2.19.10

During our break from Spanish today we made plans to meet up with some Cuban students tomorrow at noon (it is so difficult to meet up with students here, especially because nobody has a cell phone or consistent email). We saw our friend A. from FEU and greeted him before we bought ourselves some five cent snacks from the cafeteria. They are SO good- fried dough with some guava paste in the middle. It was very nice meeting Cuban friends at snack, it made us feel a bit more rooted and connected here. We also tentatively agreed to meet some Italian friends from Spanish class after dinner at Don Congrejo’s on Saturday (where we met our Boxer friend). After class we had another visit, this time to the National Direction of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, commonly referred to as CDRs. The primary purpose of CDRs, which the representatives we talked to clearly stated were “not governmental, but were in support of the government” is to defend and protect the revolution. This is a combination of maintaining Cuba’s sovereignty and independence, and also socialism. They also are in charge of the massive literacy campaigns, and push for health services and educational development within the country. I’m impressed with the fact that every Cuban is provided the opportunity to work. They criticize the USA’s high unemployment rate, but I would be discouraged if I had a University education and worked as a bus driver, which I hear is quite common here. I hate to sound like a broken record, but it was another very interesting visit. It was, however, a lot of Spanish and afterward, my brain was fried.



I’ve been inspired by my friend Christina Kay’s blog (which I would highly recommend- her documentation of her time in Uganda is super interesting!) to address the food situation here in Cuba. Sorry for butchering up that sentence so roughly. ANYWAY, In my opinion food here is closely tied with the socialist society and so related to the CDRs, and of course it dominates a large part of my day-to-day life here as I love and need food.
Cuba has a split economy. When you exchange money you are given convertibles (CUCs) they are equal to a little more than a US dollar (though of course you must first trade into Canadian or Euros!). Tourists and foreigners are supposed to use this currency exclusively. Often, the prices for locals and tourists will be listed right next to each other. ‘Museum Entrance: $5-Moneda Nacional $5-CUC. The un-acclimated tourist might then think they were paying the same as locals, when really they are paying 24 times more. This is not to say the tourist should feel ripped off. Cubans simply can NOT afford paying in CUCs for anything that isn’t absolutely necessary.

The supermarket near us (previously referred to as the ‘largest and most well stocked supermarket in all of Cuba’) accepts only CUCs. Most everything offered is more expensive than it would be from a giant Shaws or other supermarket chain in the States. This is where we must buy cheese, meat, milk, pasta, rice, and soap; most of our needs- we’re lucky when they have half the things on this list. It is clear that the average Cuban cannot shop here. Or that they buy only the items they cannot get elsewhere in moneda nacional.

About a week in, my group was extremely happy to find an outdoor agromercado, basically a farmers market. Finally! Fresh fruit and vegetables! We bring between 4-8 dollars and shop for the week. Normally we get carrots, cucumbers, avacado (they again were missing today!), onions, peppers, garlic, pinapple, and other finds. This is all purchased in moneda nacional. It is very cheap- some odd cents for a bunch of onions, purchased by weight.

In general, we’ve had extreme difficulty finding bread (must be purchased from one of a few hidden panaderias), eggs (“we’ll have eggs next week”…”tomorrow”, “we don’t sell eggs here, you heard wrong”), cheese, cereal and many other things. I think the entire group has lost some weight, though we’re pretty good about putting together a hearty meal at the end of the day. We don’t loose consciousness of our relative ease in finding food compared to the locals here. The other day my Spanish teacher was explaining how vegetables were extremely expensive for a Cuban to purchase. Seeing as vegetables are the cheapest things we’ve found to buy, I asked, well what then is a cheaper food to buy? She replied that no food was cheap, that all food was expensive for a Cuban.

It does not take a long time being in Cuba to hear about their ‘special period’ after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Our friend Alejandro told us about how a normal main meal in that time consisted of either one egg or one potato. The Cuban culture class discussed how cats were eaten during that time. That is all there was (I’ve seen several pigeons being transported on the bus, and I’m pretty sure they end up on someones plate these days). Today, a Cuban’s subsidized food includes rice and ‘a variety of beans’. But I’ve still heard complaints that the subsidized food rations are not nearly enough for a month. The vegetables are expensive; the meat is even more expensive. The shops in CUC are unrealistic for the Cuban shopper. A teacher of a peer here even declared to the class that ‘the special period’ is not over.

Undoubtedly things have improved recently. We have finally found a selection of eating hotspots near the university that serve a large number of locals. A favorite is Doña Laura’s: you get a huge plate of food and some Guava juice for a dollar. Hotdogs can be purchased for fifty cents, and anywhere with a giant line promises not only to be rewarding but also cheap.

More words in Pictures

I get extremely sick of hearing myself talk. Here is a picture apology to you all!


Director of Education with a mural about Imperialism (not pictured is a very austere looking uncle sam above).


