Two weeks in Paradise by Laura Fuentes

I never thought I would do a study abroad program ever until this summer. This summer was pretty hectic with me being out of the States for about 2 ½ months, but it is definitely one to remember. I started first by going to Spain with my oldest brother for vacation, then to México for my first study abroad program for 5 weeks and last but not least the best way to end my summer with my second study abroad program in Cuba.

I have always heard about Cuba from my parent’s friends who were born there and never thought I would actually have the opportunity to go and experience living and being with “matanceros.” I actually did not know that this class was a study abroad program until Mabel Cuesta sent me an email, and I thought to myself “wow! Is this really happening?” Without a doubt, I knew I had to go to experience everything I had heard from my parent’s friends about Cuba for myself.

When I first got to the airport, I didn’t know anybody from the group because I had never gone to the little meetings since I was out of the States during the time, so I felt a little odd being there. But quickly made a bond with someone I never imagined to while waiting to board. I never thought of Cuba as “esta tan cerca pero tan lejos” until our flight over there. When we first landed in Havana, I was still in shock and couldn’t believe I was actually there. As we made our way out of the airport to head to the wawa that would soon take us to our bnb’s, I noticed the different vibes from each individual and never got that feeling as if we were being judged like in the U.S. for any little thing.

On our ride to our bnb’s I did notice all the signs supporting communism and especially of Che. When we arrived to our drop off location and all parted our ways with roommates to different bnb’s, I was lucky to have the opportunity to stay with Andrea, Isis and Tanya for our stay in Havana. The lady we stayed with had a bunch of food made for us in the morning with freshly cut fruits and a delicious mango juice that I will never forget about it.

Just with being in Havana for a short amount of time, I had already fell in love with Cuba’s history and culture. The first night in Havana we went to the Jazz Café, where we all listened to some amazing jazz music and ate. I ended up going to get some air outside with some people from the group, where we later on made our way to see the famous “Malecón” and saw all the people gathered there to talk and meet different people. Although my first night ended up with me breaking out in hives, I still enjoyed my first night in Cuba.

Although I thought maybe it was just my body reacting differently and not anything else, I came to realize I was allergic to the seafood when we all went to dinner the next night and I had to step out because I couldn’t breathe. I was pretty upset about that because seafood is my favorite, but the night ended up getting better when we went to Fabrica de el Arte Cubano and enjoyed our last night in Havana with each other.

                                                                    

I was pretty sad to leave Havana and leave our bnb host because she was the sweetest and amazing poem writer. My roommates and I were lucky enough to hear her one of her poems and about her life. It was hard leaving Havana but I was excited to go to Matanzas and see what we were going to do for the next 2 weeks there. When we arrived in Matanzas, we all arrived to Hostal Azul, where I was lucky to stay and became our meeting place for most events. I will never forget the food from there either, especially when we ate breakfast and always had fresh fruit before our actual meal and fresh juice to accompany our meal.

We went to our place of work called “Ediciones Matanzas” where we were each partnered with someone from class and then given our poet. I was lucky to have the opportunity to work with Antonia on translating poems, because we both agreed on our choice of words when we started translating our poet Derbys Domíguez poems. The look Derbys had on his face every time we had finished translating one of his poems is unforgettable because this was the first anybody had translated his poems. Working with Derbys on his poems was amazing because of the choice of words and the way he had wrote his poems. I am so grateful to be able to say that Antonia and I were able to present two of Derbys poems on our last day at Ediciones Matanzas in front of a crowd and ended the presentation with our poems. I never ever thought I would translate poems in my life, but after this project we did in Cuba, I’m pleased to say that I would do it all over again.

   

On our last day in Matanzas, I was filled with mixed emotions as I looked at everything that I was around for the past 2 weeks and it was all coming to an end soon. I will never forget the friendships and bonds made during this trip with everyone, but I am so grateful that I was able to experience it with everyone and mainly Mabel and Neysi who took us in as their own during this trip and gave us all the opportunity to be a part of their hometown. Also, for introducing us to the best people we would spend most of our free evenings with, which is Elizabeth, Adrian and Hector. I would definitely go back to Cuba but at the same time I would be sad especially when I have to leave and come back to the States. I have to say that Cuba gave me the opportunity to meet people that I never thought I would, even though we go to the same school and live in the same city.

