P o l y P r e p' s C h o i r

 

Proclamation

 

Travelers Forevermore

There seems to be two different types of visitors in Cuba: tourists and travelers. On Monday, at the Juan Marinello Institute we learned that there is an extreme difference between the two. The institute is committed to the development of Cuba's cultural policy through social research and academic debate. The institute has relationships with a number of universities in the United States, facilitating educational exchange between our nations. At our info session there, a masters student enlightened us on the definition of a tourist and a traveler. A tourist is a person who simply comes to take pictures and look at the landscape; they do not wish to immerse themselves in the culture or understand the historical background of the land. On the other hand a traveler is someone who walks with the people, talks with the people, and empathizes with the people. They are clearly interested in understanding what has occurred and how the people feel about certain controversial issues. I would like to believe that the members of Poly Prep's Concert Choir are travelers. Although we admired and took pictures of the colorful buildings and cars, our main goal was to comprehend why Cuba was in fact a snapshot from the 1950s. What events led to the strict and and clear separation between Cuba and the United States? What are the reasons for the embargo (commonly referred to as the blockade by Cubans) and what is the Cuban perspective of it?  Going into this trip I had many preconceived notions that through traveling I now understand to be untrue. I understand that there is a deep admiration for Fidel Castro and his memory. I understand the struggle for independence and need for revolution, which is shockingly still occurring. I understand how harmful the embargo/ blockade is on the Cuban economy and how it affects the Cuban people's daily lives (according to a large billboard, the blockade is like a noose that is constantly being pulled tighter and tighter around the necks). I understand there is no bad-blood between American visitors and Cuban residents, simply conflict between the government themselves. The Cuban people are actually quite friendly and are always interested in what it is like living in New York and how it must be extremely cold; despite the language barrier it is surprisingly easy to strike up a conversation with someone in the street or the market.  After our time in Cuba the members of the Concert Choir, myself included, can sympathize and relate to the Cuban people. We understand the history of their country and what the culture is like.  We will now and forever strive to be travelers!

-Martha Bennett

El Morro

    

Julian's Report

Hello to parents, peers, school officials, and any random strangers who have happened upon this blog and are now reading this post. Before I feed you the substance of this post, I believe I owe you all a brief preface in an attempt to adequately explain the content and structure of this long-ish report. Thus far, I assume (as I have not read any) all blogs, with few idiosyncratic omissions, have been about the events of the day and the significance of said events. This is the critical facet in which I will not be able to meet the standard set by my peers as they have had the privilege of writing about a full 16 hour period stocked full with activities that have been carefully coordinated by our guide, Paige, and choir director, Daniel Doughty. I, on the other hand, have chosen to speak about an eight hour day, with four of those hours dedicated exclusively to sitting in either an airport or a plane. However, the day that I have chosen is not without merit: I have been granted the unique opportunity to write about the trip from a holistic perspective, a conclusion of sorts, if you will. Thus, to avoid reporting on the mundane (if you must know: we ate, sat, stood, and sat again), I will focus on the political realities of Cuba. And to avoid sounding didactic, I will try to be as interesting and nuanced as a tired 16 year old boy sitting on a plane while writing this post in the notes app on his phone can be. ¡Vámonos!

Yesterday (Thursday) I was walking with my good friend Kayla while having a lively discussion centered around the qualities of autocratic and democratic regimes. Our discourse began with my remark on the authoritarian tendencies of the Castro autocracy and quickly evolved into a battle of merits between Cuba's socialist regime and the United States constitutional democratic-republic. I was surprised by the outcome: for a regime that (fun fact!) steals ~90% of its electorate's wages through currency transfers, Cuba compared almost favorably to the United States, whose record was scarred by neocon politics in economics and foreign policy. We came to an interesting conclusion: the stigma surrounding Cuba and its staunch socialist economy was, and is, entirely unwarranted. Here's why:

Coming into Cuba, I expected to see slums packed with crumbling infrastructure, and starving dogs with owners struggling to feed themselves. Meanwhile, I thought, would be a wealthier area composed of  a few high ranking government officials living the lavish life of plutocrats. What I found was astonishingly different. While there were a few starving strays that broke my heart, there was not a single person sitting in a muddy puddle on the street begging for food or spare change, an unfortunate commonality seen far too often on the sidewalks of NYC. It is true, Cubans do live on the average wage of $20 (or CUCs, which are pegged to the dollar) a month, but this money can go an exceptionally long way.

