"The Adventures of the Cuban Interns 2004 - 2005"Gen's 8th Update - February 18th, 2005
Time Keeps Ticking But Gen Keeps Laughing... No Good-Bye Crying Just Yet
As I was about to start typing, I realized (it was actually more like a momentary panic) that this is probably my last informal update, written from Havana at least. It is almost virtually impossible to believe that close to 130 star-filled skies have rolled by (Havana night skies are incredible/romantic! How many hours and conversations went by unnoticed as I intently watched the constellations from my terrace, the Malecón, or even the beach? The skies are so clear here that one of my favorite activities undoubtedly was letting myself feel like a miniature creature swimming in an immense sea of stars- though I must confess that some were less clear than others of course, especially when "cold"/windy fronts, typical in the "winter" months between December and February, invaded the city and they tend to translate into very dense clouds)! It is also somewhat nerve wrecking to see time run away faster than I can catch it, as my time here is almost all booked-up, meaning that I already have to sacrifice certain activities over others ("Sorry Santiago de Cuba, I can't visit you, I have an appointment with internet, report writing, and project completion. I hope you understand.") That being said, I am far from being into a "freaking out/I can't believe I won't have time to do this" mode. I am taking everyday as it comes, always filled with surprises of course (Havana, an amazing magician, always has more tricks to offer than you think...always!), and whatever is not done will simply not have been done, that’s all... until my next trip here (wink! wink!) As I was thinking of what I wrote to date and what I should write in my last informal update from Havana, I realized that I never was very analytical in my writing but rather more descriptive, perhaps because I feel that I should let my experiences speak for themselves. To be true to my tradition then, here are snapshots of my last few weeks here. As you may notice, they are more filled with the touristy/cultural events that I had been avoiding to: experience Cuba differently, save money, and dedicate my time to finishing one of my very time-consuming project (a project that I finally completed).
Ready, Get Set, Action!
With more "free" time on my hands given the fact that I finished editing a major project, and motivated to make the most out of my remaining time and absorb all I can of my environment in the least time possible, I have done quite a bit of Cuban explorations these past few weeks:
Taking a few regenerative hours away from work on a wonderful Saturday afternoon to wonder in the Metropolitan Park's (one of the most humongous and activity-diverse park that I have ever seen) Bosque de La Habana (Havana's Forest). The Bosque is a truly enchanted forest, one taken straight out of a fairytale and whose magic works its way more deeply with every step. Not only were we greeted by lush and majestic lianas that now, like a blanket, completely cover old and gargantuan trees, we also dumb-foundedly stumbled upon a couple in the midst of a peculiar fertility ritual that involved the sacrifice of two live chickens that they had just found roaming in the dense foliage of the forest's shrubs.
Going outside the turbulent capital for the first time ever to the oh-so-relaxing and fruitful northern town of Viñales in Pinar del Rio, a province famous for its fertile soils, for the quality of its tobacco, and for its awe-inspiring mogotes-small mountains that have incredible shapes and that resemble those found in the South of China. The transition from the busy, loud, active and polluted city to the layed-back, anything goes, agrotourism region was quite drastic but very much needed after a few particularly work-filled weeks. Every moment of my trip was appreciated; even the 3h15min bus ride was surprisingly not only more comfortable than in Canada, but the views, including large monocultural fields of sugar cane and tobacco, dense forests, and small towns where time seems to have stopped, were astonishing in diversity. Viñales itself is not the most interesting town I have ever seen, being quite tourism-driven (for instance when you arrive in the city, you are tackled by dozens of people who, waving their business cards and price signs, want to offer you a lodging room. The almost one-street town has 3 small hotels and 70 casas particulares!), but its surroundings are breath-taking and one particular street is filled with so many wonderful treasures that it seems that no two tourists ever sees the same thing! On that particular street, Jim and I had the chance to see almost every farm animal you could think of roam around freely; to overhear a couple of old men stop at the diamond field, where a young baseball team was playing, to reminisce about their younger days; to meet Jesus, an interesting self-taught old campesino with a contagious passion for archeology, who ended-up giving us a two hour tour of the small and green/lush outdoors prehistory museum that he built himself that not only contains local fossils but over 200 medicinal plants; to walk by a friendly organic grower whose small backyard replenishes with fresh veggies that she will happily share with any foreign passer-by in exchange for a chat; to be surprised by the loud sounds of tall bamboos blowing in the wind and then surprised again seconds later when a very welcoming farmer invited us to tour his tobacco drying room, momentarily unveiling to us the intricate tobacco process from seed to cigar while later giving us the most amazing, sweet, and juicy grapefruits I have ever tasted in my life and insisting that we kept the 5 cigars his father, an experienced ten-cigars-a-day smoker, effortlessly rolled in front of us; to finally (on our last day) paying for a 3 hour horseback riding extravaganza that aside from offering the best views of the sunny agricultural fields where tobacco, malanga, corn, beans, and sugar prevail, included: 1) a pit-stop at a small farm where guarapo- a delicious and refreshing drink of pure cane juice served in a grapefruit skin- was made fresh in front of our incredulous eyes; 2) and a pretty impressive cave walk that ended in the cave's natural pool (the water was so soft and it was pure darkness = quite unbelievable). Aside from all of these great adventures we also had the opportunity to: laugh at tourists try to dance to Casino/Salsa in a bar overfilled with Jiñateros; eat delicious homemade vegan food cooked by the owner of the house we stayed at (best Cuban food to date by far... spicy black beans and rice served with 2 types of homemade chips, a savory noodle soup, a salad which included more than 3 vegetables; and a fresh fruit salad to top it off!!!); and rent a scooter which allowed us to get a very different feel of the city as well as to visit a small close-knit community where everyone has a pretty integrated/diverse garden; have a 2 hour visit of North America's third biggest cave (Cuevo Santo Tomas), a cave that, aside from its incredible stalagmites and stalactites that can be played like a xylophone, has 7 different levels as well as some partially opened levels; more small towns where time seems to have stopped; tons of creative laundry lines; a laughter attack at the sight of the unimpressive prehistoric wall painted by a student of Diego Rivera's (so ugly); and beautiful country-side tobacco, coffee, sugar cane, and malanga plantations.