Pretty cool graffiti in the park where we mini-golfed. you could see a red bull symbol too- how far our marketing extends!


no words


I don't think I will ever get sick of the old cars here. Picture from just outside of the University campus

2.18.10

I feel like I should explain a bit about how my program here abroad functions. I am taking two courses at the Center for Marine Research, which is located in Havana- a 25-minute walk from my residence. There I will be attending several tutorials by different lecturers on Tropical Marine Ecology. My second class at the center will be a diving class. The rest of my classes have a strong International Relations/Social Sciences focus. I am taking a theory class called Third World Underdevelopment and Politics, and a History of US and Cuban Relations class. These classes are held in my neighborhood also, and offered by Presbyterian college in conjunction with the Center for Western Hemispheric studies (part of the University of Havana). Lastly I am taking Spanish class at the University of Havana in the department of foreign languages. Part of my credit hours includes program excursions and educational visits; for example our recent trip to Santa Clara. We’ve had several incredible excursions already: we’ve met with the local branch of government, representatives of the university system, and have been to several museums, among others.

Our program expedition after Spanish class today was tremendously interesting. After Spanish the group walked downtown to MINED, the Ministry of Education. We picked up the director and were driven to a primary school just outside of the city. We were told we had arrived a little early and were confused until a line of students in uniform walked into the lobby and proceeded to sing a song with lyrics by Martí. At its conclusion, a small seven year old in the front said “We welcome you, our visitors from the United States”. We were given a tour of the murals of Martí’s stories (mainly Edad de Oro), and were shown each classroom. The classrooms seemed like those out of an old picture book. There were neat lines of desks with a central chalk board. At one point the director of education asked the class to get out their alphabet books. Each pupil produced theirs neatly on their desk. She asked them what grade they were in. ‘First!’ a few of them called out. “eh, eh, one at a time!” she demanded. A few hands shot up. ‘First grade’ the girl replied quietly when called on.
One classroom welcomed us with the production of paper American flags and a chorus of ‘bienvenido’, ‘welcome’. The MOST bizarre part, however, was when we reached the third floor. There was a giant assembly taking place with, I’d gander, grades 1-6 present. We were escorted to the front to wild applause. We then watched a short show that included dancing, singing, clown theatre, and a demonstration of English in a short skit. When the performance was over, and the next round of applause died down Professor McKelvey, our program director, said a few words of thanks.
We proceeded to the computer lab, escorted down the middle of the clapping and cheering students. The computer lab had seven or so computers, but they were older than the computer my family has at home that hardly functions. The director of education told us about the impressive numbers of graduates who go to University. The education system here is very well developed and one of the main goals of the revolution has been to eliminate illiteracy, which they effectively have done. At the end, representatives of the school thoughtfully gave us each a copy of Edad de Oro (so much for buying a copy at the book fair) and dedicated them to us with inscriptions. They thanked us for coming and said that they hoped that the people of the United States and the people of Cuba would continue to share with each other, to understand each other, and to form connections to make meaningful change in the current dogmas of our time. It was a quite meaningful moment.

2/17/10

We’re making friends! Some members of FEU, a student leadership organization of the University that I have previously mentioned, brought a few of us to the National Book Fair on Monday after Spanish class. Each year with a guest of honor (this year, not surprisingly, the guest was Russia) there is a large book fair at one of the old castle forts.
The book fair was fun. Most of the books were about Fidel, Socialism, or Russia. I bought a collection of poems and short stories for children called the Age of Gold written by Jose Martí. It is clearly and easily written for youth but contains deep moral and societal significance, or so I’m told. I’m excited to be able to read it in Spanish and at least understand the premise. It cost 25 cents. The most expensive book I saw was one dollar. Our friends were wonderful. I had a very interesting conversation with one of them about the Cuban people’s power to publish material that might not support Fidel. They tried to teach us some Cubanisms you might hear on the street. This resulted in a lot of failed attempts at Cuban lingo and laughter at our expense.
Tuesday was my first real tutorial in Marine Biology. I talked with the professor about limitations of organisms in a marine habitat. My classes in Biology are held at the center for Marine Research. This first Professor does research on coral reef conservation. He said that the research center faces a lot of difficulty because of the unavailability of Internet and therefore the most updated research. During the second half of class we watched an episode of planet earth. I hope it gets more challenging, but overall a good first class compared to other ‘first classes’ I’ve taken.
Unfortunately, I haven’t had a lot of time for my reading recently so I was forced to stay up quite late last night to try and finish my reading and reflection. It will have to be an early night tonight. Enough for now.
Feelings: the weather feels like autumn; there is a cold front coming through, I’m finding it a bit hard to concentrate.

2.14.10

Happy Valentines Day everyone! Normally I hate this holiday for its cheesy commercial value but in Cuba ‘el día de los enamorados’ is really very sweet. I’m also in a good mood because we just got back from a long weekend excursion through (por) the countryside to Playa Giron and Santa Clara (para). Though I hadn’t realized it before, I needed a break from the city of Havana and it was a fascinating and fun trip. Since it is Valentine’s Day, I’ll try to express the holiday festivities here and perhaps then highlight some of the zeniths of the entire trip.



Late February 13th, the night before Saint Valentine’s Day we arrived in Santa Clara. Villa Clara, as locals call it, is city that today commemorates Che. His remains are stored under a giant memorial and museum in the center, along with those of his fellow Guerrilla combatants from Bolivia. The ‘love in the air’ in Villa Clara is very different than what you see along the Malecón. Part of what I witnessed in Santa Clara was a young and artsy population. We went to the museum of decorative art and walked in on two young women singing, playing the guitar, the piano, and the harmonica. I would describe their music as a little folky, a bit traditional, and some very sweet jazz sounds. The open patio atmosphere with the soft orange and purple lights made a perfect romantic setting for many couples I would imagine.



