Part 2

After Viñales, we started in on another routine week, but actually not really. Monday we went to class as per usual, and had an interesting history class about Cuba from the 1933 revolution against President Machado through the first years of the 1950s, as Fidel was rising in the ranks of political society. However, our afternoon International Relations class was cancelled and we had the chance to go to the University talent show at a theater downtown. I didn’t know what to expect, but the acts were amazing! There is some serious talent in the student body here. There were dance groups, soloists, bands, comedians and poets that performed for two hours and were great. I took down a few names of the poems and songs that were included and I’m hoping to find them online. I also got my first package from home! Yay! It was soo nice seeing things from the US again and getting some snacks from home! Tuesday, I had off from classes and used the day to visit the Olympic Committee, but unfortunately tell them that I wasn’t permitted to work for them (a long story…). It actually went better than expected, they invited me back anytime for interviews and gave me a magazine that is sent out to the National OCs from the International Olympic Committee and the opportunity to subscribe to it, as well as three pins-one of a project that they’re involved in, the Cuban flag, and the official Cuban OC pin…sweet! After that, I set off for tallest building in Havana to take some pictures with Susan and Cate, but we got distracted by the fact that there was no line at Coppelia. We took the opportunity and went into the Moneda Nacional section and ordered an ensalada each, 5 small, delicious scoops of vanilla (today’s flavor) with caramel sauce and nilla wafers…yuuum…grand total 5 pesos each ($0.20) I <3 pesos. After that was a seminar on Cuban race relations, dinner and dance lessons. We’ve finally started pairs dancing, so it is actually starting to look like we can salsa! Wednesday, we were supposed to go on a field trip to Guanabacoa’s Santeria Museum, but instead we had a lecture on three sects of Santeria from a 65 year old academic. In addition to studying world religions, she fought in the ’59 revolution in the streets of Havana, survived an airplane loosing 2 of its 4 engines en route to Spain, and was denied a visiting professorship at Harvard because she has been put on the US terror watch list...I’m curious about the reasons behind all of those stories. It was an interesting class and I’d love to learn more about that religion and its popularity here. After class, I actually made it to the tallest building in Havana, the Focsa tower, with Susan and Mary, and got an amazing view of the city as well as some good panoramic pictures. Our group split up and I went for a stroll around Centro Habana, away from all of the Embassies and wealthy organizations of Vedado, through the residential areas of Havana’s working class. It was an eye opener and one that I liked experiencing because I was able to get a sense of the real conditions of living in Cuba, all of its hardships, community and routines. I’m hoping to do this more often. I ended up talking to an older man on the side of the street who was fixing the engine of his 50s Chrysler and having one of the best conversations yet. We talked about his dream to travel abroad and see the world outside of Cuba, but inability to do so because he has barely enough to live a comfortable daily life here, and his hopes that certain restrictions and constraints on the population will be lifted under Raúl’s proposed reforms. After we finished talking, I went to the University and met with the president of the student federation for my school (Facultad de Filosofia e Historia) about the possibility of joining a sports team. I signed up for track, with swimming as a back up, and found out that baseball/softball isn’t offered to girls at this level and the few others that are offered were filling quickly, even though it was only the third day of classes for Cuban students. It showed me that the interest is there, but as a society, sports are still considered the man’s realm and female participation isn’t well accepted. He had dance lessons again Wednesday night, and continued to progress…you guys better get ready to learn when I get back! Thursday, we had our history class at the Museum of the Revolution and explored the exhibits from the Spanish colonization through the 1959 revolution, which is where we are in class. After we finished, Susan and I stuck around and saw the artifacts from the ’59 revolution, including Fidel’s boat, the Granma, a few of the vehicles used on the battle lines, two 1950s airplanes, an armored tank, a missile representing the Missile Crisis, the engine from a destroyed U-2 spy plane and a pirate rowboat…yea, which one there just doesn’t belong? Anyway, after we finished that section up, we went through the 1959-present section of the museum and explored the areas that used to be the presidential palace up until 1965, which were beautiful. That afternoon, we walked up the street to the Capitolio building, a replica of the US Capitol that housed the Cuban representative body from the 1930s to the 60s. Now it houses the Academy of Math and Science and retains all of the grandeur of its past. The architecture was incredible, including a library straight out of Beauty and the Beast, grand meeting rooms and a decorative rotunda, with ceilings that were detailed in gold. We were let into the old legislature by a security guard that liked us and got to stand at the president’s podium, as well as pretend to be representatives speaking on the floor, definitely a fun experience. Friday we went to the beach and soaked up the sun and ocean, then hit an outdoor reggaeton/salsa concert by the Malecón that night.

