A Passing Feeling- Elliott Smith

So as I write this, I am back in the States. But I know I have a lot of updating to do, so we’ll start with Santiago.
Santiago is the second biggest city in Cuba after Havana, located on the other side of the island. The city was nice, but I feel like we didn’t really take advantage of everything it had to offer. We were all a little sad that we were away from Havana for our last full weekend. The best part (worst?) part of the trip was actually getting there/home.
I have been on a lot of airplanes in my life, but never have I boarded an airplane through the butt. Yes, that’s correct. This plane is a leftover Soviet plane from the 80’s. It shows. So we enter the plane through the back and find our seats. Through some stroke of luck, I’m sitting with Honorio and Danny, with Steph, Songe and Emma ahead of us. We managed to escape los profes.
Anyway, after we settle in, we realize that the seats don’t lock in place. As in, I can push forward on Sonya’s seat and she goes forward. Apparently, she was feeling super nauseous at the time and I was only making it worse, but I prefer not to talk about it. After we take off, white gas starts coming out of these vents on the floor. Obviously, that’s the air conditioning. And then the miserable flight attendants walk down the aisle spraying some chemical out of a can- air freshener.
I decide to check out the bathroom, so I head to the back. After I get in to this miniscule water closet, I realize that it is ridiculous. Maybe Russians are extremely tall, but there is no way that I can effectively squat on this toilet. I have to kind of hoist myself up and brace myself between the two walls. There is no was I’m touching the toilet seat (yes! There was a toilet seat) because everything is covered in an odd blue substance. After I’m done I want to bathe in hand sanitizer, but I stop myself from causing a scene.
The flight attendants come and bring us coffee (even airplane coffee is delicious in Cuba) and we chisme the rest of the flight. Just my luck, but I have to pee again at the end of the flight. I once again visit this ridiculous bathroom, and upon further inspection, I note that there are five or six napkins precariously folded, for drying one’s hands, I assume. And! There is a small cup of a thickish green liquid. Mouth wash, perhaps? Quien sabe. On the way out, the door was stuck, locking me in the bathroom. After banging on it for a while, I finally get it open, hitting a flight attendant and Profe on the way. Whoops.

Anyway, Santiago. Things we did:
1. Saw a performance of “tumba francesa,” which is a traditional dance/song thing in Eastern Cuban. It was brought by the French when they came to Cuba after the Haitian Revolution. Very different than anything I have seen in Cuba. There were these two adorable little kida that I was playing with and taking pictures of during the whole thing. I gave them gum. We were best friends. David, Jorge, and later their friend Rafael. So cute.
2. Climbed this ridiculously steep mountain in super hot Santiago to see a statue dedicated to los cimarrones, or runaway slaved. It was very beautiful and scary and Cuban. I loved it.
3. Went to a famous church which is the home of the Virgen del Cobre, (Virgin of Copper), who is Cuba’s patron saint. The church was beautiful, very similar to other Latin American churches I have seen. But it makes me sad when you see such splendor in a country full of people with no money. You would think the Catholic Church would understand that beautiful buildings don’t help people feed their families.
4. Went to the trova festival. Trova is a form of music that comes from the Spanish troubadours. The music isn’t really my style, kinda nasally, almost yelling, but it was cool to see. Also, there were a bunch of ladies that were sporting some meannnn mustaches. Ay dios. In traditional Cuban style, it started an hour and a half late because the sound guy didn’t show.
5. Went to the town of Guantánamo. In my guidebook, I had read that there is a hotel that has a lookout point on top where you can see across the bay to the U.S. Base. So we were all pretty excited, even after the terribly bumpy 1.5-hour bus ride. But then we discover that they had closed that hotel. Too many Cubans were jumping off of it into the bay to swim across to the base. Since it is considered U.S. soil, once they stepped foot on the soil, they were given U.S. citizenship. So the Cubans put a stop to this pretty quickly. So we couldn’t see the base and the town was pretty boring, nothing to do or see really. And there are no tourists in Guanánamo, so the men were relentless in their hissing and calling out to us. They had to get it all out in one day, I guess.
6. Visited this cool fort right outside of Santiago. It was beautiful, overlooking the bay. You could see the whole city from up there.

I also discovered something silly: I had made a friend when we were in Matanzas. He took us out dancing and we all had a great time. This whole time, I thought his name was Osmani. While in Santiago, our tour guide told us that it’s pretty common for parents to name their children English words, even if they don’t know what it means. It dawns on me that my friends name is not Osmani, but Usnavi. Yes; his parents named him U.S. Navy. Oh dear.

The plane ride home was equally ridiculous. But before we even got on the plane, we got a good dose of Idiot Profe. Our plane was delayed, then delayed again, then not on the board at all. Someone alerted Profe to this (of course, he was not paying attention) who got up, walked around without talking to anybody, and came back, declaring that no one knew anything. Then he got a beer. A while and many Shakira songs later, Courtney goes to ask some guy who looks official what’s up. He tells her that the plane is delayed because of weather in Haiti (that’s where it was coming from) but it has left and is on it’s way. Courtney, a 20-year-old student who doesn’t speak fluent Spanish, got way more information than our professor, who is Cuban, fluent in Spanish, and responsible for 12 students. After Courtney tells him this, he curls up in a fetal position and goes to sleep. Woo hoo.
When we get on the plane, I discover that I am sitting backwards. Like sitting on a jumpseat, I am facing the back of the plane. Taking off was such an awkward sensation. And we got this weird muffin that was kinda good. It might have just been weird because I hadn’t had a muffin in three months. Mmmm muffins.

Our last week was really bittersweet. Everything was for the last time: our last time at 23 y K buying hotdogs for fifty cents. Our last visit to Tal Vez. Our last time at Fabio’s (although that happened twice). Our last walk to school. Our last time to HV. Our last time sitting on the Malecón. Our last bus adventure. Our last moneda cab. So many lasts.
I guess it’s normal to start thinking about the beginning when you’re at the end. While I was drinking wine and packing with Honorio, I remembered our first night in Cuba. It was a Sunday, and we started class the next day. No one really knew each other. Everyone was kinda tired after a day of traveling, and most people just went to bed. But Honorio asked if anyone wanted to pitch in for a bottle of rum. When in Cuba… We sat around playing cards, talking, being friends. Me, Danny, Honorio, Tara, And Meg. La Junta.

Leaving was a lot harder than any of us predicted. Saying goodbye to Maria, Chino, and Milady was so sad. Maria made me tear up, Milady wouldn’t let me. Chino made me cry. He hugged me so tight, with a thousand “cuidates” and “buen viajes.”
We had just started to feel at home when we left. Three months isn’t that long of a time. In the beginning, it was took a while to adjust because everything was so different than what we were used to. But after a while, I began to feel at home in my city, in my residencia. I had a routine. I had friends. I had a life. Just when I was starting to feel secure, I had to leave. And now I have to adjust all over again. It would have been so much easier if I didn’t care.
I think one of the hardest parts about going home is knowing that no one will be able to understand. And it’s not their faults, but no one knows what Cuba is like and what it does to you. I have changed so much in these past three months and the only people I can really talk to about it is the other eleven people I traveled with. And I guess that’s okay.
My first meal at the airport was a combination of nachos and buffalo wings. It was delicious. But all I wanted to eat was rice and beans.

