On July 15, 2002, a group of 30 students from Cuba and the United States embarked on a history-making journey - the first US-CUBA youth travel program. During the four week venture, American students stayed at the homes of Cuban students, enjoyed field trips, and performed community service projects with the goal of extending the hand of friendship to the island nation of Cuba.

This summer, another group of students went to Cuba.
     - Cuba I Journal Entries (First Set)
     - Cuba I Journal Entries (Second Set)
     - Cuba I Journal Entries (Third Set)
     - Cuba II (Graduate Program) Journal Entries (First Set)
     - Cuba II (Graduate Program) Journal Entries (Second Set)

Cuba I First Set of Journal Entries

Tuesday July 8th, 2003
Dinner: Pizza (Hawaiian, Pepperoni, Plain, Hamburger)
Weather: Sunny
Miami Airport

Today was the first time the 25 American students finally met each other. Our group wasn’t complete until later that night, due to Jeremy’s flight cancellation, so the group waited patiently for the mysterious Bostonian student to arrive. In the meantime we waited in the air-conditioned airport trying to complete the “get to know you” scavenger hunt.

Going into a situation where I did not know anyone on a trip to Cuba that would last for four weeks was definitely unsettling. I suppose the anticipation of meeting everyone for the past six months added to my initial nervousness, but sitting down with a few new students and learning some new card games helped me to relax. It was also nice to know that people were just as nervous as I was. Nicole said, “I was so stressed out because I wasn’t sure what everyone would be like and if we’d get along.” Rachel R. continued to say that, “It was a little overwhelming to meet over 20 new people all at once. It wasn’t until I saw the beach that I knew I would have a good time.”

In addition to the nerves and the multiple hours of having sat on an airplane there was an overwhelming feeling of excitement in the air. Zeke shares that, “I don’t really get nervous when meeting new people. I was just excited to get to know everyone and begin our trip to Cuba.”

Around 6:30 pm, after hours of making small talk and eating snacks, we headed to our hotel. Once we arrived at our hotel and received our first roommate assignments, it hit me that our trip to Cuba had finally begun. One of my roommates, Maggie sums it up well when she says, “I could tell that our trip would be an unforgettable experience.”

Looking back, the first day gave a lot of insight to what our trip would be like. While it may seem insignificant, multiple people took a step out of their “comfort zone” to try Hawaiian pizza for the first time. Knowing that people were willing to try new things so quickly was reassuring. I knew that the entire group would support one another and throw themselves willingly into new situations once we arrived in Cuba. Additionally, the entire group tied a ribbon onto a stick that our leader Jeff brought from the Cuban Interest Section in Washington DC after revealing what we individually added to the group dynamic, symbolically unifying the group.

-Ashley Duggan

Group Bonds as Quickly as Spanish is Spoken in Cuba

Upon arrival to the Miami airport, leaders adorned with name tags and Windsor Mountain T-shirts greeted students. As the excited students, often delayed by airlines, gathered near La Carretas restaurant, they made their own creative necklace name tags. With markers, string, and circular wooden chips, they made a token jewel initiating themselves into the mingling group.

While everyone introduced themselves, snacked, and rested after long trips, they surveyed each other to find out fascinating background facts. The Personal Scavenger Hunt led people to discover Eliza’s herding cattle in Wyoming, to get excited about Peter’s flamenco guitar skills, and to appreciate new Cuba connections in Vanessa’s grandmother having lived in our tropical destination.

After arriving at the Miami hotel, by the calm sea, the group delved into a welcome ceremony amidst eerie blue light. As we passed around a taking stick, taken from the Cuba Interests Section in Washington, DC, each person shared one contribution they hope to make to the group this summer. After speaking, each person tied a colored ribbon around the stick, creating a unique totem.

After some needed sleep, we jumped into more games and activities at the Key Biscane beach park. To refresh our memories, and to catch up a late-arriving Jeremy, we played a foot-tag name game. The person in the center of the group circle had to call out someone’s name, and tag that person’s foot before the said person could yell out another person’s name.

As a lead into a discussion about group norms and process, we played blob tag. Daniel started as IT, and tagged people he could catch. Caught victims then attached themselves by arm to Daniel and others, forming a chain of Its. This growing blob proceeded to capture all group members, simulating how our group wants to stay together this trip, but not force minority opinions to adopt the group mindset. We’d check out if this was the case for Cuban citizens with regard to politics!

We then dove into another activity, Heads & Butts. Everyone selected one identity, a Head or a Butt, and indicated their identity by putting their hand on their head or their butt. Instantly, we started a tag competition. Heads could only tag Butts, and Butts could only tag Heads. Once tagged, you were converted to the other identity. Within minutes, everyone in the group became Butts. Again, we hope our group doesn’t fall into Group Think, where everyone is pressured to drop individual beliefs and adopt the group majority opinion. These games led us into a discussion of how our group would like to function, with what rules and norms, over the adventurous and trying 4 weeks together.

-Jeff

Learning from others’ experiences:

This summer, 5 students from the Cuba Friendship Exchange 2002 are returning to Cuba to continue their exploration of Cuban history and culture. Liz, Siobhan, Sara, Jenny and Jess are their names, and they organized an evening activity for our group so that we could benefit from their experience before we traveled to Cuba for our first time!

On the veranda at the Days Inn hotel in Miami the “graduate students” began their presentation by asking our group to shout out questions that we had for them. They took notes on the questions and then did a “fish bowl” activity where they had a conversation which would address the questions we asked while including topics that they wanted to be sure to address as well. Some of the questions were simple like “how do you do your laundry in Cuba?” or “what is the food really like?” and some questions were more intense like “what are you hoping to gain from your return experience to Cuba that you didn’t gain last summer?” or “what should we know that will help us make the most out of our trip to Cuba?”

While the returning students conducted their “fish bowl” conversation, we listened and took notes on the answers they shared, as well as jotting down any new questions that came up as a result of their talking. Finally, we had a chance to ask follow up questions and then the activity shifted to an exploration of values and a guided conversation about the issues we would encounter upon our arrival in Cuba. We were asked questions like “would you rather be poor in Cuba or in the United States?” and “Which is more important, having your basic needs met or maintaining your individual freedoms?” there was also a question that challenged us to think about the role of the individual in a community.

In essence, the evening activity was a great chance to jump start our thinking and to have student concerns addressed by peers who have already had the experience of spending a summer in Cuba.

-Sarah

Breakfast: Biscuits, Eggs, Home Fries, Bacon, Cereal…(breakfast buffet)
Lunch: Lunch on the town in Little Havana including things such as batidos, tamales, rice and beans….
Dinner: A sumptuous dinner at a Cuban restaurant called Don Mamento. Traditional Cuban finger-food appetizers, mango juice, roasted chicken, rice with olives, mashed potato, bread pudding for dessert…
Weather: Sunny
Location: Radio Martì

On Thursday the tenth of July our group of 25 found its way (after going around in circles for awhile) to Radio Martì. We were not allowed to take cameras or tape recorders of any sort and had to wear visitor stickers.

We took a tour and sat through a speech in which they talked about the differences between the US and the Cuban government philosophies. We were told y a Cuban himself that the government had old-fashioned ways of thinking and is therefore not efficient. I kept trying to imagine a government full of people that control what you do. A government that restricts and censors pretty much everything.

The mission of Radio Martì is to act as a window through which Cubans can tune into uncensored democratic views. It was stressed that the news and stories on radio and TV Martì were unbiased and had the purpose of showing different opinions.

I felt great that even though it was illegal to tune into Radio Martì and you could be shunned in Cuba for doing so, 6% of the Cuban population admits to trying! To think that in a country like Cuba where even the right to listen to what you want on the Radio or on the TV is taken away leaves me shocked. How can this be? In the US we can watch anything from Japanese cartoons to golf, and of course, the news! But in Cuba radio and TV signals are jammed most of the time and the people are constantly bombarded by programming.

“I think it’s good that the US is spending money to give free information to the Cubans, but I think it is sort of a waist because not a lot of Cubans can even tune in,” says Rachel.

Jenna tunes in by saying “I think that Radio Martì is American propaganda. In other words, I think it is biased when Martì programming features things like the State of the Union Address.”

“I thought we were privileged to get this information. It is a good thing as well as a bad thing. Listening puts Cubans in danger. Then again it gives Cubans the chance to learn about democratic ideals,” finishes Lucy.

This trip to Radio Martì taught us about the tensions between the Cuban and American governments and it also got the group used to hearing presentations in Spanish.

Breakfast: Breakfast Buffet (eggs, bacon, muffins, cereal, juice…)
Lunch: Wow! We ate carrots, oranges, peaches, cheese sandwiches…more than we could eat!
Dinner: Our first meal in Cuba! Fried chicken of course!

We finally left Miami for Cuba and everyone was super excited. We discussed our high hopes for acquiring a deeper understanding of Cuban culture, and their reality. As a last tribute to American capitalism I bought a caramel frappachino from Starbucks. I happily drank my caffeinated sugar while we all discussed the poor quality of food in Cuba that we had heard so much about. Everyone was excited to make this journey and we chatted away on the plane.

We graciously shared our food on the plane with all the other travelers. It was a small American Eagle craft and our group filled about half of it. The other 30 people seemed to be Cubans who were returning to Cuba to visit their families. One older lady said that this would be her 3rd trip, and she was traveling with her granddaughter who was making her first ever voyage to Cuba. Fellow “companera” Eliza said that “even the people on the plane were friendly, which made me even more excited for our arrival in Cuba.”

When we arrived in Cuba, everyone was overjoyed to have their dream of visiting Cuba fulfilled. Sophie Glass spoke for everyone when she jumped up and down screaming “estamos aqui! Estamos aqui!”

It promises to be a great trip!

-Maggie

The Night Walk:

After consuming our first Cuban meal, we set off for a brisk and invigorating walk around our new found “barrio.” We strolled around the central area, browsing through the small market of “artesania”, and then set off for unknown territory down the street. We were heading toward the water when we met a man named Ulysses who agreed to lead us to the shore. It was covered with volcanic rock that soon lead to crashing waves. We looked across the straight and tried to see the lights of Florida to no avail. However, we could see a man out on an inner tube who was fishing just off the shore. (There aren’t many boats in Cuba, presumably because the government fears they will be used as escape crafts, and we learned in Miami that a single inner tube would not be “boat” enough to make the dangerous crossing to Florida.)