 

       

It’s taken me awhile to write this blog because being back in the States is totally different and thinking about all the good memories made in Cuba makes me a little sad because I want to go back and experience everything all over again. If someone were to ask me about my experience in Cuba, I would have to say it’s a true-life changer and you will definitely see everything with more of an open mind and never take the smallest things for granted ever again. I can truly say that Cuba changed me and I came back with more of an open mind on things and a little piece that I was missing for a while until now. I definitely believe that if someone ever had the opportunity to go to Cuba, they should because you WILL see things differently. Also, you will probably come back with something you never expected to, but it’s a good something to experience. It’s like a saying I once heard, “It’s the unexpected things that change our lives for the better.”

               

   

Artists-in-residence by Andrea Cavazos

Cuba has always been a mystery to me. Whenever it was mentioned, I thought about what I learned in history books: communism, Fidel Castro, the Bay of Pigs, the Cold War, and the exiles journey to Miami. It was a place frozen in time. In politics, Cuba has always been portrayed as an antagonist to the United States and this relationship has been static for so long, I thought it would always remain so.

This changed when President Obama began to normalize relations between the U.S. and Cuba, and when the opportunity arose for me to go on this trip, I knew I had to take it. I wanted to learn for myself what Cuba was really like-what the people were like and how they lived. I didn’t want to hear it from politicians or read about it from article in the newspaper.

While I would like to document every single detail of my trip, this blog post would quickly turn into a short novel, so instead I’ll highlight my most memorable moments. When we landed in Havana, it was rainy, humid, and a bit dreary. But once we got our luggage and loaded our bus, I could feel my excitement bubbling to the surface. That night, while waiting in between jazz sets, I went outside and walked across the busy street to el Malecón for some fresh air. It was around 11:00 at night but the place was filled with throngs of people of all ages. They either stood, sat, or leaned against the seawall talking in various sized groups. It amazed me for I had never seen anything like it.

The next day after a guided walking tour of the city by the brilliant Diana, we had about an hour to explore on our own. I returned to el Malecón with my roommates Tanya and Isis to watch the sunset.

On Monday morning we packed our bags and headed to Matanzas. We made one stop at Puente de Bacunayagua-the highest bridge in Cuba. 

We arrived in Matanzas shortly after and I immediately liked this city. We were simpático. It was not quite as busy as Havana but still had this palpable vibrant heart beat. That first home cooked dinner at Hostal Azul was delicious and where I began my love affair with Cuban coffee.

That night we went to “Danza Espectaculo,” a dance recital being held by local dance companies. It took place in a public park and though I must admit at first I was more excited at the chance of being able to use WI-FI, I soon became fascinated by observing what was going on around me as we waited for the performance to start. People began to gather and the pleasant hum of chatter increased.

I saw children, mothers, family and friends and was transported to my teenage cousin’s dance recital back in the states. I was struck by the similarities and when the performance finally began, I could not help but see it through those eyes.  The atmosphere was the same. The audience watching and supporting their loved ones. When a group of dancers took the stage, all young girls, dressed in their flag’s colors of red, blue, and white, I saw the pride and joy in their eyes. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with emotion and began to cry. I still can’t quite explain why I did so but from that moment on I began to understand that although we are separated by a body of water and years of political strife, Cubans are just like us in the ways that matter most.

 

The rest of the trip was filled with moments such as these. No, I wasn’t breaking into tears every day, but I was gaining a new insight into a country I never quite understood. Each day was filled with purpose. Breakfast at Hostal Azul, work at Ediciones Matanzas-which was just a 10 minute walk away, smoking breaks with my translation partner Kayleen where we didn’t smoke but enjoyed stepping outside for a few minutes of respite from the heat, lunch at Hostal Azul, 30 minutes of rest where I just laid in bed enjoying the AC, an adventure in the afternoon, searching for dinner, WI-FI at Parque de la Libertad surrounded by children playing and running at all hours of the night, and then back at Hostal Azul to sleep for a few hours before it began all over again.

