I am planning on bringing a bag with WHEELS. Oh my lanta, I am never again bringing a duffel bag without wheels unless it functions as a backpack. I swear carrying ~50 lbs of crap in duffel bag without wheels destroys not only your arm usage, but your soul is actually sucked out of you. I wish I was more buff... I could handle that bag like a boss. But, come on, if you know me, carrying ~50 lbs for an extended distance is... a joke. SO, for future travelers reading this: get a bag with wheels. I don't mean the biggest bag ever with wheels, that's just too much, but anything really with wheels saves you the stress of travel. I am also bringing a 'backpacking' backpack. You've seen 'em, you know 'em. In Nicaragua 'mochileros' (backpackers) had such a terribly reputation. From those awkward conversations with the host family, I'm nervous to show up with a backpack, mandals, khaki shorts, and an awkward skin semi-burn, semi-tan, semi-PALE and just look like a total gringified idiot, but I am definitely going to leave behind the blue-blockers, Hawaiian shirts, and chubby family of 5 in matching swimsuits, so I am HOPEFUL I can find a balance between a shady, hippie Latin American wandering soul and a Generation X, McDonaldfied blubbering fool (no offense... but really ;) ).
My computer will mostly just be used to transfer photos to a portable harddrive, but I might, if I just want to chill with some downtime, watch a movie or something. But I am definitely bringing all my music in case I need to shed on anyone the glorious collection I have been acquiring for 5 years. Everything from Bhangra Beatz (what I'm jamming to now) to the Beatles Discography to Eurotrash Techno, I got it ALL. I probably won't ever encounter a wireless signal or even be able to use my laptop to connect to the internet, but I will hopefully be able to use local cybercafes or the University's system. My friend recommended me a place that charges about $6 an hour, but it was the cheapest/fastest option. I might bring a dinkier camera that doesn't take 5 mb sized photos, so MAYBE, just MAYBE I can upload some photos. I would really like to, just to keep this blog more interesting, but it is definitely not a guarantee.
Because the country is communist, there are a lot of weird things I have heard.... For example I just heard today that the government is stopping handing out soap rations because it has been deemed unnecessary, but anyone can also go to a store and pick some up.... It'll definitely be interesting to see how capitalism/socialism/communism/Cubanism all work together and how they affect me. Since I have money and I am not a citizen, I will have to rely on the free market to get what I want/need, but it'll most likely just be akin to walking to a nearest Walgreens and buying whatever I need. I will bring shaving cream, razors, and contact solution however.... Everything else will be available and most likely a lot cheaper than anything I can find here. I know, I will have to forfeit my Garnier Fructis hair restrengthening, moisturizing, color-guarding dual shampoo/conditioner combo, but the sacrifices of life! :P
I read an article about Cuba and the recent influx of capitalistic tendencies, but they mostly pertain to food and general products. I am very ignorant still, I know, but the article mentioned that while the food markets and such are illegal, they are actually crucial to the economy and the survival of many people. If you receive your rations and they are insufficient, you take your money to a market and buy a little something extra. This appeals to me. If everyone receives the basics and a certain amount being all equal under the law and whatever power, they can either choose to survive on that subsistence, or with the money they earned from working they can purchase more and have that freedom to do so. I think this makes sense for a Cuban level scale. For the US, anything close to this would involve extreme planning and extreme debate. Pick your poison everyone!
I have recently watched 2 movies about Cuba, well 3.
- The first I watched was not really a movie, but it was a documentary about the wildlife of Cuba. It was fascinating! Being a pseudo-scientist I am definitely very interested in evolution and the diaspora of species across the globe and even across a stretch of ocean. Because Cuba is an island, the species have been isolated from most external influence and competition, therefore the wildlife is extremely unique to the island. I will embed the video, if you want to watch a little of the beginning or watch the whole thing!
- The second movie I watched was a film called 'Viva Cuba!' It is a wonderful tale of two Cuban children, a boy and a girl. The film starts with their friendship and just shows general Cuban life for these 2 children. The film takes on a Romeo and Juliet-esque style in that the families of the children do not care much for each other. The girl's mother decides to move out of Cuba to the US, and her daughter is completely against it. The film shows the children's adventure across the island to visit the girl's father to convince him to let her stay on the island. I won't give any more spoilers! The film is available also on hulu and I'll embed it here, also. But it is also available on Netflix instant streaming.
