Cuban Complexities

            Only in Cuba will one be able to have a conversation with a taxi driver about Freudian theory. Only in Cuba will you share a bottle of rum with random locals on the beach who explain why at 12 pm on a Wednesday they are not at work. Only in Cuba will your tour bus driver have a law degree and speak 3 different languages. Only in Cuba will a mother of three work over time seven days per week and still see the same pay check of 250 pesos per week (= 10 CUC, ~ $10 US dollars).  Only in Cuba does hand soap cost ¼ of a person’s monthly salary yet a huge bowl of ice cream costs about 4 cents. Only in Cuba do people wash plastic bags, re-use plastic bottles for days, cautiously close refrigerator doors, gently press elevator buttons, carefully and consciously make sure to safeguard plates, knives and forks. This is a country where virtually everyone is educated (at least until 12^th grade), literate, extremely proud, nationalistic, yet simultaneously critical of the government, social problems and standards of living. There is a widening gap between the old and new generation- those who lived to see what life was like under Batista are more forgiving of Fidel’s policies while the younger generation born well into the revolution are constantly challenging the status quo and questioning the idosyncrecies of Cuban life. Why is there so many police everywhere? Why do they tend to stop Afro-Cubans (yes, ladies and gentlemen, racism is unfortunately alive and well in Cuba), why is it that in the parliament there is 98% white Cubans of Spanish descent and  98% of people in prison are Afro-Cubans. Why is it illegal to fraternize with tourists? Why was it that until 2 years ago, local Cubans were prohibited from entering hotels? 

            This is a country where even though people have so little material possessions, they will give you the shirt off their back and the money in their pockets if you are in need. I will go out with my Cuban friends and whatever they have they will pay for the bus rides, street snacks- they refuse to let me pay even though the elephant in the room is that I am here to visit and I have SO much more in my pockets and in my bank back home than they ever will. That elephant is large and I think about it everyday. Whenever I ask why they wont let me pay it seems it’s a matter of pride, hospitality, a gesture of friendship and humanity. Because the vast majority of people are in the same difficult economic boat, there is a sense of solidarity, of community and an instinctual compulsion to SHARE whatever they may have.  

            Only in Cuba can you walk the Malecón on a hot Sunday afternoon and see fisherman throwing blown-up condoms connected to their fishing rods to drive the bait further into the sea in order to catch bigger fish. Only in Cuba will a couple strattle each other in mid-day light and cup-cake like they are alone even though they are in the middle of a bustling, crowded street. Only in Cuba will you ride a bus that is blaring reggaeton that makes every passenger jiggle, girate and jive- even the middle-aged and older passengers!

             What boggles my mind is how Cuba is supposed to be a “third world country,” yet will you never see a street child or a homeless person. Only in Cuba is everyone garauntee housing, food and healthcare- the quality, space, quantity and capacity of these public goods are all to be disputed and critically analyzed.

            As I was sitting on the railway of a mall entrance eating dulce de leche ice cream, I began to converse frankly with a man who guards this small 1-story Puma department store from 7pm-7am every night. He went to a technical school called “politecnicas” and got his degree in electrical engineering. “No es facil,” he tells me as he fixes his security badge. “Look at me, I’m guarding a building that doesn’t need to be guarded. It has an alarm system. The police could easily come within 2 minutes if something were to happen, yet im here when I have a degree in electrical engineering. There is little value in my job, however it’s the best pay I can get right now.” He told me that even with his “better” salary, when he adds up all of his expenses versus the salary, sometimes he doesn’t even know how he gets through the month.

            In Cuba there is access to basic fundamental human rights- education, health care, housing, food. Can we say the same about the US for every citizen? Of course it may be unfair to compare- different political structures, an island nation versus a vast, extremely multi-cultural nation of 50 States interacting with a capitalistic democratic federal government. No political system is perfect. Is there a lesser of two evils? Which system is better for the environment? We know what US consumerism is doing to our planet. Look at the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico! In terms of environmental footprint we know we have to make some changes- will our system allow us to make those changes?

