Dia Tipico en Habana

7:00-alarm rings. hit snooze.7:20-force self out of bed. steam out sleepiness in the shower. eatbreakfast (coffee + milk + sugar, scrambled eggs, bread + guava jelly)7:49-rush out of residence. speedwalk 9 blocks to the Universidad deHabana for class8:00-8:15-Latin American Literature class begins (maybe). focus ontaking notes while the professor lectures (sometimes quite rapidly).review notes at the scheduled breaktime and fill in the blanks fromincomplete thoughts.9:35-class ends. walk outside for a 2 peso pastelito or to the cornerfor a 1 peso...

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Black in Brazil

Yesterday, I was having a conversation with some new friends (yayy!!!) and somehow the conversation drifted to my friend Rodrigo's race.  Recently, some people had claimed he was black. Now, Rodrigo, doesn't really look African to me; if I had seen him walking down the street in America, he would strike me as hispanic or maybe a mix of European and Native America descent.  He has hair that is closer to straight than kinky and even under the Carioca sun, his skin is still a couple shades lighter than Obama. Now after 5 semesters of...

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First Impressions: Cuba

Everyone has been saying going to Cuba would be like time traveling: We'd step off the plane right into the 1950s. If this is the case, the 50s weren't so bad. We're living better at our Cuban home than we do at Princeton, except for the fact that we don't have access to high speed internet. I may be going through a bit of email withdrawal, but beyond that I am completely enamored with Cuba. After months in the miserable New Jersey winter, I prefer *this* side of Paradise. Word to Fitzgerald. The city of Havana is organized very well; the city...

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Meet Damali!

Hi! My name is Damali James, and I am a Junior in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Relations. I will be studying at the University of Havana for the Spring 2013 semester and I'm excited to bring you all on this journey with me. Born in Canada to a Jamaican family (with a couple Cuban roots!), I have always viewed Cuba a bit differently than my American peers. Having a bit of son in my blood is what inspired me to study...

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