We Also Go To School Here!

The Museum of Modern Arts in Havana Vieja

Today marks our ¨more than a week of class¨ time, which are progressively getting better. We read a tremendous amount, and write a paper a week. The best part is that besides from just going to Spanish class, history class, and journalism, we also have guest speakers and field trips.

Tomorrow, a famous Cuban is going to speak to us about the evolution of Cuban nationalism, and on Friday, we´re going to the world famous Medical School of Havana.

My mom has commented that dogs don´t look so bad in Cuba, when in fact, they are incredibly scary. Dogs lie dying on the sidewalks..well maybe not dying...but resting from the heat. And they are tiny and scraggly and not fun to pet. I miss my Sheila.

A note about Cuban men: they like to hiss. I would like to ask them if they actually get anyone´s attention this way. They also like to make kissy noises, and say things like ¨Que bonita!¨as you pass. Too bad most of them are kind of scraggly like the dogs. Not meaning to be harsh, but Cubans have generally poorly cared for teeth (probably due to expensive toothpaste) and a kind of grumpy disposition unless you give them a good long smile. Not that men are particularly leacherous, but I think in the United States, men just don´t say what´s on their minds, and here, communication is crystal clear.

I wrote a paper this week on how volitile the tourist industry is to Cuba, because the only people who make good money are uneducated hotel workers and people who sell things on the black market. Having dual currencies is one of Castro´s less brilliant ideas. I think he tries/d really hard. I still have no idea if he´s dead or alive, but people here have the same questions I do- just not vocally.

I´m sending some photos taken by my friend Catie (who is actually also Caitlin!) that we took last Thursday after class in our favorite spot, Havana Vieja.

A quick note about the photos for everyone- I am wearing a cute orange dress, as you can see. However, in Cuba, if you aren´t wearing skin tight clothing, it is assumed you are pregnant. So that day, I was asked by at least 4 women if I had ¨BABY???¨It just got really funny after a while. Next time I wear that dress, I´m going to tell people eyes to see if they give me hugs or something.


Photo at the fountain: A giant group of resting Cubans watched us take this picture and thought it was hilarious. they really think tourists are strange.

The one at lunch: I had $6.00 lobster and it was amazing. We also shared several pitchers of sangria for very cheap. Even though Havana Vieja is super touristy, we´ve been given tips for really cheap spots by my favorite Cuban, Geraldo!

Love, Caitlin