Attending many different cultural events such as a National Ballet in the Gran Teatro Nacional where I not only met a very outgoing and interesting high school Spanish teacher but where, for less than 1 American dollar, I was blown away by the sensitivity, intimacy, and modesty of a modern piece danced over Fado- music from Portugal; seeing more movies for 8 American cents; experiencing a dynamic kids play; going to the National Book Fair at the wonderful Castillo del Moro that overlooks the city where we, along with the impressive amount of people who lined up before the sunrise were met with many food stands selling food at a really cheap price and TONS of books though primarily about poetry, politics(surprise, surprise Che, Castro, and antiglobalization were the main topics) and there were LOADS of books for kids; finding a good Chinese restaurant that actually serves food with a taste/sauce for really cheap too; welcoming Jacinda, my Canadian boss down for a visit; searching the city in the hopes of finding a restaurant that would have room for us to eat almost in vain as February 13th, the day before Valentine's day which is popular here, is a BIG night out!; learning again, on Valentine's day and after sharing a meal, to play Cuban dominos over rum where Marie, until 2am, totally dominated the game to the dismay of the Cubans who were convinced no woman could ever play; attending a fascinating and dynamic show creatively depicting the contrast-filled daily life in Cuba, through modern dance and loud percussions made of familiar/typical Cuban objects such as dominoes, sandals and brooms ...
I am having the grandest time here and am planning to continue having a great time until I leave.
xxx genevieve
Marie's Cuban Adventures - PART V
In search of Cuban music
Since my last update, I have been extremely busy. Regarding work, now that I know what to do and how to do it, I have been working very hard to catch up and to finish writing my ecotourism guide with the time remaining in my internship. I am spending more time home on my computer trying to work between electricity failures. I miss the farm workers though and am trying to finish my project fast so I can work for a week or two with them before leaving. I understand more and more about how ACTAF works, the politics of the association and the inter-relationship between associations (NGOs) and the state. The strength of ACTAF is its role as a networking association that links the small producers of the province and provides services to them such as workshops, resources and research. I also figured out why the farm is not as diverse as it has potential to be as a demonstration site; they are self-financed and have to produce products with commercial value. Finally, Jacinda, the LifeCycles International Program Manager, has arrived and we will help her in her evaluation of the collaboration project LifeCycles-ACTAF.
In my free time, I went back to the Cuban countryside to go visit Vinales. It is a fertile valley with very interesting geological formations, mogotes, that were carved by the water eroding the limestone formed in the Jurassic period. The Valley is another World Cultural Landscape. The town itself though is not that interesting although it is filled with a weird mix of tourists, pigs, chickens, sheep, dogs and garbage. The Province of Pinar del Rio, that used to be covered in pine trees, is used to grow mainly tobacco (it grows 70% of the Cuban tobacco), some vegetables and conduct cattle ranching as well. It's really breathtaking. But the agriculture is less diverse than the urban agriculture, of course. You see large areas of monocropping. The pace of life is really more relaxing, it is so peaceful and people are a lot friendlier than in Havana. Everyone is greeting each other on the street. Like this nice farmer who was part of a coop and grows vegetables and fruits. He was so nice that we went everyday buying coconuts (that he cracked open for us with his machete), bananas and the best mandarins I have had in my life. One day we rented a scooter to reach the coast to go to a small island well hidden in the mangroves. We ran out of gas on the return trip. Everyone stopped to see if they could help us out and it took very little time to find someone to sell us gas. In the meantime we discovered a beautiful viewpoint, hidden from the road, that looked over the whole valley. The next day we biked to visit some of the numerous caves of the valley and a fake "Prehistoric mural" which is one of the ugliest things I have seen in my life. Now, this is a trick question to see if people have been reading carefully the stories of my adventures: Guess what music was playing in this idyllic landscape? Puerto-Rican reggaeton!
A major thing that has taken place over the last month is that I learned to play dominos!! (the biggest sport/hobby in Cuba) At first the guys wouldn’t let me play but they finally accepted me after I declared them old fashion machos. And now I keep winning and winning. Good lesson to the Cuban men. I just need to learn the expressions that they use when playing, which are sometimes really poetic but rather obscene and appear to be one of the main purposes of playing that game (the other main purpose is drinking rum of course).
Realising that very little time is left before I return to Canada, I have tried to see as much as possible of Havana cultural life. One thing is certain, you have to try very hard to be bored in this city, there is something happening every night. I went to the Opera to see Carmen which must have been translated to Spanish because the French was undetectable. I went to the theatre to see Marx in Soho by Howard Zinn, which is an amazing monologue about Marx’s life and what he would think of Capitalism and Socialism in today’s world, a theme that is pertinent here. Moreover, all these high-quality cultural activities only cost from 5 to 10 Cuban pesos, so less than 50 cents! (the benefits of an official identity card – carne) There is no excuse for not going. I finally went to the rumba in Centro Habana on a street that is transformed into a pedestrian alley with all the walls painted by a local artist. The ambience was really hot! I went to a couple of crazy Havana fiestas where we danced all night. By the way, I am improving my salsa slowly but surely with my private dance teacher who is charging me only 3$ for two hours! I am reading a novel from Zoe Valdez, a Cuban writer that has emigrated to France, who has a very critical vision of Cuba. In Cuba, her books are banned and the Cubans who see me read it have very extreme reactions - either they hate her or they are fascinated and want to borrow it. Personally, I think her vision is unfairly negative but she did leave the country during the Special Period. And I am still going to the movies all the time as if I had been deprived of movies my whole childhood - I am still obsessed with Coppelia. Finally I had a revelation when I saw an amazing percussion and dance show about Habana everyday life activities. It made me realise that I had found without knowing it what I was looking for since my arrival: I finally found the Cuban music! It was there all along, well hidden under that thick layer of Reggaeton; the music is in everything they do, the way they talk, the way girls walk, guys hissing girls, the sound of the old cars, the streets parties, the flirting, the fights, kids playing baseball, the street vendors yelling mani mani (peanuts), the dogs barking, old guys playing dominos, etc. It is so beautiful. I will miss it.
Being in Love is GREAT!! - Havana, January 19th, 2005
I'm in loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee........
Not only with Cuba & Cubans in general but now, also with a liiiiittle being that's barely bigger than the palm of my hand... a month old little kitten named Little One! I have actually officially adopted him this Sunday, after finding him hidden in a bush and without any loving hands to warm his shivering black and white fur. Conscious that I may never surmount the incredible bureaucracy required to bring an animal across the border, that the customs regulations may not allow it, and that it may not be Little One's favorite solution, I have made alternative plans such as finding Little One a house at the farm. Speaking of news, the world, according to national newspapers, looks like this: Tsunamis rampaged through Asia, Fidel Castro reigns in Cuba, and the world is still turning... though on December 26th, 2004, the earth's rotation axe changed by 3 milliseconds. All in all then, the Cuban papers report the essential, no??? On other fronts:
Cool fronts upon cool fronts have, to the Cuban's dismay, succeeded in making me cold. But you're Canadian... you're used to much worse! How can YOU be cold! I am repeatedly asked no less than 20 millions times a day - note that this in an accurate figure, not an exaggeration!
