Apparently yesterday was a national holiday dedicated to children, a national day for the next generation of Cuban revolutionaries. I didn’t realize it until I found myself at a youth concert of entirely Van Van (popular fusion group) songs in that late afternoon, with hundreds of Cuban children and parents. As the sun set on […]
El Paradero
Every day that we travel to and from class at the ISA we take either the “guagua” (public bus) or a “botero” (classic american cars that currently serve as shared taxis). Regardless of which you choose, the destination is always the “Playa Paradero.” This is essentially a four block open-air transportation stop lined by closely-packed […]
Pensamientos Flojos
Stream of consciousness, bare with me. We’re roughly half way through our time here on the island and still exploring new spaces and groups. What an outstanding opportunity we have here to take in this space as it currently stands before whatever comes next. April fools day took its toll on our group. Sarah thought […]
Spring break 2k15
When Reiko and Zulema landed in Havana, they realized that their luggage hadn’t made the trip with them. While it must have been a shame not to have any clothing, toiletries or other personal belongings, the true loss was the non-Cuban food they were carrying with them. Between the embargo and economic crisis in Cuba, […]
Talking Politics
In Cuba, discussing politics is more than a social taboo at dinner parties—it’s dangerous in almost any form in almost any location. Publicly deviating from the party line can get you demoted from a your job or in extreme cases get your passport seized by the government. You might think there’s nothing political to talk […]