The Cubans

By Michelle Calderón

July 1, 2019

The countdown began as I only had one week left to prep myself to leave on July 8, 2019. With one full week left, everyone around me was freaking out and I had no idea what to expect.

July 8, 2019

It’s five in the morning, as I lay in my bed knowing I have to get up, but my body doesn’t react. Finally, I hear the puppies barking and I get up, I start getting ready, I head downstairs and tell my parents it’s time to go. I arrive at the Bush Intercontinental airport, see the group, take a deep breath and summon all the courage in to get on the plane. “I’m doing it” I say to myself, “this is it” I think one last time before the plane departs and head to Cuba. 

Later that day, July 8, 2019

As I sat in my seat, I couldn’t believe I was doing this, never in a million years would I have taken this experience myself without the push I had gotten. Going alone, without my parents, my family, only a group of strangers that I met once or twice. This was definitely a new experience of life for me. 

Still later that day, July 8, 2019

Arriving to La Havana’s airport, “wow” was my initial reaction, the size of it, the amount of people, the smells in the air, nothing in the United States could compare. Finally passing the first sliding doors, stepping into the city of La Habana. I still couldn’t believe where I was. Where I’d be for the next two weeks. So colorful, so much life, so many people crying because they haven’t seen their family members in a while. Once I breathed in the air, reality hit me and I wanted to get to know this country. To my right I see beautiful 1950’s to 1970’s vintage cars and my left the bus that will take us to Matanzas! 

July 9, 2019

Matanzas, A small, but beautifully eluding city at the same time. Oh how it reminded me of the summer times I spent in Zamora, Michoacán. Waking up very early stepping out of our hostal, seeing so many kids running up and down the streets with such confidence and safety, seeing neighbors stepping out of their windows and doors to shout out to the people that are walking by to say hello or good morning. Seeing all this humble, kind humility warms my heart and makes me think that the great United States does not have this kind of thing. Walking everywhere to get to your different destination every time, getting Internet at the plaza, or taking a dip in the backyard of someone’s home is a different type of reality. 

Varadero, a beautiful beach with clear waters that once you stepped in the sand you can see all the fishes swim around you and your toes sink in the sand. Walking around to see the small little stores and ding out that a lot of their product is made of coconut or bamboo. So many unexpected surprises. 

The most amazing part was being able to see how books are being made. With such creativity and uniqueness. Each book had their own detail that another book won’t have. Every small crevice has a significance that the book gives you. At the end made with such delicacy and patience. Just beautiful. 

July 10, 2019

What was so fascinating was that two weeks in Cuba is not enough. All the days that I spent there I learned something new. Learning about the people, their cultures, their traditions, their routines, the things that they have to go through everyday because something always happens. Everybody is an artist, they live their lives to the fullest with such happiness and gratitude. We had to work translating chronicles and the beautiful part was that those chronicles were written from the heart and the love that they have for their city. The love that is scattered around the entire country. Every little space you walked had a bit of color, so people wouldn’t remember that area as a bad area but a new area with life and color.

July 13, 2019

This experience has taught me so many things that I tend to share with the people that are in my life. Having to live this for two weeks taught me to appreciate what I have. In the United States we have unlimited water, food, air conditioning, electricity that stays on, but yet we live our lives complaining about how horrible our lives are. The people that I’ve met and seen live their life to the fullest. They see you walking by and say hello, good morning, good afternoon, or goodnight. They say it because they want to and not because they have to. Learning to live to the fullest and see how colorful you are able to make because at the end of the day you control your happiness. 

July 21, 2019

At the end of this trip I arrived with a group of strangers who ended up being great people who are now friends, new experiences that I cherish and will use them in my everyday life, new appreciation for things that I took for granted. Loving life to the fullest. 

A new and improved,

Michelle Calderon 

Translating Cuba: UH Study Abroad Short Chronicle

By: Pablo Olivos

Before arriving to the airport, I felt confident enough to travel to a new country, and I figured out that I would get along with everyone going on this trip, but I did not think that we would get along so well. Once we said goodbye to our families before departure, we headed to the VIP lounge where we began to talk to each other since most of us did not know each other. Everyone was very friendly and sweet. We even took some of the food from the lounge and snook it into our bags just in case we needed it in Cuba. We then boarded the plane and started talking about what to expect once we got to the island. After a couple of hours, we arrived at the airport in La Habana. It was rather small and it took a while for us to get our bags. I was mentally preparing myself for having no AC or WiFi during the time we were staying. Soon after, our Guagua arrived, a word used for “bus” in Cuba. The ride from the airport to the city of Matanzas took about 2 hours, which was nice and relaxing, just observing the green hills and fields all around us with the windows open and the breeze hitting my face as we made our way to our place of stay. 

