Let’s set the scene. It was a typical day in my Spanish class with us
seated in a circle talking about ourselves, our lives and Pozos. As we began talking about the complex theory of friendship,
bursting through the door came a person who would change my life. There, she
painted a picture before our eyes of a place none of us knew much about, Cuba.
We looked at one another with excitement teaming in our eyes about a
place famed for its strong coffee, old cars and Castros that has, for most of
us, all our lives been an alluring mystery. However, after putting my name on
the sign-up, I would soon come to know Cuba is much, much more than what it
seemed. I would come to know of the highs, the lows and the in-betweens. I
would also come to familiarize myself with the culture, the language and most
importantly the people, whom I still miss very much. In short, Cuba changed my
life.
One of the things I told the group when I was in Cuba was I felt like I
was in a dream. However, Cuba became really real four times: when I paid, when
I departed, when I landed and when I returned.
When I paid the money, I felt the commitment. The moment I handed Dr.
Cuesta the cash, I said to myself, “This is real. This is happening.” I
couldn’t believe it was happening. Feelings of excitement and nervousness
flowed through my veins and reached the butterflies in my stomach. When I
departed for Cuba, I felt the group come together not only physically, but also
emotionally. At that point, we were all we had; we had left the familiar behind
and were entering the unknown together. When we landed, I remember the humidity
hitting me in the face, stopping me in my tracks. I remember this is when I
felt I officially arrived and was not in Kansas anymore. I was ready to explore
(with my sunscreen on and Ciego Montero in hand)!
We spent the first two days in Havana, and it was breathtaking! It was
nothing like I have ever seen before. The sights, smells, sounds and faces were
all new; I was having a sensory overload and was loving it. Gracias and no gracias had become Rachael and I’s two favorite phrases, and
apparently we had discovered many ways to say them, haha! We went to a jazz
club that night and chilled on the Malecón,
the famous seawall in Havana. There were thousands of people just hanging out,
playing music and enjoying themselves on this seawall! It was nothing like I
have seen before where people just go out without technology or anything and
just enjoy being around their friends and their people. This is where I first
felt the strong sense of community I would feel from this point forward on my
journey.
With the help of our amazing guide, we toured old Havana, which was
breathtaking to say the least. There was so much history just in the streets.
That night, we went to la Fábrica de Arte
Cubano, where I felt a sense of home for some reason. I strapped on my
sandals, fastened my linen pants and left an extra button on my shirt
unclasped. The lights, the music and the art all brought me back to the Houston
art scene; it was a night for the books for sure!
The next day, waking up to a bright and boiling sun, we headed to
Matanzas, my teacher’s hometown. Here in Matanzas, I would find my second home.
I became familiar with the streets, the people and made friendships that I hope
will transcend lifetimes. Here, in the Athens of Cuba, I would not only explore
its people, culture and food, but also I would explore a few new sides of
myself along the way. I ate some of the best food of my life, read some of the
greatest works of poetry, made the best of friends, drank the strongest of coffees
and shed the most bittersweet of tears.
On the first night in Matanzas, Dr. Cuesta introduced us to Hector,
Elizabeth and Adrian, who I didn’t know at the time would become close friends
of ours. They showed up the ins and outs of Matanzas, including the night
scene, the day scene and even the drag scene. Every night they showed us
somewhere new to explore, and I am forever grateful for these three. However,
we can’t forget about Jean Marco, who taught us to dance salsa! I thought I was
an OK dancer, but then I met a Cuban, haha!
Our UH family would come to know Ediciones
Matanzas very well as we spent every morning working on our translations.
Little did I know Yesenia, my translating partner, and I would become so close!
We were honored to translate Israel Domínguez’s work and culture into English.
During the second weekend, we traveled to Varadero, the most beautiful
beach in the world. We quickly grabbed our wallets, and to market, to market we
went! After we emptied our wallets and filled our bags with leather goods,
magnets and keychains, we headed back to our resort paradise where we would
relax, lay out under the sun and watch women become lizards (Thank you Israel
for teaching me about this funny saying). Water has never been so blue before!
There, I would be a beach bum for a day, walking the beach up and down, trying
to soak in those fleeting rays. The beach puts a spell on the people. I can
certainly say we all drank its Love Potion No. 9; at the end, we didn’t want to
leave! We were all entranced by the mysterious, alluring beauty of Varadero.
When we went back to Matanzas, we toured its highest and lowest points,
making sure not to skip anything in between. We trekked up Monserrat, the
city’s highest point, in an old Soviet school bus, which I thought would give
way at any moment but was actually very sturdy. We went deep underground in las cuevas de bellamar and splashed ourselves
with its fountain of youth waters (and tried to stay away from the fountain of
divorce).
From drag queens to Afro-Cuban deities, Dr. Cuesta made sure we saw
everything we could possibly experience. The trip was a two-week-long
rollercoaster of great memories that will fade with time, but the feelings will
always be in my heart. I also have to say I’ve never seen people more connected
than Cuban people. They are so resilient, and it amazes me how real and genuine
people were and how they would just come up to you and talk to you like you
were their neighbor. I didn’t expect to make as many friends as I did,
especially with the Cuban people because Spanish is my second language.
However, I was wrong. Believe it or not, I feel like I’ve made some of the best
friendships in just two weeks. Those three special designers and the group managed
to carve and sculpt a special place in my heart, and I will always be thankful
of their open arms and friendship.
On the last day, the coffee in Hostal
Azul tasted bittersweet, and as we all know, good things don’t last
forever. I knew my time in Cuba was short, limited and would eventually come to
an end.
I have to say, reading our translations alongside our poets reading
their original versions was one of the most bittersweet moments of the trip. It
was a celebration of the hard work we put into getting to know our poets,
understanding the poems’ significance and translating them. It felt as if we
were all performing a farewell ritual to Cuba. However, when we loaded the bus
to go home, I tasted just how trilce
the moment really was.
It was hard to grasp the reality of the situation. In the airport, I
started to lose my mind because I felt like I had left something vitally
important behind. In reality, I left nothing behind other than myself. Looking
back, I realized just how much I left behind in the friendships I’ve made, in
the translation work that I did and in the memories I had made. However, I take
with me a little piece of Cuba as well. I hope my friends in Matanzas keep
those little pieces of myself so that one day they’ll be able to return them.
So now, here I am. As I sit here on my computer typing this blog post in
a coffee shop where the coffee is too expensive and weak, I remember
the times in the publishing house when there was no computer, where the coffee
was as strong as its people and where air conditioning was a rare commodity.
However, I felt so in-touch with reality. Having sitting here typing on my
computer, with the world and beyond tingling my fingertips, I can’t help but
want to be transported back to las Ruinas;
be alongside Adrian, Elizabeth, Hector and the group that I have come to know
so very well whom I now consider family; and where the Wi-Fi is only available in
the plazas. As I sit here, facing my computer screen, with the world at my
disposal, I wait to be connected once again.
Gracias por todo, Cuba!
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