OBAMA AND HAMILTON AT KASALTA

A chair honors the presence of former president Obama at the Cuban owned cafeteria in Santurce where the “ilustre” visitor ate a Cuban sandwich, after refusing for the second time to eat Puerto Rican rice and beans; this time, the "desaraidos" were  Governor and his Primera Dama, serving lunch in the old and revered house called La Fortaleza. Both events were filmed.  The first visit’s refusal was to eat what a group of ladies from a well known housing project, Lloréns Torres, cooked for him and the entourage. The constitutional ex-president went for a photo-op to the "caserío", and the ladies welcomed him with a big “cerro de arroz y habichuelas”, placed right in front of his face, and he pushed it to the side; causing a “say what” kind of cross islands reaction by the happy people of Puerto Rico who love those who love their rice ‘n beings ‘n beans. He pushed the plate  and continued lecturing the people in the local housing project .  

When in the islands, Puerto Ricans love to show up unannounced at friends and relatives' houses, “explayan’ a good and loud “Holaaa” (the “a” extended), and  time for a chat is found, at any time of the day, excluding dinner or lunch hours (breakfast rarely happens, but cafe is another thing). Puerto Ricans know that food is always to be shared and to avoid unconfortable situation do not visit during eating hours; not wanting to force someone to serve share food or -worse, much worse- not to be offered of what they are eating. If it happens, the "not being offered food" will be known by everybody else in the family: “Mira, esx, ni me ofreció agua”, said in full of conscience that the judgement on the relationship will be further substance for controlled and low key “bochinche”. It does happens, even among the best of families. 

So it was not surprising that the “bochinche” going around the islands when Hamilton the musical was the talk of the town had to do with the, “dicen las malas lenguas”,  the Obamas being told not to come to the show opening. That happens to those who refuse to eat Puerto Rican food, when invited, the whole island will collectively “boo you out of town”.