by Luke Dutch
Translating Cuba
was an amazing trip, and I am so glad I got to with Mabel Cuesta and wonderful
group of people. Exploring different parts of Cuba—Matanzas, Varadero, and La
Habana—opened my eyes. I would definitely go back, and I may take my friends
and family to the places I went.
It was a rewarding yet humbling experience to
see a Latin American country in the Caribbean. Seeing people’s way of life and
interacting with the locals has taught me a lot about Cuban culture and made me
realize that I should appreciate how much I have in life. I think that my time
with the Cubans also made realize what kind of ambassador I am to the United
States. I enjoyed sharing with them what the United States was like, and in
return, I enjoyed listening to their experiences. I now fully understand what
Mabel was talking about when she said we were all in store for a bit of a
culture shock, but it was totally worth it.
Aside from
learning about Cuba within itself, I made a ton of new friends. It was great
hanging out with other UH cougars in Cuba. I got the chance to socialize and
learn more about other people who are also majoring in Spanish. Hanging out
with the group I went with taught me what it is like to be a family and stick
together. There were times where I had to work hard to control my anxiety, but
that was made much easier because I had people around me who were willing to
support me.
The work we did
was also a great part of the trip. I am interested in linguistics/language
studies and hope to do something of the sort when I am in grad school.
Translating literature and stories written by Cuban authors really helped
solidify my understanding of grammatical structures, usage, and many other
linguistic functions of both English and Spanish.
My favorite part
of the trip, however, was the weekend recess at Varadero. Swimming in the
clear, blue water and relaxing was delightful. It felt like the vacations I
went on to the Caribbean when I was just a kid, not to mention Varadero is a
beautiful part of the country.
Overall, I had an
excellent time and grew a lot in Cuba. I made tons of new friends and now have
an unforgettable and valuable experience under my belt. I totally recommend
“Translating Cuba” to anybody who is willing to travel, learn about Cuban
culture, and get hands-on experience with their Spanish.
Go Coogs!
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