CU BA
NORTH SOUTH 2018-2019
“La arcilla fundamental de nuestra obra es la juventud, en ella depositamos nuestra esperanza y la preparamos para tomar de nuestras manos la bandera.� CHE GUEVARA
TABLE OF
contents
1
2
Foreword
3
Making History
4
Biographies
7
Havana
15
Puerto Esperanza
19
Playa Larga
24
Santa Clara
30
Casa Particulares
34
Community Service
Foreword Dawson’s North South Studies profile (NSS) has a long tradition of solidarity. Dawson teachers, staff and students have committed themselves to establishing a relationship with the South through experiential learning. For more than 20 years the rural communities of the Cinco Pinos region, Ometepe and most recently the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua have welcomed us into their homes and helped us see the world through sharing with us their life experiences. It was with a heavy heart that we took the decision to not travel to Nicaragua in December of 2018. A travel advisory of “avoid all essential travel” kept us from Nicaragua but it did not keep us from our goal of learning with the South. Time was of the essence, we had to make a quick decision of what to do, where to go and plan so that we could begin the planning of a new trip, from scratch. A few possible destinations came up as possibilities, but one resonated with us the most: CUBA. What we lived in our three-week field trip to Cuba proved to be a seamless continuity in our solidarity journey. We discovered a place and a people to learn from, with all the wisdom and complexities of a 60-year-old revolution. Why Cuba? Cuba, for most Canadians invokes images of turquoise beaches and refreshing mojitos. Each year 1.2 million Canadians visit Cuba and most do so to stay at their all-inclusive resorts. Cuba also invokes images of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara and a revolutionary people living through a close to sixty-year old embargo. Cuba, was a good option for us at NSS as in a world struggling to come to terms with social, environmental and economic devastation of capitalism, the island stands as a beacon of hope for what can be considered revolutionary values, such as egalitarianism, collectivism and internationalism. Revolutionary values shared with the Sandinista revolution, values born of a common struggle against colonialism and imperialism in the region. We prepared for an entire term, reading about Cuban history, politics, economy, culture, grappling with conflicting points of view grounded in clashing ideologies. We watched documentaries, films and even attempted to make Cuban food, all in hope to open our minds and our hearts to this new place we were about to “discover”. Montreal’s Alternatives facilitated our journey through Cuba by helping us establish a relationship with the Centro Memorial Martin Luther King (CMMLK). The CMMLK’s long standing commitment to popular education served as a basis to establish mutual trust and begin the organizing of the trip. Preparing for the trip was not easy this year. While we (teachers and students) welcomed the opportunity to embark on a new adventure, we had a lot of questions and many of them had no answers. So, we went on trust. Students trusted us teachers, that we would do our best to organize that life changing trip, that all NSS alumni have experienced for the last twenty plus years. We, teachers, also relied on trusting our new partners on the ground to help us meet our goal of getting to know Cuba through conviviality and friendship. Our trip was filled with one eye opening experience after another. We learned about the island’s history, the gains and struggles of the last sixty years of revolutionary victory and most importantly, we have made new friends. We look forward to a growing relationship with the CMMLK center and the youth we engaged with. We would also like to thank Sandor, Polo and Jorge, who accompanied us throughout the entire trip, as well as the host families from the casas particulares, who not only opened their homes but their hearts to us. This year’s Field Trip Report shares the learning and experiences of the nine NSS students and three teachers, who said YES to Cuba and that I know for certain, whose lives were forever touched. Gisela Frias We extend our hopes for a resolution of the conflicts and a strengthened path for the future for all Nicaraguans.
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Making History For 27 years, North South has travelled solely to Nicaragua for their field trip. Breaking from tradition, the 2018-2019 cohort landed in Havana, Cuba instead of Managua. Not knowing what to expect, 9 students and 3 teachers disembarked into the unknown. Due to unrest that unravelled at the beginning of spring 2018 in Nicaragua, we were told the sad news in June that North-South couldn't visit their friends the following year. Amidst the disappointment, North-South teachers found a new destination that also offered students the chance to explore under an alternate political climate. Cuba, land of the Castro Revolution, has long made the headlines of newspapers worldwide for its tumultuous history, which made it perfect for the learning experience that we were seeking. Nevertheless, because of the uncertainty surrounding the specifics, our group became smaller and smaller. For 21 days, we attempted to comprehend the rich nuances of Cuban history , culture and politics. And although three weeks is admittedly a short period of time to tackle such a task, we managed to discover four different regions of the island and appreaciate their unique beauty. On the island of the cocodrilo, we students found ourselves immersed into a land of warm hearted people overflowing with colourful culture. Here is the tale of a journey through the land of music, laughter and revolution that we have come to know as Cuba.
