cold front

What's not going on in Havana: Bonfires, torch raids (that was SO Jose Marti's birthday), chaos, shouts, screams, anarachy

What IS going on in Havana: a cold front, international book fair, my friend Lizzie's birthday, writing songs, pretty days at the beach (before the cold front, claro), school and contemporary dance.

There was an American who came on Feb. 24 to take pictures of Cubans when Raul was announced the new presidente and came to our residence a frantic mess because, go figure, everyone was still at work!

The regime is still associated with Fidel, and until that man AND his bro (the new presidente) kick the bucket, Cubans will continue to live as they have.

A difference I suppose is what my international relations profe said:
Raul=practical, economical man while Fidel = charismatic, old, ideas man.

Fidel still writes in "el granma" but Raul, bless his soul, is not as eloquent.

Yes, I think I just called Fidel eloquent.

We talked about the switch in my International Relations class and the BIG BIG issue is the dual currency. Raul hopes to make it so there is only one. As does every other Cuban.

My bigger issue right now in Cuba is this cold front.

On Tuesday, the sun was so nice so we went to the beach again where I did probably my two favorite things in the world: swam & sieste(d).

Yesterday it decided to be 77 degrees instead of 85 and today is the same. No more swims or siestes for now...but I can concentrate on other things.

The pictures I'm posting are from my friend Lizzie's birthday. We went and ate a nice meal (more than rice and beans) while our director Danielle and Ernesto debated about race (I will save that for a different entry). After dinner we looked at the stars, as we often do, at the Hotel Nacional.

I can't end this without mentioning a def. highlight to my life: Our Art and Culture Class yesterday went and saw the Cuban Contemporary Dance group practice and I had no idea people could have muscles where they had muscles.

If I thought boxing would work my upper body strength, you should see these people.

My fingers are a bit frio so I will sign off from here but hopefully update soon.

todo mi amor,
Sara
la reina de "no more cold fronts" por favor