While we stood there on the volcanic shore, Ulysses suggested that we visit the monument to Ernest Hemmingway. Apparently Hemmingway had spent much time in our little town of Cojimar and it was here that he met an old man who inspired his character for the old man in The Old Man and the Sea.

We walked along the dusty road lined with concrete homes and barking dogs. Those of us in flip flops thought back to our group motto of “carpe diem” and instead of turning around and heading back to the comfort of our dormitory, decided to go the distance.

Along the way we met a man (presumably a friend of Ulysses’) who was sitting on his front stoop. Upon realizing that we were from the U.S., he got very excited and gave us a small speech (in swift, garbled Spanish) about how we are all equal and one day there won’t be war. His wife, meanwhile, excitedly pointing to weavings of Che Guevara she had brought out for us to see.

After slightly longer than anticipated, we arrived at the Hemmingway memorial. It is a bust of Hemmingway, mounted on a tall stone pillar in the middle of a circle of columns leading up to the open night sky. Near by we could see a small bay with two tiny fishing boats moored.

Vanessa (from the big NYC) remarked that the late night rendez-vous made her really excited because she realized that even thought our trip is being controlled by the Cuban government, we can still interact with the locals.

Because of the late hour, we decided to walk back to our residence. However, the scent of fresh break wafting through the street diverted our attention to the local “panaderia.” We went inside and watched a break making demonstration and spoke to the men making it. Peter, from California, said “I thought it was an amazing first encounter with Cubans. It gave us a taste of the open, generous, and beautiful nature of the Cuban people.”

On the way back, I asked Ulysses about Radio Marti. He explained to me that although the airwaves are frequently jammed, many people listen to it. Particularly old people who don’t risk losing their jobs as a punishment from the government. Pressing on in my quasi-limited Spanish, I asked him about rafters who try to make it to Florida on fragile inner-tube contraptions or make-shift boats. He told me that he wanted to raft to the US in order to make money for his family but that it was a dangerous undertaking it required lots of preparation.

To me, the intense juxtaposition between this beautiful island where an ordinary man will take 3 hours to show foreigners around town and the same man being willing to sacrifice everything to make a better life for his family was intensely interesting. It makes it clear to me that Cuba remains a country of contradictions and paradoxes. My hopes for a clear cut understanding of Cuba are getting muddled!

As Jenna from Massachusetts said “the evening was a great introduction to Cuba.”

-Nicole

After a walking tour of Old Havana, we were free to wander and explore our new surroundings, practice our Spanish, and purchase our own lunches using Cuban pesos or “monedas nacionales.” In groups of 6, we were given a dollar for lunch and then the Cuban equivalent of $1.50 for Cuban food. Though we were all a little perturbed about the amount of money, there was no problem with affording things. In fact, not all of the money was spent! Most groups got mini pizzas for 5 pesos each and a strawberry ice cream for a peso at a store called Variadades.

Being out in the city was very nice because it felt honest and pure like we were really experiencing Cuba. “It is a great opportunity to split off from the group and experience the culture on a more personal level” says Rebecca Alper, from Boston. Some groups went into small art galleries and explored an outdoor crafts fair. Through these activities, we could also practice our Spanish. “Being able to rely on our Spanish was very good” says Maggie of CA. An integral part of the day was the Magical Mystery Tour. We had questions that guided our conversations with locals and questions that directed us to find certain locations and ask people about their experiences. This facilitated our exploration.

“I think it is important to be able to ask people about their community” says Lucy from New Jersey, echoing both the concept and the realization of our MMT in Old Havana.

-Emma

A Day at the Beach

Today, July 14th, we went to Playa Santa Maria, just outside Havana. From the shore one could hear the sounds of laughter erupting from the sea, a football thrown from one hand to another, a Frisbee flying over sand. It was a wonderful time for our group to continue to bond. Rachel Lavipour, a 17 year old from Manhattan describes it as, “a beautiful site. It was a glorious way to spend the day.” After we had our fill of sand and sea we visited La Universidad de Havana. I really enjoyed seeing the Cuban version of a University. Vanessa Goldstein of New York says, “It was the most beautiful place I’ve seen thus far in Cuba. The well preserved architecture made it a tropical paradise.” Finally we walked along the Malecòn Boardwalk. We got a few great views for photos and were able to use our Spanish to converse with several Cubans. One woman went on a tirade in well-spoken English about how miserable Cubans are with their current situation. Rachel reared in from Boston said, “It was shocking to hear what this women thought about her own country but at the same time nice to hear how she actually felt.”

On our way back to Cojìmar, our residence, we stopped off for ice cream and then had some time to continue working on our independent projects, use the Internet, and wash our laundry in the sink or in the shower.

By Jenna

July 16, 2003
Breakfast: Fried eggs, toast with orange marmalade, juice
Lunch: Fried chicken with rice and beans
Dinner: Roast pork, rice and beans, french fries, mango sauce with cheese for dessert

Today we left Cojimar for an adventure in Las Terrazas in the province of Pinal del Rio. (Cuba has 14 provinces and we are now visiting our second.) We were greeted by a Cuban pop group called Arte Son who entertained us with traditional Cuban music. They are a local band that makes their living by playing music for tourists. There is a lot of that here in Cuba but this group seemed unique. They were our age, and they were REALLY good. They had a style that was unique in their music and everyone wanted to support them and bring a CD home to our families. (We hope that you’ll like it as much as we did when we get home and share our new music with you!)

Later in the evening the musicians met us at the local disco. First we sang some songs in the patio outside. Pedro, one of our “companeros” from California, brought his guitar and they played some traditional Cuban songs together as well as playing La Bamba and even throwing in a flavor of Spanish flamenco. Then we headed into the disco and had Salsa lessons. Sasha ended up getting a private lesson for about an hour and it seems that he has got his steps down! According to Rachel R, “the night club was super cool. The music was jamming and the sweat was dripping!”

After the disco we headed to the magnificent Rio San Juan, and our campsite. This is where we had spent the day…playing in the rushing river, jumping into clear blue swimming holes, sunning on the rocks, playing baseball and frisbee in the field, eating fried chicken and rice for lunch, talking with the local Cubans, and singing songs with the son of Polo Montanez, (a famous Cuban artist from this area of Las Terrazas who passed away this year in a tragic car accident.)

When we got back to this campsite, we were hot and sweaty from the disco and the moon was full so…we jumped into the largest pool for a quick rinse and then looked at the stars until the group retired to our tents (or bungalows).

This was a day of relaxation, music, dance, fun, games, and remarkable surroundings. As a group we took challenges on the dance floor, in speaking Spanish with the local Cubans, and perhaps even by jumping off the rocks into the clear blue pools below. A day to remember.

-Sarah and Rachel

Date: July 16, 2003

Breakfast: Omlette, orange marmalade, mango juice, toast

Lunch: At a restored coffee plantation in the lush hills of Las Terrazas we recuperated from a brief but interesting hike into the hills. We were presented with an elegant meal of fruit salad, vegetable soup, roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, cucumber and tomato salad, rice pudding, Cuban coffee, and mango juice! We were serenaded by a local band and as lunch ended a few bold and energized group members were dancing to the “son” of the traditional folkloric music

Dinner: Back at the rivers edge, and after surviving a serious downpour, we watched the river which was once blue, rush murky brown flood waters over the falls. Chicken and rice, the food that seems to be the national food for travelers, filled our bellies once again.

I have never known a more tranquil or pristine environment than that of Las Terrazas, Cuba. Upon arriving there, I was immediately taken by the intermeshing of colors, sights, and sounds. The green tree tops whispered into the clear blue sky as cicadas chirped and grasshoppers danced. “This is about as close as you can get to paradise,” said Sophie Glass.

Besides the physical beauty of the reserve, it also shared a spiritual quality prevalent throughout Cuba. The finest metaphor for this could be observed in the men’s room which I frequented on many occasions, (I had stomach problems.) It was a rustic shed like “cuarto de bano” with many forms of wildlife sharing it (myself included.) I noticed the many ants that moved back and forth on a single plane of splintered wood. They scurried from one end to the other, I’m not sure for what reason. But what was truly fascinating about the tiny creatures was that when they passed by each other they would stop for a second and face each other. At first I did not believe this phenomenon and thought it was only them bumping into each other by mistake, but then I realized they seemed to be doing it intentionally, all of them. It struck me that a creature so small and insignificant could take time out of its day to interact with the hundreds of other ants that surround them. This is the way of Cuba. Time is not an obstacle to friendship and there is a general eagerness to meet and make connections. “I have been overwhelmed by the kindness and openness of all the Cubans I have met,” says Maggie Casey of California.

-Zeke

We started off the day with a hike through a nearby coffee plantation. Despite the blistering heat we were able to make it to the top and appreciate the view of a landscape that had once been used for growing coffee but is now a nature reserve. For lunch we enjoyed marvelous cuisine especially prepared for those of us with stomach ailments. Live traditional Cuban music serenaded us as we enjoyed our fabulous meal.

Once our stomachs had been satisfied we visited a Cuban doctor to learn more about the countries’ medical system. The personal connections the doctor seemed to have with his patients were incredible. There was a particularly interesting chart on the wall that listed the number of patients in the village, and had all the residents grouped into categories so that you could immediately see how many people were between the ages of 0-1 (lactating, they called it), the number of toddlers, the number of children ages 3-7, 7-14 and so on. It listed the number of mothers who were pregnant, the number of women who were fertile, the number of women on a specific kind of birth control. It listed the names of the directors and members of the “Old Age Club” (they get together to do exercise and field trips…) This information board that the doctor used make it clear that they were tracking the needs of the people in the village. Each doctor is assigned to a specific population and stays familiar with the “community” in that way. We forgot to ask if that tracking system was a replacement for personal files. If it was, it seems unfortunate and incomplete. We’ll have to remember to inquire about that later!

It was also clear that prevention was their first priority in health care. They have a team of educators who go out and speak to the community about health issues such as cleanliness, nutrition, birth control, STD’s and even the dangers of smoking. According to the doctor, the largest number of health problems in his community are related to hyper tension due to smoking and stress.

We learned about what happens to people with mental disabilities, different forms of retardation and AIDS. (Most of these people get placed in homes where they can be cared for properly. Often the people with mental disabilities and downs are sterilized. People with AIDS are confined until they are educated about their condition, as is their family and then, we are told, they are able to return their homes- at least to visit.)

