The Coral Princess, which was turned away from Port Everglades, arrived in PortMiami on Saturday. Two passengers on the ship had died, six had tested positive for Covid 19 (as well as six crew members), and over 50 passengers and crew were exhibiting symptoms. That my city refused the ship, and Miami accepted it, seemed to confirm my belief that there is a sweetness in Miami that doesn’t exist in Broward, due to the large Hispanic presence there. Last weekend that sweetness was converted into compassion, at a governmental level.
Last night one of my travel writing students read an affectionate, stream-of-consciousness prose poem to Miami, inspired by her departure from the city, which prompted another student to ask her why she left. She said she was in a parking lot one day when she heard people arguing in three languages and decided to move to Coral Springs.
For my travel writing course, I drive every Wednesday from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami. I’m thinking about arriving next week covered in sewage.
The woman doling out free samples – corn chips topped with black bean spread – told us: “They’re perfect for the holiday.”
Perhaps she noticed my confused look because she quickly said: “They’re perfect for the Super Bowl.”
I thanked her while Hania asked where she was from.
“Peru,” she said.
“Do you watch the Super Bowl?” Hania asked her.
“No,” she said.
“Me either,” said Hania.
Sunday Hania and I went to the Yellow Green Market, where Colombians were grilling meats out in the parking lot, Trinidadians were selling roti, Mexicans were making tacos, Jamaicans were heating meat patties, Venezuelans were filling arepas, Brazilians were baking cheese bread. There were tiny Thai lunch places and Southern barbecue counters and even a booth advertising “German street food.” Hania spoke Russian with the young man who sold her coconut juice, and on the way out we bought two packages of corn pasta in the Italian Depot.
Back home we turned on the TV and watched a travel show about Swiss trains, and I wondered if I could exchange this ethnic richness for a calm, orderly, efficient country whose president doesn’t have foreign generals killed.