I went to Havana, Cuba in April of 2010 as part of my teaching practicum for the D-TEIL certificate program that I took alongside my degree. It was a mandatory practicum for the Teaching English as an International Language course. During the whole year, we learned more about Cuban culture than actual teaching pedagogy or methodology, but this knowledge wouldn't come close to preparing for what was to come ahead of us. Although I wasn't too enthusiastic about going to Cuba (I had originally hoped to do my practicum somewhere in Europe) and went with absolutely no knowledge nor expectations, I ended up having the most amazing experience of my life. Needless to say, it was the most eye-opening, culture shocking, dirty dancing, and breath-taking 3 weeks...and I was fortunate enough to spend those 3 weeks with people who are now my long-lasting friends.
I didn't know what to expect. And I think it was good that I didn't go with any preconceptions or expectations because I felt completely open and accepting of everything. It wasn't until I came back home to Canada that I felt reverse culture shock. I immediately became depressed because I saw that everywhere, there is an abundance of everything. I saw commercialism and capitalism everywhere. We don't realize how much we are actually bombarded with advertising and the drive to consume, until we come back from a country where there isn't a single ad. While I was there, I didn't feel that something was missing; in fact, I felt as if other parts of my life were being filled up with love and happiness...something that may have been lacking prior to the trip. We have so much that we take for granted - so cliche, so true. We don't even realize how much we consume, how much we waste, how much we have, and how much other people all around the world don't have. Even now, I feel guilty whenever I go eat at a buffet...or spend a lot of money on buying something, when I know that this money could be spent on a much better cause. I keep buying clothes even though I have a closet full of clothes that I may not wear anymore. I felt disgusted when I was stuffing my face with sushi, and knew that people were living off of ration cards and were only given one chicken thigh for the whole family to last a month. Cubans have a remarkable skill of adapting and surviving...finding ways for making up for what is lost. Even so - there is still no such thing as equality. Just look around you when you are walking in downtown Toronto - one of the biggest cities in Canada.
I was shocked by the way we live our lives here. And the sad part is - you don't (and can't) even realize it until you experience the other extreme. It's true when they say that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. There is no denying it.
Well, we all knew our adventures would begin when our professor told us that we had to bring a toilet seat down for our rooms and toilet paper. That was something shocking to us as I'm sure most, if not all, people living in Western societies take their plumbing for granted. And so - I got ready for my trip by buying a few summer outfits and swimsuits, preparing for the Cuban sun. At this point, I was pretty excited for the trip because I had made friends in class. One amazing thing about this trip was that no one really knew each other in our class but as the year progressed - with the help of a bake sale and some tiny get-togethers - we were slowly getting acquainted with one another. 13 girls, and 1 guy...we all made friends with each other and got along pretty well...well, maybe except for one crazy lady I won't mention here.
After final exams were finished for the year, we finally met up with each other at the Pearson Airport. Nothing could foreshadow our trip better than our professor, who checked in before all of us did, disappeared...and left us to organize everything by ourselves. We were supposed to check in together in the group lounge...but that didn't happen. We waited until everyone arrived before we went through the gates. There were some issues with overweight luggages, but that was solved fairly quickly. We were all excited and didn't really know what to expect...we would be arriving in Havana at the Jose Marti International Airport in just a few hours. When we went through the security check point, I had forgotten that I had put a brand new bottle of sunscreen in my carry-on. I guess someone lucked out that day. The girls immediately offered me their sunscreen and told me not to worry...I knew then that this was going to be an amazing trip.
I was so sick the night before that I almost didn't make it...Karin (hola muchacha!) was also very sick with strep throat....and so we both boarded the plane with a box of tissues and sat beside each other on the plane, infesting the air with our sickness - sorry everyone! We spent the first week pretty much drugged up on 5 different kinds of meds simultaneously. My roommates were Karin, Katrina, and Josiane - I could not have asked for a better room, or a better casa! Casa numero uno would be my home for the next few weeks. Our guest house was on the campus of Jose Enrique Pedagogical University of Varona (in Miramar, Havana, Cuba). When we arrived at the airport, we were greeted by Alejandro (the co-ordinator for the Cuban side) and the Cuban pollitos we would be spending all our time with. They were older students of the school who had met the Canadian pollitos from the previous years; they already started teaching their own classes and were there to be our bodyguards - take this both literally and figuratively. They came up to us to greet us, then each of them asked if they could help each of us with our luggages. Needless to say, they were gentlemen through and through. Well. For the most part.