When the concert got out, we walked around the square, the song ‘chan chan’ rang out of a crowded corner bar, we continued toward the one and only hotel (where we were staying). Some slower live music drifted to us from underneath the old Greek columns of a closed building. On a ledge rested a partially empty bottle of ‘havana club’ rum and next to it 10 or so couples aged 60-75 were dancing in the street to the music of the serenading salsa players. The flower venders across the park were packing up their goods to head home for the night. At 11:30 we went back our hotel, before the start of the actual holiday.
It was so nice to be free from the chocolate hearts and expensive packaged valentines-day-cards. Instead we saw something more genuine: the old dancing couples knew their partners next step before it came. They had clearly spent years dancing together.
Look who has become quite the romantic!

Highlights of our excursion:
-Museo Giron- great little museum located in the vicinity of the Bay of Pigs invasion and dedicated to the invasion as the turning point in history when the revolution was declared a socialist revolution.
-A short boat ride to a replica of a pre-colonial indigenous community
-I saw the beach where I’ll be SCUBA diving in the near future (SO EXCITING)
-Finally went to a Casa Particular for dinner, and it was delicious
-A wonderful mojito from the top of the tallest building in Santa Clara.



-Learning more about Che Guevara. My previous knowledge is only from The Motorcycle Diaries.
-An impromptu visit to the farm of our driver’s friend. We rode his horse around the yard and met the family as well as saw his house. I have never felt so immediately welcomed in any place. We’ve all been invited to return if ever we are in the neighborhood again. Ultimately I really enjoyed seeing the countryside and seeing this other version of Cuban life.

At this point I am 1/5 through my time here in Cuba. It has gone by so quickly that it is very hard for me to believe. I am in a good place though, I have only excitement for the next 3/5 of my time, and only dread for the last 1/5!

A picture is worth a thousand words, here are 5,000

Waves wash over the Malecón-Normally we walk on the other side of the street.



Walking the street after school in Vedado



Public art in by the Capitolio. Also, a mullet.



1950s cars by the National Theatre




If you need cement blocks, this place is open 24 hours. Lots of vacant storefronts here.

2.10.10

Classes have most definitely begun. “Thank god” you should say, because now hopefully my posts will be significantly shorter, though unfortunately no more coherent.

Today we discussed the culture of Cuba and the Cubans perseverance during these years with the embargo. Some times have been harder than others. I should write more about the embargo later when it is not so late, and I can think more clearly. We talked about how when my professor was young, she had to bike over an hour to and from work. There are very few bicycles in Cuba these days. I think the last supply of bikes were old fashioned and poorly made ones from China. Our teacher suggested they were very bad for health and resulted in men with prostrate problems. No wonder they are no longer popular.
I got lunch for less than a dollar and then this afternoon I had my first Marine Bio introduction. We met at the center (very close to ‘home’) and discussed the logistics of diving lessons- training in the pool, then moving to the beach practically off the Malecón, then some day long excursions. I was told my classes could be as difficult as I wanted- I told them I want them difficult (so long as they are difficult in English). My syllabus indicates that I have several different professors and will learn about a variety of topics from microalgas to sea turtles, mangrove systems, to coral reefs, and conservation. I can’t wait! Katie gets to dive with me, as she will also be my transportation for our excursions. So, her job pretty much rocks in both of our minds. Katie and I got out pretty early and so we went to get some laundry supplies. In Spanish class today we were told an expression about Cuba. Translated, it means: ‘this is Cuba: don’t have any prior expectations’. That could not be more true, too late. Because we are living in a hotel, the laundry service charges are through the roof, which is several stories high. And because when we ask for a lavandería (hopefully a less sketchy one than the one found in Costa Rica) the locals just shake their heads in rejection of the proposal, we are going to do it by hand. Our finds: two large buckets, some balloon ribbon for a clothesline and bobby pins for clips. The laundry is out to dry, results due in tomorrow.

Ps a quick rant- it is so annoying to have to boil all of our water! And even more annoying is when the water that I have boiled mysteriously disappears in the night and I’m left with none in the morning when I roll out of bed. Any suggestions, Holmes?
Feelings: tired, nerdy, thirsty

2/8/10

Spanish class today and then met with the Federation of University Students- Federacion estudiantil universitario. It is the student body group that Fidel was involved in (I believe) as the revolution picked up. It is definitely cool and inspiring to see a student body so influential and integral in the makings of a revolution. It is something to be inspired by, though less applicable in Tufts U.’s riot-proof dormitories. I was reminded a lot of Thailand, today because Veronika (who is taking a Cuban culture class rather than language) told us about the superstitious beliefs held by some Cubans.
-Most Cubans don’t wear black because they believe it brings heavy/dark things
-Some Cubans pay thousands of pesos (aka hundreds of dollars) to become saints if they believe it will make them have better times.
-Santeria, a common religion, sometimes uses voodoo.
-Some people will seek and follow advice which leads them to stop working or change careers, stop eating a certain food, or following certain routines to improve aspect of their lives. Obviously, this could be very difficult in a place where money does not come easily.

