CUBA!!!!!

So, I'm back from the great enigma that is Cuba, and I have to say...I HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE!!! I have never been to a country with more culture, beauty, and wonderful people than that little island off the coast of Florida. I have also never been to a place so different from what I am used to, culturally speaking. I am conflicted where to begin, what to explain, and what not to explain. There is so much to say, and, quite frankly, I'm not sure if one can understand it without experiencing it; consequently, I'm going to work to be clear and concise in my descriptions. I'll just start from the beginning.

Day 1:
We arrived in la Habana around 3pm Cuba time (I find it funny that Cuba observes Daylight Savings...it's one of the only Latin American Countries that does so...) and we were greeted immediately by a sea of flags from almost every country in the world...including the U.S. The José Martí International Airport is one of the nicer ones I've been in, and I was astounded by how quiet it was. There were people there, but it was one of the calmest airports I think I've ever been in. We were taken by the "Yellow School Bus" (as it was affectionately called by it's driver, for reasons I don't know) to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center in the municipality of Marianao, Pogolotti neighborhood. This area is one of the oldest parts of the country, and, so we were told, one of the oldest communities in Latin America (I had never really thought about it before, but Cuba is one of the oldest Spanish colonies and one of the first places Columbus set foot upon in his infamous 1492 journey). The roads and streets were equally quiet, and I will never forget driving down the highway to la Habana and seeing all the wonderful, old cars that are still parading up and down the streets of the city. It's almost like taking a trip into history, first to the 1950's and then to the 16th century, as we went that evening to Habana vieja, the old city that has been preserved since the Spanish era. There are some absolutely astounding old buildings that look the same as they did in the Colonial era. We wandered the streets of Old Havanna, listened to the sound of the ocean, and were enchanted by the traditional dances of Spain that are still practiced in the city.

Day 2:
On our first full day in la Habana, we spent a little time getting to know where we were staying and what that meant. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center was founded by Ebeneezer Baptist Church in the city, on a date I can't really rememeber. It is an ecumenical center designed around the idea of uniting people from different backgrounds and trying to help them see the opposing viewpoint. The center has worked with people from all over the world, including the U.S., and has been actively involved in efforts to end the U.S. Blockade/Embargo of Cuba by giving groups like ours the opportunity to come to their country and see what is really going on. We also took a tour of the Pogolotti neighborhood, and we visited the community center, which is like a support sysyem for all of the people living in that neighborhood. There we talked to the local leadership about the ways they support their community by offering classes on artisanship, teaching sewing, knitting, and painting. They try to provide opportunities for people to grow in an environment of peers. This community center also provides social services via social workers for all those who need it in the community. Overall, a interesting day, and we got to eat some awesome Cuban food in the midst of it all, which generally includes more spices than other foods I've eaten here in LA, so I enjoyed myself very much.

Day 3 in la Habana was a very full day. We began with a guided tour of the Museum of the Revolution, which was an enlightening trip. I learned a lot about the history of Cuba that I've never heard in the States, and I feel like after the visit I can at least make some educated comparisons about the differences in perceptions of history between our two countries. (If you want more details, you'll have to ask me in person. It's too big a topic to try to tackle in a blog). We also had the opportunity to visit the Pogolotti community doctors office. There is such a big difference between our two countries and the ways in which we operate. Everyone knows that Cuba is a Socialist/Communist country, but for the people of Cuba, that system works out very well healthwise. A fact I didn't know is that Cuba has the highest number of doctors per capita of almost any country in the world. That's mainly because you don't have to pay anything to become a doctor; you simply have to get into the school and then agree to practice in Cuba for a set period of time (I think it's like 5-10 years). Therefore, Cubans have very easy access to good medical attention, and there are some great vaccination programs and pre/post-natal healthcare plans that are very thorough and take good care of the patients. I was also astounded by the fact that the doctors seem to know their patients very well, which makes sense as all of their patients come from the community they live in. I had to work hard not to laugh when the doctor who gave us the tour of the facility divulged the medical history of our tour guide. This is completely out of line from a U.S. perspective, but Cubans have a overwhelming sense of honesty and equality which is evident in the way they interact with one another. After our time with the doctor, we went that evening to observe the Cañonazo at La Cabana fortress. This fortress was built after the British invaded and captured la Habana in 1798 (Not so sure about the year). The Spanish negotiated for the return of the city and then built a massive fortress on a peninsula overlooking the bay and the city (See my pictures on Facebook). The Cañonazo is a ceremony that takes place every night at precisely 9pm. In the Colonial times, the Spanish would fire off a cannon every night to let the people of the city know that the gates were closing. As a cultural heritage, the city still observes this ceremony, and the entire city knows every night what time it is.