This Scene is Dead- We Are Scientist

Just some more fotos from my time in Cuba. All fotos de Meg, except the first, that's mine.

One of our first days here. Looking across the bay near Habana Vieja.

On our walk home from school.

Some ministry of something. But that's Che's face! He's everywhere.

This is an ad on a paper placemat at a restaurant that we love (they have great fries). But this ad says "Panoramic Restaurant- Maybe the best restaurant in Cuba." Maybe? So silly.

Meg and Steph found a frog in their toilet in Cienfuegos.

The smallest car on the face of the Earth.

The foreground shows Cuban homes. In the background is a five-star hotel.

My hood.

Some chicas hanging out on the porch.

The Righteous and the Wicked- Red Hot Chili Peppers

So Cuba lost to Japan in the Classic, which is greatly upsetting for all Cubans and me. It was a pretty sad game too; Cuba lost 6-0. Ouch. But tonight! there is a Cuba-Japan elimination game, so there's some esperanza. This is a double-elimination situation. The USA is guaranteed a spot in the semi-finals in L.A. after a GREAT game against Puerto Rico (three-run rally in the ninth to win 6-5). Also going to the semi-finals are Venezuela and Korea. And either Cuba or Japan. So much excitement! We're going over to a friend's house to watch.
In other news, it may be spring time in Boston but it is full on SUMMER in Cuba. Everyday I feel like melting. It's terribly humid and generally gross. But for some reason, I love it. This city fits me.
Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day and that makes me miss home a lot. i was really craving Diane's Irish soda bread, some mashed potatoes, and a good beer. Instead, I had rice and beans and some rum. All of which are delicious, don't get me wrong. But they don't make me feel particularly Irish, you know?
We were planning on going to the cervezería and then to this "Irish" bar in Habana Vieja (contradiction, I know). BUT with a recent influx of work, we could not. Who knew there was tarea in Cuba?
This new homework came from Dr. Brown who is teaching my Caribbean Music class. We had a test yesterday that included 5 takehome essays due thursday (this on top of a paper due today, a paper due tomorrow, a paper due tuesday for other classes.) I don't want to rant, I just want to say that never have I felt so unprepared for a test after studying for five hours. Yep, five hours. It was extremely unfair and I'm still so upset about it. (I had another five paragraphs, but I deleted them because it's just me complaining about how unfair this test was.)
Ahhh okay. Tomorrow we leave for Santiago de Cuba! It's a big city on the other end of the island, near Guantánamo. If you can believe it, it's supposed to be even hotter there! Ay dios. But I'm excited, we're flying there! So we'll get to see some real Cuban air travel.

I have ten days left on this island. I'm freaking out.

This is how I will remember Cuba: loud.

Pictures of Me- Elliott Smith

Just some silly fotos from all different things.

This was taken at Callejon de Hamel, where every Sunday they have a rhumba festival. This was our first or second weekend in Habana and this guy named Saulé (the Cuban version of Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean) had his own version of an ipod. He had a stethoscope taped around his cell phone. Now I don't think he used his cell as an actual phone, just as a musical device. But who knows. Foto de Steph.

This is a shot of Sonya and I walking to Habana Vieja. On the left is the water (Cuba's north shore, facing east) and on the right are some of the restored buildings along the Malecon. This is how I will remember Cuba: bright. Foto de Sonya.

This was one day when Steph, Meg and I wandered home from our happy place (a.k.a. this place that serves decent pizza). We found a whole street of these wonderful trees. We jumped for joy. Foto de Meg.

José Marti! I know Danny and Maggie would appreciate me bringing the 'stache to Cuba. Foto de Meg.

Meg, Steph and I standing on top of Arco Iris. Well, actually I guess it was under Arco Iris. Foto de Michelle.

A photo of the Capitol building. This building was designed after the U.S. Capitol building in D.C. Foto de Steph.

I think that's all for now.