             Is government regulation in any political form striving to squash human nature? Is human nature truly greed? Perhaps- however human nature is also to give, to share, to help one another. It seems as though we are more able to share and to give as a society when we have less. When there is a high amount of wealth and material goods it tends to become more and more concentrated in society. Why is that? Humans have the potential to do so much bad as well as to do so much good. Coming from the US to Cuba has made me realize that sacrifices are always made no matter what society, under what political structure we live in. Yet even as social problems and phenomenon will always remain to exist, we can always strive to better ourselves. 

            Whatever political system we are under- be it socialism, capitalism, etc., we must always question, be critical and strive towards equity, sustainability and peace. Cubans will work under the context of the revolution that has its incredible fundamental values and of course it’s deep flaws. The younger generation has become restless and will continue to question and ultimately change aspects of Cuban society that limit their individual and collective freedoms. US citizens must question how we let racism, sexism, xenophobia, consumerism and big business control our politics and destroy our environment. Under our system we have the power of voting, of grass-roots movements, of free speech and the power to make real political change. Let’s use what we’ve got and not forget that we have a long way to go! 

J(ew)bans!

I step over Jewish stars and lions engraved into stone walkway as I enter into one of the 3 Jewish synagogues in downtown Vedado, la Habana, Cuba. It is a lazy Monday afternoon, and an older scruffy man who freakishly resembles my grandfather is sitting in the doorway on a fold out chair resting his arms and chin on his black shiny cane. “Buenas tardes,” he says with a low grumble in his voice- clearly a Cuban accent with a hint of Yiddish flair. He has bright blue eyes and a very white scruffy beard. I shyly tell him that I am an “extranjera judia de los Estados Unidos”- a jewish foreighner from the US, coming to visit the temple and learn more about Cuban Jews. He starts speaking to me in Yiddish and I have NO idea what he says. He goes back to Spanish. Do you have Polish blood? He asks in Spanish, ironically our only common language (he doesn’t speak Hebrew). I affirm that I do have polish ancestry. His face lights up with a big toothy gaping smile and leads me to the main office. “I want you to meet La Presidenta!” he says. I assume that he is taking me to meet the president of the congregation. As we stroll through the Synagogue hallways, I am taken aback at how well taken care of the building looks. It is one of the more modern and renovated buildings I have visited in Habana. We walk into the office where a woman who also looks like she could be any one of my relatives greets me with a slight smile and takes off her pearl string glasses. We introduced ourselves and I begin to fire out some burning questions about “Jewbans” that have been brewing for the six weeks that I’ve been in Cuba….

There are 1500 Jews in total living in Cuba. Only 1,200 of them are living in la Habana. There are 3 main synagogues in Habana. Interestingly, 90% of the Jewish population that existed in Cuba left with the revolution of 1959. Upon asking why, la presidenta told me “for economic reasons” which I’ve come to learn means that they owned businesses and had their wealth taken away from them with the new political regime. 10% stayed, however and I didn’t get clear reasons why. My impressions were that they had already established a community and family ties with the land and didn’t want to uproot themselves if they didn’t have to. With the revolution, however, did come certain religious restrictions.

To my surprise, there are no security guards outside or inside of the temple. Not only did this surprise me because generally Jewish institutions have some sort of security system in response to anti-semitism or threats due to the Israeli political stigma, but also because many buildings such as cultural houses, banks, museums, embassies, have some sort of security guard outside the building.

Another observation I made was the incredible syncretism of Cuban and Jewish cultures. I was lucky enough to be at the temple when the synagogue youth were gathering to do a dance workshop. My eyes lit up when I saw traditional Israeli folk dancing mixed with Salsa en rueda!!!

Questions that I have that remain to be investigated (I am planning on going back to the Synagogue to follow up) :

-Were Jewbans involved in the revolution on either side?

-Why did some stay?

-What kind of businesses were the Jews involved in pre and post revolution?

-How did the castro regime treat the Jewish religion or all religions for that matter?