Day 4:
We spent today learning about the religions of Cuba, which have a long history developed through the years of both Christianity and the adaptation of African religions brought over by the slaves called Santería. The religion itself is interesting because it carries the history of that displaced people who had to suffer and work like animals; however, the more interesting point was the fact that they have preserved a series of ritual dances that reflect the African heritage behind the religion. That night we were able to watch a performance of those dances by a cultural group from the city, and afterwards they taught us to dance a bit of the Rhumba, a Cuban dance reflecting both Spanish and African ancestry.

Day 5:
This was one of my favorite days of our trip because we had the opportunity to visit the San Alejandro Painting Academy in the morning, and the Alejandro García Caturla Music Conservatory in the afternoon. It was an amazing experience because we were able to see Cuban culture and artisanship firsthand. The Painting Academy is a great place where talented young Cubans are given the opportunity to study at a high school level some very extensive and intensive techniques of art, from sculpture to engraving to painting. I was thoroughly impressed by the fact that, as students, they begin so early learning techniques that some artists in the States don't learn until college. Then we went to the Music Conservatory, where Cuban teachers begin educating their students in Music from the 5th grade or so. I know we have comparable programs in the U.S., but these students spend their entire days singing, playing instruments, and still fitting their core classes in their schedule. They gave us a lovely little concert, and I for one was inspired by the excitement and heart these kids put into what they do. Finally, that evening we went back to Habana Vieja, where (GET THIS!) we DANCED ON THE ROOFTOP of an old building to the rhythm of a live band. An instructor taught us the moves to several Cuban dances, and we danced the night away to songs like Guantanamera and other Cuban classics. It was just an amazing day.

Day 6, 7 & 8:
I'm choosing to wrap these days together because we took a weekend trip to the city of Varadero in the province of Matanzas, to what we were told was the best beach in Cuba. Frankly, I'm inclined to agree. I think the beach there was THE most beautiful beach I've ever seen in my life. We stayed in a cultural center that literally was across the street from the beach, so we spent those three days walking up and down the beach, swimming in the crystal clear water, browsing the artisan markets up and down the main road, and using our newfound dancing skills in the evenings. Overall, it was a very relaxing and rejuvenating experience. As a point of interest, I've never seen a Portuguese Man'O'War in my life, but I got stung by a small one on the beach. No worries, all is well. My foot just hurt for a bit because it was a little baby one. The other fun thing that happened is that the bus broke down on our way back from Varadero, so I got to sit on a cliff overlooking the ocean and read a book for two hours. Now that's what I call a bus breakdown story...lol.

Day 9:
On day 9 we visited UNEAC (La Union Nacional de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba), basically the writers and artist's guild of the country, which was an informative experience, but not a particularly noteworthy one, so I'm going to skip giving too much explanation about it here. If you really want to know, send me an e-mail. The other noteworthy event of the day way our visit to la Colmenita, which translates to the Little Beehive. This is the name of a group that basically takes children who don't have opportunities elsewhere and trains them in theatre and music. They gave us a little performance, which was amazing considering the fact that I don't think any of the kids were older than 14 maybe 15, and they provided their own accompaniment as well as the singing. The troop is famous and has traveled all over the world, to the U.S. as well, to give performance BY CHILDREN FOR CHILDREN, which is their motto. My favorite thing was that they explained very clearly to us that they are not trying to create incredible future stars, but rather better people.

Day 10:
On this, our final day in Cuba, we went and visited a cultural center that serves the Municipality of Marianao. To me, this is a great idea because it provides a place for people to express themselves within their community. We talked to a group of people who basically have a Sewing/Crafts Guild for the community, and they shared with us about the ways they try to involve people who are normally ignored by these sort of programs, like the young as well as the old, who don't have a job or things to do. Also, we were able to observe a performance by a dance team for overweight individuals, another group that is usually marginalized or undervalued. The whole idea was that everyone has something to offer, and the cultural center provides a place for people to do that. In afternoon, we had a chat with a Cuban economist, who tried to fill us Estadounidenses in on the dynamics of Cuban trade, industry, and business. I won't try to explain all the where-to's and why-for's, because I don't really understand them very well myself. The one thing that was very impressive to me was that, when asked whether she would change the Cuban system after having studied economies and seen them at work in other societies, she said no. She, and most other Cubans from what I could tell, were rather contented with their system of government and economy. I mean, I can see some of the flaws in the system, but so can they, and they don't want to change it.

