Pensamientos

[If you're looking to hear about my trip/see pictures, check out the post below!]

As for what I've been thinking since getting here, that's a little more complicated than a summary of all our outings. It's pretty overwhelming, in a word. We've encountered all sorts of reactions to our being here. For the most part, people are the exact same as any other place. The air isn't ~crackling with socialism~ or anything, but if you kid of dig past the surface you can see differences. Some people have expressed their unhappiness about their situations here, but their frustration is aimed more towards the inefficiency than the government. Cubans want things to work they way they should (be it plumbing, communications technology, transportation, getting groceries, etc.) and they have faith in the government here to make these things run smoothly. While some aren't 100% happy with the way things are, others we've talked with have expressed their love of the island and "El Padre" (Fidel), saying they never ever want to leave. All in all, I haven't really met anyone who has expressed unhappiness with the system or how it's run/who runs it. The Cubans I've talked with all refer to El Comandante with respect...one going even so far to use Fidel's name interchangeably with God!

That being said, my fellow American students and I have noticed some things that stick out. Primarily, the discrimination that can be seen in the people and ingrained in the society. Today one of my friends made the observation that the dual currency system really enforces a sort of discrimination in every day life. As obvious non-Cubans, my US friends and I are usually assumed to automatically be paying for things in CUC (the convertible peso that is used by most tourists, about 1:1 with the USD), everywhere we go. We're not being discriminated against with this separation, but when we walk into a restaurant that is in Moneda Nacional (the "local" currency, less available and desirable, I guess, to tourists...25MN:1CUC/USD), waiters will rush to seat us in hopes that we'll ask to pay in CUC and leave a big fat tip. The other day we were eating at a MN pizza place and our waiter flat out ignored a black Cuban mom and daughter that had been waiting for a seat before we even got there, refusing to seat them first when we pointed out that fact. She ushered us to a four top table and then went back and put the pair at a table with a stranger. It's a really complicated issue, since everyone is supposed to be equal, but we've definitely glimpsed some racial conflicts. I'm sure I'll have more (and better elucidated) things to say about it as I spend more time here.

The other day my suitemates and I watched an episode of Alias (which, if you're one of my good friends, you'll know is one of my favorite shows) that was set in Havana. After our initial excitement seeing our current hometown on screen (or a set of it, at least) I started thinking. I could remember watching the same episode in 2004 or 2005, thinking about how much I wanted to go there but it would never happen. But here I am...I did make it happen!

After lunch yesteray ($60 MN for a sizeable piece of pork, plus rice, potatoes, and a small salad...roughly $2.50 USD) I came back home to the costillar and split a perfectly ripe and amazingly delicious avocado with my roommate. We ate it standing on our balcony, watching people pass by on the street below. It was a beautiful day and you know...even though Cuba's not perfect, I'm perfectly content to be here for 103 more days!