To be continued-

La Comida Cubana

To find tasty and healthy food in Cuba requires patience, willingness to go on adventures, and a stomach that could be growling for hours due to a lack or abundance of food. A traditional Cuban plate is Congri (sometimes called Christianos y Moros, Christians and muslims), which is a mixture of white rice and beans, some sort of “salad” which 98% of the time has col (cabbage), tomatoes and sometimes, if your lucky, fresh cucumbers. For the meat of the dish you can almost always count on a “bistec de cerdo” which is a cutlet of pork, sometimes grilled or fried chicken or shredded beef. I eat a plate of this almost everyday and have grown to love these very filling platos de comida. The food is almost always flavored with garlic, onion and lots of salt. Cuban food is NOT spicy. Due to the embargo, many spices are not available or very very expensive. Garlic and onion in our residencia are bought in bulk. On my way up the 13 flights of stairs I pass by a huge back of onions hanging by the window that slowly diminishes with everymeal! Cuban food is complex and diverse, often can be disappointing but always surprising: pizza, platos tradicionales, Chinese-infused, ice cream, tamales, empanadas… OH my!

Places to eat…

17^th & C- Best sliced pork!

Near our school (Casa De Las Americas) there is an amazing restaurant based out of a garage that has plates of congri, sweet potato, ensalada and moist sliced pork- what I love about this pork is that its not only juicy and flavorful but it’s a good cut ( I think from the thigh/leg) so it has little fat. Fat is really popular to eat here (sometimes you can find sandwiches on the street just filled with pork fat as the main part of the sandwich!) Not being a huge fan of the texture and health indications of  pure fat, I stay away!! But 17^th & C is the best place for some delicious pork meat with out the fat!

21^st & H- ***TAMAL Place- Favorite Garage Restaurant in Cuba***

Serves amazing plates of Congri, Shredded Steak (Bistec), Ensalada con Pepinos (Salad w/ Cucumbers), and TAMALES!! These Tamales are usually DELICIOUS! Corn-based products are rare ( NO TORTILLAS to be found anywhere) so these Tamales are a nice refreshing addition to the palate. (Pictured above with Guayaba juice (Guava juice)

3ra y A- Burger Stand-

GREASY pork burgers that are very hit-and-miss- beware of uncooked patties with a lot of fat- will make your stomach turn. Sometimes delicious when cooked very well-done. On occasion the patty comes with lettuce and a green sauce that taste like it has a base of chicken stalk.

3ra y A- Angel’s Sandwiches

Cuban ham and cheese sandwiches are everywhere, however finding a good Cuban sandwich is quite challenging. Even with the 3 ingredients: bread, cheese and ham, a lot can go wrong. Angel’s Cuban sandwiches is the best place to find a cheap and good sandwich. Luckily for me, his shop is literally right next to the building that we live in. He sometimes has cabbage and puts that in the sandwich for a little crunch.

PIZZA EVERYWHERE! Pizza? In Cuba? Who would have known that it is one of the most popular foods- and you can it find anywhere! Cuban pizza is VERY different than any pizza in the US. The dough is a lot softer, the sauce is basically just tomato paste, and the cheese is spread very lightly and has a very sharp and biting flavor. Pizza is extremely cheap- about 10 cents for a personal pizza that will fill you up for a good couple of hours. The flavors, however, are not the most satisfying. Toppings are limited or non-existent. 

Linea entre B y C- Pizzeria Roberto

“Me da una pizza, por favor,” I say to the woman behind the large metal stove. She runs to the house next store where there are 3 people making the pizzas on the table in their living room. She grabs a raw pizza, runs back to the oven and shoves it in. I tell her to cook It for a little longer so the dough gets more crispy. The cheese at Roberto’s taste a lot better than other cheese I’ve tried, so I have become a loyal customer!!

Rare Finds:

Last week I made a trip to El Barrio Chino (Chinatown) with a couple of friends in hopes of finding some orange chicken or chow main to refresh us from weeks of eating pork steak and rice & beans. The BEST Chinese food I have found is at a restaurant called “Flor de Lota” (Lotus Flower) which served the most delicious fried rice, shrimp dishes, sweet and sour chicken and fried wontons called “maripositas” or “butterflies.” After eating this food my spirit felt fulfilled. I had an emotional reaction to this delicious meal! I can’t imagine how I’m going to feel when I get back to the states and I eat my mom’s homemade dinners and at all of my favorite restaurants!!

