This will probably be my last post before going to Havana unless there's something interesting in the news I want to share.

I leave on August 17th for Miami and then I fly to Havana, Cuba from there on the 18th. I am guessing that we will be sharing a plane with Cubanamericans who by U.S. law are allowed to return to Cuba every 3 years. We are only allowed to carry 44 lbs of luggage on the plane and I've heard terrible stories of people emptying their suitcases at customs of all the things they wanted to bring their family that's not easily available in Cuba. Swimsuits, tylenol or advil, guitar strings, etc. I'm not sure if this rule is because they feel the plane in inadequate to carry more weight (I doubt it) or if instead this is another U.S. imposed regulation to cut off Cuba entirely (most likely.)

As I've been telling more people that I'm going to Cuba, I'm finding more people who have actually gone. At my work alone, I know two people who went. And already, I have amassed a list of names, places, and clubs I have to visit. I've even agreed to carry those highly coveted guitar, bass, and cello strings with me upon the request of one of the girls I work with. One of the places I'm most looking forward to is a jazz club called, "La zorra y el cuervo" (the fox and the crow.) Apparently its phenomenal and the likes of Chucho Valdez play there nightly.

My brother has also informed me that he will be visiting in early November which he can more or less do since he lives in Kuwait and doesn't have to go back through U.S. customs. That should be fun as long as he doesn's seduce Shanti, our ridiculously beautiful overseer who will be living with us in Havana. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Finally, I read in Granma (The Cuban national newspaper) that once again, the United States only gave Cuba 50% of the promised yearly visas. I believe they're supposed to give 20,000 a year but its my understanding that they've never actually met that number.
Oh well, at least we're not the ones that the entire world knows is getting a colonoscopy right now at Camp David.

Something interesting I read today in the New York Times:

On October 21 a voting process (can you call it elections?) will begin to determine whether or not Fidel Castro will continue as head of state.

According to the New York Times (who are more or less assholes when it comes to Cuba) some feel that Fidel is too old and believe power should be suceded permenantly to Raul.

I guess we shall see. I'll be there though, living it. So I'll let you all know what happens.

Just to show what assholes the New York Times are, take into consideration the final sentence of this paragraph:

"The 603-seat National Assembly is a rubber-stamp parliament which meets only twice a year for a day or so. Its members include Cuba's only cosmonaut, its most famous folk singer, its most successful painter and the country's TV weatherman."

It seems NYTimes is going for some sort of low blow. Nice job guys, you live in a country who's had Ronald Reagan as president, and Jesse Ventura and The Terminator as governors.

How many days until I leave for Cuba?
40. 40 days.

As I get closer and closer to my departure date it seems to grow more unreal. I tell people that yes, I am going to Cuba in order to study, and yes, I am going legally but do I ever actually believe it? No, not normally.

This is not to say that my disbelief has left me unexcited. The more I read about the urban agriculture programs, the herb gardens constructed on the roofs of hospitals for homeopathic remedies, the workers' unions, the sheer brilliance of the Cuban people who seems to be able to make just about anything with some chicken wire and toothpaste, the more ridiculously giddy I become.

Ahhhh! Really, I have little more to say than I can't wait. It's going to be scary and it's going to be difficult but there is no part of me that doesn't want to go. So I'll keep counting down the days and maybe by the time I land in Havana I'll realize that yes, I am in Cuba. And yes, I will be there for the next four months.


I also wanted to pay respect to Vilma Espín, who passed away about two weeks ago. She was one of the few women who fought in the Sierra Maestra, founded the Federation of Cuban Women, and was Raul Castro's wife. I've read a number of interviews with her and she's a truly amazing person who continually fought of women's equality in Cuba.