I had experienced similar things in Thailand, where, following the advice of a monk, people would avoid driving, change jobs, or follow other instructions for several months. Of course, a lot of Cuba is not religious at all, and would prescribe such behavior as silly. To each his own.

The day involved Spanish class (subjunctive, I wish that you were easier!), meeting students from the FEU student union (we will be having continued contact with them and they seem very nice!), strawberry ice cream, and a bus ride home. Venezuelan news on tv again. They don’t have the much praise for the United States, just in case any one is wondering.

2/7/10

Woke up at 6 in the morning with an upset stomach. Another day of R and R it is.
Also of note- yesterday we went to the museum of chocolate. Definitely recommended for chocolate lovers and romantics alike.

2/6/10

Its fairly early in the day but I thought I might just blog a bit now. I seemed to get my sickness out of my system efficiently yesterday. Hopefully THAT won’t happen again.

Unrelated, I feel like I’m not getting a very honest impression of Cubans. This morning we went to the grocery store. It is the largest and most well stocked grocery in the country- and this is the second time they have not had cheese of any sort. I hate going to that grocery store. It used to be a place where you literally had to show your passport to get in, locals weren’t allowed. On Thursday the group went to a government building to hear about the Cuban constitution and method of assemblies of the public. He explained how in Cuba everyone has equal access to things: they all have the ability to transport themselves, to work, to have a house, and to get groceries. I argue, however, that there is still a large distribution among these abilities. For example, the majority of Cuban people can not shop at the market here in the tourist district. And the rations for food are not enough for meals to last the month. It is a difficult problem. I definitely understand the failures of our capitalist system, but I’m still not sold on the effectiveness a socialist organization.

Anyway, in the grocery some guy says: cual pais!? He holds his arms wide as if he is going to give us a hug. Katie and I stop walking. We exchange a quick glance with no answer. We are sick of everyone asking where we are from as the first encounter of discourse. Why does it matter!? Also, when you say ‘the United States’, you usually are responded to with, ‘oh really? Oh, we love the united states, Miami right!?’. I’m sure this is not true for everyone who as told us so. Italy? He asks Katie. At the same moment she says yes, and I say Canada. ‘For me’, I add. Sometimes it is just easier this way.

End of day update: feeling more comfortable using the bus system. Can get to school, old Havana and back home with ease. We found a wonderful art market that is evidently a weekly Saturday event. Upon returning ‘home’ to the hotel we found that neither our soap or toilet paper have been replaced. Please don’t let this be the beginning of a shortage again!

Feelings: infinitely better than yesterday, but the city makes me tired. Thinking beach tomorrow for my reading.

2/5/10 Never Eating Fried Rice Again!

Oh why? Why must my stomach rebel against my menu choices and be such an angsty pesk.

I home sick from Spanish class today with a VERY upset stomach. Watched a little Cuban news, some vh1 and did some reading. I miss home and school a lot when I can’t keep myself busy.

2.4.10

Now that classes have started, there has been less time to blog. I was placed in advanced Spanish, which was nice. The four of us all got assigned that level, so it will be good to do homework together some nights. The class has about 14 students in it from Japan, Italy, the US (Princeton), Germany, Algeria, England and Canada. There are a variety of ages in the class, 20 being the youngest. Anyway, we were all saying our names and where we were from and the teacher asked how old I was because you had to be 18 to be in the class. I got super red and told her I was 20, which drew some laughs. THEN she says, oh! 20, I thought you were more like 12 or 15. Later the same day this guy we see around the neighborhood came over to say hello and gave the other girls a kiss on the cheek and me one on the forehead. Then he asked whose daughter I was, anyway. My life!
But in any case we have now had a couple days of Spanish class and though my brain is fried after, they are fun and I think/hope they are helpful. We’ve also been cooking for really cheap, so I can now make a pretty good medley of things, or at least enough to get by on.
The last update I have is on a really neat experience we had yesterday. A few days ago we met a professional Cuban boxer who was working his second job as security at a club. He invited us to see him box and we decided to go. It was so cool! His class was a wide distribution of ages, from 5 to 35 or so. It was so interesting to watch them learn the sport. We had a really good time and hope to go to one of his matches.

2.1.10 Blogging instead of Reading

Hey everyone, hope you’re well.
This morning involved a Spanish placement test, and the acquisition of Tupperware. They happened. Neither were major triumphs nor defeats in my book. Tomorrow, I shall be assigned to a level of Spanish. If it is not high enough for tufts standards, I may try to swing up, but I can’t understand hardly anything Cubans say, so I’m disinclined to try it. Vamos a ver.
In the past few days I think I’ve witnessed a lot of Cuban love. The machismo here is a very strange thing. It is so different than in our culture. An example is below:

Veronika is talking with a 30 something year old man in Spanish at the local outdoor vegetable market. She signals for me to come over for help. ‘Buenas’, the man acknowledges me, but quickly focuses his attention back on Veronika. ‘I want a wife equal to you’ he tells her in Spanish. ‘oh, thanks’ she replies. He asks her if she wants anything from the vendors. I tell him that we’re all set. The fact is we have discovered that the best days for the market are Tuesdays and Sundays. Most of the things we had intended to buy were sold out, probably the previous afternoon. ‘Piña o guayaba?’ he asks if we want pinapple or guavas. ‘ really, no thanks, we don’t need those.’ We both reply with some force. He is persistent. Pineapple then? ‘No, we have a pineapple already’. To this response he begins loading guavas onto a scale only stopping to hear the weight before loading more. Nine guavas later, he presents them to Veronika. ‘um, thanks. I can pay’ she says. He declines the offer (of course) and asks her if he may give her his number. She thanks him for the bag full of guavas, but refuses his number. He asks if she will return. Yes- she tells him. We walk away to meet up with the other girls and buy some tomatoes. He comes over with a pineapple and sticks it in the bag. ‘See you Tuesday?’ he asks. “It is possible” we say, “we will return.”

