The Boriquas language - or better said special expressions in Spanish from Puerto Rico

When you come to Puerto Rico,the first things which hits you,if you are as well spanish speaker, the sweetness how the people speak spanish and how many slang or too different expressions from the orinal castellano they are using  (as I always get impressed by this when I come to some other spanish speaking country or portuguese speaking country,how the language differs and how people doesn't understeand the original castellano - comming from spain).

Here I picked up some words which stayed in my mind and you can hear it every day being here in Puerto Rico,it's very probable that I forgot a lot of them or I just take them as natural as one can do after being here almost 2 months ;)

Boriqua Spanish	Castellano Spanish	English	Notes
Chamaco	Chico, Muchacho	The boy	Viste ese chamaco ai el la calle?
Jeba	Mujer	Woman/Girl	Siempre consigo alguna jeva. I always get laid somehow.  (I heard it actually a lot in  the island of Vieques,where  is used for any woman)
Conseguir una Jeba	Liarse	Get Laid	Explained on a frase above
Pon	Viajar a dedo	Ride	Conseguir un pon - Find someone who will give you a ride.
Pedir el pon	Viajar a dedo	Hitchhike	Me da un pon? - Can I go with you?
Habichuelas	Aluvias/frijoles	Beans	Aroz con habichuelas - tipical supplement of puertorican food
Lechon	Chancho/Cerdo asado	Roasted pig	One of tipical foods in Puerto Rico
Guagua/carro	Coche	Car	Cojo mi guagua y vengo recogerte - I will take my car and come to pick  you up.
Pato	Marica	Gay man	Es un pato - He is a gay
Puñeta!	Hostia!	Damn it!
Chavos/Pesos	Dolares	Dolars	Cuesta cinco chavos.  - It costs 5 dolars
Pillo	Ladron	Robber/pickpocket	This word could be used for someone who is as well trying to cheat people for money. - Es un pillo
Papo/Pana	Tio	Mate/Pal	El es muy panita mia - He is my good friend
Tostones		Small Platano Pancakes	Another tipical caribbean food suplement to main dish
Guineos	Bananas	Sweet Bananas	If you are here in Puerto Rico I definitelty recommend to try the baby guineos :)
China	Naranja	Orange	Jugo de China = Zumo de Naranja = Orange juice (Do not confuse China from Spain - which means Marihuana)
Nítido	De puta madre	Great
Bocina		Speaker	Esa Bocina es Nítida! - This speaker is Great!
Bregar	Tratar	Deal with	Todo el dia estaba bregando con mi carro. - He was trying to fix my car all day long.
Hangear	Salir/Liarse	Hang around/Have fun	Ayer hangeamos por la noche con ella  - We went out with her yesterday night
Snorklear		Snorkeling	Another word which comes from  english using just the spanish ending
Chabaletas	Aletas	Flippers	Flippers/Fins for snorkeling
Trastes	Platos	Dishes	Quien dejo los trastes sucios? Who didn't clean up the dishes?
Chota	Soplón	Snitch	Ella es muy chota - She is picking nose in everything
Garage	Gasolinera	Petrol Station
Mai	Madre	Mother	I would guess that this is something like the rest after some Portuguese who lived on island
Pai	Padre	Father	I would guess that this  is something like the rest after some Portuguese who lived on island
De veras?	De verdad?	Really?	They always ask it with big surprise and affection :)
Ya mismo	En un rato	In a while	Well - it means translated exactly - right now,but it means in a while
Mazeta	Tacaño	Mean	El es un mazeta,el no te va ayudar.  - He is very mean,he won't help you
Zafacón	Basura	Trash Can	Botalo al zafacón! Throw it to the bin!
Minoco	Cosa	Thing	They use this word if they  don't know what is the name of the word. Que es ese minoco? What's that thing?
Trigueño	Negro	Tanned/Black African color of the skin	Su novio es trigueño.  Her boyfriend is black.
Chapucero			The person who does the work of low quality,or as well cheats in bussiness
Embustero/Paquetero	Mentiroso	Liar	Es un embustero. He is trying to cheat people.
Frisa	Sabana	Sheet/Cover/Blanket	Trigamos una frisa con nosotros a la playa - Let's take some blanket to the beach.
A la orden (olden)	De nada	You are welcome	It's a response when you thank to  someone. Gracias - A la orden ;)
Revolú	Lio	Mess	Es un Revolú grande. It's a big mess
Virar	Girar	To turn	Vira aqui a la izquierda. Turn here to the left.
Guiar	Conducir	To drive	El guia mal. He drives really bad.
Enfogonado	Enfadado	Being angry	Estoy bien enfogonado en ella. I am very angry with her.
Abanico	Ventilador	Fan	The word Abanico in Spanish from Spain it's used in general for the fan you have in the hand,like have the Framenco dancers. Here in Puerto Rico abanico are all the airconditioning ventilators and fans.
De cachete	Gratis	For free
Yerna	Nuera	The daughter-in law
Preñada/Estar en cinta	Embarazada	Pregnant	Esta en cinta ya segunda vez. She is already second time pregnant.
Pa donde cogió?	Donde fue?	Where did he go?	Pa donde cogió Carmelito? Where did Carmelito go?
Dar una pela	Pegar alguien	To hit someone	Me dió una pela. He hit me!
Cantazo	Golpe	Hit	Me dió un cantazo. I hit myself.
Mantecado	Helado	Ice-cream
Marquesina	garage	Parking place
Chocha	Coño	Vagina	Chupa me el bicho - Suck my dick
Pelao		Being Broke	Toy Pelao - I don't have any money
Bicho	Polla	Dick	Chupa me el bicho - Suck my dick
Perico	Farlopa	Cocaine	Fue preso federal por vender perico. I was in federal prison for dealing with cocaine
Tostao	Loco	Crazy	Ta tostao - He is crazy