The best part of the Cuban cuisine in my opinion are the fruit juices and the fresh fruit that you can find in the mercados. I make at least 3 trips every week to the open-air Mercado where I buy fresh guayabas (guavas), clean shaven and washed carrots in a bag, mani (little hand packaged bars of crushed peanuts and honey), and platanos (bananas that are about the size of my finger- perfect for a small snack). The mangos have just come into season and are getting a lot cheaper by the pound. The mangos are my favorite fruit here by far. When I took a trip into the difference provinces outside Habana (more to come on that), I saw acres and acres of mango trees with dangling ripe mangos- what a beautiful sight!!

HELADO- ICE CREAM

Ice cream is EXTREMELY popular here- I’m not sure if it’s the hot weather, the extreme amounts of exercise and walking, but the ice cream tastes SOOOO delicious!! The flavors tend to vary day-to-day, meaning whatever flavors one store or gas station will have, every other store will have that same flavor! One day only Mantecado (butterscotch), Fresa ( Strawberry) and Almendra ( Almond) will be available, and then the next it’s Dulce De Leche and Chocolate.

My absolute FAVORITE flavor is Dulce De Leche- I wish I could bring this ice cream home for everyone to try but it melts in about 5 minutes. Interesting enough, these ice creams are mainly WATER based (probably why they melt so fast!) Milk is not widely available. 

CUBAN CAFÉ

Being a coffee lover myself I have to discuss my experience of the famous Cuban coffee. First and foremost when you come to Cuba as a coffee lover you have to throw out your expectations of getting large cups of straight black coffee – it doesn’t exist anywhere. Expect small dainty cups of very strong and VERY sweet espresso. It is absolutely delicious and very different from your average cup of joe in the morning. Cubans consider coffee-brewing an art. They take pride in the coffee they serve. Maria, the woman who lives and takes care of us at the Student Residence has a special method to brewing her coffee. Her brewer is a skinny metal pot. The trick is she pours the hot water for the first drips, then takes a bunch of sugar and beats the sugar into the first drips of fresh coffee. She beats it until it has a little layer of white foam. Then she continues to pour the rest of the hot water and adds a bit more sugar.. y ya! El Café cubano! Delicioso!!

 

Al Coger La Guagua (to catch the bus!)

            Ever desire to be spooned and strattled front and back by sweaty strangers in a slow-moving bus at triple it’s capacity? Cuba is the place for you! I was told that the buses or “Guaguas” are the most Cuban thing a foreigner can do. That being said, I make it a point to try to catch a guagua whenever I can! It also makes sense when your pinching pennies- a Taxi costs at least $5 CUCs wherever you go (a little less than $5.00 US Dollars) while a bus will take you practically anywhere for a couple of Cuban pesos (cents)- this makes for a HUGE difference in transportation costs and much more incentive to “coger la guagua” (**note: Coger here is only used as the verb “to catch” even though in other Latin American countries coger means something entirely different!! ( ; )

            In the past 3 weeks I have had many different experiences riding guaguas that epitomize  different aspects of los Cubanos....

Cubans share!!

Cubans share food, air, love, whatever money they have, and most pertinent to the guaguas- they share space! On any given bus at any hour of the day you will find the windows completely fogged and no space to spare. Some even ride with the door open with people holding on to other people to stay on! Last Monday I wanted to go to an open-air market near the capital. In order to get downtown to the Capitolio (the Capital) it cost 2 cuban pesos (moneda nacional). I hopped on with a couple of friends and held the metal bar that slices across the bus above our heads. The bus was packed, however I still had at least 4 or 5 inches of space between me and the next person. Next stop. More people pile on. I become very familiar with the armpit of an old man and the shoulder of a short young woman. Next stop. The more the merrier!! I now have people pressed on all sides of me and no longer need to use that bar above my head to balance myself. I am not going anywhere. I will admit at first I was uncomfortable during bus rides like this as my US upbringing has allowed me with ample personal space. However, like good homo sapien, I adapt. As I am encircled with sweaty strangers I close my eyes and think of it as a human safety net, and with each jerk of the bus- a peaceful sea of swaying seaweed. We give a collective sigh as the breaks squeak and release the human pressure. It is a constant ebb and flow, comfort and discomfort,

Some Cubans Dare and Many Cubans Care!!

