MY CUBAN DICTONARY

By Stephanie Ruiz

My Cuban Journey in words. This is an island of unique historical heritage Epic colonial architecture, libidinous young salsa dancers, Che Guevara murals, and smiling faces of the people I came to love, the images of Cuba are as transfixing as they are timeless.  When asked to describe my journey in Cuba a set of distinctive words appear in my mind, each word comes with a unique and very personal meaning.

MY CUBAN DICTONARY

Friendship- a bond of mutual affection Laura, Angustina, Beatriz, Hector, and Adrian these are some of the names of the wonderful and unforgettable friends we made in Cuba. They helped shaped our trip but also forever changed my life. These friendships are our bridge to Cuba. 

           Likewise on the flight back I was reflecting on the 13 friends I was flying back home with. We left Houston as 13 strangers; to be honest we shared nothing more than a classroom for a couple of hours a week. I knew nothing about my fellow classmates I couldn’t even tell you most of their names. Before the trip if I ran into any of them on campus our exchange would be nothing more than an awkward smile, if that.  A week and lots of memories later I flew back with life long friends, which I now share much more than a couple of hours in a classroom with. Without the trip Dr. Cuesta would have become just another professor who I would have described on “Rate My Professor” with simple adjectives like smart and interesting. I would have never gotten to know two of the most amazing professors that have now became my friends, real life friends, and that I hope will forever be my mentors. 

“Fantabulousbooks”- is my amalgamation of fantastic, fabulous, and book.

 It is the only word I can use to describe the amazing and beautiful handmade art pieces that are created in Vigia. Each book takes weeks to make and is unique, unlike anything I have seen before. It was an honor to work side by side with people from this editorial. Vigia is one of Cuba’s many treasures!

Music- It keeps the people going. Music kept US going. The heart of what makes Cuban music so enticing is its power to inspire dance! It seemed like we dance and sang our way thru Cuba, music was a big part of our days if we weren’t dancing we were singing or vice versa.

                                                                                     Beach- Varadero.

The one-day when we set up our little spot in paradise. With our towels in hand we mounted our bus and arrived at the most blue and beautiful of beaches! A white-powder sandy beach… Awww so refreshing so so blissful. I felt so alive. The water washed around me, there was a big smile on my face, and the faces of my friends. This is as good as it gets.

Food- nutritious substance that consist of a lot of black beans and rice.

Something we shared together as a family everyday and at the very least twice a day.  It’s also something I vowed to never waist again.

  

Survival - because it is far from a perfect country. 

The revolution defines the everyday life of the Cuban people. A populace that is capable of surviving conditions that would render most first world residents completely useless.  But not the Cubans', if my memory does not fail me, no Cuban ever told me that they were unhappy.

Heartbreak-   Is looking out the window my eyes filled with tears as the bus drove us away from our Cuban family, our family that was standing outside of Vigia crying and waving back at us. My heart aches at the thought that I may never see them again. I just pray that I don’t forget my week in Cuba and that it all doesn’t just became some distant dream.

Hope- The warmth and spirit of the Cuban people affirmed hope that our two countries will one day have normal relations.

One Week- It’s all it took to fall in love with the country, to make unforgettable friendships, and to change the way I view this beautiful world we live in.