Chronicle of a Cuban Family

By: Delia M Pacheco

We were a total of fifteen students who had just arrived to a very different country, everything in there was very different to what were are used to in a daily basis back in our country, they drove different cars than ours, the old Spanish streets were also very different compared to the streets we are used to seeing in our country, even though we all spoke Spanish their Spanish was different then ours and of course their cultures and beliefs were very different to are very own. My classmates and I had different mentalities and different opinions on the our ways to see life, all of us in different levels of life, some  were younger than the others and some of us were older, some of us were there to celebrate graduations and some others were there because the credit for the class was needed, but also with the same intention to learn about a new culture.

We wanted to go to Cuba to get the complete experience, well at least I know I did. When we first got to this new beautiful  country, we were able to notice right away that everything the professor told us was true, she had talked to us before traveling about the really hot and humid weather, also about the rain and other issues regarding the nature (like mosquitos and sun that could burn your skin for example )  to me that happens almost everywhere around  the world and honestly we did not mind at all after the second day, because we found out that in Matanzas and everywhere around Cuba people  had a lot to offer to us , so much that those little things did not matter to us at all.

This trip to Cuba was very important for me, I learned a lot, it was and It will always be an incredible and unforgettable experience for me. I met a lot of people there with a lot of talent and a lot of potential as well, I learned a lot from them. All these talented people from Cuba taught us a lot of different lessons about life. But in reality it was not just the authors who did, also all the staff from the hostals, who did a really good job at taking care of us during the whole trip. They were very sweet and loving and really enjoyed spoiling us during our visit. They really made sure we had everything we needed. They cooked very good cuban food for us, it was very delicious. Working with Norge (the writer that was assigned to us) was very helpful as well, we were able to understand his Cuban roots and also understand a little bit more about the history there. I believe it is a really good idea to work with the authors in person, because you get to understand what you’re translating when it’s time to translate a lot more better, even though we had a lot of questions he was always so happy to help us figure it out l, we were able to get his essence on the work we translated. Sometimes when other people translate other authors work it doesn’t come out as well as it should have, because for the simple reason that they really don’t know the real life about that author. So when they translate it, they translate it with their own words trying to guess the writing assigned to them.

Our professor Mabel also introduced us to four new friends (also editors we worked with) who were the best thing that happened to me on this trip, even though they were very young , I really learned a lot from them because they were very cult, intelligent and very humble. They taught me to live my live in a positive way even when negative stuff would happen to me. Their names were Adrian a very down to earth man, Elizabeth very beautiful and smart women, Hector so intelligent and o course the life of the party and Lorena very interesting and humble women. I really have no words to describe how thankful I am with life to have put these people in my life, my connection with them is unbelievable! I am still in contact with them. I really have to be in contact with them, they courage me to live my best life. I really enjoyed hanging out with them on a daily basis, I would literally get up first thing in the morning to hurry for class and be able to see them and learn more from them. I am very grateful with Mabel, Neysi and the University of Houston for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this great experience. And I am really thankful also for people like Mabel and her partner in this world, because this is the way it is supposed to be, people should always try to help the others even if it’s little by little. While having a conversation with my classmates after the trip was done, we realized Cuba really helped all of us realize that life is so good when you see it in another perspective, with no hate, no negativity.

I was also able to see my favorite professor (Mabel) present one of her books to the Cuban community and of course to us, I felt so proud of her when I saw her talking about the poems she had wrote. All of us were able to live that great experience. And one last thing but not last… I really have to say that I loved the way all my classmates and I got along during this trip, we were almost like a family. Brothers and sisters all taking care of and caring for each other. We were all like a family. The authors, the professors, our friends, and some part of the Matanzas community and all my classmates were a Cuban family. We were a Matancera family.

Matanzas 2019

By Kyra Raine Guerrero

            The care-free expression on each of our faces may do the best job at inviting any curious soul to step foot on the land we called home for two weeks. Two weeks that left me as soon as I arrived. Perhaps we were all much too eager on the plane ride to appreciate the opportunity that was about to consume us. Before Matanzas, my mind was muddied by the unknown, now, I only crave another cycle of breakfast and besitos from our hostel tias, chatty walks with the neighbors and front-row speeches by the impassioned poets that the city inspires. Maybe it’s because I am accustomed to the large city Americana lifestyle or maybe it’s because I am still tip-toeing into Hispanic culture; every gift Matanzas gave me was exactly what I needed.