My friend Syndey was on the bus mid-day rush hour with her bag tightly pressed to her side. She had just bought some “pan de Gloria”, truly glorious sweet bread that you can find on occasion when there’s not a shortage in certain panaderías. In the midst of thouroughly enjoying her glorious bread, a older Cuban man yelled at another middle-aged man to “give it back!” Sydney looks behind her and sees a man holding her wallet -which was deep inside her purse just 5 seconds prior. The old man continues to yell at the now beat-red man holding the wallet until he finally drops it back into Sydney’s purse, screams for the bus driver to stop, and runs off of the bus. Stealing in Cuba is a serious crime- it can land you in Jail for 2 or more years so it is something that must be done very, very slyly if it is ever done. 

Another friend of mine was on the bus when she suddenly noticed her camera was gone! She told her Cuban friend that she had it when she got on the bus so he goes to the bus driver and whispers something in his ear. The bus driver stops the bus, locks all of the doors and demands that the person who stole her camera must give it back! As the bus driver searched the bus, sure enough, he found the camera placed delicately on the floor. It was an anonymous and peaceful return of the stolen item.

I feel extremely safe in Cuba for very different and contradictory reasons. There is a sense of care and community wherever I go. That sense of unity mixed with very strict and harsh punishments for criminal activity creates very safe streets. We will be walking at night and not experience or witness any crime. There are no homeless people anywhere because housing is guaranteed. There are no street children for this same reason as well as the fact that even orphans have places to go and extended family members or friends that will take care of them. There are police everywhere and not to mention CAMERAS everywhere. It is quite a weird feeling to remember that we are being watched. I made friends with a group of military men and women who after they got out of uniform were able to walk around with me and show me the city. They also pointed out all of the hidden cameras on every busy street corner!! When they were in uniform and we came to a busy intersection they had to split off and walk in front of me, for fear that the cameras would catch them with foreigners. There is a law in Cuba that Cubans cannot “molestar” (bug) the tourists. This idea of bugging tourists can be interpreted in many ways, so some Cubans that I have met choose to play it safe and walk in front or nearby a group of tourists instead of with us. Others seem to not be afraid. It seems like if we are in smaller groups it is more safe for them rather than in bigger groups.

One Cuban woman told me that this law was created during the “Special Period”- (1990-2000). After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba went through an economic shock. Cuba went through an extreme shortage of diesel, petroleum and gasoline. People were forced to live with out many materials/goods that they were used to, especially food items.  During this time, the economic crisis took a toll on the Cuban people and many were exhausted with living on so little and turned to begging and or using tourists as a way to try to elevate their standards of living. Most likely in order to protect Cuba’s reputation and perhaps for a variety of other reasons, the Castro regime enacted this law of no tourist-cuban interaction. Interestingly enough, not all bad things came out of the “Special Period.” The cuban people have learned to be extremely thrifty, develop sustainable agriculture and ways of life with the extreme lack of material goods. In fact, breaking a plate or a glass here is a very very huge deal. One cannot simply go to the store and buy a new one. Plastic bags and bottles are constantly re-used, and clothes are always hung to dry and very well taken care of. 

To be honest its very hard for me to reconcile the fact I whole-heartedly agree and love most aspects of Cuban society, structure and values, yet certain measures that the government takes to ensure that those values are not compromised trouble me as someone who has grown up with the sense of freedom of speech as well as individual choice. Whereas health and education are natural human rights in Cuba, freedom of speech and free will are natural human rights in the US. Why must we always sacrifice some for the others? 

To me, Cuban censorship and extreme central state vigilance and control almost seems like the only active defense mechanism against the materialistic and capitalistic pressures of the US-dominated international political economy. 

La Cuba es una guagua entera- (Cuba is an entire bus). Although there is not enough means to provide a lot of space, the riders seem to squeeze a bit tighter in order to fit everyone. The safety net of bodies, arms in arm, hand in hand endure every short stop and every turn down the worn yet resilient streets. 

Una Conversación con La Patria!

          ¡¡¡ Saludos de Cuba!!!!  It has taken me two weeks of absorbing and processing until I felt ready to begin to try to explain my initial impressions of La Habana, Cuba. ¡Vámanos!

