School Diplomas

School Diplomas

14ymedio, Marcelo Hernandez, Havana, 5 July 2017 — They arrived,
enthusiastic and happy, to their party for the end of the school
year. One mother brought a macaroni salad with mayonnaise, another
brought from home some disposable plates and a third took on providing
the croquettes. The celebration was ready in no time, while the horns
played an off-color reggaeton song. This Wednesday many elementary
schools ended the school year and opened the vacation season.

The parents gathered what they could, in the midst of one of the most
severe shortages in the last decade, and the calls made by the
authorities to ensure good food hygiene. Summer, with its high
temperatures, has set off a spate of diarrheal diseases and the schools
take extreme measures to prevent their spread.

However, it was not the melodies – that set everyone to dancing – nor
the sanitary precautions that marked the day. The face of the deceased
Fidel Castro took the leading role, being printed on thousands of
graduation diplomas throughout the island.

Fortunately, between running through the corridors and devouring the
cake with meringue, most of the students didn't even notice that, like
the dinosaur in Augusto Monterroso's tale, when the party ended, "The
dinosaur was still there."

Source: School Diplomas – Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/school-diplomas/