Sunday, 16 December, 2007, 5:34pm

At around 8 o’clock this morning I went to breakfast with Kirk, an American pre-med, and Renato, a 1^st year Brazilian student.  As we walked to the cafeteria the plants and the road were wet because it had rained all night and early this morning.  The sun was hiding above the grayish-looking clouds and I could smell the dirt as I walked by the canal.  There were two men fishing on the canal.  They were using an inflated tire as a raft and their legs were submerged under the calm waters of the canal.  As I continued walking I could hear the birds singing; the scenery was perfect.  The rain and the singing of the birds reminded me of Seattle while the smell of the dirt reminded me of the countryside in Mexico.  For a minute I felt that I was in both places at once, but the reality is that I am in Cuba.

Kirk, the pre-med student mentioned above, returned to the United States this afternoon because he finished the intensive-Spanish course given to him here at the medical school.  He shall return in a couple of months to start with the basic sciences and thus become more comfortable with the Spanish language before he starts his first year in September 2008.  As of now, he is on his way home to spend the holidays with his family.  The other pre-med students that arrived at the end of August will be returning home this week as well.  I, on the other hand, will be staying here in Cuba because I have final exams starting the first week of January.

Tuesday, 25 December, 2007, 8:48pm

I started my winter break yesterday morning after taking my last weekly exam of the trimester.  I say winter break but in reality it’s not a winter break since I will be studying for my final exams that start on the 4^th of January.  This past week was a bit stressful because there was a lot to do and not enough time.  On Thursday (December 20^th) I had an anatomy exam, which covered all the muscles of the head and neck.  Right after the exam on Thursday my class and I went directly to the anatomy laboratory.  We were only given 3 days to prepare for yesterday’s exam that covered the muscles of the entire body (except the neck and the head). 

After taking yesterday’s exam my friend Robert and I went to downtown Havana.  We were just walking around town; there we met with other first-year students from the US delegation to celebrate Christmas Eve.  For all of us this was our first Christmas in Cuba and away from our loved ones.  It’s not easy to be away from home during Christmas but staying together as a delegation definitely makes it a lot easier.  Nonetheless, Cuba is now our home and we will be here for at least 6 years.     

Yesterday Havana was just like any other day of the year.  Kids were happily playing baseball inside some old buildings while elderly men and women sat outside their homes.  The maquinas (old taxi cars) and bicycle taxis were all over the place as usual.  Obispo Street, China Town and El Capitolio were packed with tourists just like any other day of the year.  As I walked the streets I came to realize that there was no Christmas spirit in Havana.  There were little, if any, Christmas lights visible.  People just went about their daily routine. 

Today, December 25^th, I went to the beach with students from my delegation.  The beach that we went to is about a 15-minute walk from the medical school.  Today was also the first time that I went snorkeling at the beach on Christmas day.  The visibility was about 60-70 feet and the aquatic life is just incredible.  I am not sure what was the water temperature but it was definitely warm.  I am happy that I was able to bring my snorkeling gear because it’s indeed a great sport here in Cuba.  Aside from being a great sport I use it as a therapy to reduce the stress that I get at school. 

Sunday, 30 December, 2007, 6:16pm

One of the advantages of studying at ELAM is that we have the hospital right across the street from our dorm.  Often times the physicians in the ER don’t have anything to do and they just sit outside the hospital to talk to people.  Hence, when we asked Dr. Omar Palomino Trapaga for help he readily agreed to help us better prepare for the practical exam.  Today he spent about two hours helping a group of us (1^st year students from the US) interpret X-rays since we will be tested on them during our practical exam the first week of January.  He was very kind and showed a lot of enthusiasm while he was helping us.  He also talked about his experiences as a doctor abroad in remote areas where all he had was his stethoscope and a nurse next to him.  He said that the best doctors are those who are experts at performing physical exams.  Hence, he strongly encouraged us to get as much experience as possible while in medical school so that, when we return home, we can be prepared to confront anything that crosses our path.  His experiences were unique and very inspiring.