The doctor’s opinion was that the hardships that the Cuban medical system faces are due to the embargo. Rachel says “I don’t understand why it is hard for Cuba to get medical supplies from other countries. There must be more restrictions on trade than we know about. But certainly, it seems like the embargo is a scapegoat for the challenges Cuba faces.”

Rajeev, from CT, remarked that “the Cuban medical system has many superior aspects to that of its American counterpart. For example, doctors don’t need malpractice insurance because it is assumed that they are always doing their best for the public. The availability of free medical assistance for all, and the emphasis on proper nutrition for infants is impressive.” Rachel counters this comment by pointing out that she doesn’t know exactly how many under-resourced Americans receive free health care, and she isn’t clear on how comprehensive it is. Furthermore, we have heard from other sources that young children don’t always get their milk rations, and we know that the monthly supplies provided by the government are scant. The dollar economy seems to pervade the socialist system and in order to maintain proper nutrition a Cuban must have some kind of connection to the dollar market.

At the termination of our enriching discussion with the doctor, some members of our group presented him with greatly needed and greatly appreciated medical supplies and other gifts such as games for children. A stone’s throw from the doctor’s office landed us at La Guardia Infantil (the day care center.) “The children were bundles of joy, viviacious, and absolutely beautiful,” commented Rachel from NYC. We sang songs with the kids and played games together before departing into the pouring rain. We noticed that the care takers were very motherly. We were impressed that these toddlers were already reciting poetry, singing difficult songs, and even dancing with great rhythm! We all left with a feeling of happiness in our hearts and a smile on our faces. “The day gave us fascinating insights and new experiences. We all benefited from the opportunities presented to us,” said Kit from NY. The day’s more academically charged themes helped us learn more about both the daily trials and tribulations of the average Cuban.

17 July 2003

As I write, I'm in the US Interests Section in Havana, where we just registered all the students (i.e. names and passport numbers). We just returned from an absolutely fabulous trip to Las Terrazas in Pinar del Rio province, wherewe camped on a beautiful hillside beside a gorgeous river with a perfect natural pool. The location was spectacular, the food was fabulous (and not just by Cuban standards), and we got to do a little hiking and exploring of the community as well as attending a few local dance parties in the past few days. Tonight, were back in Cojimar, and tomorrow were off to Matanzas. The next Rutter e-mail update should be sent out in the next couple days, as soon as we can find a place to send it from (disks can't be brought into the Interests Section). In general, we have some kids with stomach issues, but everyone is in high spirits, and I think the group is excited and ready for its next adventure. I hope all is well in the land of Windsor Mountain . Best wishes to all.

- Daniel

Breakfast: Omlette, fruit salad, apple juice, bread and butter
Lunch: Pork or chicken with rice and beans. Ice cream for dessert.
Dinner: Pork or spaghetti. Bread and butter. Guava paste and cheese for dessert.

We began the day with a steep (and buggy) hike through Rio Canimar. It is nice to visit the cities as well as the natural wonders of Cuba. La naturaleza is beautiful here, and we saw some pretty interesting things: ten inch blue crabs with bright red pinchers, the tocororo (Cuba’s national bird, white with a red belly and blue feathers- the colors of the national flag), a 10 inch long caterpillar (today was the day of 10 inch animals), and mangrove trees.

After a delicious lunch we went to Cueva Saturno. These limestone caves were incredible. Myself and some others rented snorkeling gear to swim through the cool pools of water lying underneath the overhanging caves. What we saw was spectacular! Many of us swam under stalagtites, and took turns diving into the 80 foot deep water. Fernanda pretty much summed up my feelings when she said: “imagine how sacred these caves were to the original dwellers of this area, imagine…”

We piled back onto the “guagua” (bus) and went into the town of Matanzas to explore. In groups of 3, of course, we dispersed to the colorful and small streets of the city.

My group met a warm and generous family who welcomed us into their house. We asked them questions to help us with our independent projects. One man had plenty of things to say in any one of the 3 languages he knows. Kit helped translate his broken French. We met the family pigs and all the family that lived within that one house. You don’t come closer to seeing the “real” Cuba than to sit in someone else’s home and lovingly have your hand held by a stranger who you now call your friend.

I think we were all happy to have a chance to explore on our own and meet one of the many true sides of Cuba.

-Sophie

Below is the Second Set of Journals from Cuba I

July 22, 2003

Trip to the Doctor’s Office

While in Cuba, we as a group have experienced so many different aspects of the culture. From listening to amazing music to being taught how to salsa, we have tried as hard as possible to fully immerse ourselves into the Cuban way of life. But when I came to Cuba, I had no idea how completely I would experience the socialist system.

After not being able to hear out of my left ear for about a day, I was taken to the local medical clinic in Trinidad. My fellow travel companions were exploring the city, conducting what Windsor Mountain refers to as Magical Mystery Tours. While my friends were out visiting market places, museums, interviewing people for their independent projects, I was going to have a very different kind of MMT.

Oscar, our trusty translating guide led the way as we went in search of the local clinic. Upon our arrival, a solid ten blocks from the city center, we found out that the doctor was out to lunch for the rest of the day! I thought I would have to endure a few more days without beautiful Cuban salsa and rumba serenading out lunch time meals!

Oscar did not give up and so we crossed the street to the other branch of the clinic. I was quickly seated on a partially rusted, blue chair surrounded by three Cuban nurses and an old woman holding a pack of Popular cigarillos. My shoulders were steadied by one of the nurses while another nurse flushed my ear out with a syringe full of “agua”. After 2 more flushes, and my hearing restored, I exclaimed to the nurses and my Cuban commentator, “Puedo Oir!” I left the clinic paying them only with words of thanks and a small bottle of perfume. In exchange for the cucumber melon body mist I left for them, they had given me not only my hearing that but also a true cultural immersion experience.

-Eliza

Originally we were headed to the town of Remedios, but our plans changed last minute due to the far traveling distance. The first stop we made was to the Ernesto Ché Guavaro memorial. The strong sun reflecting off the white marble the memorial nearly blinded us, but it wasn’t difficult to read the gigantic billboards built in Ché’s honor “que sean como el Ché.” Soon after our arrival we loaded onto the bus and headed to Palmira. The normal sequence of events soon followed upon our arrival.

• Split into groups of three or more
• Find lunch
• Explore the town

In my own opinion, our free time to explore small towns around Cuba has to be the hours spent where I learn the most. Palmira, unlike Trinidad, had not experienced much tourism, so when my group headed to the market we stood out like sore thumbs. Despite our American characteristics, the venders at the market eagerly approached us and told us about their lives in Cuba. I was caught off guard when one man told us that all he wanted to do was travel and the Cuban government hasn’t allowed him to. Peter said, “It was hard to hear about how much he disliked his life in Cuba because I am not sure I was ready to hear that.” I’m glad to have been exposed to his thoughts on Cuba, but I, like Peter, didn’t know how to react to his honesty.

With two hours left to explore, we headed up the road with our groceries. Walking through the residential area of Cuba was likewise an eye-opener. I can’t imagine what the Cuban families must have been thinking as four Americans walked casually down their dirt road. We reached a fenced field and figured we had come to a dead end…appropriate for a u-turn. The dirt road we traveled back on had already been prepared with homemade streamers for the upcoming celebration on July 26th; a celebration of the Cuban revolution and the attack on the Moncada barracks.

As we returned to the center of town we spotted the frame of a Soviet vehicle abandoned on the side of the road. I was surprised to see a piece of Cuban history with the USSR painted on it right in front of my face. It is awesome to be living this history lesson; being able to travel in this way feels like what I wish my classes in school could be like!

After making it back to the main square and purchasing some ice cream, a luxury we were surprised to find in this rural town, we finally returned to the bus and exchanged our experiences and thoughts with our friends. It seems to me that after each MMT we all have a better understanding of Cuba and why we decided to come here.

July 24th, 2003
Breakfast: buffet in hotel (eggs, bread, etc.)
Lunch: Amazing several course meal…Bread, soup, chicken, fruit, vegetables, and ice cream
Dinner: Fish and rice by the pool
Weather: Hot and Sunny
Activity: Baseball

Today we adventured through the botanical garden, learned about the “tarzan” tree, swung on the Banyon tree vines, learned about the ebony, teak and different kinds of palms, and visited the cactus green house. An informed biologist-guide showed us all sorts of interesting native and foreign trees and plants. Cuban culture is as rich as Cuban nature. I loved looking at the plants and seeing the fine geometric patterns covering the cactus. The nature here is unbelievable.

Afterwards we took a boat ride through Cienfuegos harbor. It was nice to get on the water and see the land from another perspective. Our boat ride brought us to a fortress that was used by the Spaniards to protect the harbor. It is a stunning palace with a drawbridge. It is made of large, perfectly square stones, all mottled yellow and pink with age.

We ate lunch in a luxurious restaurant with intricately designed walls and ceilings. Apparently the building was designed after the “Alhambra” in Spain. The food was so good, and was even better when we, “savor each bite, take in all the flavors, taste each spice….mmmmmmmmmmmm” like a few of us tried to do.

After lunch we went back to the hotel and played a game of baseball with los Cubanos who work at the hotel where we were staying. The hotel has a league and they invited us to have a game! Some of them had on their league outfits and that was a bit intimidating. It turned out that we mixed teams and had Americans and Cubans on each team. That was probably good because they are quite talented and we probably would have floundered without mixed teams! They had one player covering 3rd base who was truly amazing. Two times during the game he stopped balls in almost gymnastic displays of dedication and grace. He would just drop horizontally and stop the ball, catch is body with his left hand, reach out his right and there it was…an out! We had a couple of players who represented well for the USA. Rajeev did a bunch of pitching, Pete got a nasty scrape sliding into 3rd base, Fernanda hit a run to first, someone hit a triple play, Daniel helped keep score and made sure his team wasn’t counted for the wrong number of outs. The Cuban players took the game pretty seriously and sometimes the counting of outs got pretty intense…throwing of baseball mitts, stamping, even a bit of yelling.

The Cuban players were supportive of us and they even invited us to play again the following day. (We couldn’t because we had a history lesson scheduled for that time but it was nice that they clearly enjoyed the event.) I thought the baseball game was a highlight of the program because it represented a time when our group could participate in an activity that is truly “Cuban.” It was exciting to have a pick up game of baseball in Cuba.

