Hello From Cuba – Part 4 – Bureaucracy Galore –
Hello From Cuba – Part 4 – Bureaucracy Galore – The University Of Havana
Yesterday I needed to sign on for my Spanish path at the University of Havana. The Campus of the University is an astoundingly desirable selection of classical constructions and a Cuban tank graces the doorway to the library.
At nine am each of the overseas college students, approximately 40 of them, met within the Edificio Varona and we were shepherded by using assorted professors into a really antiquated lecture corridor. (By the means, of the five or 6 washroom stalls inside the womens bathroom, in simple terms 1 or 2 have lavatories in them, no bathroom seats, and no walking water inside the sinks. Again a sign of moderately run-down infrastructure…)
There they advised us about this system, yet purely in Spanish, which became ok for me, considering the fact that I dialogue Spanish, however about part the institution changed into entirely misplaced. We then needed to do a quick written placement examine to evaluate our present Spanish abilities and then the bureaucracy all started.
We chanced on out that we necessary the following files:
– a replica of our passports
– an legitimate reproduction of the lodge visitor card and/or a duplicate of the licence of the exclusive Casa Particular
– 2 hundred CUC (Convertible Cuban Pesos) in earnings for a 2-week path or extra for different courses
– forty CUC for converting our traveler visa to a tutorial visa (in economic stamps which we had to acquire abuot five km away)
– 2 passport photos
– 25 CUC in coins to expedite our educational visa if we are on the town for best 2 weeks.
I linked up with a gaggle of international college students and we headed off jointly on our quest to satisfy the Cuban favor for Burocratismo. We first acquired cash at financial institution on the Hotel Havana Libre, then obtained the passport graphics accomplished (to be capable for pickup 3 hours later), then hunted for any other bank on Calle 23 that will present us with the 40CUC stamps for the educational visa. With tremendously lengthy lineups around the world, this took us about 2 or three hours.
Then we bought simply hungry and we have been approached by way of a neighborhood “Jinetero” (eating place tout) who promised us a comprehensive meal with predominant dish, salad and aspect dish for six or 7 CUC. We walked with him, solely to find out that the wait at the Paladar (exclusive restaurant) could be about 45 mins to even take a seat down, no longer consisting of foodstuff education time.
So we walked up Calle 21 and a confidential restaurant owner approached us for a meal and we gave in and came inside. It was once a captivating colonial villa, unless that the visitor room with is mandatory 3 tables and 12 seats changed into in a dark small dingy room permanently with out home windows.
However, we had a delicious homestead-cooked meal, I had roasted chicken with rice & beans, salad and a lemon comfortable drink, thinking about eight CUC (about 8 US$). 2 of my student colleagues were from Germany and the other fellow is from Toronto as neatly, but at the start from Poland. We had a few enormous conversations and it became enjoyable linking up with a group of Europeans in Havana.
After a short relax in the hotel, my good friend Pedro returned picked me up within the evening and I couldnt support but inform him approximately my sense with the Cocotaxi motive force the day prior to this, who had tried to decide upon me up, despite my clarifications and statements that I became married and now not concerned about any amorous pursuits.
Pedro explained that sexual relatives in Cuba are a particularly overall, handy-going element and that it's far very familiar for workers to link up for fast “meaningful overnight relationships”. He talked about the Cuban other folks as very “passionate and scorching-blooded”, I bet that explains a couple of the advances that I have been receiving to this point, somewhat for the reason that there is also incredibly a good number of sex tourism wherein men (or even women) come to Cuba to engage in truly readily available erotic studies.
Pedro and I walked by means of the historical the town and of route along the Malecon (the seafront street) and observed the pleasing Plaza Vieja and the Plaza de l. a. Catedral where a mass became being held for the passing of Pope John Paul II.
This was very unique, considering that Cuba is a Communist / authentic atheist state and there are a great deal fewer Catholics in these days than previously the Revolution. Actually a whole lot of Cubas faith is a combination of Catholicism and Santeria (spiritual practices of the African slaves). Regardless of religiousness, Cuba has declared a three-day “duelo nacional” (a national mourning era for the Pope) and the mass turned into attended by using enormous quantities of employees.
Pedro and I then had a nice meal within the “Barrio Chino” (Havana’s Chinatown) for five.60 CUC (much less than US$6) for two employees and 2 vegetarian ingredients and delicate beverages. After a nice dinner he once again flagged down a regional non-public vehicle driving force and gave him approximately 1 CUC for opting for us up and shedding us off at my Hotel. At middle of the night I Cabo luxury boat rentals dropped into bed, exhausted.
However, at 4 am this morning I aroused from sleep with major intestinal troubles. Apparently my Chinese meal had now not develop into me so good and I had critical digestive worries emanating from equally aspects of my physique. This morning I realy felt rotten and I ended up using my own clinical equipment for the first time and took a few Immodium.
I was once unable to eat breakfast, yet I made my manner to the institution in which at 9 am our instructions commenced. Surprisingly the position examine had put me into the level of “perfeccionamiento”, the best stage and the extent of Spanish in my type became indeed very prime. The elegance carries 7 students, a younger woman from England, a young feminine medical pupil from Denmark, a middle-elderly woman health professional from Finland, a young male legislations scholar from Sweden, a younger female and guy from Norway and myself from Austria/Canada.
Obviuosly there's a truly heavy Scandinavian slant in my type and it appears to be like anybody within the class is a activity sociologist, political scientist, environmentalist and historian. We asked a few as a substitute hard questions about Cuban existence, the political method, the financial hardships, the double economic climate, the quandary of ladies and blacks in Cuba, machismo and the difficulty of the ecosystem.
Some of these questions made our lady professor suppose incredibly uncomfortable and it appeared like she became squirming below the barrage of probing political and sociological questions. She received very protective a number of times approximately the Cuban approach and in simple terms once we mentioned the coolest and negative sides of European and Canadian societies did she chill out a piece and grow to be a little bit greater open and frank approximately the proper Cuban life. It seems to be that to this present day Cubans need to be very cautious about what they say in public.
For example, she frankly admitted that racism nevertheless exists in Cuba and to at the present time it can be nevertheless a rustic with a lot of machismo. However, she did not admit that Internet entry and get entry to to non-Communist media is forbidden for Cubans, she simply explained it as an fiscal component. (Several of my colleagues had heard differently in their travels in Cuba, without problems that a Cuban seriously isn't allowed to have get entry to to the Internet). She additionally admitted that it is simply not allowed for Cubans to go to the traveller spaces of the Cayos (e.g. Cayo Coco) that is exclusively reserved for vacationers and Cubans don't have any get right of entry to to that sector by any means, a convinced aspect of competition a few of the locals.
Class ended approximately 1:20 and my upset abdomen did now not enable me to intake any meals. I headed again to my inn, slept a touch and were at the Internet for the beyond 2 or so hours (racking up a invoice of about $US 20.00 or s0), documenting my commute.
It’ll be a quiet evening this night for the reason that I am attempting to calm down my abdominal. But I am yes the adventures and the discovering will continue the next day to come.