- The field trip book team: Georgia, Catherine, Elara, Rosie and Fred
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AMANDA KUFLIK Age: 18 Cuba is... inspirational "Being here in Cuba, I feel like time has changed. I mean it feels like we just got here, but also that we’ve been here forever."
ISABELLA GAVANSKI Age: 18 Cuba is... eye opening "I think for me, this trip reinforced my desire to help people every step of the way and for that I am grateful"
CATHERINE HOWISON Age: 18 Cuba is... strong "There is something about this country and the people that just feels right."
ELARA NEATH THOMIN Age: 19 Cuba is...Titanic "La Havana est beaucoup de choses, mais elle est certainement vivante."
FRÉDÉRIQUE SIMARD Age: 18 Cuba is... unity "everyone was hugging and kissing each other, it was a such a moment full of love, I will never forget it"
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GEORGIAÂ LAPIERRE Age: 18 Cuba is... Independent "It's so beautiful, I feel so at place here, so at home- I want the rest of the world to feel Cuba's love."
MIKAYLA GERAGTHY Age:19 Cuba is... Loving "I loved working at the organic farm so much! Is farming my calling? My hands in the soil and the sun on my back was such a calming experience. It was by far one of my favourite experiences and a memory that I will always cherish!"
ROSIE PERCOCO Age: 18 Cuba is... Perseverance "My self-discovery journey began in Cuba."
TATIANA GORDOA Age: 19 Cuba is...Perspective "I loved running after BIG chickens."
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Teachers David Olesik Professor of economics and methodology and North-South coordinator "I'm wearing proper beach attire" *in his pyjamas*
Gisela Frias
Madeleine CĂ´tĂŠ
Professor of geography and future North-South coordinator
Professor of psychology and official note-taker
Guides Sandor Our guide, respected friend and professional 4 skinas player ""People!"
Polo Our translator, history buff and a very wholesome individual "My name is Polo with one "l" because I'm not a chicken"
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Jorge Trustworthy bus driver and the definition of patience *silently gives food to the dogs*
H A V A N A
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La Fábrica de Arte Cubano
Dec 29, 2018
La Fábrica is a venue which hosts of all kinds of Cuban art as well as 5 different bars and restaurants. It advertises and promotes Cuban artists, with exhibitions showcasing visual art, photography, graffiti, fashion and music.
During our visit, the third floor was allocated to LGBTQ+ art and feminist art. The feminist art highlighted many different body types, standing together in solidarity. The LGBTQ+ art confronted Cuba’s historical views of the LGBTQ+ community, and instead celebrated them. There was one area as well where a band was playing on a backdrop of graffiti. The graffiti was very political, confronting subjects such as racism and climate change. There was also promotion of more unconventional art, in the forms of jewelry and clothes. In fact, there was a short runway show presenting a line of clothing which could be described as Afro-Cuban street style.
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El Museo de la Revolución
Dec 30 2018
Our visit to the Museum of the Revolution was made a memorable experience thanks to our guide, Rene, who shared his insight as a historian throughout the visit. As we explored the Museum (an imposing, luxurious building which served as Presidential Palace before the Revolution) and the adjoined park filled with war memorabilia, he retraced for us the history of Cuba from the 1900s to the Revolution. Below is a brief summary of some of the information accumulated in the process: In 1902, after years of war for independence from Spain, Cuba is made into a Republic. The Spanish leave the country but the American army, which had intervened in favor of the Cubans, stays. The Platt Amendment, signed that same year, assures American governance over the country. In other words, it allows the military to intervene whenever they see fit, hence the construction of the military base in Guantanamo Bay. The Cubans’ motivation to pass the Amendment was mainly that without it, the United States might not depart from the island ; most of those who voted in favor saw it as a necessary evil to obtaining independence.. Following the signature of the agreement, the parameters of Cuban nationality was vague. Our guide did however acknowledge the American contribution to the modernization of the island. Rene also discussed with us the complex relationship between politics and history, especially in the Cuban context, and how that impacts a historian’s work. According to him, the country’s history still lacks analysis and exhibits great bias. History being written by the victors, the archives that survived the revolution are the ones of the rebels. Yet, history always has multiple sides to the story it’s telling. Americans believe to this day that they were the victors of the Cuban Independence war against Spain, whereas Cuba believes it would have won even without the help of the United States.