OK….IMPORTANT-STORY OF THE WEEK! So…Saturday, I woke up early with Kyra to run a “marathon” race at the University in honor of International Women’s Day. Marathon apparently means 3.5k here…not sure how that word got lost in translation, but we thought it would be fun to run a race while we were here and just have fun at a short distance. Registration was classroom desks and lined paper with our names written on it along with the scrap of paper with our number on it. We also ran with five UNCers who were running in memory of their student body president who was killed this week and was on this program two years ago and also ran this race while she was here. I made my way to the front of the staging area in time for the Cuban National Anthem, then the gun fired and we were off. It was the most aggressive start I have ever seen, pushing, shoving, elbowing all over the place with people full out sprinting down the starting hill. The pack died as they couldn’t maintain the sprint and I caught the girl that I had had my eye on since the start (hot pink spandex…it was easy to keep track of her). There were tons of people on the street cheering us on from their balconies, the busses that were stopped on the side of the road and families who had come to see people run. Anyway, I maintained my pace, having a good time, taking pictures while running and listening to my iPod, when all of a sudden the road forked and the guides looked startled and quickly directed me to the right as all of the people in front of me went to the left. I was handed a slip of paper with the number 1 on it. Huh? Then I heard “Pare, pare, este es el fin!” aka…stop crazy, this is the finish! Then other girls started coming down the same road and getting their slips. I WON! I placed first for the female category at the University Women’s day race! How sweet is that? A bunch of Cubans were coming up and kissing me on the cheeks, saying congratulations, and happy women’s day, it was surreal! I’m still not really believing that it happened. There was a ceremony on the steps of the Museum of the Revolution where I received a gold medal and a bag of prizes, including some pretty cool shirts. I was approached by several groups to run with them throughout the provinces of Cuba, so I might try a few of them out and was also told by the president of my faculty to count on running track here! SWEET! So I was on top of the world. Then the day only got better, as our group had lunch with Phil Brenner from AU and got US updates, then went to the US Interests Section mansion for a cook out and party. This house was incredible-coral and limestone exterior with a royally decorated interior with a total of 63 rooms throughout the property, giant grounds, swimming pool, tennis court, playground, formal gardens…you name it, it was there. We had a great time, having actual beef hamburgers, potato fries, pickles, Coca Cola, chocolate ice cream and chocolate chip cookies. I was in heaven. After lunch, we talked to the Interests Section director and his officials about the foreign service, which was very intriguing, and played a few games of tennis. We then had coffee on cups with gold eagle emblems and looked at the artwork in the house. Overall, it was an absolutely incredible day that I was so perfect I’m not sure if it was a dream or not. Seriously a day I will always remember.
Today, its chilly and I’m in a long sleeve shirt and back to reality. Going to a flamenco show this evening at 5, then getting ready for classes tomorrow. This week, we head off on our mid-semester 5 day trip to the middle part of the country. We head off on Wednesday to visit Trinidad, Santa Clara and Cienfuegos and will return at some point on Sunday! I’ll talk to you then! P.s.- I’m giving you homework!
For more info on life in Cuba look up these things:
Santeria
Cecilia Valdez
Industriales
Camello
Malanga
El Morro/La Cabaña/El Punto
José Martí
Malecón
Boniato
Hotel Nacional
Los Van Van
Polo Montañez
Universidad de la Habana
Los Muñequitos
Charanga Habañera
Coppelia

xoxo,
Jen