The government provides a multitude of services that range from food subsides to full on housing to free education and social services—standard functions of any true socialist state. These features, as our wonderful tour guide Denis explained to me on one of our walks to dinner, are multi-faceted. He told me that they decrease inequality via limiting free market influence (the Cuban government owns ~80% - 90% of the economy, though Raúl Castro is beginning gradual liberalization reforms) and subsequently increasing the human capital of the masses—something which  the United States ought to consider doing.

This system of wealth distribution, a counter of sorts to the neoliberalist friedmanite ideology which plagued the 80's through Reaganism and Thatcherism, seemed to form a dichotomy between the U.S.'s current market doctrine: corporatism. I digress briefly: the rise of a corporatocratic state began with Reagan's tax cuts on big business and was marked by the creation of the Military Industrial Complex through the seceding of power towards special interest groups like private military contractor Halliburton, and "rent a government" Lockheed Martin (both of which had direct connections to Dick Cheney). Back on topic, I believe that the U.S.'s market structure favors a select few who control the economy through speculative investments and immense political capital. This has lead to the creation of a state in which the top .1% of wage earners get (as of 2011) around 103 times more than the arithmetic mean of the bottom 90%*. Such inequality manifests itself in brutal, insidious ways. Picture the scene of a billionaire driving towards his large apartment complex in TriBeCa, passing a group of society's unfortunate, huddling around a fire to keep themselves warm. You may substitute the actors or the objects, but the contrast of the scene will always remain, just as the immense wealth disparity in the U.S. has. In Cuba, while no one owns a Ferrari, it is also true that there is no one (according to my brief exposure to the urban and rural sectors of Cuba) starving on the street without a sanctuary in which to sleep at night. I draw these comparatives for you in the hope that you can visualize one thing: there is a qualitative difference in the types of poverty seen in the U.S. and in Cuba (the former being far more severe if you didn't catch that).

Perhaps that can explain Cuban's opinions on both their government and ours. I asked a few locals in Havana about their views on the efficacy of the respective governments, and the results were similar with only one dissenter. (Warning!! I am godawful at Spanish and thus I likely fudged some of the details and warranting that the five Cubans provided to back their opinions). The general consensus was that Castro wasn't an evil, maniacal man who planned his coup for self-benefit; rather he was a man who looked out for his people as best he could under the hardships imposed by the Helms-Burton Act. They believed that the government had their back—but they did want larger food rations and more political liberties like those granted in the U.S.’s bill of rights. When asked about the U.S. government, their answers completed a full 180 turn: they thought the U.S. was under immense mismanagement (all five pointed out our recent right wing shift to Trumpism) and had done a poor job with market management. The one differing opinion came from a middle aged man who was displeased with Castro's ¡Cuba libre! movement and called it "¡Cuba encarcelada!" citing his frustration with the state controlled print and broadcast media and their censorship of the internet. His response on the American government was nearly identical to those of the other four.

While I did only ask five natives—hardly a representative sample—I was able to notice that their sense of nationalism was the common climate: buildings that we passed along routes in Havana had nationalist graffiti on them that promoted the work of the government, and the shirts being sold had images of Ché Guevara or Fidel.

All of this is not to shame the U.S. and draw Cuba as a perfect state. No, my aim is far from that. The U.S. has done good things (like the Marshal plan). And Cuba is still a kleptocracy ruled by a corrupt idealist. It’s people do have frustrations with the government and the regime, and stringent state regulations on speech seem to be a difficult burden placed upon its people. The people are trapped; our very own tour guide, Denis, tried to leave three times to visit his family in Florida but was denied his visa by the government each time. Ultimately, I do intend to share my opinion on the the U.S. political dogma regarding Cuba: it’s asinine.

If you’ve read this far, thank you. I hope I didn’t sound too boring or pedantic. Anyway, my personal experience was great. The trip was  both educational and immensely fun.

My dearest gratitude to all those who made this trip possible for me and my peers. Thank you!

-Julian DeMann

*Ritholtz, Barry. "Forget The Top 1% - Look At The Top 0.1% - The Big Picture". The Big Picture. N. p., 2011. Web. 25 Mar. 2017. http://ritholtz.com/2011/10/forget-the-top-1-look-at-the-top-0-1/