Thoughts and Reflections "Our guide was incredible. He told us so much interesting stuff about Cuba’s history, I really enjoyed it because you could see his passion and energy when telling the stories." - Isabella Gavanski
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Meeting With Reverend Raúl Suárez
Jan 3, 2019
On January 3rd, 2019, the North South students participating in the field trip class had the chance to partake in a Q & A style conference with Reverend Raúl Suárez, the founder of the CMMLK and a respected pillar of the community. The conference started with the 94-year-old Reverend explaining that he had lived through the revolution as a member and leader of the Church. At the age of 34 when the Revolution triumphed, he as well as many other leaders of the Church were faced with the hard decision of whether to stay in Cuba or pursue their career elsewhere, for religion was frowned upon for the first years of the Revolution. Suárez decided to stay in Cuba and continue to work, preach and fight for the Church. However, 70% of the religious leaders fled to other countries, primarily the United States, leaving only 120 pastors in Cuba afterwards. During the conference the Reverend quoted Camino Tores saying, “it is the duty of every Christian to be a revolutionary.” Raul was inclined to agree stating that “if you take Jesus seriously it is very difficult to end up on the right.” He used Cuba’s humanitarian values as an example of this, pointing out the fact that Cubans have sent thousands of doctors to some of most impoverished areas that have never seen a doctor before. “Like Cuba, everything Jesus did was in favor of the poor.” Although now the Church is much more involved in the lives of Cubans once again, there were 28 years during which the Church had absolutely no social presence in the country. “The idea was that the country takes care of the material and the Church takes care of the spirit. This doesn’t work however because you cannot split a being in two.” It is for this reason that in 1984 Raul and 12 other members of the church went to Fidel with a revolutionary document based on Christianity. At the end of the three-and-a-half hour meeting, Fidel called for a toast with new friends. Since this meeting with Fidel the Church in Cuba has grown and prospered, inviting even more members into the Congregation than before the Revolution.
Thoughts and Reflections "I felt very connected to what he was saying, mostly on his calling and his work for God. He explained that his church accepted everyone from different ethnic, religious backgrounds and looked past sexual orientation or preference. He also devoted his whole life, from youth to his senior years to God and that made me feel an intense craving for a community like his. A group with such a variety of people and an overwhelming sense of acceptance."
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-Rosie Percoco
Visit to Vivero Alamar Vivero Alamar is the biggest and most renown of Cuba’s organopónicos, small organic farms which are usually developed in urban settings. It began in 1997 and to this day covers 10.14 hectares of land on the fringes of Havana. Alamar, as all organopónicos, uses only organic cultivation techniques to produce their plants. This includes such techniques as cultivating the soil with the help of oxen and horses, fertilizing it with the help of compost, and planting colorful flowers to attract insects away from the actual crops. The farm grows several types of vegetables, as well as aromatic and spiritual plants used in Afro-Cuban religions. Lettuce in particular is extremely popular as it is a staple of the Cuban diet. Our guide even declared humorously that it produces “more money than marijuana” ever could. Conversely, the farm’s staff has to actively promote the benefits of other vegetables, as the traditional Cuban vegetable platter typically limits itself to tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers. Our guide also discussed how proper waste management is still an issue in Cuba, making it difficult both for individuals to produce compost and for the farm to use the community’s organic waste in producing theirs, as no proper infrastructures are in place for such things. 11
Jan 4, 2019
Jan 2, 2019
MURALEANDO Situated in Havana, the community project Muraleando demonstrated an array of diverse art forms and expressions. On January 28, 2001, local artist Manuel Diaz Baldrich decided he wanted to do something for his neighborhood. An abandoned water tank since 1960 sat surrounded with garbage in the middle of his “barrio�. With the help of volunteers from his community, they removed the garbage found around the tank. He then asked the local government for access to the tank since it was no longer being used for steam. The inside of the tank was filled with 65 trucks worth of garbage, that once removed, allowed the tank to become an art gallery.