July 25, 2003
Breakfast: Buffet(eggs, bread, mango, watermelon, sausages)
Lunch: Fish and rice
Dinner: Chicken, pork, or eggs with rice, fruit, bread and cake
Weather: Sunny
Activity: Visit to the Castle

Our day began late this morning, giving us more time to sleep. The leaders gave us extra sleep time due to the many students who have recently fallen ill. With sleep being a priceless commodity on this trip, all welcomed having the opportunity for more. Embarking on the day’s excursion did not involve any method by land or air, but by sea. Our trip was to a fortress right across the water from our hotel. With a rejuvenated vigor we set sail on a little boat to the tiny fishing town across the bay. We passed through the little town on our way to the fortress. The stone walls showed their age and the wooden bridge creaked as we entered with curiosity. Although small, it was filled with life and interesting tales. The guide mystified us with a legend about “The Blue Lady”. After exploring the castle we returned to the dock for a fresh fish lunch. The afternoon was spent by having free time at the hotel to play games, swim, work on our independent projects, or by simply getting some rest. Before dinner we were treated to a two-hour Cuban history lesson from Jeff. He covered all key events in Cuban history all the way back from when humans arrived in Cuba in 3500 BC. It helped us further expand our knowledge of the culture and specifically helped us understand the reasoning behind the July 26th celebration. The evening we capped off with dinner by the pool followed by some live music to send us off on our last night at Pasacaballo. The entertainers dedicated their rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine” to the Americans in the audience showing another aspect of the Cuban people’s friendliness and desire to make us feel at home.

-Ethan

Cuba I Third Set of Journal Entries

July 22rd, 2003
Breakfast: Buffet at hotel
Lunch: Buffet ( chicken, spaghetti, rice, fruit, bread)
Dinner: Chicken, bread, rice, fruit
Weather: Hot and Sunny
Exploring Trinidad

Today I was late to the bus as usual however, we were still on the road for Trinidad by 9:10. As I got out of the bus, I realized why this was such a tourist location and why it is a protected world heritage site. As we walked toward the center of the town, I could see the main square, the cobbled streets, the stunning old houses with intricate iron work on the barred windows, the tinted brown colors of the buildings (apparently this color was used intentionally to soften the sun’s glare.) The old architecture has been incorporated into a series of museums that we check out before we continued on to explore the town.

We learned that Trinidad had a history that is steeped in tradition of raising sugar cane. The are was fertile, the plantation owners successful and the village was quite prosperous. There were many slaves that worked in this area and the reminder of that is disturbing. Visiting a town that was built on slave labor is a strange feeling.

We first went to the museum of architecture and learned about the fine hard woods that were preferred by plantation owners. The beams in the house we visited were made of teak, and the furniture of cedar. There was a sample wall that showed the stages of construction so we could see what the house would look like in an x-ray. We saw an amazing shower that had pipes and sprayers all around. The shower needed to be in a room of its’ own because of the mess it would make it you really tried to take a shower in there. It was the craziest shower any of us had ever seen!

The next place we went was another museum; the museum of antiques. I enjoyed it immensely. “The historical artifacts in the museum showed me the extent of historical contents not only in this town, but in Cuba also,” said Peter. We saw amazing antiques that had been brought over in ships from Europe in the 1800’s, and we saw impressive built-in furniture that again, was made of stunning hard woods with rich luster and deep color.

One of the most interesting things about the square around these museums was that from one angle you could see the view of the tower that is portrayed on the 25 cent coin in Cuba. I enjoyed that little tid-bit of information! Trinidad is a remarkable spot- we know it is old, and it feels antique, but it also seems to be “in place” here in Cuba. There are so many details in the architecture that repeat themselves across the island. In some ways, Trinidad felt like a doll house model of Cuba.

After the museums we had the opportunity to explore the town of Trinidad. The beautiful architecture was complimented by the sound of music drifting out of the houses. To my delight I saw small children dancing in the street to popular Cuban music. I applauded their dancing finesse and moved on to an old cathedral where we enjoyed the splendor of the antique architecture again.

For lunch we went to a nice restaurant where I indulged in a buffet and selected spaghetti, bread, cucumbers and rice pudding. The leisurely dining was accompanied by a Cuban band serenading us. After lunch we went to a cove where, like the fish I am, I jumped off the rocks and played in the surf. It was actually quite a daring move and as I swam back to shore, the swollen waves rocking me slightly back and forth, I felt happy to be floating in the salty waters of the Caribbean. While I exercised my swimming abilities, others explored a small village nearby. After both parties enjoyed their visits, we returned to our hotel for some rest and relaxation.

-Sasha

It was a day full of celebration, festivities, and a really long bus ride. The day started full of exiting potential. Bustling with baggage we boarded the bluish bus. Our epic journey from Cienfuegos to Ciego de Avila spanned three hours, with a brief pit stop for water. Sophie, a.k.a. Snuggle muffins, from New York said about the bus ride, “I can’t think of anything as witty as this journal entry so I won’t say anything.” We arrived in Ciego de Avila anticipating food and the excitement of meeting our new Cuban comrades.

We received the best of both worlds when we splurged on pizza and ice cream while fraternizing with our Cuban companions. After ambling through Ciego de Avila for about an hour we returned to the institute for fantastically fun-filled group forming. We played name games and we were given fond memories of pre-school when asked to imitate animals. Julia, a.k.a. J-Dawg Fizzle, from D.C. comments on our activities, “Oh………My………God………” After learning everyone’s name and touching the inner child in all of us, we retired to our new dorm rooms to acquaint ourselves with our Cuban companions. After the bonding session we gathered in front of the dormitory’s television sets to watch our host Fidel address the nation.

For those who are not fluent in Cuban history, the 26th of July is the symbolic beginning of the Cuban revolution. We watched El Comandante evolve from somber and mellow to hyper and animated. We said, “peace out” to Señor Castro and had dinner at Hotel Ciego de Avila, where we were reunited with our amigo, tour guide, Cha Cha oriented, Havanatur associate, Oscar. We left the hotel for downtown Ciego de Avila where the party for the Holiday of the 26th was hoppin’. We adventured with our fellow Cuban students and joined the celestially combusting celebrations. We danced in the streets and we have a true Cuban street celebration to add to our list of awesome cultural activities. The day ended with everyone feeling tired and ready for sleep. Ethan aka the “Quaker shaker” was left speechless after the day.

Cuba II First Set of Journal Entries

10 July 2003

Today, the first day of our program, Siobhan, Liz, Jess and Sara were first to arrive at the Days Inn at North Miami Beach. As I approached the hotel (after having driven all over Miami to drop off the Cuba FriendshipI group at Radio Marti), there they were, the CUBA II/ADVANCED CUBA/CUBA GRADUATES women, all smiles and Light ready for a new adventure. Seated out on the veranda, notebooks and pens in hand, they were already planning the evening program. Jenny arrived shortly thereafter by taxi. We played the “if you were expecting to be on a deserted island what two foods would you bring” game. Everyone had interesting answers, although the thought of going an extended period of time with just “peanut butter and pickles” was certainly the most unique, from my perspective. We sat and talked together for a few minutes, got our appetites good and ready and then headed over to the North Beach Latin Café.

Over shared plates of arroz con frijoles negros, arroz con pollo, ensalada, maduros y tostones, we discussed in brief a number of issues related to the trip, including our dynamic as a group of six competent, knowledgeable and impassioned women; program specifics, such as the schedule as proposed by La Casa de las Americas (the entity in Cuba that is contracted and has permission to provide our classes and organize our travel); responsibilities such as journaling, the ISP and the self-reflection paper at the end of the trip, etc.; the important and famous Windsor Mountain “non-negotiables” (no unexcused absences, no exclusive relationships including no sexual activity, and no consumption of alcohol, tobacco or other mind altering substances--except coffee); possibilities and parameters that we know of so far for our (maybe) independent trip to Trinidad (meaning we organize and carryout the planning of travel, hotel and activities for 5 days); language issues (everyone has the goal of improving their Spanish language skills this year, much more so than last year); and other fun topics that had nothing to do with “the program” but which helped us feel comfortable together. A critical item that we discussed over dinner was the meaning of this trip as an advanced program and why it is that I consider myself a “facilitator” and not a leader. I shared that my desire for this trip is that all of us feel included in the process of deciding what it is that we do, that the finances and logistics and debrief and every other aspect of the trip possible come from collective or at least shared decision making. While there is a clear distinction between my level of responsibility for the well-being and safety of the participants and there are certain rules and guidelines from Windsor Mountain that I am required to ensure be upheld, WE all have both the opportunity and responsibility to create this experience. Jess, Soibhan, Liz, Jenny and Sara all agreed that they would like us to perform as much as possible as equals and that they will participate in decision making and will initiate activities and put forth their ideas throughout the trip. Everyone’s energy seemed enthusiastic and I sensed that all are motivated to create a wonderful experience together. There was some expressed trepidation regarding the high level of expectations for this trip, particularly as a comparison to the experience last year. We’ll keep checking in about that, but I have no doubt that this will be unique and life-changing and fun in it’s own right.

As it was very hot and we had been talking for a couple of hours already, we decided it was time for some recreation. After changing into bathing suits in the hotel (the five young women are staying in one room together, while I’m in a room shared with Sarah Herman and Fernanda Levy, leaders of the Cuba 1 program), we went for a swim on the beach just across the street. Oh what lovely water! Living in Oregon, I often forget about the warm, clear salty water that invites one to bathe. Bouncing in the waves we laughed and told stories. Although Jenny elected not to swim and spent some time a few yards away bathing in the sun, overall this activity helped us increase our level of comfort as a group and gave me a chance to begin observing personalities interacting and, in the case of several of the young women, to check in individually. After this we showered, the others put some clothes in to wash, and then we met back up as a group. We talked more about independent projects, and perhaps most importantly in terms of timing, planned the presentation for the Cuba Friendship group that evening, and did a dinamica (an ice-breaker with a purpose) related to hopes, fears, expectations and what we bring to the group and summer experience. Hopes included dance, seeing Cuban students from last year’s program, cooking, getting back to self, focusing on growth, improving skills for speaking Spanish, finding out what Cuban’s think about the USA and people from the USA, reflecting on last year and growing in perspective, opening up to other members of the group and having the group become cohesive. Fears included not having as good a time this year as last year, the potential for tension among members of such a small group, political safety given the state of the world, getting enough information for the independent projects, dealing with bugs, being American at a time when tensions between Cuba and America and America and the world are high, not being able to develop the independent project according to what hopes and interests are, not taking full advantage of the opportunity to travel to Cuba and have regrets about that, and not challenging ourselves enough in the realm of getting outside our comfort zones with Spanish. Expectations included getting along as a group, opportunities for more cultural immersion, interacting with people on the street, improving Spanish-speaking skills even if just a little bit, having a blast, coming to understand the difference between socialism and communism, this being a unique experience from last year, and taking more photos of Cuba than last year. Examples of what participants bring to the group include being willing to voice opinions and listen to others, conflict resolution skills, energy, curiosity, interest, full attention, passion for learning about Cuba, and being easy going and laid back. All of these wonderful contributions will help us throughout the program!!