I am slowly becoming the official tour guide and translator at the farm, which is quite enjoyable as it allows me, amongst other things, to have an excuse to be on the look out for banana tree flowers and explain the fascinating growing process of the delicious little bananas to receptive minds.
I experienced one of my best and most relaxed New Years to date! A New Years spent eating mountains of delicious food cooked by Milagros for her family and her guests; listening and dancing to the invigorating Reggaeton rhythms blasting from our house party until 4 am; and laughing as we extended the party at a little cafeteria simply sipping drinks and talking until the early morning! A typically Cuban and fun experience!
I was forced to realize once again that many tourists lack some sort of traveling ethic after a Canadian girl, studying International Development in Cuba for a semester, stayed in our house for 17 days without paying a penny and without even apologizing for it! There's more to this story but in a nutshell, in terms of lack of tourist ethic anyway, she was all about living the "authentic" experience, the "real" adventure and "living the Cuban way". Somehow, paying for rent in a casa particular with Cubans who talk about other things than the Revolution, who have access to pesos convertibles, and who don't do everything for free didn't quite cut-it for her. She was told to leave and then did so but never paid or even offered to pay the rent she owed, putting Milagro in a tough financial situation (i.e. no money for her to pay her lodging license)... Since I've been here, I've seen other Canadians (interestingly, studying in the same field) and tourists also act in ways that I find disrespectful and irresponsible (e.g. breaking the bed and not telling anyone, stealing the family's food, wasting money on rum and telling the landlady they cant afford to pay her, entering other bedrooms and using what they well please in it, refusing to share their bathrooms but using the family's bathroom for hours on end, ...). It seems to me that many people should realize that while it may be an adventure to "live it for $20" for a while or while them having access to pesos convertibles gives them more privilege and power, they don't own the world, that people don't owe them anything, and that their actions have impacts! Anyway, enough complaining for now. The situation has just motivated me to go talk to the University of Havana's department in charge of foreign students and plead them to include a lecture about the ethic of traveling during their orientation week.
It's been, once again, quite busy and the last month has literally flied by!
genevieve a.k.a. bebita
Marie's Cuban Adventures - PART IV
Surviving the holidays
So it has been a month since my last update which has seemed like eternity. I had a great Christmas and New Year with my family that came down to Cuba. We went to Maria La Gorda which was a bit boring because of the cold front. That place is a paradise for the sea life (that has been really damaged by the last hurricane) but there is not much else to see and to do besides being eaten alive by voracious sand-flies. Anyway, it was good to get out of Havana and breath unpolluted air and to see the beautiful Cuban country side with all the majestic royal palm and the barns in palm leaves. Then we came back to celebrate the New Year in Havana that coincides with Cuba Liberation Day. I was hoping to go listen to Fidel talk on this occasion which he has always done in the past but this year apparently he is too old which made me quite sad and worried for the future of this country. However, my whole family as well as Gen's were invited by our landlady Milagro to a New Year feast. There was pork (their favourite meat that they serve with the head and everything), yucca, salad (lettuce and tomatoes), fried plantains, lobster, etc. We had an amazing time. It was a bit difficult for everyone to understand each other but that didn't last for long since rum does give you unexpected communication skills.
Yes I do work
Before the holidays, my month of December already felt like vacations since I finished my tour with the two Italians students to visit all the main green areas of the city with people from the forest ministry. I now feel I know more about urban forestry and agriculture, and environmental issues, planning, regulations and restoration efforts in Havana. In general I was amazed by the results they were able to achieve with so little resources. I was also impressed by the generosity of our guide Raquel, now a good friend, who took the time to take us to all the places considering this was a free tour of more than two weeks. She was really proud of her country and her city and it was especially great to hear her talk about the special period, how life was so hard then, how they lost many things they were taking for granted (e.g. food, electricity, running water, etc.) and how the whole nation was able to work together to get through this.
Then last week, we went to meet Yeikel an amazing 15 year old boy who has started a Circulo de Interes (it is something like a club) in his community to teach about organic agriculture and nutrition. It was unbelievable. The achievements of that kid would be quite impressive even for a thirty year old. He started his project when he was 13. He was preoccupied by nutrition issues in the Cuban population, both his parents being cooks. He was supported in his initiative by ACTAF that helped him acquire the knowledge and skills he needed. He gives a one year course to kids and seniors of his community. With the space restriction he was facing, living in the most densely populated municipality of Havana, he built an amazing garden on his roof. There he grows mostly seasonings and medicinal plants of an incredible diversity. He uses this space to give his gardening classes. With the plants he grows and with organic products he buys, he organises cooking and canning workshops. He also writes articles for various journals. He had various persons helping him but really it was his initiative and he decides his themes and he does his own documentation for his lectures. Very impressive.
The grass is always greener on the other side
In contrast to my enthusiastic guide Raquel, normally even if Cubans are a proud people, you meet a lot of them that desperately want to leave the country (I have had various marriage proposal at work for that reason!). This is because life is not easy here of course and at the same time they have access to all the American TV shows such as Friends, CSI, Sex and the City that gives them a glamorous vision of another world and of all the things they don't have. Moreover, more than 70% of the Cuban population was born after the revolution. In consequence, some people don't realise where they came from, what their people went through. And because of all the great achievements of the revolution, especially in terms of the education level and health, they compare themselves not to other Latin American countries but to richer nations that have similar life expectancies and literacy levels. The expression you hear most here is No es facil. And it is true that their life isn't easy, in fact it is probably harder than that of most Canadians but they are just unsatisfied with their situation, they feel it is unfair and that they could do better elsewhere. I think that the problem is really the lack of freedom and opportunities to improve their economic situation.
Less than two months to go!
I now realize with more than half of my Cuban internship behind me that I have very little time left to do all the things I want to do here. So now I am working hard on my project. And things are quite busy here especially since I have friends visiting. Last weekend we went to Trinidad for the Culture Week that is a giant 24 hours a day party in the streets of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. From there we took a catamaran to go snorkeling which was incredibly cheap (because you don't need fuel) and beautiful with so many schools of fish, beautiful corals and sea fans. Then we took a little train in a valley (which was an experience in itself and free because of my work permit) to visit another UNESCO World Heritage Site that consisted of old sugar plantations domains with the old mills and manors. We went on top of a 44m high tower that was used to watch the slaves in the fields. From there we had a magnificent view of the whole valley that now exhibits a peaceful country side life. All different it was from Havana life, one thing seems to remain the same in the whole country: they only play the same five reggaeton songs over and over and over!! Next weekend we are planning a trip to Viales to do some hiking and if the weather allows us, go to a little sand island close by lost in the mangroves. I hope it is going to be warmer because it is so cold here (for real) but there is no snow to play in!
Ordinary Letters from an Extraordinary Place - Havana, December 13th , 2004
Hola todos!