The New American Apathy- Mazarin

On Friday, the gang went to America.
Kind of.
We had planned a visit to the U.S. Interest Section. Since the U.S. doesn't have diplomatic relations with Cuba, we don't have an embassy here. Technically, it's part of the Swiss Embassy. It was really interesting and we earned a lot. The following are some of the more interesting things.
1. Purpose of the U.S. Interest Section
This took a lot of explaining. If the U.S. doesn't want to have anything to do with Cuba (no trade, travel, etc.) why do we need our own section? Well, at the Section they help U.S. citizens living/visiting Cuba (legally). They also help Cubans who are looking to receive asylum in the U.S. The U.S. legally accepts 20,000 Cubans a year. The waiting time for immigrants from an country to get a green card can be 10 or 15 years (or more). But Cubans have a special status. All Cubans are considered refugees (most people are considered refugees until they leave their country, but since Cubans can't leave, they're refugees when they are in their own country). Therefore, they can become an LPM (Legallys Permanent Resident) in about 18 months. Also, any Cuban who sets foot in American soil is legally allowed to stay; the U.S. will not deport them (this is called Wet Foot/Dry Foot policy). The agreement used to be that any Cuban who made it to international waters (via raft, boat, what have you) would be brought to the U.S. as well, but that law changed in the 90's. Now, anyone found in international waters must be returned to Cuba with an agreement that the Cuban government doesn't punish them in any way (no jail time or anything). The U.S. periodically does checks on these people to make sure that they're being treated properly.
The Section also tries to gather as much info as possible on Cuba to send back to the U.S. This is especially important because Obama is reviewing our policy on Cuba right now, so the more information they can send, the better. The problem with this, however, is that the Cuban government will not talk to FSO's at the U.S. Interest Section. They try to set up meetings or whatev and they are denied. So the U.S. has to go through thirs parties to find out stuf (Mexico or Spanish embassies). So this just makes it hard to get info.
2. Internet? What a novel idea.
The U.S. Interest Section runs two 9soon to be three) internet "cafes" to give Cubans better access to the internet and specifically to international news. The internet is uncensored and anyone can sign up for a slot of 1-2 hours of free internet. They have about 40 cmputers right now with more on the way and apparently hundreds of people use them every day. BUT you always have to think of possible consequences for Cubans. If you have visited the American Interest Section, there can be negative effects career-wise; it can hurt your chances for getting a promotion if you've used the American internet.
3. Forest of Flags
A little more about Cubans access to news: I might've mentioned this before, but on the side of the building there's a scrolling news bulletin. It's updated 4 times a week and has world news headlines (in Spanish!). Things about Obama's inauguration, stuff in Iraq, Israel/Palestine conflict, what have you, are flashed across this giant screen. Recently, a big item was about a priest who was murdered in the Cuban province of Villa Clara. This went unreported in the Cuban press. Shortly after the U.S. started broadcasting these messages, the Cuban government erected about 50 black flags in from of it in an attempt to block the news.
4. The U.S. breaks it's own laws
Okay, not really. But I think I may have incorrectly reported on this before: the U.S. trades with Cuba. In fact, it is the island's fourth largest trading partner, after China, Venezuela, and Spain. In the 2008 fiscal year, The U.S. did $717,000,000 USD worth of sales to them, up about 65% from the previous year. Othe countries who trade with Cuba know that they have no money, and kind of allow them to buy stuf on credit (i.e. they don't have to pay them for years and years). The U.S. on the other hand, makes the govenment of Cuba pay in cash upfront before we even ship them anything. Also, in the grand scheme of things, 717 million dollars isn't that much money. That wouldn't even bail out our banks.
5. They will not throw you in Guantanamo
Tip for anyone who wants to enter Cuba illegally: if you have a problem, they will help you. They do not stricly enforce the no travel policy. So if you lose your passport, all of your money, or you're plane ticket, they will help you out. Don't worry.
Okay, so that's all I have for the U.S. Interest Section. Let's move on to the U.S. marines
While leaving the Section, the woman who talked to us (she was annoying, self-rightous and American-centric) invited us to the Marines house for a St. Patrick's Day party. She told us there would be green beer, green jello shots, and dancing. Everyone from the Section was invited.
We go out to lunch after and discuss. Were we going to go? For one, we didn't know what to expect. I was thinking that this party was going to be like a frat party: a bunch of boys in the Marines who haven't talked to girls in months (neither the Marines or the FSOs are allowed to date or even really befriend Cubans). Others were thinking it was going to be like a cocktail party because families of the people who worked at the Section were invited. Either way, we decided it would be an adventure. Eight of the gals got dressed up and went to Miramar.
Thankfully, when we walked in, we saw one of the women who had talked to us that morning. She pointed out the bar and the dance floor and told us to have fun.
The barmen (and woman!) were the Marines who lived in the house. First, the Staff Sargeant (I'm not actually sure if this was his title, but he was the one in charge) came up to us and asked who was 21. We all nodded slowly, confused. The drinking age is 16 and unless I'm buying drinks in USD, I don't understand the point. Also the fact that none of us were asked for ID was odd. So we hung out at the bar for a while, meeting some of the Marines. I talked to the only female in the whole house for a while. Aside from being one of the most socially awkward human beings I have ever talked to, she was pretty nice.
She told me that she's only 21 (the youngest one out of the 8 Marines in the house) and she's been serving since she was 18. Before Cuba, she served in Iraq and Senegal. She's currently working with the Department of Homeland Security to get her degree in Terrorism (yes, it is called a degree in Terrorism). Tara asked her if it is difficult to be a woman in the Marines. She said yes, because first, it's more physically demanding and you don't get any slack (which is expected), while at the same time you have to work twice as hard to earn people's respect even when you can complete the physical tasks. Ahh, the hypocrisy.
So anyway, as the night went on and the Marines started to loosen up and share some more info (might've been the green beer).
What I learned from the Marines:
1. They don't like Cuba. Because it's Cuba, they're not allowed to leave the island or the city! For a lot of them, traveling was the reason why they joined the amred forces. Some one told us that when he was stationed in Korea, he went to Vietnam, China, Thailand, and Japan. Here, they can't even leave Havana.
2. They don't take advantage of being in Havana. They say they go out at night and such, but they pretty much limit themselves to Miramar (a really rich, touristy suburb of Havana where they live). They're not allowed to date or even really hang out with Cubans. In other words, they don't really know anything about Cuba.
3. They think really ridiculous things. Like Cuba is a super dangerous country. We told them that we travel around the country quite a bit and they asked us what kind of security we travel with. Excuse me? I never feel unsafe in this country. It's like living in any other city: don't be stupid and you're fine. Also, this is a very safe place especially for Americans. The Cubans want the embargo lifted. Something happening to an American here would be a PR nightmare. Speaking of the embargo, there was a Marine who didn't really know what it was. Meg was talking to him about how Cubans are starving and he was trying to blame it on the Cuban government (which, yes, they play a role in this as well). Meg then said "Well, I don't think the Americans have helped then out very much either, with the embargo and all." He then looks at her, in all seriousness. and asks "What do you mean?"
They were also convinced that "the Communists" (Yes, those are the words they used) are watching us all the time. Oh dear.
So in other words, I think that since they don't know Cubans or the real Cuba, they will never understand anything about this country. Not that I do or can or pretend to.
All in all, the whole night was weird, interesting, and fairly sad.
I come home in exactly 2 weeks.
In other completely unrelated news, I have the first sandal tan of my life. I thought my feet were dirty for like a week until i believed it. It's very faint but I kind of like it.
Also, I really miss cheese.

The Book of Right On- Joanna Newsom

So as to the links from yesterday, this is the first step taken by the Obama administration to undo some Bush administration rules that strengthened the 47-year-old U.S. trade embargo against Cuba.
This bill, which was passed by Congress yesterday, is a $410 billion appropriations bill that states that Cubans in American will be able to visit the island more (Bush rules limited travel to just two weeks every three years, and confined visits to immediate family members). The amount of money they are able to send to the island will also increase (right now, they are only allowed to send $100 a month to family in Cuba). It will also loosen trade restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba, making it easier to ship agricultural products and medical supplies to the island.
Many Cubans rely on remittances from the U.S. to supplement their low wages here in Cuba. But for people who do not have family abroad, they're out of luck. This bill, while greatly improving life for many Cubans on the island, will create an even greater wealth gap in this supposedly "classless" society. I'm not blaming the U.S. for this because I think passing the bill is the right thing to do, but I think that Castro needs to take into account that this bill, in addition to other changes in U.S. policy regarding Cuba that are sure to come in the future, will change this country forever.
Obama said that he is open for talking with Cuban leaders but that, like other U.S. presidents, he will only consider a full lifting of the embargo once Cuba's communist government makes "significant moves" (democratic elections and the like).
I am excited about the easing of trade because this will mean more food and more medicine on the island, both of which are greatly needed.

The News- Jack Johnson

US Congress eases curbs on Cuba- BBC March 11, 2009 2:54 G.M.T.

Cubans applaud U.S. bill easing trade, travel- Reuters, March 10, 2009 9:57 p.m.

Some good news for Cubans and Cuban Americans alike. Will discuss possible implications of this later.

In Other Words- Ben Kweller

A quick note on propaganda in Cuba: it's everywhere. There are no billboards in Cuba selling things, only propaganda. All fotos de Kate.

This is my favorite billboard and it's everywhere; it says "We're working, are you?" with pictures of ants. And an old fashioned car.

This isn't really "propaganda" but it is a speech by Fidel, which is practically the same thing. This is written on the wall of the paladar I wrote about previously. At the top it says "For this we say, liberty or death!" Come on Fidel, lets be original.

Che quotes are everywhere (sides of buildings, buses, houses), along with the iconic photo.

This is another good one- pictures of Hitler, Bush, and two other guys who I don't know (maybe you guys can help). It says "Full of assassins." Not really sure why it's half in English, half in Spanish.

Anyway, I think propaganda is kind of silly and it's usually pretty entertaining. But considering their newspapers are pretty much propaganda, its all the Cuban people have to go off of. All of the Cubans I have talked to have told me that it is a waste of time to read the newspapers. Most people here don't speak English so they can't really read any other news, especially since most papers don't report on Cuba, it's difficult. Also, I've been discovering things about the press here which make me sad: they don't really analyze things here. Raúl Castro recently fired a bunch of people that had been close to Fidel, including Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque. So the Cuban press reported on this, but offered up no ideas about what this could mean for Cuba, Cuba's relations with other countries or the U.S., etc. This doesn't help the Cuban people at all.

