STORM2K

Landed in Beijing on the 1st of June at around 16 hours. Some staff of Health Ministry rushed in to take our temperature, as AC031, the plane we took, also brought the 2nd and 8th case of H1N1 in Beijing.

In Cuba the 8 months were unforgettable. I think I had a significant progress in oral Spanish (although a bit Cuban accent), and I got the opportunity to travel to the Cuban City of Santiago, Guantanamo, Baracoa, Camaguey, Sancti Spiritus, Vinales, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Trinidad, as well as Matanzas, Varadero and the Isle of Youth.

We talked to different kinds of Cubans, revolutionary and counter-revolutionary. The Cubans are talkative, they love to complain their life conditions to us.

Sometimes we do something illegal by selling things unauthorizedly. Some of us do received the warning of the police.

Cuba is a safe place, the girls may walk along the street alone at midnight without having to worry their safety.

We spent eight months eating like Cubans, drinking like Cubans, some smokers start to smoke cigar instead of cigarette, we learned to accept the taste of Cuban rum, and guarapo (sugarcane juice), we joined different activities, including organized salidas.

Although we have better food and drink conditions in China, my Cuban life still impresses me, and I'd love to return to Cuba in the future.

Study petroleum engineering. If I recall correctly, the Chinese National Oil Company is helping Cuba develop its reserves.

I don't know of you live in the warmer, rice as a staple, parts of China, or the colder noodles as a staple part of China, but if I had to choose between the two, I think I'd go for the warmer place.


I'd bet the cigars and ron are tastier as well.

I would have loved to go with you. Thanks for reporting your trip to us, it sounds like a blast. I love traveling, and that would have been great, and to live another culture in a country like that would have been awesome. Talking to people down there would have been amazing. I'm sure you have lots of stories. Sorry about the H1N1 close call.

Welcome back! Now you get to spend more time with us! And we'd love to hear more stories of your experience.

I lived in Cuba for 13 years and you traveled more inside the island that I did in that timeframe. Cuba has incredible natural wonders but the situation is very bad. The government now wants to implement a second Special Period, worse than what they implemented after the USSR collapse. Things are going from bad to worse and the people see no future. People in the island just want to get out from the time they are 5. You are born in Cuba and the only thing you want to do is get the hell out of the island.

HURAKAN wrote:I lived in Cuba for 13 years and you traveled more inside the island that I did in that timeframe. Cuba has incredible natural wonders but the situation is very bad. The government now wants to implement a second Special Period, worse than what they implemented after the USSR collapse. Things are going from bad to worse and the people see no future. People in the island just want to get out from the time they are 5. You are born in Cuba and the only thing you want to do is get the hell out of the island.

It may get better when Los Hermanos Castro shuffle off this mortal coil, especially if relations with the US thaw.

HURAKAN wrote:I lived in Cuba for 13 years and you traveled more inside the island that I did in that timeframe. Cuba has incredible natural wonders but the situation is very bad. The government now wants to implement a second Special Period, worse than what they implemented after the USSR collapse. Things are going from bad to worse and the people see no future. People in the island just want to get out from the time they are 5. You are born in Cuba and the only thing you want to do is get the hell out of the island.

Why does the government see that a second Special Period is necessary?

Cool. How is the Cuban Spanish accent like? I know Mexican Spanish emphasizes the "r's", while Argentine Spanish has an Italian accent.

wyq614 wrote:Why does the government see that a second Special Period is necessary?

Because of the global economic crisis. You saw how things are. I don't know how Cubans are going to ration even more.

I'm glad that you're back safely at home. You had a wonderful, once in a lifetime experience. Thank you for keeping us up to date about your trip.

My Father told me Havana was a hopping spot back in the 50's when Batista was the President. Hopefully before too long Americans will be allowed to travel to Cuba. I'd like to see Havana.....MGC

Ptarmigan wrote:Cool. How is the Cuban Spanish accent like? I know Mexican Spanish emphasizes the "r's", while Argentine Spanish has an Italian accent.

For us the Cuban accent is strange, or we can call it, like some other Spanish-speakers, CUBAN LANGUAGE, although many Cubans told us that we could learn the purest Spanish in Cuba. And there are numerous words that can only be seen in Cuba.

No matter where you are at, their Spanish will be the 'purest' Spanish, and all the rest are spanglish. Just normal human behavior.

fact789 wrote:No matter where you are at, their Spanish will be the 'purest' Spanish, and all the rest are spanglish. Just normal human behavior.

I was about to say he better not let the Castilleans (from Castile, an area in Spain -- Madrid, the capital of Spain is part of the area) hear him, 'cause they would be none to happy to hear that. . .