During our time in Cuba we stayed in casas particulares with Cuban families. Two other girls from UGA and I stayed in Casa Carmen with Carmen, her son Angel and his wife, and their 10 year old son Angel and five year old daughter Sofia. It was cool to experience a little part of everyday Cuban life living with them for a short time. Every morning little Angel would leave for school dressed in his school uniform and some days came back in his karate uniform. One of my favorite parts of the trip was teaching Angel and Sofia how to play card games like Go Fish and War with the deck of UGA cards one of my housemates brought them as a gift. Oftentimes we would sit with Carmen in a sun-room type area with the windows open, as there was no air conditioning in the common areas, and tell her of all the activities we were doing as a group. We also ate most of our meals in the house. Angel would make them and set the table for the three of us. Breakfasts consisted of egg, spam or cheese, bread, and fruit with fruit juice and coffee. Cuban coffee is fun; it’s straight espresso served in a tiny mug with sugar on the side. Dinners were usually some form of rice and beans with chicken- occasionally some soup. Living in Casa Carmen was a fun experience and I’m glad we stayed with locals rather than in a hotel. It gave me a better understanding of Cuban culture and everyday life in Cuba.