Children's Games- Antônio Carlos Jobim

So as I'm sure some of you (I hope?) know, it is currently the World Baseball Classic. While this may not be a big deal in America, it is certainly a big deal in Cuba. Every single hotel, bar, taxi you sit in, it's playing. And Cubans aren't only concerned with Cuba, they check out Puerto Rico against the Netherlands and Japan versus Korea so they can rate the teams and such. Now Cuba has an amazing team, as I think I have mentioned before. Now, they aren't having regular league games because a lot of the players are in the Classic.
Anyway, it's a lot of fun to watch the different games and it reminds me of home. If only there were panuts in the country.
Something odd I have learned about baseball in Cuba: all of the players have other jobs! It's because they don't get paid to play baseball because Cuba sees organized sports in the sense that we have in America to be extremely capitalistic. Which they are, to an extent. Anyway, Fidel doesn't want baseball players to be making 100,000 moneda nacional a year (HAH that's only about 4,000 dollars), he makes them work other jobs. And the players still get paid even when their not a work (like if their traveling or something) but I think it's extremely interesting. Also, all athletes get the samerations as everything else. No Michael Phelps with his 12,000 calories a day in Cuba. They get a bit of meat, some rice, no milk, not a lot of eggs, etc. Some of the girls here are good friends with boys on the national water polo team and they are so starved for protein we made them peanut butter sandwiches one day. The yare so hungry and they practice 6-8 hours a day. Crazzzyyyy.
In 2006, the U.S. didn't want the Cuban baseball team to play in Puerto Rico during the Classic because they don't get paid and the U.S. didn't think that was legit (or they just wanted to be difficult and anti-Cuba, I don't know, it's up for debate). Anyway, P.R. was like "Ummm, no they can play" and the Cuban team ended up donating their earnings to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort. (Actually, this too as a slap in the face to the U.S. government because right after Katrina hit, Fidel offered the U.S. 5,000 Cuban doctors to go to New Orleans as part of the relief effort and Bush said no. Even though they were starved for doctors during the time.)
I would like to point out that the love of my imaginary life Derek Jeter is the captain of Team USA.

Prarie Fire That Wanders About- Sufjan Stevens

So this past weekend we went to Cienfuegos and Trinidad. Our last trip to Matanzas was so awful that I couldn't even blog about it, so we were all a little hesitant about it. Also, 5 hour bus rides are usually not fun.
Meg, Steph and I chatted on the bus ride through the beautiful country side. I always forget that Cuba has mountains. We get to our hotel right at dinner time (dinner at the hotel was pretty delicious), so Thursday night was just some food and some T.V.
Friday morning we got up earlyyyy and got on the bus to go to Palmira, a town about an hour away. Palmira is a center for santería in the western part of the country. Now, considering all of my classes talk about religion and santería and orishas and all of that, I had no desire to go to all of these cabildos (secret societies) and museums about santería, but apparently there were other plans. All morning we went from place to place and they were all fairly similar (read: boring). Then we had lunch and spent the afternoon on our own in the city of Cienfugos.

Don't we all look so excited? Foto de Honorio.

Cienfuegos was fun, we went into all the little stores, did some shopping, had some rum boxes, and then sat on the pier. The weather was beautiful and we all had fun hanging out.

I know I look really sleep and kind of angry, but I wasn't! I promise! Sitting on the pier. Foto de Meg.

Saturday we went to Trinidad, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. It's an old colonial town that's been preserved pretty well. The whole town made me sad because it is one big tourist site and not "authentically Cuban" as my film professor put it. But whatev, Sonya, Emma, and I walked all around the city, up these little residential seats. We ended up on the top of this big hill where you could look out over the whole city and see the ocean in the distance. Very pretty.
Saturday afternoon we went to the Valle de los Ingenios, where a lot of the old sugar plantations were. We had lunch on an old ingenio (plantation) which consisted of not very delicious ropa vieja. My mama makes better. Next to where we ate lunch there was a big tower with very scary steps/ladders all the way up (Whitney told me there were 108 steps in total). I don't know what the purpose of this tower was, but you could see the whole valley from the top and it was beautiful. After this, we took a drive throught the valley and went back to the hotel.

The contraption that they used to squeeze the sugar cane to get the juice in the olden days. Notice Honorio in the backround, so exhausted from squeezing the cane. Foto de Danny.

Valle de los Ingenios. Foto de Meg.

Sunday was a lazy day: sleeping in, some beach, some lunch, and then the long ride back to Havana. I love getting out of the city to see the rest of the country, but I always love coming back to the residencia. Maria, Milady and Chino are always waiting for us with hugs. It's so nice.
All in all, a good trip.
Sunday was also Daylight Saving Time! It's so nice because its still very light out after dinner, until around 8! I love it. Sorry Boston, but I do NOT miss your weather.

Walk on the Water- David Byrne

More pictures from the flood! All fotos de Meg.

Me looking at the rio (river) that is Calle A.

Geovanis carrying some woman across the street.

A typical Cuban walking his dog and drinking a beer at 10 a.m.

Fox Confessor Brings the Flood- Neko Case

So while everyone was having a snow day on Monday in Boston (yayy spring break!), we almost had a flood day. Almost.

When we get a cold front (it usually correlates with bad weather in the northeast, give or take a day), the malecón goes crazzyyyy. The waves come crashing over the wall and all of Calle Primera is slightly flooded. But yesterday, we go out to walk to class. The water was coming up Calle A, and going down Tercera. So we turn the corner at Tercera, on the sidewalk so we're dry. We get to Calle B and cannot cross! Its like a rio out there, water almost up to our nees and moving. Then we are trying to decide what to do (skip class? because of a flood? is this legit?) and then the water is coming over the sidewalks and flooding everywhere. So we all get wet and walk home.
I run upstairs to call school (we're already about 20 minutes late at this point). I finally get in touch with Caridad, our academic coordinator. She's so cool and is like "Oh, yeah, that happens." So I go back downstairs to tell everyone the good news. Some people had gone to the gallería to get provisions (wine, cookies, etc. We were preparing for the worst). We sit and watch some of the silliness (Cubans on motorbikes, silly little dogs swimming in the street, etc.) and then I go back upstairs. What do I discover but Caridad had called back and they were sending us a BUS. I wish I had photo of the Casa bus in the water, but its ridiculous. I feel unsafe in that thing even when it's not trying to be a boat.

Casa Bus. Rum for your life! Foto de Meg.

So then we had to go to class and we just watched a movie and although the movie was good, it would've been better if I was snuggled up in my jammies.

I will be uploading another silly picture of the flood when I find it. Get ready!