It hardly seems like it yet 2 wonderful months and 3 fresh winter moons have passed since I took my first sip of Cuba. Ever since, Cuba's enchanting mezcla-mix- of tastes have slowly been getting me more and more drunk, drunk with joy that is (for the most part at least)! So much so that while I do miss/think of my family and close friends, I cannot yet even conceive leaving this beautiful city!
Despite the fact that doing anything here requires a little more work, ingenuity, and creativity, it is definitely not very challenging to fall in love with Havana's layed-back, welcoming and peaceful vibe... especially since the past few weeks have been filled, to continue on a recurring theme, with laughter, laughter, and more laughter. It is absolutely impossible to recount everything that happened and even less to communicate the impression it left me with. Nonetheless, the snapshots of my Cuban life below are my attempt to paint my Cuba for you (please note that Cuba is really filled with life... I've been here for a little over two months now and so many experiences are still my first in Cuba !). Hope you can decipher them!
For me, Cuba is:
After failing to find a maquina-taxi that charges in Cuban pesos- that would take Marie and I to the beach, spending a beautiful afternoon walking the lively Old Havana streets and ending up at the famous Bodeguita del Medio where, like Ernest Hemingway, we simply couldn't resist indulging in a crazy expensive but oh-so good and effective, the type that even makes your knees weak, Mojito- a wonderful blend of rum and hierba buena (similar to mint), with a hint of sugar; incessantly laughing while watching the magnificent sunset paint the city from the Fortress, as we ended up there by accident and without money after taking the camello that crosses the tunnel instead of the one that goes back to our house (oops... the rum is to blame here... the Bodeguita del Medio Mojito was really strong... good thing I only had one!); really experiencing my first stretch of shortages all in the same week: gas was cut as I was cooking but thankfully came back 1 hour later, then the cold water was out, followed by a shortage of hot water, then water all together was practically shut down for 2 days due to water tank reparations on the roof, then the electricity was cut overnight due to a broken fuse, and finally, I think that all the camellos were abducted for a few hours as I waited for one aimlessly for one for 2 hours; having the chance to squeeze three movies from the New Latin American Film Festival into my week (each ticket costs 2 pesos or USD$ 0.07), though one, a racist and modern Columbian remix of Romeo and Juliet, was so bad that I had to run out of the theater 30 minutes into the movie; laughing once again as I tried to survive the rush of people heading out of the movie theater at once only seconds after the credits started rolling; being heart-warmed as I watched a kid play/smile/jump/dance so innocently and carelessly in an decrepit 50's car; working my brains to find good special missions to give to the energetic Andy (the 7 year old with whom we live and who went through a complete metamorphosis, from I ignore you to I always want to play with you, as he got to know me); being awe-struck in learning that Marie was literally crushed while waiting in a crazy line to get into the movie theater; being hardly able to contain my joy/awe as I toured Havana's Metropolitan Park with one of the most amazing, capable, and friendly Cuban woman I've met to date - the Park is one of the rare areas that I've seen that really include human activity in their conservation goals and that hence, through community-based projects, directly work with and help people and campesinos to adopt more sustainable and environmentally-friendly livelihoods; repeatedly feeling like I was floating on a cloud, in another realm, my thoughts lost in the many picture perfect moments around me (e.g. looking at a tourist woman posing so proudly for her friend from the beautifully maintained maquina she was in, walking amongst the 50's cars, ads, and actors of a movie set and being whistled to by 2 actors dressed as military officers, watching an old woman give orders to her son from balcony as she hung her laundry so easily despite the strong and cold breeze, seeing a newly-wed couple share a complicit laugh during a break from their exhausting photo shoot); witnessing a few intense/sickening sights (e.g. seeing a woman go through an epilepsy crisis, landing in the middle of a profusely bloody car-moto accident, seeing a dead dog lay stiff for a few weeks on a staircase); strolling without a destination for a whole afternoon, stopping to analyze and take in all the beautiful paintings and photographs along the Prado (and encountering the same amazing architect artist once again and meeting another one who monologued us about the difference between bonito and bello/furte/interesante, the former being superficial and apt for commercial art, the second being profound and to be used to describe good art, art that touches people and creates bonds between the artist and the observer); engorging ourselves with fantastical vegan pizza, another mojito (not from the Bodeguita this time though but it was great because we drank it listening to an all-girls energetic and charismatic salsa band in the smallest bar ever), and a chocolate seorita- a wonderful Cuban dessert that resembles our eclair-; working real hard (not in vain but almost) at trying to get my body to move to the smooth and sexy Salsa and Reggaeton moves during my first lesson dance with a flamboyantly gay dance teacher whose style is drag-queenish; being breath-taken by the complete beauty of a 6 years old girl's Reggaeton dance on the Malecn; going to hear one of the most renown Cuban Salsa group, the Vam Vam, in a free event, feeling at Montreal's Jazz Fest for a few seconds, and having the grandest time until a fight erupted meters away and we ran to the Hotel Nacional (it really feels like another world up there...not only does the hotel sit on top of a hill overlooking the city but its atmosphere is nothing but posh and gloss) to safely watch the end of the show (and empty rum bottles dance in the air to my great sorrow); helping Guillermo and Milagro (my landlady and her son) clean-up the rooms they rented to two international development Canadian students who stayed over with their Cuban Jiatero boyfriends and being dismayed/disgusted with the absolute disrespect in which they left them: a broken bed, a broken fuse, hence an electricity shortage, used condoms along with food and garbage left on the floor despite the presence of a garbage can, (some tourists really have to brighten up and realize that it is not because they have more money and are paying that they can do whatever they damn well please! ); running out on the terrace in laughter and in a matter of seconds after realizing that we were accidentally locked in our house and the fumes from my first experience of cockroach fumigation was quickly entering our bedroom (I've never been so happy to have access to a terrace...the burnt-gasoline smell and the smoke were so intense that I'm not sure Marie and I would have survived otherwise!); smiling as I watched the vivid mesmerized look on the kids face who were discovering the importance of soil during one of my classes with them;...
As you can see once again, Cuba is GRRRRRREAT and is treating me just fine (actually more than fine apart from the fact that everyone still calls me gordita and comments about by weight as I am really on a massive expansion phase of my life with all the bread, potatoes, beans, and rice that I am eating here... ah well, I've always wanted to be a whale so now's the time I guess)!
Much love, peace, and smiles,
xxx Genevieve, a.k.a.: geno, genoveva, beba, bebita, genny, gen, la gorda, la novia,... just a small range of the variety of names that I am called here!