With the help of a hardworking generous amount of volunteers, it took 3 weeks to completely clean. It took a lot of work to restore and 32 days for the second floor platform to be created, resulting in 15 hour The statue of Augustin "The Gypsy" work days. The project the teeth of the mother of a displayed many different art contains community member who gave it to the pieces all made from There is no neighboring artists, but also project. exaggeration in saying the whole featuring members of the community was involved . community. 12
CMMLK CENTER
Despite language barriers and cultural differences,we all found something to talk about quickly when speaking to the youth and members of the CMMLK. Obviously, they are not all the same, but our differences also allowed us to discover each other’s culture and lifestyles. This moment of exchange showed me the importance belonging and community. We are very grateful for the opportunity to meet wonderful people as are the members of the T h e c e n t e r h a s p r o v i d e d u s w i t h mCMMLK. any unique experiences, from conference and activities to teaching and learning. We would like to thank the CMMLK center for welcoming us so warmly an providing us with these experiences. 13
EL SAUCE El sauce is a discotheque near Havana. Cuban music was playing and dancers of all ages were already enjoying themselves when we arrived. We spent an evening surrounded by the Cuban nightlife and this was an amazing way to start the trip. We danced all evening, some with more skills, but everyone with a smile on their face.
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"It was all very wholesome. I found that this evening was a once in a lifetime experience because we had the chance to see real Cuban culture and we had the chance to interact with the people in a beautiful way." BELLA
GAVANSKI
PUERTO ESPERANZA
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LA CAMORRA
Jan 6, 2019
La Camorra is a community project that involves teenagers and young children. Its purpose is to promote the Cuban culture by assigning children cultural projects and activities. These projects are interspersed with literature, theater, and dance.
Unfortunately, there is a high level of alcoholism in Puerto Esperanza, which is why many of the children who participate come from disfunctionnal families. Despite these hardships they continue to be excellent singers and dancers.
Their projects revolve around protecting the environment. Their actions benefit the entire community and may be one of the reasons why Cuba is one of the countries with the lowest environmental impact as well as the strongest communities.
Thoughts and Impressions "I was genuinely so touched that I couldn’t hold in my tears. They were tears of admiration, happiness and love for those kids, who in tough situations still found reasons to smile and dance." - Rosie "When we were leaving,we were all hugging and then they ran along the bus waving and screaming! We were all sticking our heads out the window for one more chance to say goodbye." - Georgia
COMMITTEE OF THE DEFENSE OF THE REVOLUTION (CDR)
In Cuba, democratic practices begin at the level of the CDR (committee for the defense of the revolution) that are present in every community around Cuba. These centers were created in 1960, right after the revolution as a way for Cubans to have their voices heard to the government about changes that should happen within their community.
Thoughts and Impressions "Fake news is an increasing issue in the western world today and is a very dangerous phenomenon. That’s why it’s so important to go and have the experiences that allow you to form your own opinion, rather than solely relying on what you read."- Amanda
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4 SKINAS
Jan 6, 2019
Baseball is a very popular sport in Cuba, yet within the economic challenges of the US embargo, there is a great lack of consumer products. Hence, there is restricted access to sports equipment, such as baseball mits and baseball bats, on the island. As a result, children play a game called "4 skinas", a shortened version of "4 eskinas", which translates to four corners. This game has adapted rules of baseball in order to play in the streets with almost no equipment. Indeed, cardboard pieces mark the bases and a simple rubber ball hit with one's arm replaces the expensive and hard to access baseball equipment.
Thoughts and Impressions "After the English classes, Sandor taught us 4 ‘skinas (4 corners)‌ what a fun game! Me, Amanda, Mikayla and Fred were on the same team and we killed it, we called ourselves FAMG. Initially, we had learnt just by walking, but then played the real game. Wow, it was intense!" - Georgia
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VIÑALES
Jan 7, 2019
Viñales is a hub for eco-tourism located in the province of Pinar del Río. This town is known for its valley of mogotes, which are giant rocks carved by the wind over the years. The dominant nature in Viñales explains why eco-attractions have increased in the past years, hence increasing the number of annual tourists with it. We had the chance to experience a variety of eco-attractions, such as ziplining, horseback riding, hiking in the mogotes, and visiting a tobacco farm and organic farm.
TOBACCO FARM
In Cuba, cigars are not only smoked by most of the population, but it is also a big part of the economy and a worldwide known national product which brings lots of tourists into the country. The estate that we visited includes both a tobacco plantation as well as an organic farm. The farm cultivates various vegetables such as cilantro, lettuce and cabbages in a sustainable way, and the compost used is all organic and made from scratch.
Thoughts and Impressions
Moreover, the farm is a part of a cooperative, hence they produce food for the crew and local restaurants, but also donate to community daycares, elderly homes and the military.
