I feel as if days here flew by so quickly since our arrival last Saturday.
We started off our first week in Miami by paying a visit to Versailles, the quintessential go-to place for Cuban food. We then went to Little Havana, which welcomed us with salsa music, smells of hand-rolled Cuban cigars, and greetings from the friendly locals. The Maximo Gomez Park (also known as the Domino Park), the Bay of Pigs monument, and other cultural landmarks seemed to suggest the neighborhood’s effort to maintain its culture and heritage in the streets of Calle Ocho.
We then went to Wynwood, which is surrounded by a collection of giant walls filled with works of painters and graffiti artists. We also had the opportunity to visit the art studio of Mr. Edouard Duval-Carrié in Little Haiti. His works seemed to reflect various facets of Haitian culture and community. He explained how art can serve to offer social and political commentary/criticisms. Art, to me, seems to be ingrained in the city’s fabric.
After a day of exploration and a day of rest, we went to our workplace for the first time. For the next seven weeks, I will be working at Legal Services of Greater Miami (LSGM), which provides civil legal services for low-income populations in Miami-Dade County. Cassandra and I will be assisting Nejla with her case investigations and do intake interviews as summer law clerks. I am thrilled to be given an opportunity to be part of an organization that goes above and beyond to help its community.
Next week, I hope we can get a better hold of the public transportation system in Miami. The bus we were supposed to take to work never showed up on time for the past four days. I think I’m slowly getting used to the Miami Time here. By end of next week, hopefully, we’ll know exactly how and by when to get to a specific stop!