Nadine discovers an amazing life in cuba

Close your eyes and try to picture an island where everyone is a musician, an artist, a craftsman, a dancer and a singer. Imagine a place where people walk around with smiles on their faces and old shoes on their feet. Imagine a country where making money becomes passe and earning a living is a challenge. This is Cuba, the land of opportunity for foreigners and a virtual prison for its people.  And this is where I spent five days recently on a Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association (TTMA) trade mission.

I got more than I bargained for. It was, for me,  a land time forgot. I was astounded at the incredible sights, sites, and the humble people. People travel to Cuba expecting a land overrun with guards and policemen, where the people are oppressed and poverty stricken and crying on the streets. What they find, is a country rich in culture and a people with an abundance of talent, expertise and heart. A ride along the waterfront toward Havana is shocking for a person accustomed to the mostly developed cities of Trinidad. The landscape is populated with once beautifully designed buildings, now dilapidated, having been destroyed during the revolution. It’s amazing that despite this, people still live in these ramshackle buildings, with more than five families to one house. Families live surrounded by rubble and swirling sands, sometimes having to leap over piles of stone to get into and out of their own homes. Almost every building is unpainted and without windows, with the residents using sheets to cover them up. The furniture is mostly old and wooden, in existence before the 1959 revolution.

It is very apparent that material possessions play an insignificant role in the lives of Cubans. In stark contrast to the homes of the Cubans, are the business and state buildings, which are situated along one street in Havana. This is the only area of the city with painted and well maintained buildings, many of them restored to their original state. International business offices operate here along with many governmental offices. But the most beautiful part of Old Havana is Cathedral square, which got its name from the massive cathedral which stands in its centre as one of the symbols of Havana. The square is at the centre of a series of narrow streets lined with apartments and paved with cobbled stones. Here, horse drawn carriages weave their way in and out transporting tourists and their drivers narrate to them the history of Old Havana. Adjoining the square is one of the most lucrative business spots within Havana. It is known as the Cathedral flea market and a magnet for tourists craving a small piece of Cuba to take home with them. The vendors are also the creators, the artists, the craftsmen and tailors behind the wares they peddle. They display their work in the open air for passers by to criticise and bargain for. One entire aisle is devoted to painters, artists with talent far surpassing the tourists expectations - art on human behaviour, political instability and the history of Cuba. The artist stands alongside his work, ready to bargain and willing to give a history on the piece of interest.

Everything within the market is sold in US dollars, since this is the only means by which the Cubans can survive. Paintings sell for between US$20-US$100, but on an average day, a vendor may only sell one piece of artwork. There are also numerous stalls catering to Cuban crafts, jewelry and clothing, all hand made with raw materials readily available to them. Since many of them sell the same items, there is a constant rush and frantic appeal to tourists to patronise them.  Amidst the hustle and bustle of the market, tourists come into contact with Cuba’s black market economy. They are approached, silently, slowly by men and woman selling Cuban cigars and holding samples in their pockets. They ask you, ever so gently, if you want to feel the “real side of Cuba”, following you about the market whispering in your ear. Many of them make more than their artist and craftsman friends in a day. There is also the sad element of beggars roaming the flea markets. They follow you, cry and tell sad tales, asking for money and kissing your hand blessing you if you give in to their needs. At night, the streets turn into a business boiling pot, with prostitutes swarming about and descending on the closest tourist, ready to bargain for a night with him. These women are some of the best dressed in the city at night and they cannot be differentiated from others.

Life as a Cuban

A Cuban will do anything to make an American dollar, which is ironic after the US exclusion of Cuba from the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA). But, the reality is a Cuban cannot survive on pesos and he cannot survive on the mediocre salaries offered by the Government. It is therefore not surprising to find them doing anything possible to make a living. A tourist wanting to take a picture of a Cuban will have to pay for the “honour.” Cubans are prohibited from entering certain places. They are not allowed in hotels, pharmacies and cosmetic stores, unless they work there. But they get around this by asking tourists to make their purchases for them, a task which any tourist would gladly do, after spending time in Cuba.

As for the hotels, Cubans are allowed in if accompanied by foreigners or if they want to play music for the guests during their meals. In this case, they come armed with their violins, guitars and cellos ready to make the tourists’ meal a little more romantic. They approach you with shyness and express their wish to play whatever you request. Once the request is made, they close their eyes and out comes the most beautiful voice and the most beautiful music. This is how a Cuban musician makes money. There is also the off chance a guest staying in the hotel may have connections to the music industry somewhere in the world and will discover the untapped talent of the Cubans.  This many US businessmen try doing.

It was very clear that those working within the tourist sector make the most money, mainly through tips left for chambermaids, bell boys and waiters by the guests. Naturally the service industry offers the most sought after jobs. Outside of the tourist sector, life for a Cuban is much different. From a very young age, it is decided what career path he/she will follow based on an aptitude test. Once this is decided, his entire education follows that path. He/she spends six years in university, paid for by the Government. Many rely on money sent to them by family in the US. Doctors are considered a most valuable asset in Cuba, since the medical industry is one of its strongest. But this reality is a sad fact for a Cuban doctor. He is not allowed to leave the country because he is considered government property.  If a Cuban doctor is married to a foreigner, which is not unusual, he is still not allowed the leave. He is however allowed to travel within Cuban waters which is basically sailing around the island.

University life is very different from Trinidad or the US. The one objective of the Cuban government is to ensure it produces valuable human resource. Cuban students are expected to pass without exception. If you fail you are required to take mutiple exams that get harder with each failure. Students are given a stipend to help them survive, and a meal of rice and beans. Ten years ago they were given chicken stock with a piece of pumpkin for their daily meal. Cuban women are not accustomed to many of the amenities others take for granted. Take sanitary napkins for example, Cuban women grew accustomed to using cotton and bits of cloth as substitutes after the revolution. They buy cotton from the peso groceries and cut up sheets, wash and re-use them. This sad fact is also true for diapers. Many women purchase one good cloth diaper and when the baby uses it once, the cotton from the inside is removed and replaced with cotton purchased, in an attempt to get as much use out of the elastic section of the diaper.

An amazing reality in Cuba is the distribution of ration cards. Each Cuban is allotted one ration book for the year. In it is listed all the goods they allowed to get like sugar, coffee, butter and salt. The book is taken to the Ration market, where the Cuban is given his rations for the month. Items like salt is given every three months.  Many Cubans live on this ration without other forms of income coming in. Cubans are also prohibited from selling or buying real estate. They are only allowed to trade their houses with other households. A Cuban life is a sad thing to think about as a visitor to the country, but it amazing to see the vitality and happiness surrounding the people despite this. I will never forget Cuba and hope one day to return and spend more time.