- The third movie I watched is probably the most famous regarding Cuban music. It is a documentary called 'Buena Vista Social Club'. This is a documentary done by Ry Cooder in his attempt to revive these almost forgotten musicians that are well into their 70s, 80s, even 90s! He wanted to record their music before their talents and before they are completely forgotten. He also organized tours and performances for these musicians across the world. It's an AMAZING documentary. I'm always a sucker for documentaries, but this one hit a particular chord. You can just feel the music and see the passion these musicians have. Especially after hearing all their stories and hearing/seeing what they can do with their voices and instruments, it's just an incredible experience that just makes you FEEL it. I love music and whatever, but this in particular just... wow, I just felt the music. This movie is ALSO available on hulu! I think hulu has some sort of affinity for Cuba. The movie is also available on Netflix instant streaming.
Apart from watching movies, I have printed off several 'academic' articles from the Library online system when I was back at Pitt just to use up my 1600 pages of paper. I have read only one reall :P but it was so interesting! It was about sex play-labor in Cuba, focusing mostly on male participants. Basically there are those who live this lifestyle strictly for swindling people and getting money, work permits to live abroad, basically mooching off any foreigner interested in a good time. But, there are those who choose this lifestyle who legitimately enjoy what they do. They enjoy the glamorous lifestyle and truly put their emotions into everyone they service. They do appreciate the money and the opportunity to spend a fancy weekend on the beach somewhere, but they are not out to fully rip off tourists, they pick and choose who they want and look for those who appear to be genuinely good people. They are more like ambassadors to the island in a more 'carefree' manner. These 'laborers' may take their foreign interests around town, bring them to clubs, show them a good time, although they do expect some sort of payment. The article argued that this profession should not be deemed pitiful, disgusting, or that these people are being taken advantage of, just simply they enjoy living this lifestyle and enjoy having a sort of power over foreigners in their own manner.
I just recently bought a book on Amazon for $.01 (with a $3.99 shipping fee of course), but I am desperately hoping it makes it to Omaha in time. It was recommended to me by my same friend who gave me a world of advice. But the book is called 'Without Fidel' by Ann Louise Bardach.
This last semester....
I took 2 classes relevant to Latin America and the Caribbean. One was called Introduction to Latin America and the Caribbean and the other was Hispanic Civilizations. The first was basically a crash course introduction to prominent themes in Latin America/Caribbean--I will probably now abbreviate it as LAC, fyi--such as: (neo)colonialism, imperialism, US influence, revolution, migration/immigration, and the list goes on. The professor was Matt Rhodes, the same professor who spent time with us in Nicaragua. He is an amazing human being/professor and my best friend... just kidding... but really. Anyway, in that class we had a final project we had to choose ourselves based on a country in LAC. I chose Cuba, of course, and I focused on racial relations and kind of the history behind what has happened in Cuba regarding these relations. Here are the links to my powerpoint and my actual paper if anyone is interested in reading through them (do not click the big download button in the middle, scroll down to where it says 'Save file to your PC' and click that, do not do anything with the big DOWNLOAD in the middle, it's just a dumb ad :(, also do not steal my paper/powerpoint for your own usage or I will hunt you down). In summary, here's some prominent bullet points I found most interesting in my research project for that class...
- During the conquering and colonization of the 'New World', many philosophers and scientists debated the justifications for the actions of the conquistadors. They came to the conclusion that these people were sub-human, they were living in the forest, their religion was false and based in satanism and animistic rituals. From this, they deduced that the conquistadors/Europeans were helping these people find God and civilization.
- After the Haitian revolution, Europeans/Spaniards were terrified of Black/African revolt. Many slave owners from Haiti moved to Cuba and brought with them tales of horror of Black angst and aggression. Spain tried to stop revolt in other colonies, such as Cuba in a few ways: they reminded Cuban slaveowners of the Race war (the Haitian Revolution), spreading rumors/stereotypes about African religion and culture being full of devil and idol worshiping and other rumors about African sexuality being animalistic in that, because they were subhuman, they acted most like animals in a crude and impure sexual manner. These stereotypes still continue today. Many people when they think of the Caribbean think of Voodoo and African/Indigenous creole shamanism. The most prevalent, I feel, however, is that of stereotyped Black sexuality and its prominence in the sex labor business in Cuba. Many people still perceive Afro-Cubans to be exalted sexual objects and are deemed desirable for many sex tourists searching for the most exotic and culturally distant sexual experience.