Habana Vieja

     

bryce's account

cuba has been a great experience in both an individualistic focus and a holistic focus. trips like these invoke an out of comfort zone atmosphere as you are forced to socialize with people who you wouldn't normally converse with in everyday settings. for me, i was around my regular group of friends however i still found myself creeping out of my box, venturing out to make new acquaintances and friendships. on top of this i personally broke through a barrier as i delivered my first solo in a concert. normally i remain in the background holding down my part with my other baritones but i was pushed to perform a solo and it was a new out of shell experience for me that i really enjoyed and look forward to doing in the future. overall i saw firsthand how seamlessly people could be united despite a difference in culture and a language barrier. throughout the trip music and dance served as such: uniting factors. as we listened to various choirs, bands, and orchestras of different ages and skill levels and they listened to us we found a common love for music and performance. also as we danced out best salsas and tried our best to imitate the cuban people who danced with us we merged becoming one people united by music and dane. as we roamed the street shops and immersed ourselves in the cuban culture delving into the history of cuban u.s. relations and the juxtaposing stereotypical portrayals we understood a way of life that had previously not been shown to us. as shakaa, derrick, shanniah and i played soccer with some high school kids in a rained out park we were united in a common love for sport and competition. this trip provided new experiences for me and proved that we have the ability to unite regardless of language and varying culture.
-bryce edwards

Nate's Observations

The mellow final day of our journey concluded a trip in which we were forced to step out of our boundaries and enter a world without cell service. Disheartening to many, yet leading to our heads being less glued to a phone screen, we were able to truly open our eyes at the wonder of our world around us. An island stuck in time after a socialist revolution and a trade blockade, Cuba, while seeming quite unlucky from the outside, house some the greatest fine arts and music that is known to man, as we would discover over our time here. Free education and university lead to the flourishing of musical talent and culture, represented by the mind blowing choirs and musicians of all ages that we witnessed around the provinces. 

As well as music, we were also able to indulge ourselves in traditional dishes and foods, as well as learn a little bit of dancing along the way. From figuring out how to chisel through a coconut, to attempting to communicate to someone who doesn't know a word of your language or you of their, we all found ways to test our minds and intuition through a trip to a neighboring country.

While having a great number of new experiences with friends old and new, my best moment of my trip came during our time in Cienfuegos, a city four hours from Havana. On the afternoon of our first day there, me and four friends were sitting by a dock in the port that lead out the Caribbean sea. On land, the area was covered with tall coconut trees, many bearing fresh coconuts for consuming. A gleaming sunset in the background and the thirst for new experiences in our head, we decided to try and crack a coconut from one of the  trees. On a quite unsuccessful journey, we were able to scrounge up three coconuts, none of which looked particularly ripe. Yet, not stopping us, we decided to attempt and crack them open for the sweet water that lay trapped inside. Our first attempts were to slam the coconuts with brute force against a red staircase that had been half swallowed by the rising tide. With multiple attempts we created dents in the shell, yet further attempts lead to no avail. So, in a fruitless hour, four city kids slammed coconuts against a staircase until we were able to crack the shell. Yet, we had only cracked the outer shell, still much work was to be done in order to obtain our refreshing reward. In a turn of events, we attempted to chisel the shell with a sharp rock lodged in nut, while we used a blunt rock to slam it and penetrate the shell. 

As the sunlight faded into dark, we tirelessly worked to gain the essence inside the coconut. Finally, after three large slams, four city boys, with no prior experience, had, on our own, managed to conquer a goal without using our smartphones or technology. Of course our success was short lived, yet our pride not diminished, as one of the local men helped us out by providing us fresh coconuts straight from a tree, which he split with ease with a large machete. Nevertheless we considered our endeavor a success in multiple fashions. As the sun lowered on the horizon of our final day, I reminisced on all of the memories and experiences I had created for myself and my friends in a seemingly forbidden country. From the color filled streets and the cultural endeavors and talented people, my experience in Cuba was completely positive and totally worth it. For me, I can most definitely categorize this trip as one, if not my greatest and most eye opening journeys, ever to be had.

-Nate Lewis

 

Zach's Reflection

Four things I brought to Cuba, and why they were important:

• My Spanish: undoubtedly the most important thing I brought with me on this trip. After studying Spanish at Poly since the 7th grade, and having spent a month abroad in Spain in the summer of 2015, traveling through Cuba was an incredibly exciting moment to practice and learn. I packed my verbs in my suitcase and carried some extra conjugations in my backpack for the plane ride (just in case). While traveling in Cuba was exciting, it also presented a bit of challenge: the Spanish I hear at Poly is spoken slowly and clearly and is very far removed from the rapid hubbub of Havana's streets. Still, i was committed to improving my speaking, so i challenged myself to speak Spanish whenever possible. For the entire trip, I only spoke Spanish with Sra. Iracheta, our tour guide Denis, and all hotel staff. Above all, I was most proud of how I navigated a market in Trinidad, seamlessly bargaining and chatting with woodcarvers and waiters alike. 