As the Cuba Friendship I program participants arrived from their day of adventure in Miami, we quickly adjusted our nametags (which I had made ahead of time) so that the itchy string went away (thank goodness) – Liz offered some thread that she had brought with her as a replacement. After the Cuba I group participants got settled, our CUBA GRADUATE/CUBA II/ADVANCED CUBA students offered a presentation.

The women began by soliciting questions from the Cuba I group, writing these down without answering. Then they moved to a “fishbowl” exercise where they talked to each other about topics of interest and pertinence – including items they had decided upon earlier and the questions generated from the Cuba I participants, as the Cuba I folks sat in a circle around them watching and listening. It was exciting to watch these young women take on facilitation of a conversation and the themes they pulled out were excellent. They talked of “simple” pragmatic issues such as food and hygiene and how to wash laundry, cultural sensitivity - particularly in the context of discussing politics and economics with Cubans, and the importance of having patience for oneself and each other when faced with new and different and challenging experiences. Perhaps one of the themes that most impacted everyone present was the importance of seeing this trip as an opportunity to grow and learn in perspective as well as language skills. They shared that “this is not like any vacation,” rather it is a privilege that carries with it certain unique caveats such as respecting each others’ perspectives and those of the Cubans. In multiple ways the young women tried to impress upon the new students that what we know now will look different perhaps when we come back to the states. This is a very mature observation to have made, and it was met with enthusiasm by many of the Cuba I participants. Tying into this theme, we moved into an activity that the GRADUATE students had done last year, called the “Spectrum of Opinions” exercise. They had prepared ahead of time 5 statements that they asked Cuba I folks to determine how they identified with along a spectrum of “agree or disagree.” Two of the statements that created the most conversation were, “I think poverty is a bigger problem in the US than it is in Cuba” and “I would be willing to give up some of my individual liberties in exchange for the guarantee that my basic needs (food, clothing, shelter, health care, and education) would be met” . I think interesting conversation and debate among the Friendship group participants. The graduate students were excellent facilitators and the conversation was rich and charged. We closed with giving out the program t-shirts and taking group photos. In our group debrief, the young women seemed pleased with the experience – if not a little frustrated by some of the feedback from Cuba I folks who they perceived as “nitpicking” and looking for ways to complicate the experience by interpreting the questions verbatim. They also saw where they could improve as facilitators next time. They all commented that they will be interested to hear how the opinions of some of the Cuba I students change over the period of the next three weeks. They also asserted that they too expect to have some of their ideas changed. At bedtime the graduates were revved up and their room was a flurry of packing and re-packing and lots of talking. After saying goodnight, I went to join other program facilitators spent many hours getting things ready to leave Miami and travel to CUBA!!

July 11, 2003 (Jess)

Nuestra Llegada en la Habana CUBA!!!

We left our beautiful, though albeit littered with prickly seaweed, home on North Miami Beach today and finally returned to Cuba. This was long awaited for all of us “alumni”, and of course for our facilitator, devora. The day started off with a delicious amazingly hot breakfast after we all packed. The Cuba 1 group didn’t join us outside for our last taste of cereal and bacon, but Sarah Herman did, which lended for a great blast from the past. It was then off to the airport in a crammed car. Our wait at the airport was nothing like last year. We kept moving and it only took us 2 hours to get through it all!

We all took our step off from the stairs from the airplane, and onto Cuban soil. Customs was more organized this year, and we also beat the other Cuba-goers (I didn’t want to say tourists). Everything ran very smoothly, and most of us joined in a Native American song about beginnings and endings before our departure from the Cuba 1 group. We are staying at una Casa de la Asociacion de Trabajadores de Cuba, on Calle C between 13 and 15 in Vedado. It is a former urban colonial mansion that is absolutely gorgeous with high ceilings, airy porches, and full of elegant Cuban flare. We spent the afternoon first visiting Casa de Las Americas, where we will be taking our classes and experiencing Cuban culture and society. It is located on the Malecon, within reasonable walking distance from where we are staying. It is a big stone building with various class rooms and a theater hall on the 3rd floor. We met with the head of Casa, Gonalo Dominguez, and with some of our coordinators, Vivian, Tatiana, and Caridad. We were told by Gonzalo Dominguez to come up with our own opinions about Cuba through our experiences and newly learned knowledge from our classes. What a fantastic expectation to hear from a government organization. They even gave us complementary café cubano! This was followed by some leisurely time spent on our second floor porch, with a refreshing dusk shower to relax our body, souls, and mind. This prepared us completely for a delicious dinner of fruit, potaje de garbanzo (chick pea soup), green beans, kimbombo (okra), yucca, squash, rice, and chicken for the three meat eaters and tuna for the three vegetarians, dulce de guyaba with cheese, and finally, café con leche. What a scrumptious way to end a great day. We are ready!

Now for my more personal side of the online journal: I decided to model today’s entry after how we wrote them last year. I’m kind of tired. It is crazy that we are actually here; we are actually here. Liz and I sat together on the flight over the Florida Straits, and I admit, I had many mixed emotions. We were talking about this year’s trip, and last year’s trip, and all the time in between. I am extremely excited for this trip and I know that it is very different than last year. I know that and understand that, and don’t expect it to be like last year. But to be honest, I got kind of sad. Last year was amazing, and changed and impacted my life, and it’s hard to let go of that to make 100% room for this experience. The fact that 16 other Americans, and all 9 of our Cuban friends from last summer are not with us, is a little weird. It will never be like that again, but during the trip it had become the reality, and I think I got very used to that. After the trip it became surreal, but never ceased to impact me. I think coming to Cuba again will help me to come full circle. I think it is going to make me realize even more about myself and about all that I don’t know. This trip will have me grow even more, have me question and understand all these things that I am not able to verbalize. I don’t even really know what I’m saying, but that this return to Cuba is almost bittersweet. I am filled with excitement and anticipation for this new experience, but am nostalgic for last summer’s trip.

July 12, 2003 10:01PM-Habana Central (Liz)

This morning we woke up at 7:00 for some yoga before breakfast. After our improvised yoga routine, we decided that it would be nice to take a short walk exploring our neighborhood before we ate. Going just two blocks away we discovered a typical market selling fresh fruit, flowers, bread and meat. The meat was so fresh in fact that they were cutting it from the animals in front of our eyes. As a vegetarian this was not a sight I enjoyed very much, though it was important to see, as it is a central part of daily life in Cuba.

After our breakfast, which consisted of bread, eggs, fresh fruit, and café con leche, we headed over to La Maqueta de la Habana, a to-scale model of the entire city of Havana including buildings color coded depending of the era of their construction. At the model, Maria Victoria, a professor of architecture at the Universidad de Habana and an architect in her own right, aided by Viviane, one of the professors from La Casa de las Americas who has been with us at our activities, explained to us (in Spanish, but with the group and devora helping to make sure that everyone understood everything) about the history of the city and many of its interesting features. It was a most informative talk, but the most interesting things were the tangents probed by questions our group asked.

One such of these tangents was a chance for us to understand how exactly it is that people are able to relocate to other houses or provinces. In essence, how housing is distributed and changed. It is a very complicated process, and we were given a simplified version, but in a nutshell it can be described as such: if you want to move, you put postings outside your house, in newspapers, at certain posting locations, or on the radio saying where your home is/ what it is like and where you want to move/ what you are looking for in the new home. You then must find someone who is willing to trade homes with you. It used to be that an unlimited number of families could participate in one transaction (i.e. it might take the reshuffling of eight different households for everyone to get what they wanted), but there were too many problems with illegal transactions of money to acquire preferred housing, so there is now a law that limits involvement to three parties. Viviane is in the process of moving and there are four houses involved in this trade. Due to the new law, in order for these moves to be approved they had to get a special dispensation from the national government despite the fact that all the homes are within Havana. Another interesting thing about housing was learning about how children move out when they reach adulthood. The thing is, they don’t. Housing is such a problem that there are no new places to live. Many children will move in with a grandparent when they want to be more independent so that at least they can have some more independence from their parents, and also so that when the older generation passes away the home will become theirs. Maria Victoria and Viviane told us that the housing situation creates many problems within families, which seems completely understandable because no matter how much you love your family, I don’t think anyone really wants to live with their parents for the rest of their life or to not have their children ever leave the house. The other major consequence of the housing shortage is how housing is dealt with when a couple divorces. This occurs quite often in Cuba where, if I remember correctly from last summer, almost 50% of marriages fail. Anyway, the point is that when a couple divorces and they have children under the age of 18, it is guaranteed by law that the woman “cannot be sent into the street” which means that even if it’s the man’s family’s house, the woman has the right to stay there. Mothers are favored very much in housing. There is another law that says that a woman with a child under 18 or a woman who is pregnant will never be turned out of her house, even if she is living there illegally. There are many other interesting tidbits about housing, but there is still much of the day left to discuss, so I feel that I must move on.

