir), and Roselin Pabon (orchestra). The opera will star Guido Lebron, Rosa Betancourt, Joel Prieto, Ricardo Lugo, Jorge Ocasio, Jo-Anne Herrero, and Joaquin Jarque.

The Barber of Seville is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto (based on Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville) by Cesare Sterbini.

39no Festival de las Flores

For the 39th year, the municipality of Aibonito will celebrate the Festival de las Flores. This year the festival will run from Friday June 29th until Sunday July 8th.

The Festival will bring together flower growers and artisans to buy and sell their products. Located on 25 acres of land, the Festival will offer many booths for the sale of plants and even more for arts and crafts. Parking is free and the entrance is only $3.00 for adults and $2.00 for children. The festival was first celebrated in June, 1969.

In addition to the flower and artisan booths, the festival will also feature an exciting agenda of performers. This year's schedule is:

Friday, June 29th:

• Trio los Condes
• Orquesta son Caribeño

Saturday, June 30th:

• Limit 21
• Orquesta Salsa Y Control
• Trio log Jilgueros

Sunday, July 1st:

• Espactacular Concurso de Trovadores "Pico a Pico"
• La Orquesta Mulenze
• Trio los Rosarios

Monday, July 2nd:

• Voces del Centro

Tuesday, July 3rd:

• Orquesta Experimental
• Renacer Borincano

Wednesday, July 4th:

• El Gran Combo
• Gran Espectaculo Objetivo Fama "El Show"
• Trio los Jilgueros

Thursday, July 5th:

• Trio Los Rosarios

Friday, July 6th:

• Rakim & Ken-Y
• Rafa y JILO-D
• Eco Raisces
• La Banda 3 Pasitos

Saturday, July 7th

• Show de "Miguelito"
• Tito Nieves y Su Orquesta
• Orquesta son Caribeño

Sunday, July 8th

• Gilberto Santa Rosa
• Mala Fe
• Voces del Centro

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: savinca

Primer campeonato de cuento breve

La Universidad del Sagrado Corazón y su programa de Maestría en Creación Literaria y el Grupo Editorial Norma realizarán el Primer Campeonato Mundial del Cuento Corto Oral el viernes, 11 de mayo a las 7:00p.m. Esta actividad se llevará a cabo en la Sala de Facultad del edificio Barat Sur en dicha Universidad.

El director de la maestría, Dr. Luis López Nieves, informó que el campeonato se está realizando debido al auge que existe en el mundo entero en la rama de cuentos cortos. La convocatoria está abierta al público en general, que tengan un cuento propio y original en español de no más de una página tamaño carta a doble espacio y en letra de 12 puntos con márgenes de una pulgada en todos lados. El tema es libre. Los participantes leerán frente al público y al jurado y el ganador recibirán un premio por $300.00.

Para participar los escritores deben ser mayores de 18 años, inscribirse en la mesa de registro y entregar un original y seis copias de su cuento. Las inscripciones se llevarán a cabo de 6:00 p.m.- 7:00p.m. el mismo día del evento.

Para más información puede comunicarse al (787) 728-1515 exts. 2333,3595 y 2409.

Con fecha de apertura la nueva sede del Conservatorio de Música

Lo que durante el siglo XIX fue el Asilo de Niñas en Miramar, desde enero de 2008 se convertirá en la sede del Conservatorio de Música. Como uno de los pocos edificios colonials de la zona santurcina, el mismo ha estado siendo restaurado durante los últimos años para convertirlo en hogar donde saldrán las mejores melodías que un humano pueda escuchar.

La firma de arquitectura encargaad de realizar dicha restauración es Performance Architecture, con sede en New Orleans y presidida por Michael Howard. Dicha firma entendió que para llevar a cabo todo el trabajo que requería convertirlo en el Conservatorio, conllevaría realizarlo en varios pasos. Estos son: Renovación del edificio histórico, Construir el estacionamiento y una plaza, Contrucción del edificio académico y la Construir la nueva sala de conciertos con unas 800 butacas.

En entrevistas anteriores, Howard ha destacado que este edificio fue un gran reto ya que tiene más de un siglo de existencia y tenía varias fallas como por ejemplo agua a nivel del piso lo cual tuvo que drenar con un sistema francés, poco soporte par alas vigas y debilidad en las paredes hechas de ladrillos, entre otras más.

Definitivamente, Miramar contará una nueva historia a partir de enero de 2008. Las melodías de los árboles mezcladas con el viento se unirán a los cientos de instrumentos que serán tocados en el Conservatorio de Música.

Comenzó el Festival de Teatro del ICP

El 19 de abril comenzó la celebración del 48to aniversario del Festival del Teatro Puertorriqueño del Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (ICP) en el Teatro Francisco Arriví, a quien se le dedica esta edición como un homenaje póstumo. En este día se llevó a cabo la premiación del Certamen de Dramaturgia 2007.

Desde ayer hasta el 22 de abril subirá a escena la obra La Farsa del amor compradito de Luis Rafael Sánchez y bajo la dirección de Rocky Venegas. En homenaje al compositor Juan Morel Campos, del 27 al 29 de este mes, la Compañía Andanza presentarán Tríptico, bajo la dirección de Lolita Villanúa.

Otras obras se estarán presentando tales como, el musical Instropectiva de Awilda Sterling bajo la dirección de Nelson Rivera Rosario del 4 al 6 de mayo. Del 10 al 13 subirá E Pluribus Unum de Carlos Acevedo. El piano de José Liboy Erba estará presentándose del 18 al 20 de mayo bajo la dirección de Aravind Enrique Advanthaya.

La clausura estará a cargo de Tú mi pasión de la Compañía La Comedia Puertorriqueña, Inc., del 24 al 27 de mayo. Esta obra contará con la participación de Carla Alvarado, Maricarmen Avilés, Elia Enid Cadilla, Myrna Casas, Lydia Echevarría, Velda González, Iris Martínez, Sandra Rivera, Provi Seín, Pedro Orlando Torres, Ballets de San Juan y Ballet Folkórico Areyto.

Si necesita más información puede llamar al Programa de Teatro del ICP al (787) 724-0700, exts. 4209 y 4212 o acceder a www.icp.gobierno.pr.

Brasil y Puerto Rico unidos a beneficio de la educación de la Isla

Brasil y Puerto Rico se han unido por una causa en común: la calidad de la educación y por la preocupación del desarrollo integral del individuo. Es por esto que este fin de semana se presentará el Balé Folclórico Da Bahía a las 8:00 p.m. el sábado y el domingo a las 4:00 p.m. en el Centro de Bellas Artes de Caguas.

Ambas presentaciones son a beneficio del fondo de becas del Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola donde un 16% de su matrícula se beneficia de dicho fondo. Los estudiantes que se benefician de estas ayudas son escogidos por medio de un proceso donde primero son referidos por orientadores y directores de las escuelas del país ya que tienen un alto desempeño escolar y cursan el sexto grado. Posterior a ello deben tomar una prueba que si la aprueban podrán participar por seis años en el programa, o sea hasta que terminen la escuela superior.

El Balé Folclórico Da Bahía, dirigido por Walson Botelho, se ha presentado en diversas partes del mundo. Son una compañía sin fines de lucro y ven en la educación un mundo mejor para todos.