CUBA 2017

 CUBA 2017 by Adriana Corzo

The opportunity of traveling to Cuba presented to me this summer came with many surprises and excitement. Quite frankly, it is a bit of challenge to share all I encountered and experienced. I don't quite know how to explain my mixed feelings about it. Cuba has always been a mystery. For some is a tropical island and for some others is a difficult chapter of contemporary history of a failing or a successful government philosophy.  For me it represented a discovery.  A personal discovery.  A literary discovery. A human discovery. A discovery of a part of contemporary history that people of my generation and background lived from the outside.  From the inside, the excitement to discover Cuba from a cultural point and the inevitable political system was quiet a journey.

To my surprise Cuba was much more than what I expected.  More than a political chapter of history I learned about, it was an amazing experience to witness the power that comes with human resilience. A human experience where poets, artists, historians, musicians and immensely talented and generous beings with their individual forms of expressions gave to us the opportunity to learn and enjoy and appreciate their art. This in the middle of a combined nostalgic and at the same time hopeful message.  Working for many days with poet Leymen Pérez and others was a great way to discover Cuba not only in a literary way but historically and politically. 

The various activities in the afternoon open channels of curiosity.  Whether it was visiting the Castillo de San Severino & Ruta del Esclavo or the Finca del proyecto agropecuario, each respective activity came with its own discovery and definition of each space in this journey. The confined space of the editorial house was a preamble to seek more about Cuba. The confined space yet large cavity inside the Bellamar caves served as a metaphor for the the hidden beauty of this island. Visiting the picture-perfect crystal clear blue ocean in Varadero with its white sand released that feeling of confinement into the reality of the limitless natural beauty of Cuba. Riding in the bus from one point to another carried images containing mixed feelings of tourism and poorism. Poorism which at the same time unveiled an unspoken beauty.

The highlight of the trip is translating poetry. What an exciting, intellectual and formative activity. I thoroughly enjoyed the expression part, the literary part, as much as I enjoyed the human behind the letters.

I came back with memories & anecdotes and I have not stopped talking about it with all of those who approach me with the question how is Cuba?

I feel fortunate to have had this opportunity. To see the contrast.  It is beauty and perhaps ugly at the same time. An opportunity to see freedom in a contradicting way, one that is framed in revolutionary ideology.

The world should know more about Cuba and the beauty of its people. Poetry should travel and should never be confined to an island. It was a privilege to have had the opportunity to translate Cuban poetry to the English language and in some way, open the channels of communication and expression via literary pieces. All of us involved in this adventure, should be ambassadors of this message of trapped freedom and expression, nostalgic beauty and hope. A feeling which left me with a desire to do more than what I did in my short time in Cuba.

Cuba is a place where time paused and yet people continue to grow and develop inside. It is a contradictory yet fascinating place.  An unforgettable experience for others to seek. Certainly, a building block in my formation.

I highly recommend to others to experience Cuba and get sensitized with this contrasting environment that will open your horizons and stimulate your intellect.

Translating in Cuba 2017

Translating in Cuba 2017  

by Emmanuel Gonzalez

 Cuba is like a ship in the sea that never moves, motionless for ever, as one of the poets described it in one of his poems. I felt very fortunate of traveling to a country that holds a lot of history and is enriched by its culture. From the moment the group arrived to the airport, it felt as if I had traveled back in time. The 1950 Chevrolets instantly caught my attention, while Dr. Cuesta pointed out the smaller cars from the Soviet-era. Most of the vehicles still ran with the help of newer parts in their interior. As we headed to our hostels on a minibus that picked us from the airport, I noticed the great amount of propaganda on billboards, confirming the strong communism that we had heard of back home. One of them read "Revolucion Es: Defender valores en los que se creen, al precio de cualquier sacrificio." Meaning, "Revolution is: To defend the values in which we believe, with the price of any sacrifice."

 We finally arrived to our rooms, and the next two nights in La Habana were set to be really busy, yet productive. From visiting the historic sites of the capital, to eating some really good congrí and drinking my first Mojito. The first two nights had already become my favorite. I got to see the Malecon, the famous seawall that was filled with people at nighttime.