Perhaps one of the most important things in terms of understanding Cuba that we learned today was a straightforward, simple explanation of the difference between Socialism and Communism. It came up when discussing how the sections of Havana are somewhat segregated by social class. Although Cuba has a distinctly different political goal than communist countries, such as the former USSR and China, many people, including some of the guidebooks we have with us on our trip, make the blanket assumption that Cuba is communist, or they do not understand that there is a difference between Communism and Socialism. The explanation that Maria Victoria gave to us this morning is that in Communism everyone is supposed to be equal in every aspect of life, whereas in Socialism social classes still remain, but the differences are less visible than in a capitalist society. Later we discussed this topic again and devora added this very simplified version (as explained to her by the father of one of the students in the Cuba 1 program) as a way to understand the differences: in Communism, everyone theoretically produces to the best of their ability and receives according to their need, whereas in Socialism everyone theoretically gives to the best of their ability and receives according to what they produce. In other words, in a communist society the idea is that everyone will be incredibly productive because they know that if everyone works their hardest, there will be abundance and everyone will have their needs met, but to socialists, everyone gives as much as possible to the role they are assigned, but the more what they give is valued, the more they get. At the same time, there is an expectation that in socialism, no matter what level of value your work receives, your basic needs (food, shelter, healthcare, education) will be taken care of. The question that arose in our minds was: who decides what is valued more? Also keep in mind that although these statements may seem straightforward and reasonable, a correspondingly simple explanation of capitalism as a theory is that everyone gives according to their opportunity to give according to their ability, and receives in return the lowest their employer is allowed to give them. To me this does not sound like Capitalism and makes me take the statements about Communism and Socialism with a grain of salt. It should be noted that devora hasn’t said that she necessarily agrees with this explanation of the three theoretical systems either and that much more information is needed to form our own opinions.

The last of the most interesting information we received at the model was a discussion of racism in Cuba. It is something of interest for Jess’s independent project, and so she asked about it in the context of whether there is de facto segregation when it comes to neighborhoods. Maria Victoria said that officially racism is something that has been abolished by the revolution and that there is a lot of racial equality on the surface, but that the two places where the most problems still exist are in attitudes towards interracial couples, and in individuals’ minds.

I just want to pause here and say that knowing that we are here with the permission of both our government and the Cuban government at a time when even fewer people from the US than are usually allowed are currently able to visit Cuba and that this will unfortunately probably be the last time I get to come to Cuba, and knowing that everything we do is monitored by the Cuban government since Las Casas de Las Americas (the organization that our trip is through) is a direct agent of the government, it both amazes and thrills me that the people who are guiding us are so willing to not tow the party line completely and give us under-the-table information, and have shared with us from day one things that we did not dream of discussing with our Cuban counterparts in such an upfront manner even after spending 24/7 with them for several weeks. I hope that I, and the entire group will be able to take advantage of this fact, and I am sure that it will greatly enhance to our experience here.

After visiting the model, we were dropped off at a restaurant where we had a quick lunch and then traveled just two blocks to El Gran Palenque for a Rumba (dance performance). After a wait of over an hour (we learned last year, but the reality has quickly returned that nothing in Cuba starts on time) we watched as students (who had been studying at El Gran Palenque for a Rumba for 15 days in a special international program) do a dance/song presentation. After the students concluded, members from the professional company danced and played drums and sang and were joined by many of those in the audience. devora even got in on the dancing when one of the dance teachers insisted that she pair with him. Reading her guidebook later Siobhan informed us that our dance show experience was one of countless that occur every week all over Cuba as part of “Rumba Saturdays”. This event was an opportunity to hear a bit of music, and also to people watch. The best part for me was watching a group of elderly women with their colorful dresses and decorated fans dancing along to every song and standing only steps away from a young mother teaching her daughter, of no more than four years old, how to dance Cuban style. The intergenerational fluidity in Cuba is amazing to me. The value that is placed on both young children and the elderly is wonderful, and any opportunity I get to see it in action I relish. However, as we learned at the model this morning, that same closeness of the generations can lead to a great deal of tension as well.

After the show ended we successfully walked back to where we are staying with only minimal asking for directions. Once we returned to the “hotel” we had some down time. This consisted mostly of journal writing. At 6:30 we had a dinner of fruit, rice and beans, fries, plantain chips, and fried chicken. After dinner we decided that a nice evening activity would be to talk a walk down to the Malecon (the sea wall that protects Havana from the straights of Florida). We took a walk through our neighborhood, saw some kids playing basketball on the street, looked on as people entered a theater for a dance performance of the Spanish Ballet, and mingled through various groups hanging out in front of their apartment buildings and houses. One of the wonderful things about Cuba is the neighborhood feel that is always around. Being out on the street at night with your neighbors seems to just be a part of life here, despite the fact that Havana is a major city. Being a New Yorker this is something that I envy a bit, or at least enjoy experiencing. At around 9:30 we returned and it is now what seems to be becoming our nightly ritual of sitting on the porch to talk and debrief the day.

July 13 (Jenny)

I woke up this morning with a feeling that today was going to be amazing. We traveled to the beautiful Las Terrazas reserves, a closed community of people that began during the revolution with a close sense of community and equality. With the help of our wonderful guide, Arien There our group hiked and chatted with a number of the friendly compassions including a woodcrafts man who sold goods out of his home and gave our group a tour of where he worked. We then had a delicious lunch complete with flan while being serenaded by two older men who both wore hats that said “grupo loco.” Afterwards, Arien took us to see an old coffee production mill, and we finished up our visit to Las Terrazas with a refreshing dip in a nearby waterfall. Our group even got a chance to try a great new Cuban fruit picked straight from one of the trees along the road, it was round and came in a shell a bit larger than the size of a grape, and had a sweet and sour taste and a soft like texture with a seed inside. On the way home, our group stopped to buy cheese and guava from one of the many vendors selling it along the side of the highway. The cheese had a deliciously fresh flavor, and the guava which had gotten warm in the sun, made a perfect afternoon snack. We ended the day by going to the movie theatre along with our bus driver Carlos and his family. There, we watched “Suite Habana,” a documentary film, and one of the most thought provoking movies I’ve ever seen. This movie had no dialogue, and was made up of only sounds, breathtaking images, and an evocative musical score. “Suite Habana” told the story of many different Cuban individuals, including a young boy with downs syndrome, a 79-year-old mani vendor, and a ballet dancer, and captured the essence of their often difficult daily encounters. After the movie was over, Carlos and his family talked with our group about how much the movie had meant to them, because it portrayed aspects of the Cuban reality, something that is rarely found or even permitted in their country. Carlos then drove us to a nearby park that had been portrayed in the movie. In “Suite Habana,” there are seens of the workers in this park who watch over the statue 24 hours a day in order to prevent vandalism that had a record of occurring in the past. I think it really meant a lot to him to be able to show us just one of the ways that this amazing documentary really did capture the essence of the Cuban reality.

Monday July 14, 2003 (Sara)

How we manage to learn what takes some people a lifetime to realize in a day I do not know. There is too much information that I want to take in. Today we had knowledge thrown at us about Afro-Cuban religions, Spanish kings and so much more, and despite all of the interesting and important themes discussed during the day, in the end it all came down to a conversation we had in passing on the bus. Gerardo, our history teacher started to talk to us about salaries and how at the moment he has a very good salary equivalent to fourteen American dollars. This information was shocking.

Tonight we all sat together for our nightly “debrief” and in the context of our conversation about salaries Devora went into our unnecessarily-large bathroom and returned with her bottle of shampoo.

“How much do you think this costs?” she asked. I didn’t understand what she was trying to get at
“It cost me thirteen ninety-five,” she said. Thus Gerardo’s entire monthly salary came down to one bottle of shampoo, which for us is an afterthought. To think that I get 4 times what he does in a month just from allowance is sickening. You might say that that is because the cost of living is greater in the United States, but how much of that money do I use for survival? That money goes towards eating out with friends and renting movies.

We went to a bodega today, which is where they sell necessities to people using their ration card. People are allowed a certain amount of food each month that they are allowed to buy very cheaply from the bodegas. That seemed like a great idea to me considering in the United States if you don’t have a lot of money there is basically no way to obtain necessities. All the good things you hear about Cuba aren’t flawless, it is a country that has amazing ideals. If the system worked perfectly, everyone would have ample food, healthcare, and housing. Education is the one place where the system isn’t lacking, from I see. Where does the image end and the reality begin? The amount of food Cubans are allotted per month is hardly enough to survive. People can go to the doctor whenever they need to, but often times the medicine needed to help them is not available. Three generations of families live together in tiny apartments.

Last year I felt as if every day I learned something new and wonderful about Cuba, yet this year I feel the opposite. Everyone we met told us positive things about the reality of Cuba and I saw Cuba through that lens. This year, even though we’re presented with good things, we notice that reality is more complex and I see bad things. What is the real Cuba and how can I find it?

July 15, 2003 (Siobhan)

Foreword: Mom, I apologize for any needless words or misplaced modifiers included in this journal entry.

I think we’re all in agreement that today was the best day of the trip so far. What made it so amazing was that we were reunited with three of our Cuban friends—Yanela, Yaima, and Yoan—in the city of Matanzas, where we attended Yanela’s graduation. When I left Havana last year, as I waved goodbye to the nine Cubans who had become my close friends, I never imagined I would see them again. I was convinced that the travel restrictions to Cuba would keep us apart. That is why today I felt a sense of awe at standing outside the Sauto Theatre, where the graduation took place, beside three of my Cuban friends. I don’t think any of us could really believe it. It seemed as if we had never left them. All fears of our reunion being awkward vanished as we reminisced about last summer and talked about the year that had passed. The comfortable relationships that we still maintained with Yaima, Yanela, and Yoan, served as proof of the strength of the friendships we formed last year. In spite of the distance between us, and the difficulty in maintaining contact, we were not at all estranged. In fact, I felt closer than ever to all three of them. I think that our time apart, and the anticipation of seeing each other again, further strengthened our friendships.

The graduation itself was unlike anything I had expected. I was ready for some sort of long commencement speech, but instead I was surprised by a colorful presentation of native song and dance, as well as an awards ceremony in which our friend Yanela was a recipient of every award. Yanela won most of her awards for her involvement in the Union de Jovenes Comunistas, or union of young Communists.

After the ceremony we were invited to Yanela’s house for a graduation party. Yoan, the musician of the group, had brought his guitar and decided to make us all cry by playing songs from last year’s trip. Along with Yanela and Yaima, he also sang a song that he had written in English, a song inspired by our trip last year that was about the importance and the endurance of friendship. I tried to really cherish my time at Yanela’s home. I knew that I wouldn’t see these friends for possibly years to come, but Yoan’s song reminded me of the fact that no matter how much time we spend apart, our friendships will not fade away.

I can’t talk about the experience at Yanela’s house without mentioning two more things: the hospitality of her family and the delicious food. I continue to be amazed by the openness of the Cuban people. Yanela’s father was happy to invite us (a group of six complete strangers) to his house for lunch, although we did pay for the food. He also told us that any time we come to Cuba we are welcome to stay in his home. Which I wouldn’t mind doing, because they make REALLY GOOD food there. Especially pasta. It was delicious.

