There are a few ways to get someone attention in Puerto Rico. The most commonly heard way to get someone’s is the word “mira”… When the word is used it is often used once then in pairs “mira… … mira, mira”. Mira means look. Don’t forget to roll your R. For a gringo, it is pronounced more like… Continue reading

~ photo by nhanusek

I received these questions from a reader yesterday.
Hi there,
I stumbled upon your blog, and I really enjoy reading it. My fiance and I have been thinking of moving to PR after he finishes school in a year and a 1/2 - we are both from NY, and have been visiting PR for many years.

Chris is in… Continue reading

–photo by sicoactiva

Puerto Ricans have a very different way of communicating than the average American. They have their own cultural sign language. When I moved to Puerto Rico, it took me a little while to figure out the foreign body language. I was actually quite lost and had no idea what was going on.

So here is a… Continue reading

In Puerto Rico, gringo is not a negative word. It simply means a person from the States. Puerto Ricans know that us Gringos have heard it being used with a derogatory connotation. So if they see a tourist, they will most likely not call you Gringo to your face. You might hear it all around you though.

When I first Continue reading