The day to embark on our translation project had arrived. We headed to Matanzas and and met the poets. They gave us a warm welcoming and were as excited as we were about the project. My poet, Daniel Cruz Bermúdez, turned out to be one of the most creative and unique. His poems were filled with metaphors that made you think outside the box. Our days became a routine of waking up for breakfast, heading to the publishing house to translate the poems and then going to the city’s historic sites. We also experienced Cuban talent in a couple of theatrical plays and music performances we attended.  Our evenings were free, and in charge of us were matanceros Adrian, Elizabeth and Hector that served as our guardian angels as they showed us the city at night.

At the end of the first week we headed to Varadero, a resort town and the biggest tourist attraction in Cuba. I couldn’t ask for more when we got to the Be Live Experience resort. The group had our own house and even our own private pool, but what excited me the most was the main purpose of this trip to Varadero: the beach. The white sand beach is the most beautiful I have seen in my life, as I showed excitement of being able to see my feet through the water.

 For week two we continued working with the poets, getting to know each other better than the day before. I had great conversations with poet Derbys Domínguez, as I asked about politics, sports and what he thought about the United States. He even gave me a Che Guevara peso as a gift! We visited The castle of San Severino which was one of my personal favorite historic sites of the whole trip. It held so much history about the African slaves that were brought into the country and our guide (historian) Silvia Hernandez Godoy made sure to tell us everything that happened inside the castle.

The Friday before our return to the United States the next day was a though one. It was our last day to spend time with people we had bonded with for two long weeks. We concluded our translation project by presenting our poems among everyone that had formed part of our awesome Cuban experience.  

Personally, I can’t wait to go back. Cuba was a life changing experience and a big eye-opener. When I got back to the states I realized how different our society is and how addicted to the internet we are. Perhaps we could learn a thing or two from Cuban society.  If I have the chance to, I will be returning sooner thank I think. Cuba is amazing!

Cuba Summer Abroad 2017

Cuba Summer Abroad 2017

by: Emilse Rosa

I was nervous when I was faced with the thought that I was going to go overseas for the first time. A strange mysterious land.

Ready to embark on an adventure? That was my thought when I was faced with the beauty which is Cuba. Now, when I look back and think of Cuba, a smile comes to my face. I miss the warm summer breeze, the smells, the spontaneity of not knowing what adventure you will face for the day. All of this is included in the island charm. It is a beautiful, historical island! I never expected the variety and beauty of the architecture which we encountered. Most of my pictures are architecture related due to the level of detail and preservation. Other countries tend to destroy old buildings and build new modern buildings, but they do not hold the beauty and history which these buildings hold. New buildings lack history while old buildings are filled with it.These proud buildings have withstood the passage of time with a sense of pride, standing tall and intact for years to come.

Cuba was a lot of fun! We learned about a different culture from our own. It was an experience that I will remember for years to come; being an Art History major I was drawn to the transformative side of the island. It is everything that I expected it to be; colorful, happy, fast moving, enchanting and alluring. It draws you in, you want to know more about it, at every corner you are faced with ornate buildings filled to the brim with history because they served as different places over time. For example, this building used to be a fire station but today it’s a hotel. There are several buildings that resemble this style. This is an elaborate baroque style building, with its arches, columns, and dramatic central projection.

In Cuba, people are always outside keeping the city alive. The streets are filled with sounds and greetings at all hours of the day. The idea of togetherness comes to mind when describing Cuba because you often see people gathering in public places. In the park, the plaza, the streets, there are always people gathering just to use WI-FI, talk on the phone, take a walk, or just to talk to their neighbors. It is a close-knit community which creates a warm ambiance for visitors to the island, we are not used to people constantly being outdoors or an overcrowded park in the middle of the day. It is a very pleasant experience because of the human connection that is achieved once you remove the WI-FI accessibility. People feel the need to create connections.

This was the last thing I saw before embarking on our trip back to the airport to return back to Houston. These cars are like Cuba itself, they are made up of different parts to make a whole. Cuba is made up of different cultures and different people in one island where they all meet to make one country. Just like this car is inviting you to take it for a ride, Cuba is inviting you to come over for a memorable trip!