This sounds a bit ridiculous but I forgot how much I love warm weather! I am in the be
autiful and sunny (and humid!!) Viejo, San Juan, Puerto Rico! I am staying at the beautiful (hopefully haunted) El Convento. This place is amazing and gorgeous and the type of place I would probably never stay in because it's probably too expensive. I am here for work, so we get the government rate, but still, at $195 a night, I think it's expensive!I am here conducting a public presentation on our project to possible include Fort San Geronimo as part of the San Juan National Historic Site. The fortifications of El Morro and El Castillo San Cristobal are currently part of the SJNH and I love being at the fortifications! (They filmed part of the latest Pirates of the Carribean at San Cristobal.) If this is the last trip I ever take with the National Park Service then I will be perfectly happy. I love that work pays me to be here. :) These are the times that will make me miss this job when it's over. Still no word from the Director, but at least my hard work will allow me to go out with a bang!
I've been nervous for the past two weeks in preparation for our meetings because our project team really depends on me to be able to present our project, completely in Spanish to a very vocal and passionate Puertorican crowd. On top of that, I have spent the last two days conducting media blitz on PR new stations, radio stations, and talk shows! Yesterday I did an interview for a project that is like Puertorican Goodmorning America" show, and tomorrow night I will be presenting on another talk show but this one will be live! I'm excite
d but nervous, especially because I present with some glamizon women and sometimes they are so pretty that I stare at their prettyness. :) HA! More than anything I get nervous because I hate speaking for a long time, it's live and the show is one hour, but I think we are only there for about 10 minutes. That's still too long for me.Anyways- back to the project, we have one more presentation Thursday and then I head home Friday morning. I am not excited about going home, but happy that these presentations are done because they make me nervous. The project is a bit controversial as well, and I don't know how the park is going to handle it. If I remain here then I feel that I can help them, but if not, I'll still let them know what might be a good approach to handle the controversy. The main thing on the island is that some folks think that we, a federal agency, the National Park service, is coming in to take away their historical sites/properties. In reality, that couldn't be farther from the truth, but I understand their thoughts and the past issues they've encountered in dealing with the taking of public land for commercial use.
I'll say one last thing and then I'll stop talking about project stuff, but one thing that I hate about traveling with a work group is the eating schedules! We have long days and eat nothing!! I made sure to eat breakfast this morning (8am) because I knew it would be a ridiculously long day. We had lunch at 1pm, then after the presentation at 8pm, the group decided they were hungry! I thought, "Fantastic! I'm starving!" Then, I thought of all the amazing things I could eat, shrimp, flank steak with chimichurri sauce, etc. Well, we went to one of my favorite restaurants here, and of course I eyed the steak options, and then these words rung out
from the table, "Is anyone really going to get a dinner option? or something small?" And from that point on, I knew what they were talking about. They were "white people" hungry, which meant they would order an appetizer and a salad and be absolutely stuffed. They weren't "Jazmin hungry!" So, again, for the second night in a row, I am going to bed hungry because all I ate for dinner was an appetizer and some water!!! DAMNIT!! Yesterday we went to the hotel "Tapas" bar and I hate tapas because they are teeny tiny plates that you have to share with people. I don't like sharing, but if I must, then I do it, but otherwise, I don't like to. Tonight, I even thought about walking to a Wendys around the corner to grab some chicken nuggets or a baked potato, or something! But nope, they had to be closed!! I've even thought about going to the restaurant here and ordering bread with butter because I'm starving! But I'm ok, I have water.Needless to say, I am looking forward to breakfast and will now go to sleep. :)
Have a great week folks! Stay warm!
p.s. I hate that the hubs is not here with me, because he would love it and he desperately needs a tropical vacation. I miss him. a lot. I'm a sap.
p.p.s. I think i am in love with cheese right now. Soft cheese, hard cheese, delicious cheese.
