Guest Author: Ariana Cohen
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This past month has been bittersweet as I wrapped up my exchange semester and am now having to say goodbye to many of the wonderful friends I have made in Pamplona. When I take the time to really reflect on these past 6 months, I realize that despite having to say goodbye to it all,…
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Throughout my semester exchange in Pamplona, I have learned a lot about the Spanish way of life and I’ve discovered the many ways that it differs from living in the US. I believe this type of program is the best way to explore new cultures because you get the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in…
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Aside from everything we learned regarding agriculture, economics, politics, food security, and healthcare, I was able to experience so many unique aspects of Cuban culture. Cubans evidently have a very strong passion for music, dance, art, and food- which also appeared to be their primary forms of entertainment. We spent one night in Viñales, a…
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As we toured farms that grew crops like coffee, mangos, sweet potatoes, and tobacco, the workers explained how they are required by contract to give a percentage of their harvest to the state, but that they are able to do what they wanted with the rest. We were also told that the state is trying…
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One of our final excursions in Cuba was an overnight stay in La Picadora, a cooperative farming community. Here, people lived very traditionally with a lack of modern technology that would ease their heavy workload. We were also told about the lack of labor due to the youth moving away from the countryside, and this…