Saturday, September 2, 2017

Bolero Translated from Spanish to English

En mi Viejo San Juan
By:  Noel Estrada  (1943)
Genre: Bolero

En mi viejo San Juan
In my old San Juan

Cuántos años forjé
Many years were forged

En mis noches de infancia
In my nights of infancy

Mi primera ilusión
My first illusion

Y mis cuitas de amor
My troubles in love

Son recuerdos del alma
Are memories of the soul

Una tarde me fui
In an afternoon I left

Hacia extraña nación
To a strange nation

Pues lo quiso el destino
Thats how destiny wished it

Pero mi corazón
But my heart

Se quedó frente al mar
Stood facing the sea

En mi viejo San Juan
In my old San Juan

Adiós, adiós, adiós
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

Borinquen querida
Beloved Borinquen

Tierra de mi amor
Land of my love

Adiós, adiós, adiós
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

Mi diosa del mar
My goddess of the sea

Mi reina del palmar
My queen of palm groves

Me voy
I leave

Pero un día volveré
But I will return one day

A buscar me querer
To search for my love

A soñar otra vez
To dream again

En mi viejo San Juan
In my old San Juan

Pero el tiempo pasó
But the time passed

El destino burló
Destiny made fun of

Mi terrible nostalgia
My terrible nostalgia

Y no pude volver
I could not return

Al San Juan que yo amé
To the San Juan that I loved

Pedacito de patria
Little piece of country

Mi cabello blanqueó
My hair turned gray

Ya mi vida se va
My life is ending

Ya la muerte me llama
Death calls me

Y no quiero morir
And I do not want to die

Alejado de ti
Far from you

Puerto Rico del alma
Puerto Rico of my soul

Adiós, adiós, adiós
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

Borinquen querida
Beloved Borinquen

Tierra de mi amor
Land of my love

Adiós, adiós, adiós
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

Mi diosa del mar
My goddess of the sea

Mi reina del palmar
My queen of the palm groves

Me voy
I leave

Pero un día volveré
But I will return one day

A buscar me querer
To search for my love

A soñar otra vez
To dream again

En mi viejo San Juan
In my old San Juan

Enjoy the video of the song sang by a Japanese Orchestra and Vocalist.














Finding Friends in Blind Places

I truly believe that there are no coincidences in this world. Whether you believe in God, a Higher Power or whatever is totally up to you. I choose to believe there is a Divine order to our lives.  And with that in mind, believe that every single person you meet along the way has a purpose in your life.  I read somewhere or heard somewhere, that sometimes a person comes into your life to teach you a lesson.  And many times are not meant to stay.  I refuse to accept that.  I am greedy.  I want to keep all my friends!!!

My journey into the National Federation of the Blind began with a phone call.  Not from the organization itself but from my sister Marilyn.  For those that do not know my sister, a phone call from her could last 2 hours.  She was given the task of looking-after a blind friend (Israel) of her ex-husband. She had no idea what to do.  So Marilyn did what she usually does when she doesn't know what to do, she called me.  That set me on the path to learning about the NFB.  But back to my present adventures and the subject of this blog.

Unless you happen to be blind or know someone who is losing their sight, you might not know of an amazing organization named the National Federation of the Blind (NFB).  This non-profit organization has been around since 1940.  Organized by a group of blind individuals who believed that they had the same rights and responsibilities as any other person.  People who believed they had the abilities to do anything anyone else could do. Can you imagine that?  Actually, the only thing unimaginable should be that we still allow discrimination of certain individuals and that such organization had to be created at all!

Imagine being told that you are unsuited to raise your child due to losing your sight?  And you have to go through the horror of a custody battle to prove your worth and keep your child.  Or that you don't deserve minimum wage and are paid less for doing the same job as a sighted person?  Only 32% of people who are blind are employed.  Not because they lack skills or are unwilling. It is hard to convince a company to employ someone they believe will not be productive.

Unfortunately, the first thing the public thinks about when they encounter a blind person is that they are "helpless".  I have been part of my local chapter, the National Federation of the Blind, Greater Jacksonville Chapter, since 2013; and let me tell you this group of wonderful individuals that I have grown to love and respect, are anything but "helpless".   They work and attend school.  They take care of their babies and husbands and wives.   And it is in this aspect, the changing of our nation's perception of what a blind person is capable of, that I have committed my energy and passion.

I invite all my family, friends and acquaintances to go to the National Federation of the Blind website nfb.org and read about this organization and all that it does for so many people, not just those that are blind.

Dedicated to:  Israel, Marita, Andy, Russ, Georgi, Joe, Latoya, Liz, Erica, Gina, Kirk, Quasia, Sue, Larry, Kaye, Glen, Ronasita, Toni, Doug, Carol, Jay, Levi, James B., James H., Bobby, Jessica E., Tracie,  Cheryl, Fallon, Sherry, Mary M., Mary Kay, Heather, Carla, Keisha, Sharon R., Johnny, John F., Jessica M., Sister Elizabeth, Kathy.