And here are some videos for you to practice and hear it real:

Rules how to speak with good Boriqua accent :)
1. In Puerto Rico they don't say almost never the R, so for example when you have the verbes, as every spanish word in infinitive ends up in R - Bailar,
Termination of all the verbs in spanish or anything which would haveAl al al Bailal,hangeal, Peldon, Pol favol

2. They don't pronounce much the letter S either - so for example in the word Espejo (mirror) - they would say Ehpeho. But still you have respirated h. When you compare it with people from Dominican Republic they just simply omit it.

3. They don't pronouce much the termination ado - like terminado,limpiado (finished,cleaned) - they just shorten it to ao - terminao, limpiao

These 2 rules sounds bit like if these islands were colonised by people from Andalusia - where they simply don't pronounce these things either.

4. There is no problem over here with word Coger - to catch - as in many others latin american countries where it means to f..ck, so don't worry,here in Puerto Rico you can coger whatever you want ;)

5. Speak with afection and like half singing, making the vowels to sound longer (it could be different silab - this u have to listen to get to it). Daale maami :)Pero entooonce?

6. End every phrase with ai papi - if u are talking to man,or Ai mami/ai mi amol - if u are talking to woman with enough affection and you could be considerate real boriqua ;)

7. Many times they use after every statement which would need some afirmation question - Oiste? (Did you hear?) or Aham (after any question or statement you made). You will notice this quite a lot.

7. At the end I would like to say after being a bit while out of Puerto Rico and getting to know a lot of people from Dominican Republic, los boriquas speak much slower than dominicans,maybe that would be one of the things to recognize the accents from these 2 islands.

P.S. IMPORTANT: This is for sure not the list of every special boriqua word - as there are so many, as in every variation of Spanish in every Spanish speaking world,but these are which you would hear mostly and these are some which stayed in my mind while writing this article. I hope you enjoyed it ;)

To see more boriqua word and exceptions :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Puerto_Rican_slang_words_and_phrases
http://www.proz.com/?sp=mt&eid_s=16813&glossary=10498&nresults=62&float=y&mt_term=&start=0
And many others :) I am sure that if you look for them  google will help you to find them ;)

Can I dive if I can't swim? Can I dive if I am on the wheelchair?

I know that I haven't been writing for a while - it has been conected with the reality that I moved myself to other islands in Caribbean to finish my diving certification and as it was quite difficilt to do it in Puerto Rico - epsecially because of organizational level and many other things,I have decided for British Virgen Islands.

And now how I came to these questions. I am making my divemaster with a school named BVI Blue Water Divers. There you can find very laid back atmosphere and the people are from all around the world,with high consciousness and awareness of the nature.