Once in Matanzas, we arrived to El Hostal Azul, the place where we would be staying at. We had dinner, which was delicious, and soon after we met with Hector, Adrian, Lorena, and Elizabeth, whom we would be hanging out with almost every day of the trip. Later, we went to Narvaez Boulevard, which was filled with beautiful bars and art galleries next to the river down the street from where we would be working a week later, also the area that we would frequent during our stay in the city. I loved the fact that the artists of the city took the time to beautifully remodel the bars on the street, filled with paintings and creative ways of making them look fancy and intriguing, from the statues to the decor to the lights and the music. The buildings were very old, and the architecture reflected the city's colonial past, along with taunting reminders of slavery and the country's involvement in the African slave trade. 

On the first week, we were working from 9 am to 1:30 pm alongside editors and writers at Ediciones Matanzas, as we were helping them translate their own chronicles. We were explained the city's history by a national awarded historian, along with having visited the Museum of Decorative Arts, and toured the Ermita de Monserrate (a Catholic shrine and the city's/Yumuri Valley's sightseeing spots.) That same night we went to La Marina, an Afro-Cuban neighborhood filled with temple houses for afro Cuban religious followers and paid a visit to one of the homes, where we learned about different African gods and goddesses, traditions, and their survival journey during slavery. We also danced along to the Afro beat of the drums with the hosts of the home and we had a great time doing so. The next day we went to Ediciones El Fortín, in which the designer and director showed us his Handmade Books and his impressive works, and afterwards we took a stroll around the neighborhood visiting different art studios and galleries filled with amazing works of art. We would also go swimming occasionally in a natural stream in the home of one of the writers in Ediciones Matanzas, which was something fun for us all going to cool off and relax in the water. Every night we would also go out with our new Cuban friends to different bars, dance clubs, art galleries, karaoke, and we would have a blast and enjoy each other's company, which was awesome. 

The following weekend we took the Guagua to the Cuevas de Bellamar, which were subterranean caves not too far from Matanzas, where the scenery was beautiful. After paying a visit to the beautiful caves, we headed straight to Varadero, a tourist spot filled with various resorts. The hotel was great, since we stayed at a 1950's style house big enough for everyone. The beach was beautiful and splendid, with its white sand, clear waters, and the sun shining bright. We took advantage of the beach as much as we could, as we took a swim in the water all day long. We went kayaking and snorkeling, which for me was scary because of the ocean waves and the possibility of getting eaten by a shark, yet a great new experience swimming with the fish. The first day we enjoyed the banquet of food offered at the resort, while the second day we realized that the same food was being served and reheated again, which was disappointing, but to make up for it, there was shows each night in which performers would dance professionally and woah the audience, followed by heading together with our group to the club next to the lobby to dance. We enjoyed every minute of the beautiful beach and everything the resort had to offer. The following week, after sadly leaving Varadero, we continued working on our translations at Ediciones Vigía back in Matanzas. 

Throughout the second week, we visited a multitude of different places in the city, including the French Pharmaceutical Museum, a farm on the outskirts of the city where we had a talk about the ecological agriculture and development in Cuba, and went back to Ediciones Vigía for Salsa lessons. We also toured El Castillo de San Severino, Ruta del Esclavo, The Contemporary Theater of Cuba, El Centro de las Artes Escénicas, and we attended the Atenas Brass Ensamble concert. Then, the weekend came when it was time to say goodbye to everyone that we had met in Cuba, from the lovely people in our Hostal to our great new friends that we had met, worked, and hung out with during our stay. Finally, we left Matanzas to go to Havana. Despite me getting sick during the last two days, I made the most of it, as we went out together as a group to explore Old and New Havana, and went to places around the city taking pictures of the 1950's Chevys and the beautiful sceneries all around us. Cuba was definitely a place that I fell in love with, from the lovely people that we met along the way to all of the wonderful places that we got to go and explore together as a group. Cuba was definitely an adventure and the magnificent lived experiences are something that I will tell everyone about and that will live in me forever. 

Warm Feelings

By Kelly Campos

A week before coming home from a trip, one gets into a state of fear that time is running out and that there is still so much more left to see. At 21, I feel the same way in a sense. There are days that I feel like I have seen a fairly good amount of places and things, but then I realize that I actually have a lot left to see and explore. Being in Cuba for two weeks made me realize that the world has a lot to offer and that I must live the rest of my life exploring it. 

Every morning, waking up earlier than usual, the days I spent in Cuba felt longer and more productive. Walking everywhere while being sunkissed was an amazing feeling I did not know would fill my heart and feed my soul. At some point, I came to the realization that the amount of time I spend indoors in the United States was unfortunate and that I had to do something about it. Realizing how comforting and warm it was to be outside enjoying what Cuba had to offer me, it changed my perspective on how I should live, view, and experience everything around me.

Every evening, I would love to sit at the park that was nearby where we were staying named Parque de la Libertad, which translates to Liberty Park. I love its name because it made me feel the exact way it sounds, with liberty. I had the liberty to enjoy every bit of my emotions about being outside and embracing the fact that I was in Cuba, a beautiful island. Being outside was a huge part of my childhood, way before technology took over, so being able to enjoy it again was nostalgic.

