We were lucky enough to be in La Habana for the 12th annual Biennial, a multi-week, bi-annual celebration of art in Havana. My last full day in Cuba, I took a stroll by myself down the Malecon, from Vedado to Habana Vieja. As part of the Biennial, there was a series of temporarily installed “public […]
The dramatic differences I’ve noticed since leaving Cuba
Life in Cuba was at times very difficult logistically. Without wireless internet or data, and costly phone plans, coordinating or completing simple tasks is difficult. For various reasons, long lines and bureaucratic nightmares made trips to hospitals or banks long excursions. At first, I romanticized the crowded buses and yelling “Ultimo” to figure out who […]
To be a Tourist?
Why do people travel? Is one reason more justified than another? Who is judging you when you are abroad? As I have been writing this research paper theorizing on these questions in the Cuban context, I have found it to be a struggle to place myself inside the research. In a number of ways the […]
Reflections on My Three Months inCuba
As I reflect on my entire experience in Cuba, I find it incredibly difficult to choose one anecdote or one theme to elaborate on that could serve as an explanation of my time here. Unfortunately, readers, I don’t think it’s that easy. I don’t think I am able to sum it up in 300 words, […]
Rural Ruins
Cuba is as filled with ruins as Greece. No, there is no Coliseum or Parthenon, but all around the country, there are ruins of projects started with the hyper-excitement following the triumph of the revolution, or ruins of a wealthy colonial past existing no more. Ruins are as much a part of the Cuban landscape […]