Epicuriosity

Sunday May 23, 2010

Welcome to Cuba! We woke up and found we had just enough water for me to get a full mouth of foaming toothpaste. Then we heard my dad and aunt at the door of our apartment, towels in tow. Sorry Dad, no water here either. Apparently it happens sometimes but people find a way to manage. Our land lady was able to get us some water so we took the quickest shower ever in fear of it running out (all the while flipping that butt burning breaker on and off)

When we got to my aunt’s she was hunched over the well of the apartment bringing up buckets of water up with a rope. No complaining, no strain, just another normal day for her. But Mark and I are totally enjoying the experience. No matter what happens, we are just happy to be here experiencing it all!

We got in the car and began our daily trek around Havana to meet more family. Along the way we drove through the streets of my dad’s childhood. The theater he and my aunt would go to, the bakery where he used to pick up bread for the neighborhood, the river he used to swim in. Most of the buildings are in shambles or no longer exist. Factories that once supplied the country with crackers, mattress stuffing and beer are just a few examples within a mile of each other.

Then we parked in front of an old abandoned yellow house. The house where my family grew up before moving to the US. It was so emotional for me. I couldn’t help but cry. I never thought I’d ever see the country of my heritage, or any of my aunts, uncles or cousins. But here we are. Standing on the very front porch where my father used to play as a child.

So surreal. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to go inside so bad. But it was time to got meet more family and eat more food.

We headed to a great uncles where we met more cousins too. We ate a huge meal, danced salsa and listened to the Cuban rendition of happy birthday as my family sang to Mark! I absolutely love my family. It’s only the second full day and I feel more apart of my father’s family than I have in the past 32 years. They’ve taken Mark in as though he were a Padron. It’s so sweet to see my 80 something year old uncle grab Mark and give him a huge hug and kiss on the cheek.

Our spanish is improving too. Mark understands a lot of what’s going on and I suprised myself today when I held and hour long conversation in Spanglish con mi tia. Yo quiero hablar espanol todo los dias en Cuba, per no se enough of the words yet. We still have eight days and apparently “haven’t seen anything yet”. We leave for the country (el campo) tomorrow. Three hours of Cuban countryside con mi papa, mi esposo and mi tios! I’m super excited about  going to Palmira!