Tourist for a Day

For our class we did a little social experiment in which we were to dress up (optional) and act as tourists for a day. I decided to compare how tourists are treated vs how locals are treated at the Mall of San Juan. Choosing which type of tourist I wanted to be was a relatively easy task since I'm particularly adept at imitating different accents. I tend to do that in my house with my family members and it always cheers them up. I chose my best accent which is Argentinian and proceeded to pose as an Argentinian tourist which visited the Mall.

My first stop was a store called Nordstrom. I quickly noticed how well everybody treated me at the store. Since I love suits I went to the men's department and was greeted by one of the salesmen. He offered me a Giorgio Armani suit which was way over my budget. He though I could actually afford it. It was a very funny scene but I did not break character and politely declined the offer. Later on I felt hungry and asked for directions to Kona Grill (even though I knew where it was). I ordered a skirt steak ( I could not be any more stereotypical) and proceeded to thank the waiter for such an amazing dish which reminded me of my hometown in Rosario, Argentina.

 People looked at me in a weird way as if I was some sort of outsider. I felt othered by my accent. People were very polite, but not as when you are a local. When I returned as a local people treated me as I've always been accustomed to. However, I was treated differently by the salesmen of Nordstrom. I did not receive the friendly treatment they gave to Argentinian me. I guess this happened because that mall is tourist oriented instead of being oriented to the people of Puerto Rico.

This experience was an interesting one because it let me observe the difference in treatment that a tourist experiences when coming to this island. It also served me as an opportunity to feel as they feel when they come, to feel othered, and to be a stranger among Puerto Ricans. Below, I included a video which portrays how a group of tourists spend their time on Puerto Rico.