Marie's Cuban Adventure: Part III
La litma persona a la fruta bomba
More line-ups and more crowds. From doing a 30 minutes line-up to buy a papaya (called a fruta bomba in Cuba) to trying to see a movie, waiting in line is definitely one of the major daily activities of Habaneros. It is why this intemperate people are really disciplined when it comes to asking who is the last person in line (la ltima persona). This way by knowing who is in line before you, you can go do other things or simply wait more comfortably in the shade.As a matter of fact, it is the famous Film Festival in Havana of Latin American New Cinema (but that also includes old movies and films from Canada, Russia, Japan and many European countries). I nearly died on Sunday night trying to go see an old Pedro Almodovar movie. There were so many people that some persons got crushed in the line-up or were having panic or asthma attacks. Since I couldn't breath, I got out and ended up in the journalist line. In the confusion, I was able to enter this way. Cuban are so passionate and curious about all types of movies. In fact, many people take their vacations at that time and I a friend from work has bought 30 presale tickets. It is great that the government has made cinema accessible to Cubans, it costs only 2 pesos to go to the movies even for foreign productions. Every time I go to the movies I meet new people.
Mi programa verde
As far as work is concern, I am in a period of redefining my project. And it scares me since there are only three months left. I am thinking about dropping the tree phenology because it takes too much time and I don't see the use of doing such a study on a short time scale (because I am looking at the tree life cycle, it makes more sense to it at least over a year). Instead, I want to work more on the reforestation plan of the finca.
Anyhow, I met the people from the Forest Department (that work closely with ACTAF) that are also responsible for Mi programa verde which is a greening development program for Havana. Since they have very little funding, they have found incredibly creative and intelligent solutions. Basically, it involves the participation of the community. And the results after only a few years are stunning: more trees were planted but also their survival rate increased greatly. Moreover, these great people from the Forest Service (4 in total for the province of Havana City!) are taking the time to take me and 2 Italian forestry students on a 10 days grand tour of everything that has to do with the city greening program through reforestation initiatives, community projects in urban agriculture and other things related to the city sustainability. I am ecstatic, that is exactly what I wanted to see in Havana.
We first visited the Parque Metropolitano. It is quite amazing to see the work they do with so little financial resources and being understaffed. One of the focus of the organisation, besides providing natural areas to city dwellers and a green lung to the city, has really been to improve the living conditions of the inhabitants of the park. While the new regulations impose limitation in land use, they have tried to improve the livelihood of the people there: those that were doing agriculture were encourage to turn to agroforestry or silviculture and many poor people were hired in the park patrols. In our very quick visit of this 700 ha park, what I thought is one of the greatest achievements is the system to filter black water that used to run freely to the river. Now in an area of 10m by 50m they filter the waste waters of 10,000 people with a natural ecosystem. It is great to see that park managers totally realise that humans are an integral part of this ecosystem and consequently include them instead of trying to get rid of them.
However, as it often happens in Cuba, there have been changes of plans every day of the first week of my field trip. I hope we will still see what we were supposed to. Apparently, it was due to the mobilisation of the workforce to attend the training for war preparation (it is called Bastin 2004)! They are afraid Bush will invade Cuba. It seems that they try to scare the people here as much as they do in the USA. While it might be more justified here, they still use similar propaganda, similar terminology.
Urban agriculture in Havana
The world of urban agriculture, as I had imagined it from my pre-departure readings, was finally revealed to me. First, just walking around in poorer areas of my neighbourhood, I saw all the space that probably used to be dumps, transformed in backyard gardens. These are quite small about an hectare or a lot less and seem quite diverse and very productive. Then as I mentioned, in my visit of the Parque Metropolitano, it seemed that many of the park residents were using small areas to cultivate various things. Finally, I visited a co-operative right in the centre of the city. Eighteen persons rent out the space from the government at a very cheap rate. This place is incredible, it is only four years old but so diverse. They produce many veggies, they have nearly 10 species of fruit trees, including the best guava I have tasted in Cuba, chicken, rabbits, herbs, medicinal plants and I am sure I forget many things. They also have a windmill as an alternative energy source. This used to be a small landfill too. They grow food for their own consumption but sell surpluses directly at the farm because part of the deal that allows them to use the land is that they have to be independent financially from the government. Thus, except for the use of land, this agriculture is very productive and unsubsidised. All these families lived decently this way on 1,500 square meters.
Christmas en Cubaa
Even if I am in Cuba, I am still doing some Christmas shopping. Aside from rum, I buy my gifts at the Feria in Havana Vieja where many artisans sell their artwork. I usually go after our now traditional weekend Mojito (the famous Cuban drink with rum, sugar and hierba buena, a herb similar to mint) in Habana Vieja. It is nice because you encourage local artist by buying directly from them. But there is also a thriving black market of copied CDs but worse of coral and sea-turtles products (including living ones). It seems to be the same problem in every poor nation where there are usually good environmental regulations but not the resources to implement them. This also demonstrates the link between poverty and environmental degradation.
Finally, In the spirit of the plastic tree in the living room of our Cuban family, I am wishing a merry Christmas and happy New Year to everyone in Canada. I hope the celebrations will be joyful and peaceful and filled of locally produced delicious food!
Marie
Marie's Adventures& PART II - November 2004
It has been more than a month now that we have been living in this amazing city. It is so full of life, colours, music and history. I find it even more beautiful since the once sumptuous colonial buildings are all decrepit. It feels like people are living in history and that their history is not just confined to museums. What I love to do most so far here is just to walk alone randomly in the streets of Vedado, the Centro and Old Habana and observe kids running in the streets, men playing domino, people yelling from the street to their friends on their balconies or windows, people waiting in line with their libreta, people hanging out, swimming or fishing on the Malecn, spontaneous gathering of neighbours in the street that turns into a fiesta, guys hissing girls and old people watching from their porch the neighbourhood action. One thing I don't like about he city is the air pollution caused by all the barely functioning 50s cars. Especially the hour long camello ride to work in dense traffic is hard physically. A good thing is that the cold front has now entered and the temperature is close to perfection according to my standards and apparently not the Cuban ones. Most of them are freezing at 19C! Now, I feel at home in these surroundings, but often people with their comments bring me back to reality. Apparently I still look like a tourist and being a tall blond, I will probably always do. It is hard, sometimes I would just like to blend in and not bring so much attention to myself.
Our social life is more interesting; we have made a few friends but a number of them are foreigners. It just seems easier with the money problems. It is so funny how they describe the jineteros in the tourist guides as people we should try to avoid because they want to make friends with tourists to have access to their money. However, the reality is more subtle and it seems that a great number of people or the majority could in fact fit in that category. The great majority of Cubans can simply not afford to go out in places where you pay in dollars so if you go there with them you are expected to pay for them. It is justified since for example people at work make between 9-15 US$ a month! But sometimes I think of friendships in general and a lot of times we could find that most friendships are in fact interested at first in a way, even if it is not for money. But in Cuba, this has definitely been a challenge trying to figure out one's motives. Furthermore, it seems to be quite hard to have male/female friendships as I was used to. The national sport in Cuba is definitely flirting and it can become annoying.