Water May Walk- Devendra Banhart

So this past weekend, a bunch of us wanted to get out of Habana. Some girls took a bus to the caves in Matanzas that we didn't go to when we were there, and some of us rented a car! It was quite good.
Danny, Tara, Meg, Steph and I were planning on renting a car to go to Soroa to see some sweet waterfalls, maybe some caves if we had the time. Apparently Cuba is big on the cuevas. Michelle was going to be alone all day because everyone had plans, so we told her that if we could rent a car that would fit six people, she could come. Well, we couldn't rent a car for six people. We had a very normal sized sedan. But Michelle came anyway, and the back seat was so unconfortable. Luckily, I had over a pound of Twizzlers for roadtrip food!

The ride was only supposed to be an hour. Danny started out driving, but after driving around Habana for almost three hours, he was getting a little cranky. We had finally found the autopista, but didn't really know how far away we were. I could barely feel my left leg, so I volunteered to drive. The highway was empty which was nice. The car drove wonderfully and we were having so much fun until we were there! Well, almost. We didn't know exactly where the waterfalls were, but we were close. But we followed a sign that said tourist center up a hill. It was so beautiful. On the way up the hill, we met a cow and her cow friends.

I stopped to take a picture of our new friend.

The guy told us that we still had to go a little further on the autopista. We turn around, pass the cows again, and finally make it to the waterfalls. We were starving, so we ate lunch at a little cafe (decent mojitos), and then started the trek to the waterfalls.

This day was also the first day of showing off my new haircut that I hate. Foto de Meg.

They made us pay in CUC, which I was mad about (I tried my method of yelling a lot, but no luck). It was only three CUC though, so it was fun. We get all the way down into the valley (quite the walk down all of these uneven silly steps of crumbling concrete) and then we see the waterfall. Like a lot of things in Cuba, it left a bit to be desired. I was expecting these gushing falls (for 4 USD, I should get my money's worth), but it was just one little waterfall. But after some investigation, we learned that from last year's hurricanes, a bunch of it got wiped out. So sad.
But we still got to go swimming in the pools of the waterfall, climb up the rocks, stand under it, and generally be little kids. It was fun.

Arco Iris! Foto de Michelle.

After the falls, we decided to go to the mineral baths. It was gettting late and the caves were far away and we had to be home for dinner! So the mineral baths were really close (as in next door) so we walk in to this sketchy little building that reaked of sulfur. The mineral bath were free and kinda cold and kinda weird (it was like a small swimming pool, but was fed by these natural springs). The guy running the whole operation spoke English, but it was hard to understand (Meg described his accent as "One of those male hairdressers who tries to fake an Italian accent to seem edgy"). Anyway, were in the baths for a while, and then we get out and Tara was going to go first for a massage. We're standing outside in the sun, when she comes out and is whispering that the guy is creepy and we should skip the massage. Apparently, this guy kind of touched his forehead to Tara's forehead and left it there for a while. It was just all very odd. And very Cuban.
After that we drove home to a lovely dinner of pizza and bok choy. Yum.

Guess I'm Doing Fine- Beck

I just remembered this little anecdote from when Mom, Kate, and I were going back to the airport to pick up their luggage. First of all, this was an illegal taxi, meaning the they didn't have an official license from the state. Not a big deal, because whatev it's a car and they were going to take us there for 12 CUC (normally its about a 20 CUC ride). He then tries to charge us 15, but I yelled for a while and we settled on 13 CUC.
But we're talking to the cab driver and his friend who is along for the ride about various topics, and ended up talking about Obama. I think it was Mom who said that she hopes the situation with Cuba will change under Obama. Our new friend then says (in English) "Obama will do great things, but he can't fix our problems," meaning that the change has to come from within. I thought that this was such an interesting insight. Most people here try to blame their situation on the U.S. And while I do think that the Cuban lifestyle will improve dramatically when (because I do think it will happen) the embargo is lifted, the restrictions on their lifestyle are imposed by their own government.
So after this talk, the driver tells me in Spanish that he's going to have to let us out before the airport because he's illegal. And I'm like sure dude no problem, as long as we're super close and in a well lit area and such. He's like oh yeah, sure fine, and then proceeds to stop in the middle of a highway to let us out. I was like "No way, José" although I don't think his name was José. He gets all mad but then proceeds to drive into the airport and everything was fine! So we gave him a tip and he was happy and I was happy that we made some friends and Mom and Kate were happy because they got their luggage with a side of excitement.
I think that's all I have to say about that for now.

Une Anneé Sans Lumiere- The Arcade Fire

"¿Donde lo conseguiste?"
A new phrase that I have recently discovered. Loosely translated, it means "where'd you get that?" And this could refer to anything; that watch, shirt, car, bracelet, whatev. And the usual response is "A la izquierda," which means "to the left" (no, not like Beyoncé). To the left, referring to anything other than the straight and narrow, i.e. illegally. This has a lot of importance in Cuba, because this is a way of survival for Cubans.

This brings me to paladares. A paladar is a private, usually family-owned restaurant, as in not state-owned. When my familia came to visit, we went to this paladar called a Guarida. It's

famous because it is the featured restaurant in the Cuban film "Fresa y Chocolate," which was nominated for an Academy Award (Best Foreign Film) in 1994. The Cuban government allows families to control these small businesses in exchange for very high taxes. Paladares are supposed to have only 12 seats (although they usually have more than that). Also, the money goes to them (after they pay these taxes) so the service is wonderful as is the food. And it makes me happy that the money we paid for dinner goes to the waiter we had!

Me and Jesús eating dinner. Foto de Kate

But this restaurant is just so cool. You walk into this old crumbling abandoned building with a peeling painting of a cuban flag and an old speech by Fidel. In this building, there are a bunch of apartments and laundry hanging in the hallways. You walk up to the third floor, ring the bell, and you're in a completely different world. The walls are covered in photos and paintings, with random sculptures all over the place. There are a bunch of little rooms and tables on a tiny cute balcony.

Me and Joannie wandering around this cool building. Foto de Kate

Honorio and I peering over the edge. Foto de Megan

Race for the Prize- The Flaming Lips

So I don't know who was watching the Oscars (I obviously was not) but I just wanted to say one thing: I was so excited that Man On Wire won best documentary! I went to go see it at Cooldge with my fabulous friend Anne (who also has a blog!) and it's about this guy who is a wire walker (tightrope walker, if you will) who walks between, among other silly places, the Twin Towers in New York. He's French, and a lot of the footage is from the 70's, when this stunt occurred. Philippe Petit is also a cool guy, as evidenced by the photo below.

Leather at the Oscars? How scandalous.

Okay, two things: for anyone that hasn't seem Slumdog Millionaire, please do. My mom brought it to Cuba when she came to visit and I lovelovelove it! Not what I expected at all and such a beautiful film. This photo is by far the cutest I have seen from the Oscars.

Dev Patel (Jamal Malik) and Rubina Ali (Latika at age 5).

Okay I lied. three things: I was really glad Sean Penn won best actor. Milk was amazing. And although I'm usually not a fan of political acceptance speeches, I thought his was spot on. Totally appropriate. And he was looking guapo in his all black tux.
Ah I love the Oscars.