The cooperative's program is to feed the community with quality products without pesticides or chemicals, which is another step towards a sustainable future. As for the cigars, there is a big difference between factory cigars and artisanal ones. In fact, not only is the taste different, but artisanal cigars are healthier since they contain way less nicotine than factory-produced cigars.
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"Today was a good day, we visited a tobacco farm and it was so interesting. Hell, I even smoked a cigar (Don’t tell my dad)." - Catherine
C I É N A G A D E
Z A P A T A
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PLAYA LARGA rosie percoco
Jan. 11, 2019
PLAYA LARGA SPECIALIST
El océano me recibe hoy Como lo hizo ayer y el día anterior Las corrientes que aparentan ser pasivas Logran azotarme hasta mi interior Unos pasos desaparecen mientras nuevas se van formando Corro, me rindo ante las aguas que sin fallar con su espuma y su baile Me acarician Es rara esta vista, aunque muchos de ella hablan Este paisaje que con tanto que contar Con tanto que decir un solo grano de arena ahogado bajo las aguas No me cansare de escuchar el canto de la espuma Y la historia de los asombrosos
Playa Larga is the biggest municipality but is the least populated. Oscar Bedeal runs the trade and development company for preservation of wetlands. The Cuban crocodile came close to extinction because people wanted the skin leading to an exploitation of crocodile and other resources. Fidel developed a speedy plan to develop the area where a road and many houses were built, the literacy campaign was started, and were an organization of economic activities such as fishing and afterwards tourism.
Within the 200,000 hectares of forest, there are 1000 different indigenous plants, 120 are endemic and 500 are local endemic. In 2010 the Cuban government moved any forestry companies to the status of conservation companies. Now they only produce 3,000 meters of wood is cut instead of 17,000. Timber is also being imported to protect their environment. The economy now takes advantage of beekeeping activities, fishing and tourism through the use of Cuba's beaches and increasing eco-tourism.
This project shows how the Revolutionary government has really prioritized environmental Wildlife Conservation over many economic activities. They have taken this opportunity to help the environment instead of prioritizing economic growth. They make a huge portion of their money through Eco tourism as tourism is the biggest sector in their economy at this moment.
“We are trying to make people aware of the need to protect the environment. It is a fight that we have not yet won”. Zapata Wetland Biosphere Talk with the Enterprise for the Preservation of Cienos Zapatas
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VISIT TO A CROCODILE FARM
Jan. 12, 2019
On this farm, the Cuban crocodile, which is called “Crocodylus Rhombifer” is raised. Endemic to the Ciénaga de Zapata area, it neared extinction in the 1950s. Even today, researchers fear that it might be overtaken by a hybrid species resulting from the union of Cuban and American crocodiles. The Crocodile Rhombifer is carnivorous; it east once a week and can consume up to 20% of its body weight at once. In terms of reproduction, a female can lay on average 26 to 30 eggs per year.
At the farm, caretakers, who are able to control the gender of the babies by regulating the temperature of eggs incubators, typically aim for a ratio of five females to one male, to maximize the growth of the population. They are considered adults after 6 to 7 years, at which points they may be released in the wild.
15-20% Finally, the farm also organizes research expeditions every four months to go study the crocodile populations. To this day, it is estimated that about 5000 crocodiles have been released in the wild thanks to the farm’s efforts.
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Only 15-20% of the crocodiles are released in the Ciénaga swamps, the rest are kept for reproduction except for a few which are sold as food to the restaurant across the street.
VISIT TO CULTURAL PROJECT KORIMAKAO
Jan. 11, 2019
The word “Korimakao” has an Aboriginal origin and it translates to “man carrying the house on his back”. This image refers to the center’s communal mission, which focuses on training artists while promoting the colorful Cuban culture. Korimakao offers different services, such as theater, dance, music, and visual arts. Indeed, more than 100 artists come from all over Cuba to join Korimakao and whether they are professionals who teach, talented people from the streets who don’t have an academic training, or young people who have overcome social problems, there is a mutual respect because everybody is treated the same way and they all contribute in their own way.
The center Korimakao’s mission to promote the Cuban culture through arts can be related to Cuba’s social equality of wealth and respect.
Cultural centers in Cuba are cherished and valued, which can be seen through the State’s subsidies, the communities’ respect and Cuba’s sense of solidarity.With the support of Korimakao, artists have the chance to pursue great careers without having to worry about finding an alternate profitable bread and butter, since the center provides an accommodation and hosts exhibitions, concerts and plays where the artists receive a salary.