Once we walked out of the airport, I could feel water pellets forming on my skin. I knew it would be humid, but it was like a blanket of moisture had just wrapped around me. I have been to Hong Kong, which has very humid and hot weather too, but this was a different feeling. We were led to a truck in the parking lot. The guys climbed onto the truck and started loading the luggages...it was rather bizarre to watch. We all thought that we would be travelling back to the school in the back of the open truck, but there was a bus around the corner to escort us - that was a relief. Now I wish I had just stayed on the truck...it would have been a blast!
I don't think I should go on to write about what happened every single day, but I just wanted to write about first impressions. Some of the troubles and inconveniences we experienced really had to do with the fact that we were used to living so comfortably in our own homes - with all the conveniences and luxuries we all take for granted. Our rooms were very basic, but comfy and cozy. We were afraid of bed bugs so we brought our own sheets. I left my sheets in Cuba - hoping to leave my mark there, but also because someone else would need them more than I. Bugs weren't a problem, but we did have one or two geckos who lived in our washroom for the latter part of our trip. We named our gecko Gorge...he liked to keep us company while we showered. When we settled down in our rooms, we installed the toilet seat on the porcelain bowl. We soon found out that toilets didn't necessarily mean they would work or flush properly. This soon became a problem as we all had mild diarrhea...but it became a humorous topic as we 4 bonded over this. Aside from the freezing cold showers (no hot water), a subpar shower head (we had to wash our hair with water bottles because it gave us more water pressure), disposing toilet papers in the garbage can (because it would otherwise clog the toilet), and washing our clothes with bar of laundry soap...our stay was quite enjoyable.
I know not everyone enjoyed the food during our stay, but I sure did. It was nice having 3 meals a day, served by the lovely ladies who worked in our guest houses. In the mornings, whenever it was available, we had cafe con leche with ham sandwiches (unforgettable), fruit, and sometimes croquettes. I loved the croquettes - they reminded me of McChicken patties. The vegetarians did not fare well, as they spent 3 weeks eating potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, bread...and more potatoes. The concept of vegetarianism does not exist in Cuba. For lunch and dinner, we would have rice with various kinds of meat dishes. I loved all the food they served - except of course for the one time we had REALLY fishy, mushy, FISHY fish! I'm usually not a picky eater...and I don't like to waste food, but I really could not stomach it. We also always had a plate of ensalata, with lettuce, cabbage, and tomatoes arranged nicely. We always had Tu Kola (Justine's personal favorite), or tropical fruit juice in tetra packs. Dessert was sometimes a little weird - which just means that I'm not used to the taste - and sometimes really yummy. We were worried about the food situation so we had brought down crackers, trail mix, granola bars, chocolate (Katrina can devour these, no problem), and other various snacks...but they pretty much disappeared within a week. We are a snacking culture. Part of the reason why I lost weight in Cuba was because we didn't snack; we had 3 meals a day, walked A LOT, and danced all night, every night.
If you ever watched the movie Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, don't expect Cuba to be like that at all - but do expect the dirty dancing! Everyone will agree with me when I say that the best part about this trip was that we were with the locals (and ourselves) 24/7. The Cubans were AMAZING people...and it wasn't only because of the fact that they were chosen to basically hang out with us for 3 weeks. We were lucky because we spent 3 weeks there instead of 2, like the previous groups who went on this practicum. We spent the first week hanging out, getting to know each other, chilling on our beloved porch (with our green cushions), played games, got drunk...and got pretty acquainted with one another.
We went all around town (multiple times) - we did all the touristy stuff, and all the local things as well. We rode in Cuban buses and taxis (PIMP TAXI!!!), went to a comedy club, visited our friends homes, ate all the goodness streetfood had to offer, went to the Copelia with our students, and had the sketchiest experience buying Cohiba cigars. We roasted ourselves at Megano...(una de las playas del este), saw the deactivated missiles from the Cuban Missile Crisis, went to Cuban supermarkets (another eye-opening experience), went to the market, visited galleries, and learned how to play dominoes - one of Cuba's national "sports". We had salsa lessons, and got down and dirty at the club. Clubbing in Toronto cannot - in any lifetime - compare to dancing in a local club in Havana. I have also never sweated so much in my life. Needless to say, there were many firsts for me on this trip. It wasn't even like "I just got out of the shower" kind of sweating...it was like...."I'M IN THE SHOWER!!!" kind of sweating. Anyways - sweaty sexy fun.