We were lucky to end up living in the house of a Cuban family with 3 kids our age. These people have been so far our closest Cuban friends. It is nice also at work because people have accepted us as co-workers and we have pleasant work relationships (especially since we rarely talk about work even at times when I really want to).
As far as work is concerned, I finally had a training with Orlidia to start the inventory and phenological analysis of the trees of the finca to determine, between other things, when trees are fruiting, when is the best time to collect seeds, etc. Thus, I can now work autonomously for this part of my project. People, have been talking about reforesting parts of the site and this is something I would like to get involved with. One day while weeding, I found tamarind seedlings and I asked if I could plant them. So they gave me an area for them. I am also thinking about developing more of an ecotourism aspect to my project; part of my project is to write a visitors guide on the forestry aspect of the farm. The research component of the guide will also be challenging since, on one hand, there seems to be no documentation at ACTAF on agroecology or on ACTAF in general! On the other hand, I haven't been able to get an authorisation to enter the Biology department library so far and the price of internet is prohibitive.
Sometimes I wonder if they really need us at the farm. I guess in this context it is our role to find our place at the farm where we can be most useful to them and, at the same time, get the most out of our experience in terms of acquiring skills that could help us in our future careers. In a way, this type of management gives us great freedom and consequently we are responsible for making it interesting and worthwhile for us.
It is funny, before I left from what I had read and heard, I thought urban agriculture was so big here. It is true that it is probably bigger than in most places, but when we meet people in the streets and we tell them what we do, they just laugh. It seems that the general Habanero doesn't care a great deal about urban agriculture. However, most big institutions such as schools have some kind of garden to fulfil part of their needs for food. From what I have seen, they grow there mostly lettuce and seasonings. What people really seem to like here is meat and carbohydrates. Even at the farms most people really don't care for veggies in their diet besides lettuce. I really wonder who buys all the food we grow.
At any rate, at work or outside of work, I am learning a lot about life Havana and how to really enjoy it.
Genevieve's Update - November 2004
This is what it feels like to be kissed by Cuba for the First Time
Having turkey vultures, one of Havana's most important and definitely impressive bird, fly meters above my head as I am waiting for yet another inexistent bus in the burning sun coming back from my second visit to the botanical garden; feeling totally sugar-drugged after eating my first Rosquita - a donut-like dessert sold on the street topped with trucks of sugar- and consequently having a laughter attack with Marie for a good hour; discovering the magical goodness of natural fruit alcohols while attending a book launch at the botanical garden- after only a small cup and a quarter, Marie and I actually unknowingly passed out by the Japanese Garden lake in the sun for an hour under the soothing sounds of the nearby bamboo dancing in the wind; discovering the highly developed waiting system for the bus that takes people to the nearby beaches of Playa Del Este - people actually line up in three different lines depending on how long they've been waiting and then after depending on if they want to sit or stand through the hour-long highly packed bus-ride; seeing (and experiencing) the beautiful Cuban beaches for the first time- I was breath-taken by the warm, and turquoise waters, the soft sand and the waving palm trees that greeted me seconds after disembarking; profusely thanking Papi for his oh-so generous gift, as I savored the 2 first mango machos that he collected for me in the forest on November 16th (eating mangoes at this time of year is very rare as most mango trees bear fruits from April to September!!!), the same day as Havana's 485th birthday, from whose celebrations I only saw the last firework from the rooftop of my house; attempting to 'shake my booty' while going dancing Reggae ton for the first time; meeting lots of foreigners and realizing that the more foreigners around me, the more outsider and tourist I feel, which I do no particularly like (I feel like I have a giant flashing neon on my forehead screaming "I'm a tourist and I have access to more things than you!" ); being approached by Jinateros- Cuban men that approach tourists to get access to foreign dollars and the tourist luxuries/lifestyle- and realizing that they are way more subtle than one would think; extensively orienting 2 friends at ACTAF's Farm- one is doing a mini report on the tour for one of her class; starting my gardening program with eighteen 5th grade kids (it's incredible... they know so much, are so motivated, work so efficiently, though, accustomed to the traditional school system, they need a lot of discipline!); having to attempt 2 more times before I finally got to see the movie I've definitely been anticipating the most this year...Motorcycle Diaries...and totally falling in love with it's photography, sensitivity, and depiction of el Che as such an honest and caring person pushed to act upon social injustices; being 'disillusioned' by the famous Feria- an acclaimed and opened to the public exhibit, geared towards business people and investors, of all the foreign goods that are available in Cuba; getting my first car botella-lift- from the botanical gardens; getting my first bike botella, and it felt a bit like I was in a movie, Amelie or La Vita e Bella for sure, the street scene passing so fast yet so slow, and me being so joyful; building my first cantero chino-chinese garden bed and using a guayaka? for first time to weed the land and clear the soil for plantings/seedlings; repeatedly being told, out of the blue, that I'm apparently very fat; laughing at Marie's made up songs about fruits and desserts and at her tiredness too (she began talking to ants); and, last but not least, recuperating slowly from my first Cuban cold due to a 2-3 degrees weather change!
A Glimpse at my Daily Routine
What is a typical day like here for me? Well there just aren't any 'typical' days here in Cuba (perhaps due to all the scarcity, the long and impromptus waiting lines and changing times??). But I will try to describe you a 'regular day' regardless.
Wake up to my beeping alarm clock; shower; get dressed; wake Marie up; get the food ready on the terrace in complete darkness; eat 2 bread rolls (I became addicted to them) with Jam (now guava marmalade, my favorite but it has been mango marmalade and peach jam in the past) (and sometimes a fruit like banana or grapefruit); clean up to the rising sun's light effects on surrounding buildings, watching the nearby sea, and witnessing the city wake up; say hi to Milagro, Guillermo and Andy, walk to Camello (or sometimes maquina if it's late); 45 minutes Camello ride; get to work and consequently do: lots of talking, teasing, flirt avoiding, one kiss per cheek giving, check-in with Idalmis, merienda/snack eating skipping (farm workers all eat their snack/breakfast at 9h30 am after 2 hours of hard labor), labor work in the field, sweat, getting fingers dirty, eating lunch (usually some beans, rice and veggie, sometimes bread too), 1h30 hour pause during which I talk some more with the workers on their way to coffee and some siesta + do some reading/working on Where in the World, prepare my class and get some 15 minute nap in there if I have time or help out with the last minute office, work some more poco a poco (sometimes give classes to kids), 30 min of cheek kissing and good-bye waving; walk to camello, camello ride standing, sitting; stop at Coppelia for Marie's daily ice cream pit stop; stop at market for some fresh onions and missing ingredients and talk to Augustin at the same time, the guy who sells avocadoes and always greets me by saying 'Genoveva, ay mi madre!'; stop to buy bread at the Panader,a-bread bakery- where a kind woman always gives us 2-3 extras (she's soo sweet + perhaps since we go there so often and she must think that we are Starvin' Marvin); get home say hi to family one on one- their steaming rice, frying meat and music in the background; pass out on my bed for hour; cook and talk to family; eat and talk outside hair dancing in the soft night breeze and starry skies; get surprise visit from Carolina (a Swiss exchange student that lives below us) on our terrace as the daily news song from the neighboring TVs resounds around us; work outside on Where in the World; go back inside; say good night to family; pass out exhausted between 12 am and 2 am while Marie is sound.