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MUSEO PLAYA GIRÓN
Jan. 12, 2019
The visit to the museum of Playa Girón, whose purpose is to commemorate the Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961, began with the viewing of a short documentary recounting the events. The visuals indicated the documentary itself was rather dated. Time and time again throughout the viewing, the use of strong connotative words (such as “the mercenaries had no morale to resist the will of the people”), combined with the use of dramatic music, were revelatory of Cuban government’s effort to discredit the United States. At times, the intensity of the emotion expressed reached a quasi-comical intensity. The indoor exposition retraced the beginning of the Revolution and its influence on the then under-developed Ciénaga de Zapata region all the way through the aftermath of the failed attack. The exposition placed a lot of emphasis on the impact that the Revolution had on speeding the Ciénaga area’s development, and how in turn the population supported the Revolution against US-trained mercenaries during the Bay of Pigs crisis.. While the exposition presented interesting facts about the military strategies used by both sides and the events which led to such open conflict between the two nations, its strength was the use of individual stories to make the experience more compelling. In particular, an anecdote describing the difficulties attached with returning the body of an American soldier to his homeland, complicated by the US’s denial of any involvement with the attack, illustrated rather well the complex political situation between the two countries. In the same way, the picture of a young Cuban whom, upon dying, painted the word “Fidel” his own blood with the last of his strength presented a touching testimony to the importance that Castro held for many Cubans. Nonetheless, to the outsider, efforts to present the Revolution and its leaders in a positive light throughout the exposition were obvious and seemed to reflect a certain form of state intervention.
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SANTA CLARA JANUARY 13TH - JANUARY 17TH
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EL MEJUNJE JANUARY 13th 2019
Our evening activity, was to encounter the founder of the social inclusion club “el mejunje”: Silvero. He began by explaining the meaning of the word Mejunje. It means a mixture, and concoction of medicinal plants. And yet the name also represented a mix of different ages, colours, sexual orientation, political and religious views in the space of El Mejunje. El Mejunje was founded in 1984.And is open every day of the week, and represents all manifestations of Cuban culture and all music styles. It’s attendants are mainly university students, and its entrance price is quite low and affordable. It costs between 2 and 5 Cuban pesos, as Silvero says this is mostly a symbolic price as the Cuban government funds approximately 90% of El Mejunje. It offers services too all, and offer classes and theatre productions during the day for families and children. Silvero takes pride in the fact that Santa Clara is no longer just tolerant, but a city of acceptance. When asked why he continues to be involved, Silvero answered that he believes helping people is everyone purpose in life, and that he has a lot to give. Making the Mejunje a very generous and valuable place
THOUGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS:
"El mejunje clearly supports all origins and all cultures as long as they are inclusive. And time and time again, El Mejunje seems to make no distinction between peoples. Rather than dividing themselves, like in everywhere in the world, El Mejunje unites them all" -Georgia "El Mejunje reminded me of the goodness in every Cuban’s heart stays the best thing that I will have learned, and I cannot wait to share it back in Montréal with my loved ones" - Fred
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LOGINA
Trova Festival JANUARY 13th 2019
WHAT IS TROVA? It is a very important root of Cuban Music. The songs are generally in the forms of poems and have deep meaning. Trova music is one of the large contributors to revolutionary music.
THOUGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS "Silverio told us that a festival of trobae, a Cuban musical style, was in town and the show would start at 11 pm. What a night. Even if I was pretty tired, I decided to go because I love concerts and wow it was incredible. The only goers were Mikayla, Bella, Rosie, Georgia, David and me. We stood in line at 10:30 and were lucky to get some front row seats." "What was so magical about last night was the fact that all the artists were a part of the crowd, which created a strong sense of belonging between us and the music. So many artists were genius guitar players and others would simply pick up an instrument and contributed to the song. This gathering was beautiful to see and to hear, I loved it. I have to say that during these hours, life was sublime." - Fred "When we walked in, although we felt out of place, at the same time we felt quite at home. The night began, and for the next few hours all we did was listen to music. Although most of us who came didn’t understand most of it, we felt every emotion the singers were portraying. The environment was calm, yet excited. Anyone in the crowd seemed to be able to get up and join in, in whatever form they felt they needed to." -Georgia 26
HOSPITAL CONFERENCE PROVINCIAL PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL OF SANTA CLARA JANUARY 14th 2019 The hospital has over a thousand workers including a hundred and sixty specialists and about seventy medical residents Fidel Castro implemented a health care system that was divided in three levels.He did this to both prevent and promote health care. The first level consisted in basic general medical clinics, family doctors and nurses. In all of Cuba, there is a doctor for every hundred and twenty families The secondary level is composed of hospitals provincial or specialized hospitals are part of the third level of health care, these are located in provincial capitals.
THOUGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS: "The health care system, despite the lack of resources, allows inhabitants to have quality health care. Their system is based on prevention rather than curing which allows the management of the scarce resources like medication, medical equipment and vaccines." -Tatianna
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CHE GUEVARA MEMORIAL JANUARY 15th 2019 The memorial was made in 18 months by volunteers. We started with Che’s exterior monument: His very tall statue, and the murals expressing messages of strength, courage and hope, all facing the square. This is a place of peace always filled with people who come to pay their respects to their comandante. Marta, our guide, qualified a “living museum" there are waterfalls, and every day a cut and placed next to each
this museum as living plants, fresh flower is grave.
Following the graves of the guerilla fighters who passed away in Bolivia, we went through the museum about Che's life. Finally, we saw the graves of all the THOUGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS: revolutionary fighters, with an eternal "I realized how all he ever wanted to lit flame. do was help others" -Fred "Je ne sais pas ce que je pense de Che. Je ne suis pas sûre d’un jour pouvoir formuler une opinion tranchée le concernant non plus." -Elara "The visit to this memorial allowed us to get an authentic impression of Che, unskewed by outside bias. We got to clearly see the work he did for Cuba and the value he put on being a true humanitarian" -Mikayla
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BASEBALL JANUARY 15th 2019 The Villa Clara team, who's colours are orange were playing against las Tunas, who's colours are Red and Green. It was game 3 out of 7, during the playoffs. Villa Clara had one the first 2, leaving Villa Clara at the brink of loss. In the stadium, there was this little square of red and green in a sea of orange. At first, Santa Clara was having difficulties so when they started to score like crazy and got more points than the tunas David was next to me and he straight up removed his crocs to bang on his seat as hard as he could, the people in the booth next to us were finding that really funny Santa Clara won!
THOUGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS: "The hype in the stadium was so high, everybody had so much energy it was electrifying" -Catherine "It was insane! The energy made us all feel like Santa Calrans" -Rosie
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Casas Particulares 30
New Years Celebrations "María and Roberto, my host parents, were expecting their daughter, Mariella, her boyfriend, Alejandro, and his mother for dinner. Our dinner was really good and composed of pork, yúca, arroz y frijoles, and a salad. At midnight, I counted down the last 10 seconds of 2019 and we all cheered the new year hugging and kissing each other, it was wonderful. Mariella threw a bucket of water out in the streets: a Cuban tradition to wash away the evils from the house for the new year. Then we saw people in the street dragging an empty suitcase, another tradition wishing for travels in the future year. Finally, we heard canon discharges from Habana Vieja to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Revolution." -Fred "Nous avons passé la soirée avec nos familles cubaines, ce qui signifie, pour moi, Cristy et sa fille Mary, ainsi que des visiteurs qui entrent et qui sortent. Outre la chance de pratiquer mon espagnol, nous avons réussi à glaner des informations intéressantes.pour saluer l’année qui arrive, les Cubains ont quelques traditions; lancer de l’eau par la fenêtre pour chasser le mauvais de l’année précédente, et faire le tour du bloc avec une valise pour inviter les voyages. Je crois bien qu’il y a en d’autres, mais je ne les aurai pas appris." -Elara
Thoughts and impressions: "As midnight approached, Amanda and Tatiana stopped by our apartment to tell us that everyone was gathering in the apartment below. María and I shared a look, asking if we were going to join them, and I immediately told her that I wouldn’t miss celebrating the new year with her for the world. I am so happy to have spent it with their family" -Fred "All in all, it was the greatest start of a year I have ever had." -Mikayla
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Cuban Cooking
What better way to explore a culture than through its delicious cooking? Throughout this trip we were definitively spoiled food-wise, as our host families served us flavorful (and very generous) platters day after day. Even better, they gave us the knowledge we needed to recreate some of the simpler recipes back home, including the infamous tostones, those fried plantain chips we were all addicted to. These cooking lessons became a chance for us to learn more about the Cuban way of life and to spend quality time with our host families. A staple of the Cuban diet is the arroz con frijoles, (rice and beans in English) which is featured in every Cuban lunch and dinner. A typical lunch/dinner consists of arroz con frijoles, a small plate of vegetables (normally cabbage, cucumbers, and carrots soaked in vinegar) and a protein of some sort (primarily chicken or pork). The exception to this diet was our stay in Playa Larga, where the proximity to the ocean and to the fishing industry allowed for lobster, crab and shrimps to be added to the menu. In the morning, we usually woke up to a breakfast of coffee and freshly squeezed juice (normally agave, papaya, pineapple, etc.) served with some eggs (either omelette, scrambled, or fried), a plate full of fruit (papaya, pineapple, agave, banana), and a ham sandwich. Needless to say, it was a lot of food!
