Amherst College Global Education Blog
In less than 30 days, I will touch down on US tarmac. Once again I will walk the streets of Brooklyn, the borough of my birth and upbringing, if only for a few months before completing my final year at Amherst. Time has flown during my undergrad years including this study abroad experience. And yet I’ve spent the majority of my time here in Cuba reflecting on how I choose to spend my time. I am a culture child – …
*This is my photo essay chronicling my Spring Break trip from April 9 -14, 2016 to two Cuban provinces, Trinidad and Cienfuegos, located in the center of the island.* All photos were shot by me unless otherwise noted. Request for permissions to use these pictures must be directed to me. After traveling for many hours, you end up in a place so colorful, it reminds you of the rainbows you envisioned in dreams and attempted to imitate on paper when …
Cuba – US mural at Muraleando in Havana Since February the world has been talking about the President of the United States, Barack Obama, and his family visiting the island nation of Cuba. It has been 88 years since a US president has touched Cuban soil, and with Obama’s second and final term coming to a close, you can imagine the excitement surrounding his visit. And I got to witness it firsthand! From the time Obama touched down at the …
As week 5 comes to a close, I can finally say that I have a finalized academic schedule. That is Cuba for you – nothing truly happens when you think it should but everything ends up working out (for the most part). One thing I can say is that the university’s teaching style is much different from that at my liberal arts college. Where as collaboration and discussion is highly encouraged and mandatory, here in Cuba the professor is definitely …
Cuba is realllll different, from any other place I’ve been to. The airport, the taxis, the good, the rules, the regulations, the street grid, the Internet (lack thereof to be exact) really puts this case unrest in its own category. We arrived at Jose Martí airport and found ourselves opening the wooden customs doors to our freedom… Well, almost. The 2 small scanning machines took ages to read everyone’s carry-on baggage. The conveyor belts took even longer (which was expected, …