This happens all the time to Veronika. I think each girl probably takes such courtship differently. We are all whistled at and blown kisses constantly. As we walk in the city even police officers will comment “que linda” ‘how pretty’. They like Veronika’s curves and Jennifer’s blonde hair. But the machismo really isn’t bad. If these men are rejected, they will leave you alone. It is an interesting thing. What is really so bad about letting a girl know you think she is pretty. One seventeen year old would not stop making the kissy noises at the baseball game the other day. As we rode the bus home we talked with a companion he was with. “your friend annoyed us.” We told him bluntly. “Why did he do that the entire game?” His reply: “He wanted your attention”. Here is the unanswered follow up: What for? He got our attention; we would turn scowling many times. It is too bad he didn’t want to direct our attention into conversation rather than simply distracting us from the game.
I don’t sense the machismo as much here as in Costa Rica or Guatemala. The men here are polite, just not subtle. They extend a hand as you exit a cab, offer to their seats to women on the bus, etc etc. And while some men are known to “not use their wedding rings”, I’ve seen many lovey-dovey couples on the Malecón and men on the bus and in the city that are very protective and comforting towards their girlfriends/wives.

It is a very interesting phenomenon. Perhaps I’ll have a different perspective on it after more time here.

(Later) 1.30.10 Take Me Out to the Partido de Beísbol

Short update on my before I cram for my Spanish placement test! It was a relief this morning to not know what our plans would be. We all slept in, a welcome break from orientation and much needed business after last night’s experimentation with the Cuban schedule of nocturnal festivities. Once awake, we took a cab to the ball game. The Cuban baseball teams have games 6 days a week. Hundreds of Cubans go to each game for about five cents each- especially if the home team is playing, los industriales. Now, I’m no baseball aficionado but what beats going to the game and getting riled up for five cents. We sat in the crowds, answered the ‘where are you from?’ question for some of our neighboring Industrials fans and watched the game, for four hours. The Cienfuegos team pulled ahead in the beginning with some lousy pitches from our side. Our stand mates would get up and yell and argue and couldn’t believe some of the umpire’s calls. By the middle it was tied up again, with a few home runs, and more than a few walks. But alas, cienfuegos came out the victors in the end with a couple great doubles and some really nice runs. Were all of those correct baseball terminology? I hope so. It reminded me a lot of the Sea Dogs, Portland’s home team (and a feeder to the RedSox), but that may just be because the stadium was pretty small, not any poor judgment of the players themselves. It was very strange seeing such an American game played in the Caribbean where there is such a strong Latin American culture, and fewer strong influences from the United States because of the embargo. The differences I noticed between Cuban baseball and the baseball back home was all in the bleachers. There was less chanting and more whistling and clapping. Also, and this made me a bit uneasy, not only were there police officers for stadium security, but there were loads of army men dispersed throughout the stadium as well. It is a bit unnerving to have the government militia present constantly- but they did not carry guns, which helped me to quickly grow accustomed to their presence. And lastly, a big difference, not once did they play “take me out to the ball game”.

After el partido de béisbol we took the bus back to the hotel and made ourselves a lovely vegetarian meal including patacones and vegetable–lime medley.

Written 1/30/10

This morning we met Katya at 10 to go to a food market. Finally vegetables!! I wouldn’t recommend any vegetarians travel to Cuba because I think it would be something between difficult to impossible to survive. As it is, I’ve felt quite deficient at the end of the night- though this may be just an adjustment to being active during the day, and eating less than my normal gigantic meals and constant snacking. After we finished we brought our buys back to the aparthotel. Cucumbers, carrots, lime, small bananas, sweet potato, rice, cinnamon, hot peppers, papaya, garlic; of for a meager 8 dollars. As I write I’m sitting in our living room/kitchen after a meal of diced cucumbers carrots and avacado with lime accompanied with sticky rice and a small bit of beef. It was a very good, light meal. And on the subject of light meals…
After our market adventure we wanted to take a maquina towards the university to get a sense of our best transportation option for Monday morning (the bus took about an hour, but only costs 5Cuban cents!) Anyway as we waited to hail a machine a smaller, newer car pulled up and agreed to take us. This is Cuban hitchhiking. A small fee is expected, normally for the same as a machine would have cost. Several blocks later our driver (a very friendly and fluent man married to a Parisian) asked me to switch with one of the girls in the back. We did. A few blocks later, he said “my back tire is flat, I can take you to 23rd as promised, but not all the way to J”. We said that was fine- there isn’t much we could’ve done and a few blocks later we got out. And people wonder why the world sees us as fat Americans? Despite all this, and another unofficial taxi ride later, we arrived near the university and commenced to wait in line for an hour at the creamery for ice cream.
There is a central ice cream joint for local Cubans where you wait for up to two hours for five scoops of ice cream for, wait for it, five cents a pop. So after our 25cent ice cream lunch we decided to wander. Eventually we caught a maquina back to the hotel to prepare dinner-which brings us full circle.

