Nueva Trova & Habaneros

The best night of the week is Sunday: Sunday is Nueva Trova night. In the garden of an old colonial mansion is a gathering of a few hundred young men and women who love cheap live music. 50 cents gets you a ticket to two hours of live music by young (often very good looking) Habaneros, and it is the most magical thing in Havana.

Nueva Trova is it's own genre, but to describe it to the internet, it is like a mix of rock, folk, and a bit of pop. Some songs are lamentable and others are hilarious, and the instruments used range from guitars to violins to oboes to harmonicas. Most performers are students at the University of Havana, and everyone crowds around on bleachers, benches and the ground to hear the music. Nueva Troba isn't so much about dancing as it is about listening and appreciation. We American girls like to bop in our seats, which is considered "loco" by the natives, and we found ourselves the subjects of many foreign cameras.

After we're kicked out of the Casona (the name of the venue), a large group of musicians always migrate to the park at C and 3rd, which is only a few blocks from our residence. Most people buy beers and/or mojito-in-a-box and settle around the large abandoned fountain. This fountain was probably glorious in its heyday, but now it is empty and cracking; young kids like to play catch inside of it.

In the warm night air and under the stars, with guitars and drums and violins playing, I find myself in the most tranquil place in the world, discounting a few drunken men who like to stare and sometimes start odd conversations that I have trouble understanding. We've even begun to make friends, and friends of friends, including three French guys of very good genetic breeding.

A few small adventures:

Chinatown, Havana: Apparently there used to be a huge Chinese population in Havana that has somehow disappeared. Chinatown is by far the filthiest, smelliest part of Havana I've found so far. You don't get much more dirty, decrepit urban than this weird landmark right next to the Capital building. My friend Catie and I went searching for a specific Chinese restaurant, only to find that all the restaurant names were in Chinese (and we don't speak Chinese…) and then to find that the one we were looking for was closed. We ended up eating at a Chinese/Italian restaurant with strong AC and a well-priced menu. Not bad chow mein, considering the lack of spices and food available to make it with.

Club Night: A group of us who stayed in town this weekend went out to celebrate a friend's 22nd birthday at a nightclub in Havana (walking distance…though not comfortably…from the house). The music was simply amazing – a girl salsa/cover band in shiny outfits playing all sorts of fun songs. A handful of Cuban friends and…random strangers…ended up teaching us how to dance. It was an absolutely terrific night.

Feeding Stray Dogs: I finally gave in and fed two stray dogs. I had an extra small sandwich in my bag about a day old (and there was no way I was going to eat it), so I split it in half and gave it to two dogs that looked like puppy and mother. I watched to make sure they didn't fight over it. I think they were very grateful. The good thing about feeding stray dogs is that unlike some homeless people, you don't have to worry about them misusing your gift.

A side note:

I have a lot of time to read the news here, and I find it to be extremely enlightening. For my housemates who know I like to share the news every day, Cuba is an even better opportunity to check things out. There are a lot of really disturbing things going on in the world right now that we should be aware of. Check out stories on Myanmar, especially the fact that the U.S. thinks that 3.2 million dollars is enough aid for their crisis. Also check out Somalia, Haiti, and other very poor countries: they're rioting because they can't even get bread or rice anymore.

It's when we educate ourselves that we are inspired to change things, so get to reading!


An inside joke or two:

My Spanish professor, who is really kind and teaches us a lot (and corrects us even more…) looks like Admiral Ackbar from Star Wars. Every time I take a good hard look at her, I say "IT'S A TRAP!" to myself.

We started using the "Unagi" fingers from Friends (remember, Ross thinks he has "Unagi"?) and our French friends thought we were making perverted hand signals. Sometimes a lot gets lost in translation.


Love to all,
Caitlin