The beaches we went to were apparently not as nice as the beaches in Varadero. Either way, I thought the view was gorgeous. It was relaxing - but the Cuban sun is not a joke. Amazing, beautiful, warm, radiant, and bright...but it WILL show no mercy. Joyceline knows. We had melted ham and cheese sandwiches at the beach (not the kind of melted you're thinking), and the vegetarians had mayo/butter/ketchup sandwiches. There was a sort of tuck shop at the beach, where Rita enjoyed purchasing cheese puffs...really yummy, but definitely more airy than Cheetos. Josiane lost all her dignity on the beach - as did I a week later, baring all my secrets. Karin lost her expensive and beloved sunglasses, and Lisa lost her hairbrush. Oh - and Joyceline lost her gorgeous hot pink bikini! :( We rented a paddle boat (big enough for 6ish people) and went out into the Caribbean Sea.
Another highlight of the trip was when all of us participated in the march during May Day - all of us were about to collapse. We had thought we had to start marching at 6am, so we partied all night...Unexpectedly, we had to leave at 4am and walk for what seemed like miles. Though this was a historically significant moment, I really just wanted to die from exhaustion. Either way, I don't regret it; I saw almost all of Havana up and out on the streets por la revolucion!! It was an amazing sight to see...we were even there in the midst of Fidel and Raul Castro. I know. Historical.
One quote that came out of my Lonely Planet book is true, indeed. The only thing Fidel can't ration is sex. Maybe you're curious about the way Cubans portray themselves, or what Cuban society is like. Well, I can only offer a glimpse into the reality of what I experienced during my time there. When you step off the plane and into Cuban customs, the first thing that will catch your eye is how Cuban ladies dress. Extremely tight and too-small clothing, sexy fishnet stockings, paired with high (and I do mean high) heels. It was something I wasn't used to seeing. But then you start to see that Cuban ladies have a great sense of pride and confidence - it's their confidence that makes them so sexy (and I suppose, the way they can move their bodies). Another first impression we girls had, was how gentlemanly all the guys were - they opened doors for us, held our hands as we stepped off any vehicle, bodyguarded us during the whole trip, and respected us - never really crossing any boundaries. One of them told us that we ladies have to choose between equality or chivalry; we cannot have both. Though we are all proponents of equality, having grown up in Western society, we definitely saw that the "men" back home did not treat us with such manners. Not only that - these men can DANCE!
I can really go on and on about my trip to Havana...but if I were to describe my experience, or my impressions of Cuba, that one word would be magical. There is so much outsiders cannot see, and do not see. Whenever we think about Cuba, we think about resorts and compare them with other Caribbean resorts. If anyone were to ask me about vacationing in Cuba, I would tell them to go to Havana - not Cayo Coco, not Varadero...you have to experience Cuba locally, otherwise, you would be wasting your time and miss out on a lot. Under all the "festivities", smiles, music, dance, games, and fun, there is something much deeper. Cubans are said to be masters of disguise - not to say they are deceptive - but you just have to experience this enchanting city for yourself. It is by no means going to be a luxurious trip...what you will find is decaying architecture, a need for funding and resources, a need for food and trade with other countries (besides China)....but in the midst of all these troubles, you will find that you will have fallen in love with this mysteriously beautiful little gem in the Caribbean. You will see that all Cubans have tremendous pride in their identity and in their country, and you will want to find out how and why they carry such big smiles on their faces.
Cuba is just a 3.5 hour flight from Toronto - yet there is such disparity in culture and lifestyle. It really is shocking. It really is saddening to see the gap in the distribution of wealth around the world. We always expect that there will be poverty in Africa and most parts of Asia - yet there is homelessness and poverty in our own city, and in a country that is in such close proximity.
I will never forget the friends that I have made in Cuba, and I will definitely be back. I am forever grateful for their friendship, and for the 3 weeks of sheer happiness that we were able to spend together. It's not Adios amigos, but hasta manana. Viva Cuba!!
Unicornio Azul - Silvio Rodriguez
Go to the link to see Havana:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg6Ucj5d4HQ
NADA ES PARA SIEMPRE...
xx. muchos besos.
This makes me happy and sad at the same time. What an experience...
ReplyDeleteI still weep for that bikini. And the tan despite my suffering!