Outside from this routine, there has been some exploratory days to, mainly from Thursday to Sunday but not many as I have been taking the time instead to work on where in the world and explore my daily surroundings and the family with whom I live. All in all, as you can see, I'm having a grand time, enjoying even the most minute things in life.
Marie's Cuban Adventures - October 2004
These are my first impressions of my work and life in Havana.
Havana is hot! Because of that it has been a little hard physically so far and I have to sleep a lot. We are living in a place where we have an enormous room with a balcony and a door that leads to the terrace with a view on the sea. The family we live with is very nice and we have all the freedom we want here. I'm getting more comfortable here now that I feel I have a home.
So far it has been quite busy at the finca. The first week, the administration staff was working frantically preparing to host the second ACTAF National. We helped as we could mostly working with Juan Carlos, the ACTAF administrative secretary. We always had great conversations covering various subjects of the Cuban existence ranging from politics to deserts. Our participation at the Congress was a little weird. I am not sure we should have gone since we could not assist to the great majority of the talks because the Agriculture and Security Ministers were there. We mostly did waited all day to find things to do but we were able to help serving meals and we did meet very interesting people from all over the country.
At the farm, we were offering to help people we met. So far, we have visited part of the finca with Papi, we have removed weeds with Pedro Luis and planted baby tomatoes and cabbage with Alberto. We wanted to clean Tara's garden that was completely covered in weeds but the farm workers came to do volunteer work over the week-end and really did an amazing job restoring it. Everyone at the farm have been really nice and welcoming with us since we arrived and they were really waiting for the new Canadians to come. Apparently they really love this partnership. Already I feel like I am part of their team.
My project is to assist with an agroforestry inventory and assist with expanding the agroforestry component of the farm site. I love my project and it is really what I wanted to do. It is even more oriented towards Ecology than I first thought which my main field of interest is. I finally feel reassured about my qualifications for the position of Agroforestry Program Facilitator because I really feel I have the education, work experience and capacity to do so.
Genevieve and I are registered in an 8 days workshop series that we will go to every Tuesday. It is on the agroecological management of a finca most of all in relation to pest management. It is given in the classroom of the ACTAF Ciudad de Habana but it is organised and taught by the people from ACTAF of the Province of Havana that had all of their infrastructure destroyed by a hurricane in August. The first session has been very interesting. So far it has been a good revision of what I have learned in University and from my readings on Cuba. It is especially interesting for me after studying agriculture in Panama this year and seeing all the problems related to conventional agricultural systems. Cuba seems to be really a great alternative to all of this and demonstrates successful solutions to many of the problems I have seen in Panama. It seems that conversion to sustainable farming is possible and what is keeping other Latin American countries (and all the countries that practice unsustainable farming) to escape the cycle of declining production and increasing inputs associated with modern farming methods are really economic incentives. It was interesting also to see that the Professor seemed quite free in his analysis of the Cuban system and was discussing freely its failures and shortcomings.
Outside of work, most of our time and energy is dedicated towards looking for food. We had been told in our pre-departure training sessions that indeed finding food that we like would be an issue (especially since Gen is a vegan). But even if we knew it, the same way one expects Cuba to be hot, the reality is still a shock. Today we finally went to the market on calle 19 y b. It was great we bought bokchoy, pineapples and been sprouts and we are going to make a stirfry! The food at work has been satisfactory, especially considering the price (80 centavos that is about 3 US cents!). The only funny or rather sad thing is that even at ACTAF they don't seem to eat what they are growing. It was the same things at the ACTAF Congress: there were six meals in total and two snacks. On four of those times we ate ham and the other meals included either chicken or eggs. The only vegetables to be found were squash, cucumber and yucca. This was a gathering of people that work in agriculture, we can easily imagine what the average Cuban eats. Other than that I am following some Cuban food habits and trying to get fat by eating ice cream every day. I have to say it is necessary after spending an hour to come back from work in the hot and crowded gua-guas or camellos. We are enjoying Havana so far: we have been to Coppelia, the Malecon, the cine and we have been out a few times.
So far I didn't feel really any by cultural shock from the fact that Cuba is a socialist country. The only differences I have seen so far is that really they have less material possessions and not everyone has access to things that we take for granted such as toilet paper. But I have seen this in other Latin American countries and like in those countries one can get what he want if he is willing to pay for it. Inequalities between people seem less bad than in other Latin America Countries or Canada and the USA as a matter of fact but they really are present since some people have access to dollars and other only to moneda nacional.
A good thing is that there is no publicity everywhere except for the propaganda of the Party, anti-American slogans and pictures of Che Guevara. Cubans also have less freedom of choice and it is quite difficult apparently to change houses or to leave the country since everything is centrally organised and controlled by a gigantic bureaucracy. It is possible to do those things but it really takes a lot of time and sometimes dollars. It was also quite funny to hear a debate that was organised in every neighbourhood of Havana. The subject was the US embargo against Cuba. And to participate, people had to pass exams and write essays administered by the government. All I could hear, from my room window of the debate that was taking place in the school next to my house, were slogans of the Party or anti-US. So much for public debates. However, in informal settings, people criticise quite openly the system. But the people I have met so far did feel that some things were better in Cuba such as education and health care of which they are very proud.
It has been two weeks since our arrival, I had to get used to the Caribbean pace of life once again. Such as waiting in line at the dollar store for half an hour to buy a can of tomato sauce, when you are the sixth in line, that two people are working at the cash register and that the customers don't buy more than one or two items. I remembered on the day it took us 7 hours to go to the Canadian embassy and come back to our place that is a 20 bus ride away that I have to be patient and find ways to make waiting more enjoyable. Patience really is a virtue.
More of our Cuban adventures in two weeks.
