Good times never seemed so good… SO GOOD, SO GOOD, SO GOOD!

October 4, 2008

Adjustment time is officially over now, and I’m starting to really be able to enjoy all my experiences here! Classes are getting more regular, although the schedules still continue to change. Cuban students, when they enter University, are in what they call “carreras” here, or “tracks.” They specialize in a certain “facultad,” or division of the University, such as Artes y Letras (Arts and Letters – languages, sculpture, etc.), Historia y Filosofia (History and Philosophy – social sciences), and Derecho (Law). When a professor changes around class times, it doesn’t usually affect Cuban students, because their carrera requires that they stay in the same classroom from 8 am to 1 pm and just take whichever classes are in their carrera’s curriculum for their specific year (first year, second year, etc.). So, when a professor switches classes, it’s with the understanding that the students will have no conflicts. Foreign students, however, can take classes from different facultades, thus making it much easier to have conflicting classes when a profe decides to switch up the days and times of class meetings. This would be potentially disastrous, were it not for the wonderful and extremely caring Cuban professors.

Such a scheduling fiasco occurred the other day when my profe for History of Cuban Culture moved our class to a time when I had to go to another class, Sociology of Work. He told me not to worry about it – that he would give me a personalized review session of what he went over in class, and that it would be – this is the best part – IN ENGLISH. I thank God SO SO SO SO SO SO much for placing this profe conveniently in my life!!! He sat down with me and went over all the points of lecture the other day, going over parts that I had questions on, and gave me his email address, telling me to email him if I had any questions on anything. He was so incredibly kind and thoughtful, and I cannot be thankful enough for his attention to detail and making sure that all of his students are learning, including the foreigners. He is the best University professor I have had thus far in my college experience, I must say. Sometimes it feels like professors at Harvard could care less how well you understand class, but this is really his passion, and it shows!!

In addition to class, though, all of us down here in the Cuba study abroad program are eagerly following the Presidential election, and we trekked to the Melia Cohiba hotel on Thursday to watch the VP debate. Our favorite part was when Sarah Palin mentioned the “two Castros,” at which point all the Americans sitting in the fancy schmancy Smoker’s Lounge where we were watching the tv started shouting, applausing loudly and laughing. Oh, Cuba! I also appreciated the reference to “Malakawi Talabani” (what????), and Joe Biden referring to himself all the time in the third person, in addition to mentioning Scranton like fifty times. CNN is truly a godsend. I love American political figures, but American politics… not so much! : )

The last really exciting event of the week was our trip to Miramar, which is a really ritzy part of Havana where all the embassies and nice houses are located (it’s fairly close to Vedado, which is also a really nice neighborhood). Miramar doesn’t look that different from the rest of Havana, but the houses are most definitely nicer, and there was a GIANT GROCERY STORE (Hallelujah!!!)!!!! Had there been shopping carts, I would have jumped onto a cart and starting singing as I coasted through the aisles, like that old Staples back-to-school commercial (“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!). There were pickles, frozen meat, yogurt, juice, soda, cookies, olives, herbs, seasonings, flour, cake mix, tomato sauce, baby food, etc!!! It was AMAZING TO BEHOLD!!! My favorite part, however, had to be encountering PEACH ICED TEA (from the same French no-name brand that brought me my PEACH RINGS last week!!!), which I had been craving, and the AISLE OF BARILLA PASTA. I almost cried – there were definitely tears in my eyes. Pasta here, though, is much more expensive that in the states – it’s about 2.50-ish per box. BUT BARILLA – JEEZ A LOO! It’s really weird to see all the European brands that I’ve never seen before in the stores, but it’s not like Cuba can just import American brands of everything. It was just such a surreal experience to be shopping and NOT see tons of American brands! : )

Earlier that day, we had gone to get our fingerprints taken for our carnets, or ID cards. We went to this special compound-ish location for foreigners, and entered in through a cast-iron gate to this little complex of shack-like buildings, then entered into this little building where a woman called us up and fingerprinted us, then wrote down how tall we were (in meters, which she guestimated haha). Apparently it can take up to two weeks just to laminate our carnets before we get them, but I suppose such is the bureaucracy / red tape of Cuba! I’m getting pretty used to it by now!

I remember that yesterday I had a flashback to the time when a professor had given me a book to look up in the Fung Library at Harvard, but he hadn’t told me the name, and I was so frustrated that I couldn’t find it or it wasn’t available or something. Now, I just started laughing at myself for getting so frustrated about that stupid one book. It’s crazy, but I think that this experience is making me approximately ten times more patient and understanding of craziness. I’m starting to fall in love with Cuba, but don’t worry, folks, I’m still missing my Boston a TON (I still love that dirty water… oh, oh, Boston you’re my home!!!). I have my friend Zehra’s postcards that she gave me from Boston up on my wall, in addition to my guardian angel and St. Theresa prayer cards, and my pictures of HCL Tech Services, my best friends from high school, and my fam-fam.

I miss you all and hope that the semester is going well for you!!! Also, if you are in a swing state this election, please let me remind you ever so gently that YOU MUST GET OUT AND VOTE!!! THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION OF OUR LIFETIMES!!! GO GO GO!!

Eh-hem. Sorry about that. God bless and hope everyone’s keeping safe and healthy!!! : )