I hope this blog will become less of an update of daily events, and more specific- hopefully more interesting- posts on my thoughts. I’m so excited to find a routine for my new Cuban lifestyle and for that reason for classes to start. If any readers, aka mom dad or Isaac have any requests, either for me to go try to find things and blog about how they were, or to hear about say, the food, the people, my trip-mates, politics etc etc, let me know. For this first week I’ve pretty much just explained my actions as I try to find my feet here. Up to this point, I’ve been extremely impressed with this country. My first impressions are that Cubans are a resilient people, friendly, and hard working. The island itself is gorgeous, but built as close to the ocean as possible; in fact they have lots of problems with erosion by wave action on the Malecón, but it hasn’t been built up since the 1940s or 50s. More reflection later, we are now going out for the first time here.
…which was pretty entertaining. It was pretty much a club with a swimming pool in the middle. I spent the night clutching my chair or the wall trying not to fall in the pool to avoid becoming the laughing stock of ‘Don cangrejo’. The nicest part was that the back of the joint was adjacent to the ocean. I love being by the sea, it really is a calming thing, I love its consistency, motion, and the soothing sound of the waves. Anyway, we made friends with the bouncer who is evidently a champion boxer and wants to give us a lesson, danced with the professional dancers- I can not even begin to understand the way they move their bodies, and got a cab home. It is now four am. Time for bed, like, 6 hours ago. Goodnight!

1.29.10 The Pursuit of Happiness (also, happy Valentine's day in real time!)

As of today, I am no longer in the “pecheros” (hanger) market. This morning we took to bus to the University of Havana to see how long that might normally take. We got there at 9:02, so we would have been 2 minutes late for class, but that may be acceptable here, we’ll have to wait and see. Then we went to Castillo de los Reyes de Morro (I think that was its name). Very Fort Williams-esque. Lots of old cannons for defense of the bay against pirates; built by the Spanish. Then, our last lunch on the program. So we made the best of it with Sangria and bottles of water to bring home for later. I’m officially feeling better (I say as I knock on wood) so I even got an espresso for dessert. We then asked to be dropped off at a recommended industrial market to try to find hangers. When our driver left we asked a guy on the corner for the address of the hotel that we knew was close to the industrial market. We played a very entertaining guessing game with him about where we were from. England? No. Canada then? No. Slovaks? No. (this is because one of the girls in our group is from the Czech republic) Parisian? No. and so on until we told him the United states. In general however, it does not seem to surprise most people when we tell them our origin.
We went in a couple of shops that sold clothing and asked if we could buy just the hangers, to a response of a look like, “you want hangers? Huh. Good luck.” One man was very kind and gave us four extra hangers free of charge. Eventually we found the market that our first tour guide of orientation (Norcus- what a name eh?) had recommend and lo and behold! Hangers! We bought several and we quite proud of ourselves. Then, in celebration and sudden feeling of free time, we decided to walk around Havana a bit just the four of us. Around the next corner, BREAD! All of the last few days we had been asking for bread shops or bread venders and though we had been told many potenial locations, all had been baron of bread. We bought a loaf for fifty cents (things that Cuban people actually buy are cheap, things that tourists are meant to buy are as expensive as in Los Estados Unidos if not more). So we had bread with our dinners tonight. I brought home the dough in my bag, with it sticking halfway out reminiscent of my two foot long sandwich at pan.com. It really are the little comforts that make you happiest. The combination of being out in the sun, buying bread for .50cents and finally being able to move out of my suitcases have helped me feel a bit more at ease in this city that is SO different than any place I’ve ever experienced.

Untitled note to self

In retrospect, it may be possible for me to post pictures after all. Hooray!

1.28.10

Warning: it seems like I may not be able to load photos to this silly blog thing. So as a mediocre author once put it, stop reading! Save yourself the trouble now. It will only become more ramble-y and painful to read from here, I can guarantee it.
Still reading? well you can’t say I didn’t warn you.

Anyway, last night we went to the supermarket and bought what little they had. There wasn’t much. Among our best buys was guava paste (so good- so unhealthy) and another find was a giant tin of soda crackers. For dinner we stirred up some ground beef, rice and cheese. It was a bit strange but edible. All day today we searched for a panadería with no success. We were directed to several locations but all turned out to sell either hot dogs, or tiny pastries (tempting, but no good for sandwiches). This morning we took the P-1 bus to the center for western hemispheric studies to meet our professors. Our meeting had a very energetic and exciting vibe to it, which makes it easy to feel excited about our classes. These professors will be working with our tiny group and with us individually to teach the third world perspective and the history and current climate of Cuba from the Cuban perspective. They were so nice, but also very intimidating-ly smart as they are evidently well acclaimed in this country in their respective fields. After meeting them and discussing some general course and safety information we went out to lunch (I had a bucanero- Cuban Beer as did everyone involved in our schooling over the next few monthes. My appetite is back! I’m on the up and up. My end of the table discussed how much colder Boston is than anywhere else. The last time the professor at my end of the table had been to Boston (they work for the Harvard department of Latin American Studies for Harvard’s Cuba abroad program) was during September 11th- he had a very different experience flying out of the country in October than he had had coming in. Thinking about 9/11 really makes me feel old. I find it hard to believe that happened so long ago.
Anyway, then we wandered (and took the bus- 5 centavos!) back to the hotel where we started some of our hundred of pages of reading for next week. So, officially, I’m happy to announce that I can now explain how people started farming, and producing food. I even know how people started to pick out foods to eat. I feel like some of you at home have asked me before, mike perhaps? Well ask me when I get back and I’ll explain it to you, I’m several pages further along in Hillevi’s encylopedia of random information. Score.