Genevieve's Thoughts - October 2004
PRELUDE
Please forgive me for the longgggg email! Maybe repetitive at times but I needed to write all that has been on my mind to liberate some space and because I thought it might interest you or at least help you to understand where I am coming from/what I am experiencing... I put titles too so you can more readily skip parts you don't care much for...
INTRODUCTION
Ay mama!
It's been nearly two weeks since I have set foot in the mesmerizing and hot country that is Cuba and yet, walking down the busy streets and shuffling myself inside a "well-packed" camello I still often need to pinch myself once in a while to ensure that I am not dreaming! Aside the "socialist" system which, while often not that different from the canadian "capitalist" one, still requires some adjusting to, the city is hard to capture, being very vibrant and filled with many contrasting images!
CUBA THROUGH MY FRESH EYES
Perhaps I will never be able to transmit you the essence of Cuba's capital. Nonetheless, I will surely have many tales to tell, as I seem to be accumulating them very fast... From having an 80 year-old woman cut a button of my pants back-pocket in a failed attempt to rob me while we were butt to butt in a stuffed hua hua- a small bus with nearly no ventilation and siempre filled with passengers; to experiencing a 45 minutes line (cola) amongst Cubans on a sunny day so that Marie could savour a 5-scoops vanilla ice cream platter (vanilla being the only flavour available in pesos that day) for the equivalent of 30 cents at Coppelia's, La Havana's most-known ice cream parlour where the service recalls a military cafeteria; to being invited to ACTAF's Second Conference to then be "banned" from attending almost any other activity than eating; watching time roll away at the Canadian Consulate and again while waiting in the quickly evading shade for a huahua that never showed up; to walking the whole city aimlessly for 2 days trying to find a place that had both electricity and time to take the missing picture for our visas; to constantly ignoring the hissing that we attract for our mere skin colour; a lot has happened in little time!!!!!
All these adventures have made me discover Cuban life in a way or another and hence, are now treasured. Adjusting to the slower Cuban rhythm, especially after my time in Victoria, has been a bit more challenging than expected. Yet, I am quickly getting accustomed to the fact that nothing is done fast here, even if all the means are there for it to be done quickly and efficiently. Some other equally important values such as ensuring that the stress level remains stable prevail ... a loooooot of waiting is often the small price to pay in exchange for building a lasting work relationship! Also, getting used to breathing through diesel and fuel is still something I am working through... It makes me enjoy my time at the farm and away from the city core even more though!
SQUASH, CABBAGE, AND TOMATOES: WORKING AT ACTAF'S FARM
So far, my best Cuban experience has been working with ACTAF! Every morning, especially after an hour of hot, packed and slow camello, breathing not much else than smoke, it is trulyyy refreshing to get to the farm. It is my safe heaven; a paradise of lush greens, tall trees, wonderful earthy smells, enchanting bird songs, and guavas! Not to mention that the whole staff is purely wonderful! Everyone is extremely helpful, knowledgeable, resourceful, friendly and very welcoming!!!
The concept of time and work is very different at the office like it is everywhere in Cuba it seems. Everything works more slowly and much more time is dedicated to personal talk than in Canada but the transition is quite nice for the time being. It implies though that I have to adjust my concept of what is required and expected of me. For instance, one days consists, so far anyway, of way less tasks than it did in Canada. That being said, the day is still full, but it is filled by less activities that take more time to complete (e.g. taking a photo for a visa here can be very complicated with electricity being shut, shorter opening hours,... It can be a one-shot stop but it may more likely be a 2 days adventure of street scavanging!).
That being said, everything has been going great at work! Idalmis has been really busy (organizing 2 conferences) and hasn't really had a chance yet to meet with me to go over my work plan in detail. However, that hasn't stopped us from finding things to do around the farm. In the absence of specific tasks to accomplish and eager to learn more about ACTAF and urban agriculture, Marie and I have kept ourselves busy, meeting the staff and working with different teams, helping them in their work while learning zillions about garden maintenance and upkeeping! I must say that the whole staff, especially Juan Carlos, Xiomara, Papi, Alberto and Pedro Luis have been extraordinary and have really taken us under their wings, orienting us around the office and the farm, explaining to us what needs to be done, showing us how to do it, and giving us plenty of positive feedback! In terms of gardening skills, I have already picked up a lot practically, through the many weeding sessions and seedling transplanting, and theoretically, through the 2 courses that we have attended so far at the farm (one on integrated pest management, the other on "sanitad vegetal", which is actually an 8 weeks long course that we will continue to follow every Tuesday!).
I am very much looking forward to working with each different team at the farm, sitting down with Idalmis and Celia to go through my work plan, to start working on my specific projects, and to learn more about agro-forestry! I'll keep you posted on how things are evolving!
POCO A POCO: EVERY PLACE REQUIRES SOME GETTING USED TO
Everything takes some getting used to. After much casa particular hunting, Marie and I realized that it is very unlikely that we will find other accommodations for US$300/month with separate bedrooms, and will hence probably need to continue sharing a room. We are currently sharing a room in a house on the same street as Maria Isabel's. We are quite content there and reallyyyyy enjoy the fact that we feel free there, that there is a lotttt of open space and air circulation, and that the people living here are very friendly and have become our friends. We will continue to look at options so we have some personal space.
Cuba's double economy is becoming increasingly difficult to bear. We, as cooperants, really fall somewhere between Cuban and Canadian standards. We do not have access to all the tourist stuff/comfort (e.g. food items, clubs,...) yet we have considerably more access to things than most Cubans, which really puts us in uncomfortable positions at times and can really shade many of our relationships with people. For instance, as tourists, it is expected that we pay for the people that we invite out but I do not really have the resources to do so which really puts a strain on where we can and cannot go. The same goes for food. For me the peso vegetable markets are cheap but the same is not true for Cubans, especially since they buy meat too for each meal. Me merely eating veggies puts a clash/comfort barrier between me and the people I live with. However, with time I am sure things will fall into place...
In a nutshell though, here, things are great and everyday, I can feel Cuba's magic gaining a stronger hold on my body/mind/spirit. I am now pretty comfortable with how things work here, with how people act/feel/engage with the world, with where things are. For instance, the meals that Marie and I are cooking are more nutritious everyday as we constantly keep on finding better markets where to buy our food/vegetables (today we were mesmerized to find a lush market filled with many of the dark leafy greens and diversity that I have been longing for soooo long!!! Bok choi, bananas (and local ones at that!!!), avocadoes, squashes; malanga, yucca, bean sprouts, tomatoes (the first ones that I see, the season will start in 2-3 months), cabbage, hot peppers, pineapples, grapefruit, and soy yogurt, are only a sample of what the market had!!!!!
I have a pretty good feeling that things will only get better as time goes on!
So that's it for me folks.
much love, paz y solideridad,
genoveva