Puerto Rico
1970-1973
Hello everyone,
In the 1930's, the famous German actress Marlene Dietrich, settled in Hollywood and became a popular Movie Star, as well as a Singer...One of her well known songs, was "Lily Marleen". Rumors say that during the
Second World War, this song was sang by bouth the American And German troops on both sides of the battlefield... Another of her popular songs was "Falling in love again". I chose as the title of this post... It is known, that the beginning of most love affairs, is always intoxicating... When Al and I fell in love, we were thrilled to discover our similarities... Besides classical music and reading we greatly enjoyed the Arts, Movies and the Theater, as well as the company of close friends and family members (most of them)... However, we mostly enjoyed being by ourselves, and later on with our one and only child, our daughter Karen...We were also 'Addicted to traveling' and the discovery of interesting new places. It was one of the reason, the two of us ended up in Puerto Rico, where we met...
As single people we wished to spread our wings and travel as far away as we could... Far way from our parents 'Nagging' us to "Settle down, get married and have a family:X "Like your friends have done!" The two of us had much in common: We bouth decided to 'Spread our wings' and fly as far away as we could from our 'loving and nagging' parents'...Was it just a coincidence, or was it destiny which brought the two of us together, fall in love and get married, were we trying to escape our parents nagging that "It is about time to get married!"... What ever the reason was, the two of us were happy we met...
Mario was Al's closest friend in Puerto Rico... His family
came from Cuba to Florida, after escaping Castro's Regime... He married Marganet, an adorable, natural Red Head, 'Southern Belle' from Florida The four of us became Inseparable! We spent the weekends together; going to restaurant, movies, the beach, cooking and dining at each other's place, gambling in the Casinos, traveling all over the island and celebrating Holidays together... Al and I found nd out that our new friends, were Pot Smokers... Al and I were were very much against 'Such Things' (Illegal!)... One evening, after having dinner at their home; our two friends offered us to "Share a pipe" with them...Al refused to touch it, saying he just gave up the cigarettes he was addicted to and made promise himself, never to smoke again!' (Especially not Illegal Substance!'). I on the other hand, remembered my experience I had in N.Y and was eager to try again...After several "Puffs" I was laughing non stop!' Al who refused to join us (since he was against any thing 'Illegal') Eventually he gave in. As the pipe was passing around, he kept on saying, how he
didn't feel anything different until it was time to go home and my 'Albie' was unable to stand up... For some reason it made him laugh non stop, sweeping the rest of us with his laughter! No one died or arrested; it was the beginning of a great friendship!
Every other weekend Al and I would board a small plane to a different
island near Porto Rico... Each one of these islands, belonged at one time or another, to several European Countries: Saint Martin was Dutch, Martinique was French, in Barbados they spoke English in a British accent and Saint Martin was divided: One part belonged to Holland, where the people spoke Dutch and the other was French... Curacao and Martinique were also French, Barbados was British, St John in the "Virgin Islands" belonged to the U.S. where the spoken English had an American accent. Each Island had the same Culture, Art, Music, Food and drinks, as in their old "Mother Land"...
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 photo of Barbados below |
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| St. John | Martinique | Saint Martin "Sint Marten" |
another photo below
The Island were the "Miniature Representatives" of the country they belonged to... Al and I preferred the French Islands; where the spoken X langughe was French... The stores and vendors displayed French perfumes,"Copies" of the latest Parisian fashion and 'Miniatures' of the 'Arch de Triumph' and the "Eiffel Tower'. The British Islands offered Umbrellas, Rain Coats,Whiskey and Cigars, while the Dutch Islands displayed wooden shoes, paintings of tulips and 'Key Chains' of miniature Wind Mills...The rest of the Islands were charming as well; each representing another European Mother Land..... .
xxx. up
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| Curacao |
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| Wooden Dutch shoes |
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| Barbados |
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| British phone booth |
In
Barbados, as well as in Jamaica, the natives spoke English in a British Accent... The Duty Free stores were very similar to those in the other islands. The tourists could see the typical British red Mailboxes and Phone booths, which I remembered seeing as a child in Jerusalem,when Israel was under the British control...Visiting these islands, felt like a visit to Paradise...The beauty and peace of the yellow sand beaches, with warm torques water, the Calypso music in addition of Cold Beer for Al and sweet 'Pina Colada' for me; made a perfect background
for our growing, intoxicating love! It felt as if we arrived to Paradise and prayed it would stay like this...
Suddenly, our time together which was filled with laughter and joy stopped for awhile... we found out that Al's mother was diagnosed with 'Stomach Cancer' and her health was deteriorating fast...Al was Flying to visit his mother in Paterson New Jersey, as often as he could... At one point after I drove him to the Air Port, the two of us were sitting on a bench, waiting for his flight, when Al began to talk about his mother...To my great amazement, I saw tears rolling down his cheeks ... Never before have I seen a 'grown man' cry... Israeli men never cried in public... Yet here was Al, crying without displaying any Inhibitions or 'Masculine Embarrassment' wiping his eyes, with his Snow White, ironed handkerchief (Tissues were still unknown) As I was watching him cry, a strange thought suddenly crossed my mind "A Real Strong Man is not necessarily the one who Never Cries; but the one who dares to do so!" a thought crossed my mind... I believe that this was the moment I decided to marry him, if he ever asks
With Love and Light
Shira
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