            The rain came as a surprise, by the way I speak of the city you may think that the sky was full of rainbows every day (In fact, I wrote a poem about such a phenomenon named La Piel del Mango at the end of the trip). The scattered storms only added to the warmth that every hand-picked guide gave to us. Listening to Mabel interact with her community was a bonus experience for those who paid attention. Each poet, lecturer and guide was a familiar member of the community that added their own personal touch to each excursion. Speaking of excursions, you can expect: cave exploring, beach-side piña coladas, swimming in a poet’s natural spring, museum tours and walk-throughs of some of the many tallers that line the river-side streets. The rivers and bridges in Matanzas were the focal points of many pieces of writing that were able to translate as visiting students. The piece that my partner and I translated was about the Biannual art celebration that happened the month prior of our arrival. It was a beautiful experience to translate a piece of literature based on the very setting we were inhabiting. In this way, it was a multidimensional immersion. We walked on the streets that our writer spoke of and visited the museums and galleries that were featured in the chronicle. Every place we visited had a story to tell.

            My personal favorite day-trip was the visit to an ecological agriculture project lead by a matancero. The very first thing we did was eat farm-fresh food in a hand-made pavilion over-looking the valley. Everything we ate in Matanzas tasted absolutely fresh but that lunch in particular was exceptional. After the meal, the director began to explain the philosophy of the organization. The principle of the practice of ecological agriculture is for the cultivator to feel the entire process of how our food is grown. From soil to table, the farmer will be able to see, smell, touch and taste the fruit of their labor. There was an emphasis on the internal growth that occurs all the while. This was one of the first stories I shared upon my arrival back to the states and now I only crave a similar experience in my hometown. Being in the hometown of my professor is what separates this program from any other travel experience I have had. All fifteen of us were treated as family morning and night. After the translation workshops, our Cuban friends would introduce us to their local spots and involve us all in yet another immersive experience. Family of Mabel and her wife even joined us on our trip to Varadero and Havana. We ate, sang and danced together! And at the beach, we relaxed together.

            So, thank you, Cuba, Matanzas and Mabel for introducing me to a lifestyle that I had never tasted before. The stress left between the laughter and sweat and tears of joy at the final talent show and plane ride home. The transition home was more difficult than I imagined it would be. I still can hear my professor’s voice telling me that I can come back one day… I am so grateful to be able to share the stories and sensations that Cuba gifted me with my community here in Houston. What a terrific path I chose to end my time in University- with warmth and affection and a splash of rum!

All I had Known of Cuba Prior to Travelling There Was the Common Stereotypes

By Kyle McDaniel

Professor Cuesta had been trying to co-opt me onto her Spanish translation trip to Cuba since my first class with her. After two more classes of her persistence, I finally capitulated to travelling to the infamous country with her. And am I so glad to have done that.

All I had known of Cuba prior to travelling there was the common stereotypes: old cars, cigars, and rum cocktails. Add to that the embargo imposed by the US government and you have a perfect combination of the view of Cuba outside of the country. However, I saw past these things to appreciate the most important and unique aspect of Cuba: its people. The people in Matanzas, where we worked intimately with exceptional authors, knew each other as if they were family. 

It wasn’t as if they went up and kissed each other on the cheeks with every encounter (like is commonly shown of Latinx individuals), but rather the subtle appreciation of sharing common experiences. Nothing brings people closer together than shared hardship, and this phenomenon is wildly apparent there. In between shortages of food, water, gasoline or any other necessity we take for granted in the United States, Cubans continue to live. This lesson is one people from more fortunate upbringings should learn if for no other reason than to learn to appreciate what they have.

Learning was an important part of the trip because, obviously, it was a university class, but also because our translation work required it. Every museum we visited, every street we walked, every park we enjoyed helped strengthen our understanding of Matanzas and, as a result, the strength of our translations. Cultural immersion is paramount in understanding the environment you find yourself in. The greatest satisfaction from the translation process was sitting down with the authors to understand the true significance of their chronicles and then using our knowledge of both languages to express the same amount of poetic and artistic meaning that was present in the original Spanish into our English translation. Although the beach in Varadero and riding in 1950’s era cars along the Malecón were breathtaking experiences, the most rewarding experience from Cuba was giving a new light to the pieces from amazing authors so that others can enjoy in their art.

I was humbled above all else to represent Mabel Cuesta in her hometown, working alongside her colleagues for decades. Being an American in Cuba, we all realized the spotlight focused on us from both our government as well as the Cuban government. But probably harsher than the governmental scrutiny was that from people who have known her for a long time, including people from her family. I appreciate the experiences I had in Cuba especially because of the way Professor Cuesta opened her community for our benefit. One night in Matanzas, Cuesta debuted a book of her poetry alongside family, friends, colleagues as well as all the students from the Cuba trip. I felt so proud to be a student of Mabel Cuesta because of what she represents to the people of Matanzas.

Matanzas is known as the City of Bridges because of the bridges that span the rivers which flow down towards the bay and form the outline of the city. And in this city of bridges, we constructed links between two languages, two cultures, and two people. Although my heart is sad to be removed from Cuba, the bridges I formed there are strong, keeping alive my curiosity and inspiration from the people I met there.