Wrapped Up In Books- Belle & Sebastian

So on Friday I went to the 18th Annual Feria de Libros in Havana. This book fair is so cool; it's at an old Spanish fort across the bay. Our school had a free bus going a couple times a day, which was awesome. The entrada (fee to get in) was only 2 MN (roughly 8 cents USD), so that was cool. There was a bunch of food stands with street food and such (Coppelia ice cream on conos! I was so excited). There were two options, you could wander around to all the little different stands to look at the books or go to the central library, which had ALL of the books being sold. We went to the central library of course (didn't want to miss any!).
It was very cool, I ended up buying ten books for less than four dollars! It's a big family event every year for Cubans because it's so cheap. This year there were a lot of books out for the 50th anniversary of the Revolution (I bought a book of interviews conducted by this one journalist with Fidel from 2006-2008). But it's not just Cuban lit, they have a lot of international stuf, all in Spanish. Among others, I bought The Little Prince, Age of Gold by José Martí, Cecilia Valdés, a book written by Fidel titled History will Absolve Me, and more. I'm excited to do some reading in Spanish; my speaking has gotten so much better but since I don't get homework here I don't read that much, except for the newspaper. So fun!

Kon Karne- MF Doom

Okay, this is Supermarkets Part Dos. Kate, in her infinite wisdom, gently reminded me that I left out many things. So of course, this entry will be in list form, as are most things in my life.

1. Lack of Produce
-There is no produce in supermarkets in Cuba. Outside the city, there are produce stands that are usually empty, and they have vegetable markets that (at least right now, in the Winter) have a lot of root vegetables, sometimes fresh jalapeños (!), and SOMETIMES lettuce. But lettuce isn't in our ration, so I don't get to eat much of it. (Side note: we just started getting acelga a.k.a. bok choy and i am so excited about it. Milady didn't know who to make it, so I showed her. Lots of garlic, olive oil, salt, a llittle white wine, and some diced red pepper for color. I loved cooking with her. But it really made me miss cooking with Brit at 196 Hillside.) So anyway, I can't just buy a head of lettuce for fun. It makes me sad. I have seen apples for sale exactly once. They were at the bread counter. And they were gross.

2. There is Nothing in the Store
-Even if the store is huge, there aren't that many products. To make up for this, they wil have shelves and shelves on one item. Today I was in a supermarket and there was a whole aisle for soda. They had one-half of one side (a.k.a. 1/4 of the aisle) filled with cans of "Tu Kola," Cuba's poor excuse for Coke. In the cookie aisle, one whole side was filled with chocolate wafers. Very odd. But I guess if you have nothing to fill the aisles with, that's the only option you have.

3. Weird Things are Sold Separately
-I kind of mentioned this before, but there are different counters in the supermarkets. If you buy something from one of these counters, you pay for it there instead of at the register. Today I paid close attention, and realized that its actually very odd. I bought some oregano from one of these counters, and also at this counter was some sort of oil, sazón, Cuba's version of Ramen, spices, and one kind of ice cream. Kind of an odd assortment. I don't know why they're sold separately, maybe to keep people from stealing? Who knows.

4. Things I Want to Buy are Very Expensive
-Cereal. Pickles. Something called Mexican Salsa, but is most likely not.

5. The Ever-Illusive Peanut Butter
-We heard reports that you could buy peanut butter at a supermarket in Miramar, which is a fancy suberb of Havana. It used to be where foreigners would have summer houses, so the houses are huge and beautiful and have lots of yard space, etc. At least for Cuban standards. Now, these houses have been turned into embassies for other countries. So they are obviously well-maintained. After my nap this morning/afternoon, I went with Emma, Meg, and Steph to this fancy supermarket. Rough life, I know. We had visions of a hybrid Whole Foods/Trader Joe's, full of lettuce and peanut butter. I don't know what I was thinking. It was pretty much the same thing as the Galleria (my local supermarket), just bigger. But that doesn't necessarily mean more stuf, as I have explained. And no peanut butter. But, they had little food stands/cafeterías/I don't even know in the parking lot! So we tried to get draft beer, but unfortunately could not. So instead we got french fries, met some Swiss/German/European guys who were asking us what we do for fun in Havana (they had just gotten here after driving across the whole island. I think we disappointed them). We also met a guy from Chicago on the U.S. Olympic wrestling team. Kevin had no neck to speak of. He's here for a wrestling match. With him was a GIANT Cuban guy who was also a wrestler, for the Cuban national team. We later discover he (the Cuban, I forget his name) has taken a liking to our fair Meg, and she gets his phone number and address. One more number that won't be called. Sigh.

Okay well I think that's all. Kate, I hope this has really painted the picture of Cuban supermarkets for you. I would like to leave you all with a quote from a friend of mine who is spending his semester studying in Hawaii. We were discussing the difficulties of island life, mostly how much we miss food. Me, because they just don't have it here, and him because Hawaii is so expensive.
"I get like menstrual and want to eat 400 pizzas covered in ice cream and chicken cutlets."
Five weeks until I'm back in the States. So crazy.

Sexy Ladies- Justin Timberlake

So this past Saturday night, me and the gals (and Honorio, Danny, and Danny's new boy Jose) went to a transformismo (drag show). Before I talk about the silliness that went on, let me fill you in on the trip there.
So this drag show has been going on in Havana for about 15 years. The location changes frequently to avoid the police/government (while there is no "official" repression of homosexuals in Cuba, they still face a lot of discrimination. Known gay clubs and hangouts are raided frequently, sometimes beating and detaining patrons). To get there, you have to go to Calle 23 and go up to a cab driver and ask "¿Donde esta la fiesta?" (Where is the party?) Apparently, all these cab drivers are in the know, and will take you there.
So we go on this cab ride for about 20-30 minutes, past Parque Lenin, outside of Havana. We get there, pay our entrada, and the show is just about to start. The women who performed were beautiful and sassy, singing (lip synching?) to some Cuban songs, some Spanish, and then some American (Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart" in French, anyone?) It was so silly and fun, but nothing compares to the show I saw in Thailand.
It was also nice to be in a place where we (the girls) weren't being constantly harassed. no hissing, no "ay, que linda," no nothing. I loved it.
In preparation for writing this blog post, I did a little research on gay culture in Cuba. It turns out that after the revolution, Fidel tried to rid the nation of homosexuality. Apparently, it was seen as a "product of a capitalist society." So through the 60s and 70s, lesbians and gays (particularly effeminate males) were put in prison without charge or trial, and confinement to forced labor camps.
Between 1986-89, HIV-positive Cubans were put into treatment centres called sanatorias. What I think is really interesting is that most of the people quarantines in the beginning were heterosexual aid workers, returning from Africa. Now, the sanatorias aren't mandatory, and there is an outpatient program, but they are still open for patients who prefer to live there.
Also, Cuba has a huge HIV/AIDS/STD education program in schools which has been credited for lowering the rate of HIV on the island. In 2003 Cuba had the lowest HIV prevalence in the Americas and one of the lowest ratios in the world. Since the development (and widespread availability) of anti-retroviral treatment drugs, HIV positve patients rarely have secondary infections.
Okay! Just a little info on homosexuals in Cuba.
In other news, I went to the beach today and got stung by a jellyfish. No bueno.

Picture, Picture- Harvey Danger

Just some photos of what's been going on lately. I'll post more when Kate uploads the pictures from my week with the familia.