Yesterday when I came for my diving - I am helping as well in the shop to get some dives extra with my course,we got a group of tourists who were from Libanon living in Canada. There were 3 people and especially one lady from teh group looked very concenrned - it somehow dropped from her that she is not a good swimmer. So we tried to calm her down that it shouldn't be any problem though.
When we got to the diving spot on Norman Island - they were going first time to the water - so they needed to learn at least some basic skills.Before taking them to the shallow water the lady wanted to go to the water, so we gave her something to float on, she was scared to death,then it came out to the surface that she can't actually swim at all and that she has panick fear of the water.
In that moment you ask yourself - why do you buy a lesson of diving when you have deadly panick of water?
Nevermind. We got to the shallow water and the istructor Nicol - local belonger from BVI,with origins from Italy took them to very shallow water where they could stand up and try everything slowly and nicely.
The lady was catching panick every in a while. Being scared that if she drinks a bit of water from a sea that it would make her sick,being scared of having salty hair,being scared of every fish,absolute panick state,getting panicked for any kind of reason. It took Nicole in about one hour - till she learned to breathe trough regulator, till she was capable of getting down to sit on the bottom in the sand and breathe. She tried to teach her some more skills like cleaning the mask underwater,but the panicked lady wasn't able to do it after all.

When we got to other site,to the coral reef to perform the real dive,the lady felt much more confortable,more stable than when entering the boat. She actually felt very happy to manage what she managed on the first lesson - getting from dept 0 to 5 meters,without getting to the surface as she was a rocket.
This dive should be about 17 meters. So said - not that deep :)
I went down to hook up the boat to the base of the buoy and came up. We got J - the first of the to the bottom. Husband of the lady and I had to wait with him there,what I was doing,then came down Ahmed and then Nicole managed to get slowly the lady down. In some points all the dive looked like a theatre,where people were running here,others taking pictures,getting scared of fish,reef,crabs etc. Lady got panicked in about every 2 minutes of the dive,making huge eyes and that she would ascend to the surface. So we decided to calm her down and Nicole took her under the arm and we made small round around the reef.
Amazingly,she calmed down completely and we started to enjoy the dive. When we finished - everybody of them was so happy and the lady stayed floating hanging the rope with the biggest smile on the face from all of them. She managed. She managed to dive without even knowing how to swim :)
And she made a promise to herslef that she will come down to the beautiful underworld again.

Now,why I am actually writing this story, it's because I think you can do whatever you desire to do,even though that you are handicaped or not knowing the basics of what should be the prerequisits of something.
Today I bumpted to one amazing video,which made me write this down - about the lady who is diving on her wheelchair :) And that's as well the answer on another question in the caption of this article!

YES! YOU CAN!

So,don't feet too fat,too slow, too unknowing, too skilless,too scared and panicked! Everything is just a question of will,patience, good guidance, creativity and understeanding.

 COME DIVING !

Human trafficking in South America

I am not sure if I really should be writing about this if I really want to come back to some states I have been and especially the stated which are highly involved in bussiness of human trafficing and the government somehow doesnt do anything or even support this kind of bussiness or even try to threaten the people who are trying to rescue the victims of human trafficing,but I will try to write what I heared (do its just the information from the second had especially - from the members of the affected victims,from the friends and as well  member of organisations who are working with the victims)

I first met with human trafficing stuff in Brasil,where they are at least trying to do something against this as the sex bussiness is very popular and common in Brasil - I can recommend to see the movie Anjos do Sol  - all on youtube - I am putting on the link for interested.)
When I was in Buenos Aiers I had a really long talk with one peruvian girl,who explained me especially the practiques of the argentinian gangs of human trafficing,where one of her friend was kidnapped directly after taking a taxi from the center of Buenos Aires and afterwards raped and trown in the forest,being lucky that they havent kidnapped her and havent brought her directly to the borders from Argentina and Paraguay/Bolivia or Brazil - Missiones and Corrientes,where I had the option to be later on on the roads,where the victims could be brought.
Litteraly there is one settlement in 200km in the middle of nowhere and almost no cars or trucks are stopping,even if u manage to run away (as there are later police barrers - for cocain search of the trafficants. Even though in eventually 4 police stops I have been stopped and my bag was pulled out just once to be sniffed by a dog,even though that if the driver had several kilos of cocain inside,they wouldnt find it,as the dog or even the police controler havent entered the truck. And it was close to Paraguayan border. The only control which really controled,but just me - they havent taken off my things,nor nothing (how the chilians do on the border to enter,if u are not carying some kind of biological material - jams,food or whatsoever),but just took out my backpack and let it sniffed by a dog. Would the dog smell the cocain,if it was inside of the dirty socks plastic bag,I am asking? Not that I would smuggle something ...)