• Water bottle: this proved to be a central piece of my most intense culture shock on this trip. Although I had traveled to Cuba previously with my family, I was reminded of how Cuban tap water wouldn't necessarily be safe for our group to drink. While I would usually just get a drink from my sink at home, I relied entirely on filling my own bottle only with the water from the plastic, store-bought bottles found in the local stores. If the passing of time and change in American opinion towards Cuba continues down the path towards full diplomatic and touristic relations between the two countries, Cuba may need to invest in water treatment, as a greater number of American and European tourists flock to the country. 

• My phone: something without which I would never leave the house at home, my phone proved almost useless in Cuba. While I was glad to have a source of music during the long drives between Havana and the other provinces. Although occasionally our hotels offered wifi cards for a few Cuban pesos, the WIFI was unreliable and usually only lasted for a few minutes. Nonetheless, I actually believe that our trip would've been a lot different had we all had consistent internet access. For all of their amazing capabilities, iPhones can build invisible barriers between people, stifling communication and discouraging spontaneity and the urge to make new friends. I feel that I've made some incredible new friendships and deepened the ones I already had, and I think a large part was that we didn't have our phones to bury our noses in all the time. 

• My masculinity: this one is a little hard to talk about. After studying Spanish for so long, and for being heavily involved with feminism and gender equality work within Poly and beyond, I'd consider myself very familiar with toxic masculinity and it's Latin American twin brother: "machismo". However, it is always a different experience to witness my friends and teachers be catcalled on the street, or be approached and followed through large plazas by old Cuban men. I am very well aware that the exact same thing happens back home also, and yet to see it repeatedly happen to women that I care deeply about was a really challenging and startling experience. I am continually reminded that, regardless of where I travel in the world, the social systems of that country were built to support me and help me, as a man. Strategies for dealing with unwanted comments is not something I packed in my carry-on. We can change this culture and change this treatment: we simply must be willing to hold our fellow men --  our brothers, fathers, sons, friends --  accountable for their words and actions. It's on us.
• -Zach

 

 

Kayla Williams' Thursday

Today we went to El Museo de la Revolución, a palace that once symbolized colonialism, converted into a museum honoring Cuba's revolution. Within the museum there were grand images of Che Guevara, in fact, there was a whole room dedicated to symbols of him, ranging from photographs to a huge sculpture. Furthermore, there was a clear sense of honor and admiration for Fidel Castro, highlighted in the way that they preserved the Granma, the boat that he sailed into Cuba on, along with tanks and vehicles from the revolution, donned with bullet holes. Overall, it's been really interesting to see the way the citizens of Cuba adore Castro, and everything concerned with his rise, while these things are looked at under a negative light in the US. 

The love for Cuba and the revolution are not specific to the museum, it is seen everywhere we have been. On the ride from Cienfuegos to Havana, the mountains were decorated with an array of flowers saying "Viva Fidel", and his face along with patriotic slogans are plastered on walls and billboards where we would have advertisements for Apple or Coca Cola. The country loves him. For these people he represents freedom from oppressive leaders and independence from western influence. 

This highlights that everything that we have been taught in textbooks and through our media has been through a western lens. We judge Castro as a nation of people that hated him for his ties to the Soviet Union during the Cold War and who prevailed against several US attempts to destroy him. It is important when having such experiences to be open to different points of view and ready to examine new perspectives.

-Kayla Williams '18

 

    

C o i n c i d e n c e s F a r m

     

Shanniah's Thursday

The feeling of sadness was upon the group as the fact of the last full day was setting into our minds. We started our day with the last breakfast in Cienfuegos and gathered in the lobby to begin our journey back to Havana, Cuba. The two hour bus ride was equipped mostly everyone catching up on rest after an eventful evening of celebrity the night before. Our rest stop consisted of us visiting a beautiful farm where art work was a sight for sore eyes. We witnessed an array of different beautiful sculptures from food that was being grown to civil rights propaganda. My favorite piece was a sculpture of a hand panting and a ear listening describing that we should listen to the beauty of art as well as looking and speculating. We also saw animals such as catfish and horses going peacefully throughout their days. Lunch was served on the farm with chicken, pork, rice, beans, vegetables, and a soup with a plant was contained herbs used for medicinal purposes called moringa. For the dessert we had a new Cuban combination called guava marmalade. We then parted ways with the farm workers with my own personal favorite song "The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson. We continued our journey to Havana, with bus ride filled with card games and sleeping. We arrived to Havana and immediately began our last afternoon with a trip to the Revolutionary Museum where we were taken on a trip down memory lane and explored Cuban history with our tour guide Ana. We saw various different artworks and sculptures regarding the revolutionary hero Che. After exploring Old Havana for a little bit we ventured to the fortress El Morro for a breathtaking view where I finished some last minute shopping for family back home. We rode back to hotel and checked back into the first day and  went to get ready for the dinner. We enjoyed spinach ravioli, an array of cheeses and fish as a great last dinner. We ended the day with a jam session in our room filled with freshman, juniors, and seniors. 