Though this might all sound routine, I promise that it was anything but. I fell in love with the sights and sounds of Matanzas. I grew close to my classmates, especially my favorite sister duo of Isis and Tanya. I learned about this group of people in a way that can only happen from spending the days and nights together with no distractions and genuine intent. The conversations we had about nothing and everything will always hold a place in my heart. The weekend where we stayed up late swimming into the night and rose to greet the sunrise, I will treasure forever.

There were also the moments of self-reflection and introspection. Since November 9^th of this past year, I have not been the same. I have questioned so much of what I believed and thought was true about my fellow citizens. To my core, I have always been an idealist. And though I know things aren’t perfect for many of us, I thought we were all moving together towards something better. More kindness and empathy. More truth and justice. John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address where he declared, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country” has been my guiding mantra since I first heard it years ago. On that election night, my heart broke and I have been lost in a haze of anger, frustration, sadness, and grief.

 

Cuba, however, was a stark reminder that though my country is having an identity crisis, it still has given me so much. I realized I took so many things for granted. AC, access to water, free internet, toilet seat covers, toilet paper, and whatever type of food I desire. Yet for all those moments of discomfort I had in Cuba, I was reminded that we still had so much more than the locals. We did not want for anything. When I discussed this with Profesora Cuesta, she told me that it was important to acknowledge our privilege but not feel guilty for all we had. What matters is to keep working towards progress for all of us.

It was a reminder to me that as Americans we have much to be proud of, and I need to keep fighting for that. Cuba has helped me love America again. When I looked out my window on the airplane back to Houston and saw those manicured, geometric fields looking up at me, I had never felt such affection.

Now when someone mentions Cuba, I don’t immediately think of Fidel or communism. I think of Luz, Joshua, Rachael, Kayleen, Yesenia, Emmanuel, Laura, Rolando, Nina, Emilse, Kim, Isis, Tanya, Chelsea, Antonia, Joycelyn, Dafne, Adriana, Profesora Cuesta and Neysi, our poets, our guides, the most incredible meal in a sustainable farm, the Soviet Era bus that made sounds which foretold certain death, my motorcycle diaries moment, children’s laughter in Parque de la Libertad, heat, humidity, sweet relief in Isis and Tanya’s room that was always so, so cold, dancing with Jean Marco, learning about Afro-Cuban rituals, and with each of these moments, this country that has always felt so far, but is just a 2 hour plane ride away, is not so far anymore. 

P.S. Would you believe that my first time seeing a drag show, not once but TWICE, occurred in Cuba? 

Growth - Joycelyn Wilson

Look me up in the dictionary and one of the many definitions you will find is experienced traveler. By plane, train, car, boat, it doesn’t matter, I have been traveling since I was in diapers so my mom and dad were not at all worried to see me go for two weeks. This was my third trip out of the country in three years and second time studying abroad so imagine the heart attack Dr. Cuesta and I shared when I found out I brought my childhood passport to the airport. Thankfully I had time to go home and retrieve the right one. After meeting the group at the gate, I was greeted by a huge hug and relief that the trip would be off on the right foot. 

Arriving at the airport we were immediately greeted by a light rain but the temperature was quite inviting. We loaded onto our bus full of excitement and wonder. We arrived at our B&Bs and got to know our roommates before we went to a jazz club. This night would set the tone for the rest of the trip, great music, food, and people. During our time in Havana we saw a lot of history both old and new in the architecture and the people around us. Visiting the Fabrica de Arte Cubano was like literally becoming art, inside an unconventional art gallery with a night club vibe I watched tourists and locals interacting like old friends. This vibe extended to the group as well. I normally take forever to warm up to people but I felt so at ease with everyone. It never felt like a conversation was forced or awkward. Even though we met and mostly interacted in class my roommate, Dafne, and I got along amazingly. We took naps at the same time, snoozed our alarms, shared living quarters, and went out at night without any problems. She has set the bar very high for my future roommates. 

Our journey to Matanzas took a short pause as we stopped just outside of the province to take pictures and you could feel the electricity buzzing from Dr. Cuesta as we were so close to her home. Shortly after entering the city we heard “That pink building is where I live!” In that moment, it all became real. Dr. Cuesta often speaks of her family and home in Cuba so to see it in person was magical. Soon after we settled into our “home away from home.” We had a grand lunch prepared with love by people that had not even met us yet. Dr. Cuesta arranged for us to become Cubanos. There were so many tours and cultural immersion that my mind felt like a cup overflowing. We had the pleasure of riding in a Soviet-era school bus, listening to Cuban jazz, taking many walking tours, indulging in art, exploring caves, and even taking a vacation to the beach.  