Just for ilustration of what kind of abandoned areas we are talking about... Normally the settlement there is very small - and I am taling about workers there. I have been close to the village which has about 800 inhabitants and then about 100km nothing. At this video which I would put on,u will really see afterwards,how are the areas empty... Even if u managed to escape - the people who are moving trough these pampas are just people who would know who they are looking for.

I was told in Buenos Aires,as during the night I was followed by several taxis,to never take a taxi alone,neither by the company which is not known and secured to dont be kidnapped.

When I got to Peru,the stories started to be more drastic and the people started to be more worried about me hitchhiking alone. As the peruvians itself are calling other peruvians"manosos y peligrosos",maniacs and dangerous,mainly during the daylight u will be fine,just during the night u should be really careful and even the secured cars and people who would stop for u the police on the posts could be quite dangerous.

I was hitchhiking at night from Arequipa to Tacna,as the borders were blocked for the strike and I needed to get to Bolivia and that time and running down from Antiplano from Juliaca and Puno exacly at that moment.

I got to police control,who were so nice and were stopping me cars/buses/trucks just to ask,if they are going my direction and it was on the main officer to decide if they are safe or not. 

I could leave much sooner,but by his sight I got to know that there was quite a wrong people even offering the ride and for my security,he stopped one bus for me. Of course free of charge to continue back to the chilian border. I got in talk with the drivers as I was sitting in front and I got to know that kidnapping and selling the girls for prostitution is quite common in Peru. Heared from them about the story of two girls from Lima,who got promissed the work of voluntary in Antiplano. Then they had been driven to Juliaca,where they got closed with old drunk man in one room for 2 days and then they managed to free from there. Hitchhiking back to Lima,without no money. The main driver met them in Arequipa,trying to earn some soles to get back home to Lima. And he offered them to pay them passage back and as well the call home ("the girls were crying to the phone to their family,as they couldnt get in contact for about 3 weeks,u know").

As the same driver was talking he told the story of his niece,which was kidnapped and brought to Maldonado and they managed to get her back after 2 years. Maldonado is considered as one of the places where are brought the victims of trafficing and without the way back home.

The another story starts when I got to Bolivia and I have seen the situation over there. And as well as easily would be to get lost in somewhere of nowhere with no people even having interest to help u in anything.

When I was in La Paz I got to one party or celebration of people from high circles how we would say. Embasadors,people from United nations,some reporters and documentarists,people from human rights organization. And in this point I would like to stop a bit.

I had a quite a long talk with a girl from one organization which should be supported by bolivian goverment for refugees and victims of human trafficing. The girl when we were talking was crying from helplessness and fear. And at this moment,even though I tried to contact with her,she is not responding the emails.

They have many cases in the office of human trafficing each day and they have been threatened by underground organisations for billions of times. Threats of death,hurting their families etc. The goverment of bolivia doesnt really support them and have no ineterst in solving this issue.

The strongest story the girl told me,when we were talking was about little boy. The boy who was sold by their  grandparents in vision of better life to Chile.They have been contacted with the message by chilian police to come to pick him up,as he was found uncounsoius beaten up almost to death,abused in the middle of the desert of Atacama near San Pedro. The boy was sold when he was about 11,being systematicly tortured,abused and misused till the one decided to get rid of him. When he was found. The Bolivians brought him back to Bolivia,found the parents,called them. None of them was really interested to take the boy with them. The boy was in miserable state in hospital in La Paz. He wasnt able to talk,to eat,holding on life with very tiny string. They contacted his grandparents,who were up to taking the boy with them to their small village. But as the girl said "Thanks to god,the boy died,before they manage to take him away. After 2 weeks of fight for the life. In La Paz. He would be just a load for them and inaccaptable part in the society in a small village of hardworkers. He is better now." No charges had been risen. No investigation had been held.