-Shanniah 

Coincidences Farm

     

Maggie's Thursday

Today was the last day of seeing 1950 mint-green cars driving on the roads of Cuba. Today was the last day of seeing buildings with façades of orange, blue and pink all on the same street. Today was the last day of walking along the roads and being able to start a conversation (even with my 6 months of Spanish 1).

Today, we started our day off at an organic farm called Coincidences. This sustainable farm also happened to feature artists work from Matanzas that are scattered along the property. Along the way, Odalys showed us a medicinal herb called moringa which we ate in a wonderful soup for lunch. One thing that struck me was how dry the soil was. It is the dry season in Cuba right now so a lot of the fruits this farm is growing aren't ripe yet. Moreover, Cuba is in a drought right now, which has led to many rivers and lakes drying out, resulting in the deaths of its inhabitants. 

After an hour bus ride back to Habana, we got off the bus and visited the Revolution Museum. As you make your way into the museum, the first thing you notice is the configuration of bullet holes which cover the marble walls. Towards the beginning of the revolution,  this building itself was attacked by students who wanted a change in power. Our marvelous tour guide, Denis, explained to us that Cuba still considers itself in a state of revolution due to the fact that revolution means "continuously changing." 

Everything Cuba has offered us has been lively and youthful. The people have been laughing constantly, showing true passion in whatever they're doing. The restaurants are always filled with talented musicians playing music like it is their last time with traditional Cuban songs like Guantanamera. The streets are full of vendors who wait for you to peruse their goods, or dogs who sniff for scraps of food. Sometimes, you'll even see a horse drawn carriage gliding along the highway right next to you. The streets are filled with so many voices that are educated and want to teach. I know that I have definitely gained a vast amount of knowledge on this trip. 

-Maggie Perlman

Cienfuegos & Coincidences Farm

     

Derrick's Thursday

We started our Thursday in Cuba by riding from Cienfuegos to the Coincidences farm in the province of Matanzas. I found seeing some of the animals and looking at the art on the farm very interesting. We also had a home cooked meal while we were there. They served pork, rice, soup, etc. The beverage was made of Jamaica, a red flower. After our time on the farm we went back to Havana. We visited the Museo de la Revolución, a museum where we were exposed to some of Cuba's history. I learned about a few of Cuba's significant historical figures such as José Martí and Fidel Castro. Next we spent time on a fortress where I took many photos. For dinner we went to a restaurant where I had fish, bread, and cheese, which seems to be a very common meal in Cuba. Our last destination was the Hotel Comodoro where I spent the remainder of the night playing cards with my roommates.
-Derrick Simmons

Trinidad & Cienfuegos

     

Olivia Knutsen's Wednesday

We started the day at 7:00, which felt like a luxury compared to previous wake up calls at 6:30. We enjoyed the buffet at the hotel in Cienfuegos and then departed for Trinidad. On the drive out we saw expansive fields with roaming cows and horses. Once we got to Trinidad, we walked through the cobblestone streets to get to our salsa lesson. We learned a few basic steps and then paired up and got to test our skills to some local popular music. The instructors danced with us, giving us corrections and partnering up with some of the students and teachers. After the dance lesson we took to the streets once again and made our way to a square. The sun was at its highest point just as we arrived, making the heat scorching, but luckily we were able to take refuge and cool down at our next destinations, which were the local restaurants for lunch. After cooling down and eating up we took to the streets once again for some shopping in the local shops and stands. Next we headed back to the hotel to take a dip in the pool and change for our final concert of the tour. When we got to the venue, the other chorus was running late so we had a mini talent show while we waited. Once the other group arrived, we performed for each other, and we even got to bring back our new dance moves from the lesson when we got up at the last song to dance with the other chorus. Following the performance we mingled and made conversation in a mix of English and Spanish until it was time to say goodbye and head back to the hotel. For dinner we went to the palace across from our hotel and enjoyed their specialty of fish. We ended the night with a group game of celebrity, and it is safe to say that the amount of laughter that ensued was equivalent to an ab workout. After the juniors crushed the seniors and sophomores, we turned in for the night, exhausted from the long but successful day.

- Olivia Knutsen 

Las Calles de Trinidad

     

Trinidad (über)