January 2011--Really?! Hairy Pork Fat, Again????

1.7.11

And…life goes on here in Cuba.  My first meal back, I was in quarantine, and was reminded of Cuba-love when I discovered a little special hairy-pork fat in my bean water.  Aaaawww….Cuba.  I cried from laughter and disgust.  Now, I am trying to put my mind at that super bad-ass study capacity I had before I left for vacation and continuing to take care of myself physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Right now, I am taking time from studying for my second set of final exams coming up this week (yee-haw…I got a 5 on my clinical final last week).  I am reflecting on my almost 3-weeks of vacation back in Cali.  Flying home, landing at the Houston airport, teary eyed that I was on my way home for Christmas, just like all the military that were swarming the George Bush International airport.  I went from the coziness of lattes, super hot & endless showers, the warmth of hugs and hearing the voices of dear friends and family, back to the warmth of the Caribbean sun, and cold showers and very far from everything that I know as familiar in the U.S. (except for what I can pack into my suitcase).  I saw the beauty of Christmas and the holidays, which I had previously become blind to.  I felt grateful for all that I had, and tried as much as I could to avoid the filthy, festering, invasiveness of exploitative capitalism that tends to cause that extremely stressful feeling that we always dread at Christmas time.  Every penny that I had was spent on getting me home for Christmas and it was so worth it.  Like I mentioned before, I needed to come home to feel recharged and rejuvenated, to have priceless- memories like watching Melia open that package of batteries on Christmas morning and screeching “What?!?!,” making tacos and Sarah-ized margaritas in my complimentary Cazadores tequila belt buckle, from ingredients bought at the best Mexican super market in all of East Palo Alto with the raddest murse I know; having endless mommy/daughter time on the cozy couches; seeing and feeling the snow in Tahoe,  laughing about Carson shit-hole; reuniting with and meeting super-special people that the universe has sent to me.  Thank you again for taking care of me while I was at home.

Now, back to studying and striving for 5s!!

Update[1.20.11]:  So, I finished my final exams!!  As shitty and stressful as things can seem to be for me, today I was feeling pretty damn grateful after I finished my theoretical exam.  Here I was, in a tank top, jeans, and flip-flops, pumping my good buddy Heather on my Cuban jalopy bike, on our way to drink some $0.50 beers on the ocean front and to celebrate a new beginning on a beautiful, sunny day.  I know that very moment would never happen if I was going to medical school in the U.S.   So…yes…I get beat up by the difficulty of life here, by the feeling that I somehow can relate to being in general population of jail, aka Communistic bureaucracy, but my get out of jail free card got me the memories of a sweet Caribbean-front view, the company of my just-as-crazy-as-I-am cohorts to share with me a monumental day, and of course being like “what the heck?!” as I watched two Cuban street dogs chasing a goat right across my path of the bungalow we were sitting at.

Now, I have a link to a  Paypal account so it is easier to send me cash-mownay!

Please remember that, during these next 4.5 years, any gifts you can give me on my quest to become a revolutionary doctor for our community is super appreciated.  My scholarship includes tuition, room, and board, but the below-mentioned items are not covered by my scholarship but help maintain my mental, physical, and emotional health.

$5=1 hr. Of internet

$10=calling card to call home

$20=1 month of groceries (veggies, fruits, coffee, etc.)

$400=one-way travel to/from California from/to Havana

$750=fee for my first board exam which I will take in September 2012.