Omara Portuondo, the sassiest woman in Cuba. She sang a couple songs with Chucho. I think she had a couple mojitos before she came on stage. Foto de Megan.

Tara and I getting our heads cleared for our necklace ceremony at my Padrinos house. Foto de Tara.


My uber-depressing classroom. Foto de Emma.

Kon Queso- MF Doom

So I know I just updated yesterday, but there are a couple of things I want to talk about that don't really have to do with events, more just like how stuf is in Cuba. So this is one of those.
I want to talk about grocery stores. For anyone who knows me even a little bit, you know that I have a deep love of grocery stores. This is most definitely from my mom. Every country we went to (and now every country I go to on my own) I MUST visit a grocery store. I think they are so telling of people's day to day lives, because food shopping is a necessity. And considering I love to cook, grocery stores are essential to my life.
But since food is rationed in Cuba, people get their food at bodegas. I think I have kind of talked about bodegas before, but I'm going to talk about them again. Most people in the U.S. think of bodegas as shady corner stores where you can buy pretty much everything (or if you're from Boston you think of it as an elitist place to buy expensive sneakers).
Here, bodegas are where people "buy" their rationed food. The food is so cheap (pennies for a kilo of rice), but everyone only gets a certain amount, which is usually not enough. The prices are kept artificially low (the price of rice hasn't gone up since 1959) so people can afford it. Everyone has a ration booklet where they mark off how much they buy each month and how much they have left.
So for those lucky enough to have extra money to supplement there food, they go to the grocery store. There is a small supermarket right next to my residencia, which is great. You go in and you have to check your bag at the "guardabolsa." I assume the reason for this is to eliminate theft, but I don't know if theft was a big problem here. But you have to check your bags at a lot of places, so maybe it was common.
Anyway, you go in and shop around, theres a cheese counter, meat counter, bread counter, and then aisles of food. Usually, we head straight to the snack aisle, considering most of our meals are provided. They have a couple of different brands (my favorite brand is from Spain, and there is a Brazilian company that makes delicious hazlenut wafers), and surprisingly, there is a bunch of different options for cookies and crackers that are gluten-free. I think this is odd because up until very recently in the U.S., these products were hard to find. They also have a ton of snacks that are full of fiber.
Something of late that we have discovered: Magic Dioxide. They are these cookies with chocolate filling that are absolutely delicious and to our surprise, are filled with vitaminas y minerales! So now we all have to eat them becasue their healthy. I don't know why they are called Magic Dioxide, but it always makes me smile. We also buy these GIANT tins of pseudo-saltines that last us for weeks. And now, since Dad brought me peanut butter, we make peanut butter sandwiches on our crackers to take to class. it makes me feel as if I'm in third grade and I love it.
Okay, back to the super market. If you want to buy rum, certain liquors, and then other random products (buillon cubes, some chocolates, ice cream bars) you have to wait in a separate line which always takes forever.
I think the biggest difference between shopping here and in the U.S. is this: when I go food shopping at home, I bring my list and get what I need and leave. When I go shopping here, something I bought last week could not be here this week. You never know what's going to be there. Sometimes they have Coca-Cola (like the real stuf) and sometimes they only have the Cuban brand. So I think the uncertainty of what's available is what fascinates me.
Okay, that's all I have to say about grocery stores.

Represent, Cuba- Orishas

So I have been getting worried messages from friends and family about my lack of updates, and I apologize (again). My life has been crazy recently. This will be long and hopefully answer some questions I have received!
I am going to skip over my trip to Matanzas with the group last week because, due to a combination of an incompetent professor, incompetent tour guide, and bad food, I consider that weekend a complete waste of time and money. I learned nothing except that I cannot dance casino (a type of Cuban dance) if my life depended on it.
Next order of business: my family came to visit. It was wonderful and bizarre and lovely and weird. My Cuba isn't their Cuba isn't Cubans Cuba, and that took me a while to realize. And while I kept saying, no, this isn't a vacation for me, it was a bit of an escape due to the amount of money spent/tourist-y things done.
Mom and Kate got here Wednesday night. I went to the airport and waited for four hours, after which I decided that they must have had a complication in Mexico or something. I go home, sad a dejected, and run out to go to an event at school. I come back to my residencia with a message saying that they got here safe and sound! I call them up, discover their bags had been lost, and go over to their hotel with clothes and essentials for them to use.
Dad came late late Friday after a long trip, and it was wonderful to have everyone together! We had many issues with hotels, and moving around (one night we stayed at a casa particular, which is basically staying in someone's house. It was very cool), but it all worked out. It was jazz fest this week too, which was a lot of fun. On Wednesday we went to see Chucho Valdéz, who is a very famous Cuban pianist. He played with a lot of people and it was so fun, you could tell they were playing around and having a blast. Mom, who wasn't even really excited to go, had so much fun. On Friday, we went to see Buena Vista Social Club, who was also so much fun. I was sad, because I bought the Chucho tickets knowing Dad would love to go and then he didn't get to! But it worked out anyway. On Saturday night, we went to the ballet to see Giselle. It was so incredibly beautiful. I don't know much about the ballet, but I absoultely loved it. The theater was another story. It had the potential to be so beautiful (the architecture was amazing) but it was dirty, and there were broken seats, etc. I kind of feel like that is a metaphor for Cuba as a whole (beautiful underneath all the grime, and not just the literal dirt).
Anecdote about buying ballet tickets: I know I have explained the two different currencies here in cuba. For the ballet, we couldve paid 20 CUC (about $24 USD) for each ticket and sat in the orchaestra and everything. Or we couldve paid 5 peso nacional (about 20 cents) and sat up in the balconey. So obviously, I wanted to pay in moneda nacional. I go up to the desk, show them my id, and they tell me oh yeah, just wait in line and you can pay in MN. So I get in line at one and wait until two for tickets to go on sale. I get up there and a different woman looks at me and is like "you can't use this ID, you're only here for three months." I just looked at her and was like "This is ridiculous, she told me I could pay in MN, I waited in line for over an hour, I'm buying these for all students, blah blah" pretty much just yelling in Spanish and being generally disagreeable. Finally, the woman just had enough of me and gave up. So I got the MN tickets, feeling all proud of my Spanish skills.
So then we go up to the MN door the night of the ballet. Clearly, all four of us are not students. The woman taking tickets was like "You have to go buy CUC tickets, you can't use these." So once again, my inner college student (aka can't pay full price for anything) came out and I started in saying "You can't do this, I already paid, what if there are no more tickets, I waited in line, the woman told me this was okay, etc." And she just didn't know what to do! I kind of felt bad for her, but I was stubborn. Eventually she let us through. Victory!
Other highlights: I drank more mojitos when my family was here than I have the entire six weeks prior. We went to the Havana Club (rum!) factory/museum, which was pretty cool. I learned all about the process of turning sugar into rum (and when we go to Trinidad, we're going to see sugar mills, so now ill be able to see the whole process). There was a tasting at the end of the 7-year aged rum, which I hadn't had before (pretty delicious). Then mom bought me a set of Havana Club mojito glasses and an official muddler to bruise the mint leaves! Such a good house present. So Brit (and everyone else in Boston) get ready for some delicious mojitos upon my return!
The fam also brought me a bunch of chocolate, twizzlers, peanut butter, and other treats, so I am happy (at least this week).
So overall, it was wonderful having my family here. I was really glad to be able to show them my life here, but I feel like they were kind of cheated because they didn't experience the Cuba that I see everyday, but you can't do everything in a week, so whatev. Also, being away from my house was a very unsettling feeling, and I am glad to be back to my day to day ritual. Although I wish that they were still here.
Okay, as of right now that's all I have to say. But I am trying to write in here more regularly, and I have a list of things I want to talk about, so get ready!