A cute doggo led us to his friends on the beach to watch the sun rise :)
The hospitality extended beyond humans to their animal counterparts as well

At first I felt a little awkward around people on the street because I didn’t want to look American. People would ask if I am American and I would awkwardly say yes hoping they didn’t freak out on me because of politics but everyone would try to speak in English or ask more about where we were from and if we were enjoying our time in Cuba. It was very reassuring because back home some people are opinionated about foreigners from certain regions. My second biggest fear headed into this journey was having a terrible time because I did not get along with the rest of the group. Having grown up as an only child I enjoy being “a lone ranger” but when collaborating it is important that the group at least tolerates each other. I was paired with Tanya, a graduate student, and was terrified. My nervous thoughts raced to “What if I got paired with her because I have terrible Spanish skills?” “This is going to be like working with the teacher.” It turns out Dr. Cuesta is a genius (Duh!) at pairing us together. Tanya is Spanish-dominant and perfectly balances out my being English-dominant. While working with our poet, most of my suggestions in English perfectly captured the image she was trying to portray and I could not have done that without Tanya helping me to understand some of the cultural differences and idioms I had not yet experienced. I finally felt confident in my Spanish abilities. Celebrating a birthday does not always equate to growing up or changing physically. On this trip, I got to make my 25^th birthday special for obvious reasons but the best gift of all is the growth not visible to the naked eye. I grew professionally, academically, and personally.

Dr. Cuesta and her wife Neysi not only opened their hearts to all of us but their hard work in both the background and forefront paid off. I enjoyed spending time with them professionally as well as a tourist. We learned so much, met incredible people, and got to live as locals. I can without any doubt in my mind say that this is the best trip I have been on. The best part was bringing Shasta along to share in the fun! 

Shasta enjoying a poetry reading by Georgina Herrera

Shasta taking in the spiritual experience

Sure, Disney World is full of glitz, glamour, and magic but Cuba is even better. We got to hang out with Mantanceros who matched us in age, interests, attitudes and maturity. They showed us how to have fun without being over the top. Back home I never go out as much as I did while in Cuba. There was no pressure to be over the top and always plugged in to social media to show what we are doing and how much fun we are having. This trip matched my personality perfectly. I could be plugged in to Wi-Fi only when I felt like being bothered to head to the park. I admit there were moments when I wished for a little more access to tell things to my best friends in real time but being able to share those moments and make new best friends was worth it. 

The slower pace of life was a little frustrating when I was hangry waiting for food yet the personal interaction made it worth it. One night I had a sore throat, barely touched my food and felt dead inside, but the waitress checked on me to see if I needed anything or if something was wrong with my food. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find a server in the states that cares that much. While escaping the heat at Bistro Kuba, a cozy little bar that blasted the air conditioning, our server, Claudia, genuinely asked about our day, where we had visited, where we were going, if we were enjoying our time, all the things that made me feel even more at home. Some nights were “date nights” for Dafne and I as we ate alone enjoying a quiet evening before going out or a group outing full of laughter and sharing memes appropriate to the situation found on our phone. One of my favorite moments is when Josh noticed that his lunch consisted of "a half of a goddamn chicken!"

   

As we were leaving everyone’s eyes were tearing up and their hearts swollen with emotion but I didn’t feel anything, not sadness, excitement to go home, I did however feel thirsty at the airport. I don’t normally like Pepsi but it was the best one I have had yet. Coming home to the airport was like coming home from a day trip. I felt so comfortable during my tip that it never felt like I even left home. It felt like I was visiting a relative and quoting The Terminator in saying “I’ll be back.” Next time I will bring my American family to meet our new extended family. My heart and stomach were full thanks to everyone - Mabel, Neysi the lovely hosts in Havana, in Matanzas at Hostel Azul, Hostel, Río, Ediciones Matanzas, Jean-Marco, Adrian, Hector, Elizabeth, the random locals striking up conversations, our tour guides, and of course my fellow Coogs!