We started the morning early with a political expert, who told us all about Puerto Rican history, the struggles they faced as a US territory. We ended our discussion with a simulation of a debate on whether or not Puerto Rico should become a state or gain independence. It provoked our thoughts and made us reflect on what shapes our beliefs, since we started questioning why we take those different stances and what makes us change our mind. We also did a fun exercise that made us reflect on what we’re expecting from the next few days here, where we all shared our goals, expectations, and fears.
After lunch, we enjoyed some sunny time on the beach, and we had some rest and relaxation before our next activity. We went to the La Goyco Community Cultural Center, where Emmanuel, a musician, taught us the rhythm of Plena. We all got a panderos and tried to keep up with the music and the lyrics, which we also created. He taught us that music is the combination of sound and silence, which we took as a really meaningful lesson.
At the end of the day, we went to a plena live music show, where we actually heard Emmanuel singing, with a group of other people as well. The most exciting part was that we all joined in the dancing. It started from one person, who we didn’t even know, but the arbitrary dance lesson turned into a fulfilling experience and the perfect end to a long and tiring day.