1/27/10

(dr. McKelvey outside with us at the University of Habana)

This morning I was worried I might feel sick again- but I got up and went out with the group anyway. We experimented by taking the bus into town to the University campus, where Spanish classes will be held starting next week. The bus costs five cents per person and is quite crowded! The first time we tried to get on, we failed epically, and where literally halfway out the door when it started driving away. The got on the next one though! The University is so nice- it is very pretty. I’m worried about the classes that I’m taking independently however, previously unbeknownst to me, I will be the ONLY student in my marine bio classes. I am really unhappy about this fact. I feel like all I can do about it now is wait and see how it goes. Then we ate lunch and then were given the assignment of finding a restaurant, market, store, monument and entertainment venue to experience and discover on our own. It was fine, lots of ‘linda’ comments, and whistling- but I’m actually surprised by the lack of machismo. I think it would be a lot worse if the other two girls weren’t more the ‘cuban type’. One is blonde haired and blue-eyed, and the other has curves and is mistaken for Cuban pretty frequently.

Anyway, I still wasn’t feeling 100% so we decided to get back to our hotel. Thus, this afternoon, I took my first ride in a maquina (a “machine”- basically the old American cars that growl their way through the city like the big metallic containers they are). It was so much fun! You wave the driver down, and shortly tell him the direction you are going and he’ll tell you yes, or he’ll drive off, aka, No!. It costs about $1 American to get from the center of the city to the Playa neighborhood where we will be staying. My first Maquina: old Pontiac frame, sea green with white rims, fenders and roof. Old jeep steering wheel. A real light bulb for the internal light, old speedometer that took up a quarter of the dashboard with big white numbers and an old fashioned stereo radio system with a newer radio attached below like a taxi meter would be.
Feelings: Wondering how I’m going to find a routine in this city

never drink the water

Yesterday (1/26/10), Havana and I got in our first serious fight- which left me sick to my stomach. We visited a nice museum of the revolution, but I missed most of the exhibit instead examining the toilet seat. Then I got to really test the Cuban health care system. While waiting to be appointed insurance, I had another bout of nausea. I was worried they would hike up the price of the health insurance for the pale sickly gringa. But no, they cleaned up after me, and then transported me to the health clinic. There they asked about what I had eaten and took my blood pressure, gave me an anti-nausea shot in the butt and gave me some prescribed pills to take before each “blando” meal. The whole ER visit, shot and pills would have cost 39 dollars if it were not for my student insurance. Yay for saving money? Then I went back to the hotel and slept for 15 hours. Feelings: SO ILL.

1/25/10

Very hard to wake up this morning. Breakfast in hotel, followed by a 25-30 minute tour-bus ride to Santa Maria and la Playa. “Havana blue” skies, “Havana blue” water, “Havana blue” new favorite color! Lobster red- less pleasant color of my back and neck : ( . Clouds rolled in after lunch and we discussed our upcoming semester of courses and grading. Then we politely argued about the Cuban’s ability to dissent publicly. Dr. McKelvey is a huge supporter of the revolution, and of Cuban society. I’m not sold on the process but it will be an interesting semester to try to figure it all out. Then we bussed back to our hotel- my program-mates bought expensive Cuban cigars from the neighboring hotel. The pool is huge- it should be fun to check that out later. It is bizarre living in a hotel. I feel like an old ex-patriot. Anyway, we decide to go to pan.com, a restaurant that is the equivalent of American subways. It was great- I got a milkshake and a two-foot-long sandwich for about 7 bucks. The sandwich presented some problems as it drew a lot of attention. The table next to us wanted to take my picture. I wanted to hide. After we went out to get a cab home. The cab driver looked us up and down and said- ‘6 cuc’. We declined and began to walk. When we saw the next cab, I got us a ride for 2! Probably still overpriced, but not quite as outrageous. In summary, a bit more relaxed a day- I’m nervous about doing all this on my own after orientation is over- And paying for it all on my own.

*also, I forgot to mention the other day we found ourselves in Old Havana at night without a flashlight. It was definitely a failed Andres test because we had to find and huddle around a streetlight looking at a map like a bunch of lost tourists. Oh well, we found the Buena Vista Social Club in the end- that might give me half a point on the way to apprenticeship.

First night in the city.

okay- I’m hoping ( I just typed hopping- this blog may prove an embarrassing enterprise) ANYWAY, I’m HOPING for less words more pictures in this post. I haven’t tried using the Internet downstairs in the lobby yet, so we’ll see- any pictures may be a lofty goal.