After a teary goodbye to our Cuban friends we went for a brief tour of a museum and two galleries in Matanzas. We then took the bus back to Havana. We were happy to be joined by Yaima and her friend, who are doing some work in Havana and who we will hopefully be able to see again before the end of the trip.

As if the day hadn’t been emotional enough, the evening brought an even more intense experience, an experience that provoked many more questions to add to our growing list of things we want to learn while in Cuba. A friend from last summer who lives in Havana decided to drop by tonight. We thought it would be a pretty relaxing time. But when we started talking about the history lessons we’d been having, the conversation became more serious. We heard some things from him that we had never expected to hear. He began explaining to us that history in Cuba is taught in such a way that it justifies the revolution and the actions of Fidel Castro. The years directly before the revolution, he said, are made out to be worse than they actually were, in order to make the revolution seem more benevolent. He continued by calling Fidel Castro a dictator, a murderer, and a crazy, obsessed man who uses an entire country to uphold his own ideals. Needless to say, we were surprised at what we were hearing, having always been told that people in Cuba rarely denounce their government openly. We were even more surprised when he refused to answer a question that Sara asked about history classes in Cuba, saying that he could get expelled from school if he was to express his true opinion on the matter.

We were left feeling disturbed and confused by what we had heard. It was difficult to fathom this suppression of freedom of speech. We realized, though, that we had to take his words with a grain of salt. devora reminded us that most of what he has seen of the revolution has been the worst part—the Special Period, a time of severe economic trouble in Cuba that reached its peak in the 90’s and that his bitterness probably stemmed from that. We realized that what he had to say is important, but that just as we doubt those who firmly uphold the Revolution, we must doubt those who firmly denounce it, so that we will come home from this trip with our own, individually formed opinions of Cuba.

Below is the Second Set of Journals from Cuba II

(Jess)

Wednesday July 16, 2003

This is my second time writing the online journal, and I haven’t written since our first day here. So much has happened since then! I feel like we’ve been here for so long considering all the information we have gained in such a short amount of time. Today was no exception. After a 2-hour Spanish class this morning with Rosita, our Spanish teacher, beside the pool at our more-than-necessary luxurious hotel, we went to el Museo de la Revolucion. We had Gerardo as our trusty and awesomely qualified teacher, and we were joined by two of the other headlining musicians in the concert with Silvio Rodriguez tomorrow night, which we happen to be invited to through La Casa!!! Victor Heredia and Leon Gieco are both famous musicians from Argentina. We went through the part of the museum devoted to the Revolution, from the Attack on the Moncada Barracks (el 26 de Julio is coming up!!), to the arrival of the Revolutionary Caravan to Havana on January 8, 1959. We also went to the Che Guevara room, where we got to see the video of when most of his remains were brought back to Cuba from Bolivia. We also went outside to see remains of planes and tractors converted into tanks and other military vehicles used by the guerrilleros during the Revolution.

After our two-hour history lesson with people who we don’t realize how famous they are, we went with Gerardo and ate pizza across the street from the Malecon. Like all Cuban pizza, it was delicious. We then went to the daycare center for the children of the workers at La Casa. They greeted us with a speech read to us by a cute 10 year old, and a song and a demonstration of karate. They had even drawn pictures for us and hung them up. It was very cute. We had a blast playing with them (all of them were boys), and teaching them Duck Duck Goose. We had to rename the game “Pato Pato Gallina,” which translates to “Duck Duck Hen,” because we couldn’t remember how to say goose. The game was a hit; the boys loved it. We spent a little over an hour with them, and then got to use the internet at La Casa.

The rest of our day was spent talking and writing and doing our daily “jobs” – we rotate the online journal, group journal, digital camera, finances and sunscreen police- before and after dinner at our hotel. Today was another packed but very fulfilling day, with even some needed down time around dinner time. I feel that I am being fed an incredible amount of information, and I just hope that I am able to take it all in. The Spanish is becoming easier and easier to understand and speak with every conversation, which is so encouraging.

(Liz)

July 17, 2003 ~Miramar

This morning we learned how to make traditional Cuban food from Rena Perez. When first hearing that name one would not necessarily expect a sixty-something woman from the US to be attached to it. That however is the case. Rena Grosman, who was born in Manhatten, New York, and lived in Cooperstown, married a man named Orlando Perez after meeting him in Paris. Orlando was in exile from Cuba during the Batista regime because he disagreed with the government. The couple lived in Miami until 1959 when Fidel Castro took over the country. They arrived in Havana on the same day as Castro (January 8th, 1959) and have not lived in the US since. When we asked Rena about why she lives in Cuba she said that she is married to a man who was involved with this revolution, and when you are married, you do things for that love. She also added how much she loves Cuba, what a beautiful place it is, and that she considers it her country. In reality this is probably quite true for her since she has lived in Cuba for almost 2/3 of her life.

The thing about Rena is that she does not live in the same Cuba as anyone else I have met here. Being a foreigner, the wife of a former ambassador, and someone who works in affiliation with the UN gives her access to many things that the average Cuban does not have. A good example of this is her house. Rena lives in Miramar, quite close to where we are staying. Before the revolution Miramar was an incredibly wealthy area where people of means lived in excess. After the revolution, most, if not all these people fled the country. Their houses were then distributed to what Rena calls “cronies” of the government, people like she and her husband, who were closely connected to the revolution and held high positions in Castro’s newly formed administration. Rena and Orlando’s house is beautiful. Not just amazing by Cuban standards, but nicer than a good deal of the houses I know in the US. The walls are covered in Cuban art, they have a computer, a garden in the back, and even employ a woman who helps with the cooking. That is something I did not know happened in Cuba. Rena offers a very interesting perspective in that she lives in privilege in Cuba and knows first hand what it’s like to live in both the United States and Cuba. Living a privileged life in Cuba does not mean having none of the same problems that everyone else in Cuba experiences. Rena still faces the shortages of medicine, variety of food, travel restrictions and other factors that hinder the lives of people who live here, but she does have somewhat superior resources to deal with these problems. These resources are not necessarily economic either. Although Rena and Orlando do seem to be well off financially, I think that most of the advantages that Rena has come from her husband’s close involvement with the government, her work with the UN, and the friends that she has in Cuba. It is also important to remember that For Rena, Cuba is as much a part of her as the United States is, if not more so. The United States that Rena left was extremely different than the one we live in today. Though there are many examples of this, one striking difference is the fact that when Rena left the US, Segregation laws were still in effect. Though she has been back to the United States, Rena has not lived there since the 1950’s. Something else that I find interesting is that even though all three of Rena’s children were born and raised in Cuba, the two younger ones both live in the United States. Her eldest son, Orlandito (named for his father) has autism and many physical handicaps. He resides in a hospital in Havana that is for people with disabilities, but he come home every weekend is still an integrated part of the Perez family. Next week Rena is taking us to visit this hospital and I am interested to find out more about its conditions are the quality of life of the people who live there. In addition to visiting the hospital with Rena, there are several other occasions on which we will spend time with her and I am excited to be able to discuss with her the circumstances of her life.

In addition to exposing us to the interesting life that she and her husband led/lead, Rena taught us a lot about Cuban cooking. We made tostones (fried and flattened plantains), black beans, white rice, kimbombom (okra), chicken, Cuban style pork, fruit, and flan. It was interesting and fun, but also ironic because although the meal that we made was classic Cuban food, it was not like what the typical Cuban eats because they do not have access to such “extravagant” things, but, from my limited knowledge, seem to eat plantains, bread, cheese, and things like that. It was a lot of fun both buying the ingredients and learning to cook these dishes. Though we have been to markets here before, we have never bought more than a mango, or a bar of mani paste. Today we had to, with guidance from Rena purchase pounds of beans, rice, vegetables, and plantains. We each took turns making a purchase, and I think we all got less timid as the experience continued. Prices in Cuba are all set to be equal, so there is no bargaining, but as you walk around the dark market place, all the vendors call to you to come buy their product, that they have the freshest etc. it was definitely a new experience for me, but one I have to say I enjoyed. Cooking brought a few new experiences as well. Marinating the pork was an odd affair for me, given that it is something that I am not used to doing. Despite the sliminess and the fact that I did not in fact taste the fruits of my labors (I don’t eat pork) I enjoyed making the dish. I think I can speak for everyone in the group when I say the part that was the most fun was getting to flatten the plantains for tostones. The process consists of placing the fried plantain between the pages of a newspaper (in the states one would probably use paper towels, but that is not something that is available here) putting your hands on top and smashing it. All of the food tasted amazing, and it was probably one of the best meals we have had here. I cannot wait to try to recreate the dishes at home.

It’s amazing to me just how different the experiences are of each person we encounter living in Cuba. It makes me feel like I’ll never really know the real Cuba, because there is no real Cuba, only different people’s interpretations. My goal for my time here is now to find out as much as possible about Cuba and try to understand the differences in the way that every person sees this complex little island.

By far the most exciting thing that happened today was getting to attend a special concert at La Casa de Las Americas. The concert featured Silvio Rodreguiz and two famous Argentinean singers Victor Heredia and Leon Geico, and another Cuban, Vicente Feliu . The purpose of the concert was to record a live album whose proceeds will be donated to help Santa Fe, a region of Argentina that has recently had a horrible natural disaster. Even though we knew before hand that the concert was a big deal, I was surprised when, on our way to La Casa our cab was stopped a block away from the building by two policemen who only let us pass through (on foot) because we had tickets. Aside from the hype and the security, the concert itself was an amazing experience, and I feel privileged to have been able to attend. The people there had all been specifically invited by La Casa de Las Americas or by the artists themselves. Despite the fact that I only know Silvio Rodreguiz’s music vaguely, and had never even heard of the other performers (though by all accounts they are quite famous), it was exciting to see everyone in concert singing for a cause that they believe strongly in, and to an audience who was not only hanging on their every word, but knew every word by heart.

I learned tonight about a type of music called trova. It deals with political issues, and is a way that people express their discontentment with a situation. It is usually done with two singers and a guitar. It was the primary form of song that the two Argentineans performed, and despite not understanding most of the words, I found it quite moving. There is something about music in general that I definitely experienced tonight and that is how the emotions of music can be conveyed, and can bring people together, even if the people do not speak the same language. The fact that I was able to pick up on the basic intent of the songs and to feel a strong connection to the music and the artists even though I did not usually know what the words were they were singing is, in my opinion, not really a reflection on me, but on the power of the music. There is definitely a correlation between the power of music and the openness and welcoming feeling of Cuban culture, but what the connection is, I do not yet know.