From the moment we hit ground at José Martí International Airport I have been going through the process of unraveling and deconstructing all of the opinions, perspectives and outside influences that I carried with me and beginning to form a whole new perspective of my own. We don’t realize how much our society influences and forms us until we leave!

        We receive a ton of false portrayals and one-sided perspectives about Cuba within the U.S. I was told that no Cuban would talk to me for fear of the secret police- false! Although there is a complicated relationship between local Cubans and tourists/foreigners, there are still many ways to build trust and relate to people. What surprised me most was that the Cubans harbor no bad feelings towards me as a person from the U.S. despite the issue of the embargo. Upon learning that I was from the U.S., many become very happy because I am able to see things for myself and in their words I am able to  “make up my own mind about Cuba.” They, unlike many of us in the states, are able to separate people from their governments, an important and humanizing quality. Everyone that I  approach is ready and willing to speak about their experience and even critique the Cuban system and way of life. Of course this must be done in a tact and quiet manner (more to come on that), however it is easy to strike up a conversation with many people here and gain multiple perspectives and opinions.

          We are told in the US that the Cuban people are unhappy, socially and economically immobile and jailed by the Cuban government. This is very one-sided! the Cubans have a saying, “No es facil” (it’s not easy)- yes there are social problems, yes there are extreme economic problems (because of two fluctuating currencies, the Cuban peso and the CUC), yes there is rationing and a lack of flow of material goods (as result of the embargo). However, health care, education, housing is not only free but extremely accessible. Although material goods and food are not plentiful and up to US standards, everyone has the fundamentals. Most importantly, education and health care are human rights instead of private goods.

Unfortunately, although we do not acknowledge it, the embargo extends both ways. The U.S. is suffering from not receiving the amazing things that Cuba has to offer. No, I am not talking about Cigars or Rum, -Cuba’s best exports are neither material nor tangible. Cuba exports people in the form of doctors, researchers, educators, scholars, and ideas like sustainability, thrift, unity and pride. Cuba despite contrary US belief is not a Marxist society, but a “Marti-an” society (based on the ideals of José Martí- the man who led the first Revolutionary War and layed the foundations and philosophies for Cuba as a sovereign society.)

                  On the outside Havana is crumbling skyscrapers, half-preserved mansions converted into public offices, bursting cemented sidewalks lined with 1950’s classic cars, ever-changing fruit and meat markets and empty malls with neon pants in the display windows. The city is held tight by the slippery malecón, dotted with lovers and wanderers all day and night. This massive gray border meets the vivacious and rebellious Caribbean sea. Havana from the outside is old men in loose silk shirts with straw hats slapping down dominoes, a wrinkled sweet-eyed woman selling peanuts wrapped in a tube of paper near el Capitolio, small children swinging their hips in pairs to blaring charanga habanera, teenagers blasting reggaeton from small European cars, live salsa bands pounding out beats as small dainty cups of sweet espresso are served at a café.

      You have read the tour books, you have seen the flashes of sultry scenes in movies. And yes, Cuba is all this- however it is of course so much more than what we can see- and it is often very misunderstood. There is a saying here that the more a person learns and absorbs on the inside, the less they need on the outside. Cuba is an aging yet eternal older woman, her skin cracked and wrinkled, her fists and feet strong, and her eyes humble and forgiving. I wake up every day excited to converse with her to understand her feelings, sentiments, emotions, systems, philosophies, and a ways of being. 

A little note about my living conditions/ studies! (much more to come):

I live on the 13th floor of an art-deco skyscraper that is facing the malecón/ocean. It is the most incredible view!! The Residencia (residency) is owned by the University/Cultural center where I take classes from 9-1:00 every day. We are focusing on comparing the Cuban educational system with the U.S. educational system, however we also take classes on Cuban History, arquitecture, music and fine arts! Casa De Las Americas is a world renowned institution founded by Haydee Santamaría, a female revolutionary fighter. It has hosted the most renowned poets including Jorge Luis Borges, Nancy Morejón, Pablo Neruda and the list goes on and on... 

More to come! Cuidense!