Even though that they would have all the information to find out...

This is the way how it works in South America ... 

U got lost,u will never be find,if someone is not looking for u. 

And even though they look,the gangs and mafias are strong enough,that with a lot of ransom u wouldnt get out of this dirty bussness.... And goverments support this over there and close their eyes.

Traduccion:
They are not for sale!
With one Lie,they can make u a slave
No,to Human trafficking!
The comercial on Brazilian Border!

For more information,please look for the book of Lydia Cacho - Esclavas de Poder (its the study of 5 years especially about human trafficing and trafficing for prostitution in south america,far east asia,middle east,africa, and Europe)

How and mainly why I am back to Europe

Well,how many of u know,or even dont know as in some point I stopped writing,I am back home again.
I was trying to get some job in Santiago de Chile and when I got to know the conditions,with which they

Haluska party,Cooking with Pali -
Another slovakian which appeared
to be in Santiago at the same time :)
I thank a lot for Palis help
and support!  (and as well
of other great people I met in Chile)

would be able to make me a contract - as I was there just on tourist visa,the conditions for the companies were highly unrentable - like paying a fine of 600 dolars plus buying a ticket back to my country before subscribing any contract with u and be able to make u work visa there.  tried to do my best and did some events - like Haluska or Bramborak Praty,where who wanted could leave some contribution. And as well,I was trying to teach english,at the beginig I was offering as well french and portuguese and german,but when my phone was taken and many people had the number and promised to come for classes,couldnt reach me,I have just printed the annoucments with English teaching.

StrudelBeawer :D

The trouble in Chile is,that yes,many people call everyday,many people wants classes,but at the end,even though u have arranged something,and even regular students u have to run after them,with confirmations etc ...
It was highlytireing and at the end of all most of the people were just simply lying  and I resigned on them,listening on the phone how they need urgently classes,the next day before leaving the house with eveything prepared they send email to tell u that they are not inerested anymore. Not even message on the phone,nor even call,but email - as its for free and u are obviously 24/7 online.
Well,I heared many lies and promises in Santiago, and this was one of the reasons why I decided to packed it over there from my financial part. That wouldnt be though and though the moving motor to make me come back. I got messages from my parents that my Grandma is very bad on it with health and during the time I was in Santiago,she ended up 3 times in hospital with different troubles. And it looked very bad.
She asked me to come back before ... And even though I was thinking about it billion times again and again,it was one of the moving motors,or at least the strongest one which made me to make a final decision.
As who knows a bit our culture,knows as well,that the grandparents are the people who rise u up at the end,as your parents never are there or doesnt have any interest to spend time with u.

Soy Chilena! :D

The third reason which made me to make a definite move and its the things which will decide what will be with me later on is that when I was still in Buenos Aires,was the highest time to apply for next year back in Czech Republic for University. And I was telling it many times,I would love to study again and different subject that I did and that is Diplomacy. Even though I wouldnt like to "play a ball" how we say,for any state,but I am highly interested in projects of development,human rights, spreading the education etc... U would say,for this u dont have to study again for a years,the things is there is an offer to study different languages as well during the time on university and there are lot of scholarships available for a students to go study the thing abroad and apply what they learnt. When I was somewhere outhere I as well realised that I need some base of economics and finance management,as that would be the thing which would make me to be financialy independent and do whatever I want.(met some people on my trip who did it and who are actually at this moment working on being absolutely independent and live their adventures).So... Lets see,how everything will go on. And I would like to learn Arabic as well :) The magical language - that I wouldnt be able to do in south,central or even north america. (I tried to got to some course in Buenos Aires,but it was the level intermediate and I was too in hurry to stay few weeks for a tests,I am crazy bum :P).
What else? Though this is an explanaition,I will write more about my travel later on. As on my was back I crossed Peru,Bolivia and Paraguay to get Back to Brazil to spend 24hours in Rio and get my ass back to Sao Paolo to catch my flight,all hitch-hiking. And after arrival to Barcelona get my ass nonstop running to Slovakia (as in Prague was raining when I was passing by and it was 2 am and I didnt have anything arranged there,without my phonenumbers,as they stayed in another phone,I would have to stay the night on the street waiting till the morning in rain). So I picked continuing till Slovakia :)
But thats another story I will tell u later on!