We have started classes at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana, Cuba. We take our classes in a pre-revolution country club turned school of art. Though unfinished and neglected due to financial limitations, the buildings are a beautiful and grand.
On our first day upon arriving, our trip leader told us that in all of his time leading the trip, he has never seen the school’s outdoor pool functioning.
“Every year they tell me the pool is almost ready to open, but it never has,” He told us.
You see, In Havana repairs are happening everywhere. But nearly all of these repairs take a ridiculous amount of time.
But so does everything in Cuba. You’re never sure if a bus is coming soon, or if you have to wait another twenty minutes. Hopefully your food at the restaurant comes before you have to leave to make it so class or meet someone. (But hey, what better time to write your study abroad blog post than while standing in a hour-long line for a Cuban SIM card?)
However, this trip must be special because the pool is open, and we went to the pool party the first night. There was also plenty of dancing and live covers of American pop-rock songs. Going out in Cuba still feels like homework in a way: you have to speak Spanish the entire time. Which is great practice.
The next day I was back to the typical grind: studying Spanish, popular culture and contemporary cuba.
And the pool went back to being closed.