The attraction of the concert was not limited to those who were lucky enough to get invited to sit inside. Knowing how important seeing this concert would be to people here (given their feelings of friendship with Argentina and heroic status of Silvio Rodreguiz) a screen was set up outside La Casa de Las Americas for people to watch and listen to the concert that was going on. I thought this was a wonderful act, and it is something that is unfortunately not common in the United States.

All together today was yet another day of taking in massive amounts of interesting and un-paralleled information, and have priceless experiences. Like every other day we have been here, I end this day thankful for the opportunity I have been given to return to Cuba, and hopeful that I will continue to have every possible experience and use every tool at my disposal to get the most out of my time here are is possible.

(Siobhan)

Friday 18 July 2003

Another incredible day in Cuba has come to a close. When the day began, though, I didn’t think it would be so incredible. At 9:00 am we started our second Spanish class of the trip. I like our teacher, Rosita, a lot. But there was no denying that the class was a little boring. Hopefully we can talk to Rosita to see what can be done to liven up the next class.

At 11:00 Rena Perez came to our hotel to present a slide show about agriculture in Cuba. She had a lot to teach us, since she has worked in agriculture for almost forty years. The presentation focused on how the fall of the Soviet Union affected the major agricultural industries in Cuba, especially the sugar industry. Lacking the money to maintain and buy the machinery for producing sugar, this key part of the Cuban economy is suffering, and tourism has become Cuba’s primary means of generating income.

Rena had an avid interest in showing us how Old Havana gained access to water years ago when it was a walled city. I won’t go into detail on this topic because frankly it wasn’t of much interest to our group. What was interesting was where the explanation of this topic took us. First we went to the former summer home of Maximo Gomez, who was the royal governor of Cuba when it was still a Spanish colony. Rena showed us where the water came to Maximo’s house and told us that the “royal snuff” was ground there to send to the Spanish king. The home is located on several beautiful acres of trees and walking paths. The area was so peaceful and set back from the city that while there I almost forgot that I was in the middle of the lively Havana.

The explanation also took us to Old Havana where we saw some remnants of the “royal ditch”, the route that the water once took through the city. More interesting, however, was an example that we saw of how Cuba’s economy is becoming dependent on tourism. As we walked into La Plaza Vieja, one of Old Havana’s many picturesque squares and the largest plaza in Latin America, Rena pointed out an apartment building that was being renovated. She told us that many of the buildings in Old Havana were being similarly restored, and would be turned into hotels or restaurants for tourists when the renovations were complete. An obvious question followed—what will happen to all the people who live in these buildings? Rena told us that they will essentially be displaced from their homes, but are being given nicer homes in better areas of the city. Tatiana, a representative from Casa de las Americas, was accompanying us, and it turned out that her aunt and uncle had been one such displaced family. They didn’t mind the move, and saw their new home as an improvement over their old. But, she said, others are more reluctant to leave the home, the neighbors, and the community that they have known for years. This is just one of many examples of how the emphasis on tourism is affecting the Cuban people.

By this time we were ready to grab some lunch, which we did at a little pizza place overlooking the malecón. Then we headed back to our hotel where we finished Rena’s slide show and got to know her a little better. We learned that being born in America but living so much of her life in Cuba has not been easy for Rena. Technically, America is her homeland, but Cuba has become her real home over the past forty years. With the two countries so much a part of her, forming her identity has not been easy. I’m looking forward to spending more time with Rena, because of the unique perspective she has to offer on Cuba.

The best part of today for me was our trip to the synagogue. At 7:00 pm we left for Temple Bet Shalom to attend a Friday night service. I was eager to learn what a service in Havana would be like in comparison to one in Northampton, MA. We were greeted at the synagogue very kindly by a woman named Adele, who took us into her office and told us a short history of the Jewish community in Havana. Adele is a friend of Rena’s, and she was expecting us. She speaks English and was eager to share information in our language. We learned that in 1959 many of Cuba’s wealthy Jews, who were mostly Ashkenazi, fled the country with the rise of Fidel Castro. The Sephardic Jews tended to have less money and were the majority of the ones who stayed in Cuba. The practice of all religion was suppressed for many years after the Revolution, but now it is permitted, and people who openly practice a religion are allowed to join the Cuban Communist Party. With the practice of religion no longer prohibited, he Jewish community in Cuba has begun to grow once again. Financial resources have not been difficult to come by, as a great deal of money comes directly from wealthy Cuban Jews in the US and Canada, as well as Spain. One resource that is difficult to come by, however, is a rabbi, which temple bet Shalon still does not have. Instead, the temple has a young man and woman who lead the service together.

The service itself made me so happy. I was really surprised to find the similarities between the Friday night services I attend at home and the one I attended tonight. Almost all of the melodies were the same as the ones I know, and as I sang along I felt very at home, more at home than I have felt this whole time in Cuba. I have been told many times that a synagogue is a place where you can go when you feel lost and need to feel a sense of comfort. I accepted that but never truly believed it. Tonight, though, I experienced it first hand. And it really is as comforting as everyone said it would be.

(Jenny)

Saturday 19 July 2003

I learned an important lesson today, something that most of us know, but often take for granted. Today our group, accompanied again by Rena, spent the day at Camino Cinfuegos, a Cuban cooperative farm, about an hour and half outside the city. As we drove further and further out into the countryside, I found myself yet again left breathless by the sheer beauty of the vibrant green fields and towering palms that lined the edge of this seemingly endless country road. I opened up the window in the back of the bus to take in the full effect of this rural beauty. Closing my eyes, I tilted my head towards the bright sun, and felt the rush of warm air as the bus rolled on. In that moment, I felt blissfully happy and at peace with my surroundings. Just before reaching the coop, the group stopped to buy some fresh avocados from a local family at a makeshift fruit stand by the side of the road. I watched as horse drawn carriages rolled by, and pondered the fact that the 10 delicious avocados we had just purchased only cost $.70, whereas the cost of just one avocado in the U.S. is well over a dollar. Finally, we arrived at the coop.

Camino Cinfuegos was first started in 1980 when 62 people contributed their land to form a communal farm. They worked the land during the day, and then built all the coop’s facilities and the members’ homes after hours. The coop is now home to 645 individuals who together produce everything from sugar cane, to rice and beans, to fish, to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. When we arrived at the compound today, the workers greeted us with a delicious home-cooked meal, which, in fact, I think was our best meal in Cuba yet. To top it all off, nearly everything that we ate for lunch today was fresh off the fields of the coop.

We talked with four of the coop’s leaders who told us that in order to become a member (or a “socio”), one either needs to contribute land, or instead have valuable farm-related skills to offer. As compensation for their work, the coop provides members with inexpensive transportation into neighboring cities, construction and maintenance of housing, recreational activates such as games, parties, a discotec, inexpensive lunches that workers can purchase at the coop cafeteria, and finally, higher meal rations than those allotted to most Cubans. There are other services they provide too, but we didn’t get a chance to hear about them.

It was on our tour of the coop’s rice fields that I re-learned the important lesson of not taking any of the food I eat for granted. Before visiting the rice fields at the coop, I knew very little about rice production other than the fact that rice was grown in fields, and much of the world’s rice is produced in China. As today was the first time I had ever been to a farm where rice was produced, I was astonished to see how much effort growing rice takes. Our group watched as a man trudged through warm muddy water guiding a team of oxen who were preparing the land so that more rice could be planted. One of the workers there told us that these rice beds were part of a special project to produce brown rice, a crop not grown much in Cuba. Although these men seemed to feel the heat, they were all incredibly dedicated to putting their best effort into their work, which on a typical day lasted from 7am to 1pm.

Women in the coop also work in the rice fields, while still taking care of their traditional responsibilities at home. Even though men are responsible for a lot at the coop, it seems to me that the women there have to do twice as much work as men because of their responsibilities in the home. While walking around the rest of the coop, I noticed that many of the workers were wearing tattered worn out old shirts and long pants. Most of them also were not wearing shoes. Our group recently learned that just about everyone in Cuba owns a pair of shoes, and I therefore, I assume that the workers lack of footwear was due to the fact that they preferred to work barefoot. However, it is possible that they did not own shoes, as I saw several other members of the coop wearing old sneakers and boots. One woman I passed today had on a pair of boots that were so worn her big toe was visible through a hole in the front of her shoes. That made me question the availability of clothing at the coop and I decided I wanted to donate as much of my clothing to the workers there at the end of the trip as possible.

Chewing on freshly cut sugar cane as I walked back to our bus, I contemplated what I had just witnessed, and realized that I had re-learned an important lesson. Before my visit to the coop, I had been ignorant to the working conditions in which the food I eat is produced. Although agriculture products consumed in the United States are grown in other parts of the world, I’m sure that many of the working conditions are similar to the ones that I witnessed today. Now that I know how much effort goes into producing just the smallest bit of rice, I am now going to make a concerted effort to think twice about making sure I take only the food I know I can eat, and doing my best not to waste the product of someone else’s hard labor.

(Sara)

Sunday 20 July 2003

Thank goodness for free days, or rather our one and only completely free day as of yet. First, we got to sleep in until 9:30 AM, a time that is quite unheard of during our travels. After a semi-satisfying breakfast, Maikel, our friend from last year’s trip, and his friend, Junior, came to join us for a trip to the beach. Believe it or not, we were in Cuba for nine days before we swam in the ocean!

We waited for twenty minutes for the two cabs to arrive, which ended up not even being the ones that we had called for. But during our wait we were highly amused by the color changing Frisbee that Windsor Mountain gave us. Well, the second cab came to a screeching halt in front of the hotel and I quickly hopped in the other. I swear, everything in Cuba becomes an adventure no matter how big or small it is. For example driving in a taxi.

As a person who has just received their permit I would never, ever, want to drive here! I am afraid of going over fifteen miles per hour and although my brain doesn’t work in kilometers per hour, I know that our taxi driver was driving really fast! Because of this, it was an adventure driving from our hotel to playa Santa Maria, and a long adventure at that. Let me set the scene.

We arrive at the entrance to the beach; some of us remove our shoes and start walking on the sand to find a place to sit down. It appears that the entire city of Habana has had the same brilliant idea as us because there is not an open spot to be seen. Slowly, the North American girls start putting back on their sandals because our fair feet are about to burn off. Junior, on the other hand, seems to be unfa