- Cuba was one of the last places in the 'New World' to eradicate slavery, so a lot of the racism and discrimination based in slavery hasn't had the time to heal and diminish as much as possibly here in the US. However, a surge of Cuban nationalism sought to eradicate this racism and Spanish rule. The nationalists argued for men to all be equal under a new Cuba, and there was success in that every color of man was seen working together after Spanish eradication, until US imposed a new wave of neoimperialism from 1898 -- 1902. From this, several US business owners purchased land, claimed ownership of natural resources, and basically shattered the nationalists' dream of a new Cuba by reinstating those same inequalities as before: the rich got richer, and the poor got poorer, meaning Black/African former slaves were put right back down to the lower levels of society.
- Then the Revolution happened. We all have heard something about the Cuban revolution, the glorified figures of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. During the revolution, Fidel wanted to reclaim the nationalist ideology and push forward with the equality that all deserved as a Cuban nation. Part of his plan to eradicate Cuban racism was to lower housing costs to allow former slaves to move into better neighborhoods and he also instated anti-discrimination laws to protect the former slaves. These are both debatable, but have allowed for former slaves to move out of more dangerous, poorer areas, and the anti-discrimination laws have been somewhat effective, but most people believe these acts were flimsy at best and have not aided the situation as much as Fidel believes. He believes that these acts (as well as others I have not mentioned, surely) have ended the war on racism in Cuba. This is most completely false, but the issue no one is really allowed to discuss the issue without being possibly reprimanded by the government.
- Today in Cuba, there are efforts by Afro-Cubans/Blacks to push the discussion into the open and bring the Mestizo (mixed European and Indigenous heritage) population into discussing the same issues that affect them being essentially of darker skin than others that appear more European, essentially more 'white'. They have even pushed their efforts outside of the country. Just this year in Pittsburgh (of all places) there were a few events focused on Cuba, particularly on race. One event was a Cuban rapper named Soandry who came to perform in Pittsburgh and around the US, but I unfortunately did not get to see him perform (my parents were visiting). Here is a youtube sample of his music:
- Another event was one that I was actually able to attend. It is an exhibit (that is still ongoing as of this post) at the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh. I went with my friend Hannah and it was pretty sweet. The exhibit is called Queloides which in English is keloids. Keloids are (according to dictionary.com) an abnormal proliferation of scar tissue, as on the site of a surgical incision. I believe this refers to the scars left from years of oppression and discrimination on the Afro-Cuban population. Here are some pictures from the Mattress Factory website of some examples of the artwork (if you click through, it will take you to the page and give you more information about the artist/what you are looking at):
As I mentioned earlier, this exhibit was directed specifically towards racial relations in Cuba as you can probably tell by prevalence of Black/Afro-Cuban peoples painted. I hope you noticed a familiar face (President Obama) as he plays an interesting role in Cuban/the world's race relations. If a man of color can obtain power in a 'Western' country, it simply gives the Afro-Cuban population hope for a better, more equal future.
The other class I took was Hispanic Civilizations or more colloquial, Hispanic Civ. In this class we covered a thousand topics from pre-Colombus times to revolution. In this class we focused more on a critical view of LAC. We learned about the tactics used in regards to the power of text, the advantages of both sides (Europe and the Indigenous populations) during the colonization, the role of women, the role of the mestizo/creole/slave, so so so many topics they are jumbling around in my head right now. I won't go into them, because most of what I learned about Cuba I applied in Matt's class and discussed said points in my paper and in the above bullet points.
So that was how I prepared this semester academically/culturally for this upcoming adventure. I started this post a few days ago and didn't get a chance to finish it then and I got a little sidetracked from what I was going to say, so I am just going to leave it here at this heap of information. I am cleaning, packing, and jamming to Cuban music. I am trying to read those 'academic' articles, but bleh. I am still on 'winter break' and it feels good.
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