Thoughts and impressions: January 4th: "Cristy finally accepted our help today in the kitchen! I was so excited when she told us to join her to help cook. Good news too; I finally learnt how to make tostones, my new favourite addiction!" -Amanda January 11th: For dinner, we were in charge of making the “salad.” Salads in Cuba are not the same kind we make here, and Otto was laughing at us struggle to make to Cubans version of Salad. Apparently, we were cutting the cucumbers too thick and Otto didn’t believe that we ever help our moms in the kitchen at home. -Mikayla
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January 15th: I was so happy, but then the evening got even better because guess what I ate that night at like midnight? SPAGHETTI!!! Having that meal when I just spent weeks in Cuba and I'm missing my family made me really happy. It was really good spaghetti too. -Catherine
Our Families
Time Spent in Good Company Our most sincere thanks to the wonderful people who opened their homes to us. You will forever be in our hearts! Havana (December 28th to January 4th):
Havana (January 9 and 10)
January 11th: “I wish we had had more time living with Reina. I was (like January 4th: “It’s our last day in Havana, and with Roberto and Maria. everywhere else we have stayed) I’m so sad, and am going to miss them incredibly comfortable living in her home. Her and her sweet husband were like crazy! -Georgia so kind and made sure that we had everything we needed to feel at home. January 5th: “ We left Havana this She was also an amazing cook. I morning and I’m so sad. I think I appreciated every moment that we had hugged Cristy over 5 times before I finally left, and when Cristy started to in that house, from the son trying to cry on our final goodbyes, I came very show us how to dance in the dining close to bawling my eyes out. I’m going room, to Emmanuel’s pure description of true love. Despite only being there for to miss her so much. Here’s this amazing woman who opened her home two days I am really sad to leave my and life to me for the past 8 days and second Havana home.” -Mikayla treated me as if I were her own daughter. She shared so much with Santa Clara (January 13th to 17th) me, and it was an incredible experience to be able to connect with January 13th: Rosie and I are living with someone like we did, despite the this lovely lady Virginia! She’s super language barrier. I’m so grateful for sweet and talks to us a lot. After getting Cristy, and I really hope she settled in, we all went to lunch and I had understands what it meant to me to veggie spaghetti! The we walked around have connected with her, and the a bit and explored our area of Santa impact she’s had on my life.” -Amanda Clara! -Georgia
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COMMUNITY PROJECTS
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Lending a Hand While our visits, encounters and activities were amazing learning experiences during our journey, the most valuable moments that we will remember forever are our contribution to communities.
Muraleando Muraleando is a community center buthat teaches art to children, some of whom have down-syndrome and autism. On our day visiting this inspiring collective initiative, we had the chance to offer our manual labour in helping sort out garbage, which will eventually be turned into breath-taking artwork.
Organopรณnico Prior to our visit of the organic farm, Vivero Alamar, we all spent nearly three hours weeding plantations of parsley and cilantro. We even had the chance to do some hands-on learning, as we were invited to work in the fields for an hour or so. We thus liberated rows of vegetables from invading weeds, all the while singing Mamma Mia under the Cuban sun.
English Classes Our main community project was the teaching of English classes at the Center Memorial Martin Luther King in Havana and in Puerto Esperanza. Although we are all fluent in English, we quickly discovered that being able to speak English and teach it to people are two completely different things. Once we got the hang of teaching, we realized that vocabulary and dialogue would be most beneficial for their needs. Thus, we created many different activities that got the locals speaking English.
Thoughts and Impressions "The teaching of the English classes gave us the opportunity to engage in conversation and create bonds with people our own age. What they taught us through our time shared together was priceless, and they gave us much more through their time than we could ever have given them." - Mikayla
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I never want to forget this...
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