Nostalgia is a beautiful thing. I can remember most of my favorite evenings on demand and fall in love with them all over again. I absolutely love remembering those evenings when I felt like nothing around me mattered, young on the inside, and with eyes that shine with happiness. There is an evening in Matanzas, towards the end of my trip,which fills my heart with content and makes me miss the two weeks I was there. I like to call this evening, “The Evening of Cotton Candy Skies”. Although the skies did not look all that much like cotton candy, they looked like that to me and even inspired me to want to write a poem about them with that title.

There is always something celestial about skies, especially when you have someone up there watching over you. This particular evening I will forever boast about, is my favorite memory about Matanzas. It reminds me of my childhood, the happiness I look for internally, and of the good that exists in life. These skies are those kind that you see in movies when people or events are bound to be happy. There were different gradients of the prettiest colors you can imagine the skies can be. I feel like I could go about the rest of  my life talking and writing about my love and experience in Cuba, but I do not believe I would ever find the right words to describe everything I saw through my eyes and embraced with my heart and soul.

Cuban Experience

By Leslie Resendiz

            Summer 2019 will forever be one of my favorites and all the memories made will remain in my heart forever. As a student at the University of Houston I was able to take a once in a life time trip to Cuba. With fourteen other students we made our study abroad trip one of the best. We were given the opportunity to make Matanzas our home for two weeks and experience the lifestyle of true Matanceros (people who live in Matanzas).

            Our typical day started around seven in the morning in order to get ready for the day and arrive to breakfast at eight. Each day the lady’s at the blue hostel welcomed us with fruit and homemade mango, guayaba, papaya, or pineapple juice. Just remembering the delicious food and the amazing lady’s that cooked everything for us makes me miss Matanzas. One of the things I really wish I could keep up with is the time in which meals were served, three time a day, breakfast at eight in the morning, lunch at one, and dinner at seven in the afternoon. Also the freedom of being able to walk where ever and at whatever time without the worry of having to drive. Although it seemed as though we were on vacation that was not the case. We had to do our work, which consisted of translating different chronicles from Spanish to English every day from nine to noon. As far as time it does not seem too bad, but the heat was insane. As we sat in Ediciones Matanzas you could feel your sweat just roll down your face. It was important to always carry your water and hand fan to cool down a bit. Although the heat in Texas is crazy hot in Matanzas it just felt ten times worse, but even then the experience is worth it no matter how much seat dripped down your face.

            The more I think about it the more I realize that in two weeks we did so much. Every day consisted of visiting a museum, taking a tour, having different writers, artists, or important people talk to us. This was not just a typical tourist type of trip we seriously had busy days both during the day and at night. Yet, we would still manage to take short naps here and there. We went to visit a castle, city tour, meet many writers and artists we also got to see their work, go to different museums, visit a temple, night clubs, bars, had salsa lessons, went to the beach, Havana, and much more. Our first weekend in Cuba we went to the beach, Varadero. In general the beach is such an amazing place, but in Varadero the water is crystal clear and the sand is white as snow. That weekend I believe that we students were able to get to know each other and become friends. We all hanged with each other in the beach, at the pool, in the club, we even hosted a talent show for the professor. That weekend was stress free and we spent most of the weekend in the water day and night. After the weekend at the beach we went back to Matanzas for the whole week, but this time we worked in Ediciones Vigia. The people that work there make handmade books that look incredible. On our last day there we had lunch with all the writers and our Cuban friends. We were able to read a short paragraph from the translations we had made and did another talent show to show how much we appreciated them. Later that day we had live music to celebrate our time there and dance with no worries. Then in the night we went to a drag show and let me say that night will definitely be remembered. Not one of us stayed seated once the music started we had a blast that night. The last weekend we went to Havana. There we went to a jazz café, toured old Havana and went to la Fabrica de arte. Everything was so nice and beautiful, the cars are amazing and the buildings so colorful. Although we were still in Cuba it just felt different than in Matanzas, our Cuban friends were missing. Altogether, Cuba was amazing and I cannot get over the fact that we did so much and met so many people and I am so grateful that I was able to go on this study abroad trip.

Overall, words cannot explain the marvelous experience that we had together. It has almost been two weeks and I still cannot wrap my head around the wonderful places I got to see and most importantly the amazing people I got to meet. One thing that I learned from this trip is that friendships can grow instantly if you are willing to meet new people. Cuba will always hold a special place in my heart, but to be more specific Matanzas and the remarkable people who live there.

The picture that represents my experience is with Adrian because no matter how many incredible places I got to see, the friendship that I was able to make with Adrian, Lorena, Elizabeth and Hector is irreplaceable. To me Adrian represents all of the wonderful people I encountered on this trip. Plus, with our matching pineapples it will definitely be hard not to remember my trip to Cuba every time I see it.