September 16 2016

God Kissed the Earth and there was Cuba and Opening Windows in the mind

In the cool early dawn Suzann and I headed out for our morning walk.  Initially the neighborhood was filled with the sounds of the roosters, and the smell of old garbage.  Quickly it gave way to lovely old homes in varying states of repair:  some had been lovingly restored, others in disrepair and decay.  Early risers made their way here and there, with quiet nods of greeting and good morning.  As the sun rose, we found the wifi park, sent off some notes to home, explored a bit more, and headed "home" to our Casa, where waiting on our outside porch was a luxurious breakfast spread of omelettes, sandwiches, fruit, juice, deep rich coffee, and pastry.

Satisfied and sent off by our hosts, we headed off picking up the rest of the team.  Reports from all Casas were glowingly positive:  "best night sleep yet", "I have new Cuban sister", "wonderful food and people".  Even Jane, who had been somewhat nervous about her lack of Spanish and her host's lack of English, reported a good experience.

At the Cuban Council of Churches we spent the morning learning about Cuban history and Cuban education.  Our professor(and attorney,  and pastor, and teacher), Uxal, took us through the history of Cuba from the time of Christopher Columbus.  "When God finished making the earth, he was very pleased with his creation;  he kissed the earth, and that was Cuba".  Despite its challenges and opportunities, this is a man who loves his country and his people and remains optimistic about the future.  We were sad when he had to leave for another appointment.

Next came Amy (and her lovely  eight year old daughter).  An English teacher and lover of people and education, she spoke with us about the history of education and literacy in Cuba.  Right after the revolution, the government set to work as a major priority, improving literacy rates for the people of Cuba.  Within an astonishingly short time, they increased the literacy rate to over 98 per cent(do you know what the literacy rate is in the US?).  Now all Cubans are entitled to education from Kindergarten(compulsory) through University.  You cannot avoid going to school:  if you do not attend, there is a knock on your door to find out where you are.  Resources are sadly scarce however, and even though there is "equity" in education, there is not always "equality". Sound familiar?  She is preparing her beautiful daughter to attend an Arts school(her daughter would rather color and play games right now, she and Phil spent our break time playing "grass" flutes).At the conclusion of our wonderful time together, Amy thanked us for coming, and for teaching English to her people.  She said. " what you are doing is opening  a window in the minds of those you work with".

Yes, another meal followed:  the church council ladies made us a massive spread of fruit, soup, chicken, lamb, and breads

Off for to visit, Murealando(with a frustrating stop to exchange money and buy internet cards, very slow and time consuming. ) It is hard to describe this new place, a decade ago, a group of creative Cubans wanted a place to teach and practice their arts.  Having no location, they asked the government to let them use an old water tank, initially covered in a mountain of trash.  the government reluctantly oked the project with cynicism about what they would be able to accomplish.  Fast forward to the present(well, apparently not such fast work).  the "excavated" site is clear of trash, is home to incredible tile and painting and statues, and now has changed the face of the local neighborhood.  Kids and adults come to work and learn performing and other arts.  A real success story.

The day winded down with a brief siesta for some, shopping for others, before we headed out for dinner.  The team was "surprised" by being picked up by vintage convertibles for an hour drive through Havana's beautiful old neighborhoods and forest.  With cool breezes, and lots of laughter and photos, we ended up at our restaurant for the evening.  A last stop at the wifi park, and a team filled with impressions of a complex Cuba, and vibrant but still resource poor capital city headed off to our Casas for the night.

Tomorrow brings a walking tour of the city, and then a trip "home" to Ciego.  We head back to work on Monday.  We will be sad to bid goodbye to Suzanne, who heads back to Boston on Monday morning.

Meantime, we learned late last night of an explosion in Manhattan, and await more news. We hope that all of you are safe and sound.  And, as always, thanks for holding down the fort while we are gone,

With love from Cuba,

Barbara