The Other Side of This Life- David Byrne

First off, I would like to apologize for my lack of updates. Apparently, I have faithful readers who expect more. Who knew? This week has been really crazy, between extra stuff for school and finding a hotel for my family (they're coming in two weeks!). So much running around.

I have been having trouble really articulating just exactly how I feel about my life here and the Cuban life. I'm going to try, but bear with me, it might not really make any sense.

I love it here. I really do. The people, the food, the music, dancing, the city, my American friends, etc. But I was not prepared for how utterly uncomfortable I would feel all the time in this country. The only way I've been able to describe it is that everything I know to be true in life is not. My whole way of thinking has been turned upside, and I guess that's what I was looking for when I came here. I obviously wasn't expecting to be living a totally normal life like I'm used to in Boston while I'm here. I knew it was going to be hard. But... I don't know how to describe how I feel.

I guess it's like this: I have never ever experienced an entire population who has no hope for the future. I was talking to one of my Cuban friends that I've met and he was telling me that even though he's considered middle class to upper middle class in Havana, that his life is so hard. Like how he knows that for the rest of his life, he will be living with his parents because there is no way that he will make enough money ever to have his own house for his own family. Or that he can't even work two jobs to make extra money even if he wanted to, it's not allowed. And that his kids will lead the same life that he is living now.

I am fascinated by the food situation here. All of their food is rationed out; they get 1/4 of a chicken a month, 1/2 pound of fish every two months, 4 eggs a month, one roll a day, one bar of soap a month, no milk unless you're under the age of 7, etc. They get a lot of rice, but those are practically empty calories (only white rice. Haven't found a grain of brown rice on this entire island!). Malnutrition is rampant, especially among children. There isn't enough food for anyone, and most families can't afford to buy extra to supplement their rations. But I am still confused because even in Habana, people have small yards and could easily keep a chicken or two or a tomato plant or something. I've asked why people don't do this and the answers I've gotten have varied. What I think is that this is not their culture and that it's not their way of life. The government hasn't given them the tools or the knowledge for this. And when "everything" is provided for you, people get hooked on being reliant. It's not easy to break that.

And i think that a part of it is the extreme form of socialism, but a big reason is the embargo. Even if the government wanted to, they can't import anything. Most Americans (myself included before I came here) think that the embargo is only for American companies, but it's not. The law says that any company ANYWHERE in the world that ships something to Cuba isn't allowed to ship anything to the US for six months. And since the US is the biggest importer in the world, companies can't afford to go six months without the US as a customer. So the US has effectively crippled the Cuban economy for the past fifty years. I just don't understand what the point is for the US to do this. It's not getting anywhere. Cuba hasn't caved. The only people who are hurting are the Cuban citizens. They have some of the best doctors in the world, but their pharmacies are empty because they can't import medications. basic things like birth control, the HPV vaccine, vitamins, tylenol, band aids, etc. are not widely available here, things that we take for granted. They have a great education system (it's all free, all the way through university), but students can't travel or see the world, or use their education in a global sense.

Another thing that I find a little weird is the job situation. Doctors make roughly $25 a month. Teachers make about $11. Security guards make around $14. And they don't get raises, and they don't get fired usually. So there is little incentive to do your job better, or learn more to move up in your job. There is so little mobility here, in any sense of the word.

But everyone we meet is so excited that we're American. They are able to distinguish between the American government and the people, which I think is pretty remarkable. I have experienced this in many countries except my own. This is something that Americans can't/don't do (Cuba is Cuba, Fidel represents how everyone thinks and feels, etc. This is what I have experienced at least. Similar to Israel/Palestine). And they all say how much hope they have that things
will be different with Obama. We had this one cab driver who was saying that he is glad that we are here and doesn't understand why Americans dislike Cubans so much. He said that just because we like capitalism and he likes socialism doesn't mean that we have to be enemies. We're just different. So true. I'm really glad Kate (mi hermana) is coming because I know I'm not making any sense and she will help me think more clearly about what I'm feeling/saying. Sorry for this incoherent rambling!

Anyway, what else. Tomorrow I'm going to a baseball game! I'm excited. The two teams from the Habana province are playing, but not from the City of Habana. Los Industriales are from the city, and everyone says that they are like the Yankees of Cuba. Hear that, Boston? They're not the Red Sox, they're the Yankees. They have the best record on the island and a lot of the players from Los Industriales are on the national team. And Cuba has won the gold in the Olympics for baseball in Atanta in 1996 and in Athens in 2004.

And on Tuesday, I'm going to the Ballet. It's the fiftieth anniversary of the National Ballet or something, so they're having a special performance with choreography by Alicia Alonso, who is the head of the Ballet Naciónal but also a really famous ballerina. She'll be performing too, so that will be cool. The BNC was officially started in 1948, but Bautista didn't support the arts at all. When Castro came into power, he gave Alonso a ton of money (she was one of his supporters) to really take the ballet off the ground, and now it's really respected in the ballet world. So I'm excited! Any reason to get dressed up is fine with me.

I think im starting an internship while I'm here! It would be at a magazine called Temas. They consider themselves a space for critical reflection and the debate of ideas, analyzing cultural problems, and contemporary social thoughts in Cuba and the world (a shaky translation). I would be doing marketing in English and writing in Español! I hope it works out because it would give me somthing to do in the afternoons (I don't really know what I spend my time doing here!) and it would give me the opportunity to meet more people. It's kind of hard to meet people here since I'm not at the Universidad de Habana and I don't have Cubans in my classes. We're kind of isolated. Temas is considered "subversive" for Cuba, whatever that means. I'm just hoping it doesn't turn out to be one huge brainwashed institution like most things I have encountered here. So we'll see.

I went to a panel/debate thing sponsored by the magazine on corruption in Cuba. I was interested to see what they were going to say in this public forum. The speakers weren't really saying anything interesting at all (corruption exists, but no more here than in other countries,
blah blah) but then people got up at the end to comment and that was really interesting. One guy was saying that he is a newspaper reporter and that he thinks that corruption is seen most clearly in the press. He will write a story and hand it in, but when it's printed, it s edited
down until its barely giving any important information, or he'll be told to change it, or whatev. Crazy stuff. And the sad thing is is that this was being covered by the local news, but how much of what was said by these people will really make it to television or print?

This weekend, another cold front is coming in, and the wind combined with my rattling windows kept me up most of the night. But it was okay because watching the waves crash over the malecón and flooding the street is beautiful and scary and peaceful all at the same time.

If anyone wants to know specific things about Cuba or my life here, please leave me a comment or email me!