The fact of the matter is that Cuba is neither black nor white...it's more like a zebra. There were some things I thought I understood or knew that, in reality, I had no idea about. There are also some things that after having seen them, I wish we had them in the U.S. (The cultural centers for example). However, all I know is that Cuba is full of some very good people who were open, honest, and fair with us about our country, and who treated us with love that was not so unlike the love of Christ. I just hope that maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to visit Cuba again.

Love you all, and can't wait to be back in only 4 weeks!!!

A Nicaraguan Reflection

Hey guys! Hope everyone is well. I just wanted to post this, mostly because it's a neat story. One of our professors here is a drama professor at Alfred University in New York, and he asked us to write down stories to post about what Nicaragua was to each of us individually...This is the story I wrote with the tentative title (please be patient with my writing...I'm NOT a writer or dramatist. This is just a reflection from the heart).

"The Voice of Nicaragua"

Although my time here has been far too short, there is something
about the Nicaraguan people that transcends the limits of time: their
spirit of compassion and selflessness. From the moment we stepped of
the bus in Esteli, it was very clear that we students were on the top
of their priority list. From the pastor of our church to the church
member, and even some random people on the streets, there was a sense
of excitement about life that seemed so out of place when there are so
many individuals that can barely make ends meet. I will always
remember our first day here in Esteli, when we walked up to the top of
of one of the hills surrounding the city, to the house of a small
family, to take advantage of the view.

The mother met us at the door, saying, "I've been waiting all day for
you all to arrive." I thought she knew we were coming until our host
said, "But how? I didn't tell you we were coming.". In response, the
woman said, "I just had a feeling," and then opened the door to share
with us. This was the story of our week, of people opening their
homes, minds and hearts to us in the midst of struggles and sometimes
in the midst of the unknown.

In the end, Nicaragua made a permanent impression on me, not because
it's people took us into our homes; instead, I am truly changed
because of how quickly these NIcaraguans took us into their hearts.

***Hope you all enjoyed, and I hope it gave you a glimpse into my experience.

To Nicaragua, and BEYOND!

First of all, extremely overdue apologies are in order considering the fact that I haven't posted in several weeks about my experiences here in Latin America. In my defense...well, I've just been running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. That's really my only excuse.

SO, where to begin? With over half the semester over already, it is overwhelming to try to reflect on it all. I suppose the best place to start would be with my Nicaragua experience. So here it goes.

I must begin by prefacing that Nicaragua is a country that is so different from our own in so many ways that one could believe that a trip to this tiny Latin American country is like stepping on a shuttle to the Moon. We're still in the same solar system, but there's a world of a difference (forgive my punniness). With that being said, Nicaragua is a beautiful country with a gracious, benevolent and humble people. There are somewhere around 14 volcanoes (some still active), the second largest lake in Latin American (Lake Nicaragua, which is also home to the world's only species of fresh water sharks), as well as gorgeous mountian regions blended with dense, hot, rainforests. This natural uniqueness combined with the fact that travel, lodging, and food are very inexpensive has made Nicaragua a hotspot for tourists from all over the world (I met people from Canada, the States, and Europe while I was there). However, on a trip to Nicaragua one must also be prepared to witness some very devastating effects of poverty and globalization. The country has been highly exploited by companies looking to make a quick penny in a country that does a lousy job at enforcing workers rights such as minimun wage (Most of these companies are from the States).

What amazed me the most about Nicaragua and it's people is, in spite of all the suffering and harm they've been through and as little as they have to give, they are some of the most giving and generous people that I have ever met in my life. A special family in Estelí, Nicaragua, invited me into their home for a week and shared with me their lives. Even more special, my church there took me in and loved me in a way I didn't think was possible for individuals you've only known for a short week. I was made a part of the church, and these people changed their lives to revolve around me and my group for an entire week. They took us all over their home, showing us both the natural beauty and the beauty of la gente nicaragúense. They also taught me how to worship in a situation where, for most North Americans (including myself at first), thinking about God would be the furthest thing from their minds. Most of all, I was truly impressed by how happy these people seem to be, living in a house without air-conditioning, a refrigerator, or even indoor plumbing. In spite of all that, these Nicaraguans were some of the most contented people I've ever had the priviledge to know. That is Nicaragua to me.

I could go on forever, but some things just aren't meant for a blog. (Besides, I have to have some stories to tell, right???? LOL).

Much love, and thanks for all the thoughts and prayers.

Pablo =)