It was chilly when I woke up this morning. I think that will be a trend although the air conditioning (!) was on and there is evidently a cold front traveling through. But I slept well. We ate breakfast in the hotel (nothing spectacular- isn’t likely to become a habit) and then met with the same tour woman who brought us from the airport. It is nice having a week of orientation because I definitely feel like I need it. The city is either larger, or more sprawled than I had imagined it to be- I’m not sure which quite yet. In our tour we drove down the Malecón and through some of residential Havana. The houses and apartments look like embassies and the embassies look like houses. Except for a large group of Asian tourists that flew in with us- I’m having a hard time distinguishing between tourists and locals even though it is tourist season. On the Malecón, where there was an old sea wall built for protection, I was really struck by the circumstances of my surroundings. For a minute I felt like I was at fort Williams exploring the rubble of the old monuments. So many of the houses, office buildings and store fronts look washed of their color and detail. Then there are the actual forts. Our tour guide mentioned an old fort that had been turned into a restaurant and bar extended out on the water, which seems like it would be fun. But while part of me felt like I was close to home in South Portland, the other half felt transported back in time. The old cars zipping in and out of view were, for lack of more descriptive language, so cool! (Dad- I saw several lada taxis with porsche stickers(?) and an Alfa Romeo truck/van). Then there are numerous more colorful and curvy American cars.

At one point I thought of Bly because there were all these old fashioned cars and a movie theater with the original reel-style matinee signs. It would be an incredible place for a vintage afternoon. Unfortunately the international film festival was in December evidently, so I’m afraid I missed that one.
I learned this disappointing fact while we were walking around and our tourguide was pointing out a hotel “on the left, where jimmy carter used to always stay”. We were interrupted by two women dressed (traditionally? I kind of doubt it) like Chiquita banana who wished to know if we would like to take a picture with them for a small charge. We declined. At one point a tiny old shriveled lady smoking a cigar asked us “for a picture”. We declined her also, but she was more tempting simply because honestly that picture would have been awesome. And I’m so glad i’m reading Hemmingway! “and on the right, you see the hotel where Hemmingway would stay, room 511*; Later we’ll see the bar where he drank his mojitos and then we’ll pass the bar where he had his favorite daiquiris”. *it may have been 508. In my pre-departure “pleasure” reading- loving che (not a recommended book really) the narrator says she thinks it is strange/sad how many of Cuba’s national heroes are not nationals. That really stuck with me today in the city when I noticed all of the Che monuments and references, Marti (he was only here a short time) statues and boulevards, and the Hemmingway eating hotspots.
I had my first guarapo (??): sugar cane, lemon and rum, and also my first Cuban mojito. Both were realllyyy sweet. First lunch? Spagetti. I think a lot of Havana offers Italian cuisine. So much for beans and rice (Emily wier!)
Part of me feels foolish here. I’m right on schedule for culture shock- currently in the adoration phase. I see it this way: Havana and I are dating. Mom, dad, I’d like you to meet my city. I think it is pretty seriously cool, and also gorgeous. Currently we are in a honeymoon phase of dating, and I still am unsure of what to order at meals, and how to dress for our dates. At this moment, despite some anxiousness and anxiety about how it will be to stay in this hotel that is quite far (25 min drive) from the hubbub of the city and even farther from normal Cuban life, I can totally understand some wealthy old cigar smoker coming to live here for ever. It is pretty, warm, there are no advertisements (Dad! That should be music to your ears- though it is arguably just the result of no freedom of speech), the people are friendly and it is coastal. Also bio 181 kids- you don’t feel as accosted by taxi drivers as we often did during the last week of our Costa Rica trip

I wrote the above when we returned to our hotel for a break before dinner. Dr. Mckelvey gave Katie lots of money and told us we could take a cab to head out to dinner without him if we liked. We took some time at the hotel to revamp, and then decided to head out for dinner. We wanted live music and the guidebook mentioned café Taberna: “Occupying a restored 18th century mansion, this restaurant has a house band and nine piece conjunto that play here nightly” It was in old Habana near the square I learned about when the ex-tufts professor came to speak about Cuba. We took our cab and found the restaurant, talking the bartender down from 50 convertible pesos per person to 40- aka one person free if we had five! Still SO expensive, but again, it was on our program director. We decided to go for it after learning that one of the band performers was a member of the Buena Vista Social Club. The dinner wouldn’t be for another two hours or so, so we walked down to the Malecón to wait. It was nice- I like being able to actually see the stars and Orian seems like the distinguishable constellation from this location. The Malecón is full of couples smooching and cuddling, it reminds me of the “hotsprings” of Fortuna.
Later we make our way back to the café, and find our seats…right at the front as promised by jorge- the bartender. The music starts and we are completely in it. I recognized chan chan, el cuarto de Tula and dos gardenias. The bands were great, they even had a dancing pair that salsa’d their way between tables, around band members and even up the stairs. The music lasted from 9 or 930 until midnight. In that time, Mr. Buena Vista Social Club pulled two of us from our chairs to dance, we joined a congo line, we all danced behind them and I got a kiss on the forehead from Mr. Buena Vista. Very fun, very showy, VERY cool first night in Havana experience. We just got back to the hotel and I’m exhausted.



So much for brevity. Feelings: Tired, Content and Wondering what we could possibly have in store for ourselves tomorrow.