I had never heard of the “special period” until this thread. When was it, and what triggered it?
From the article I linked:
What Sunspace said. I think it’s hard for someone who did not live there to imagine how bad it was. Some food has always been hard to find in Cuba, and the rations never last so some black market trading always takes place. You could also always go to the countryside and buy something, some rice, beans, something.
But during the special period there was nothing to be found, in the cities or countryside. I was like a nightmare, I went to bed hungry, woke up hungry a went to school hungry, and there was nothing you could do. Like the article said there were also long blackouts, that would hit any time. Sometimes you’d wake up soaked in sweat in the middle of the night because the power had gone out and the fan wasn’t working anymore, but you couldn’t uncover because of the mosquitos. I swear if there’s a hell it’s pretty much like the special period.
I’ve only just read through this thread.
Stick around lalanin you have much to offer.
Thanks for sharing with us
This is an awesome thread.
I hope it gives some of the knee-jerk reactionary types out there some food for thought.
I have learned so much reading this thread. I’m so glad you liked Canada…why did you not stay?
I cannot imagine living in conditions such as you have described; limited conversation topics; food shortages; being controlled all the time.
I hope one day, this Canadian and this Cuban can sit on a beach in Cuba, have a toast and be allowed to speak freely.
Welcome to the Dope, my friend. You have much to offer.
I don’t really have anything to contribute, but I wanted to weight in with the other posters thanking the OP for sharing this thread with us - as an American it truly is difficult to imagine what it’s like to live under a dictator like Castro, and this thread has taught me so much and really humanized the struggles of people trying to get out of that situation. In fact, it’s one of the main reasons I decided to register - a board with a membership this varied, with such a wealth of experience, has to be worth participating in.
I do hope you stick around and give us the opportunity to hear more of your thoughts. Your courage, obvious intelligence and willingness to help us see a side of the world that many of us just aren’t privy to is very much appreciated.
I can think of two times within the past decade or so where Cuba made a big impact in the awareness of Americans:
- the Elian Gonzales affair
- Ry Cooder’s album/film/tour project, the Buena Vista Social Club, with Ibrahim Ferrer, Juan de Marcos González, Rubén González, Pio Leyva, Manuel “Puntillita” Licea, Orlando “Cachaito” López, Manuel “Guajiro” Mirabal, Eliades Ochoa, Omara Portuondo, Compay Segundo, Barbarito Torres and Amadito Valdés.
What awareness of these things was there in Cuba?
I’d extend scotandrsn question and ask what kind of cultural penetration exists in Cuba from the rest of the world. Without easy access to free TV or the internet, it must be difficult, but are there some cultural phenomena (books, movies, music), from the US, Europe, or Asia, that are so huge that they even make their way to Cuba? And what things are enormously popular here that you had no idea about until you reached Canada/the US?
We attended a St. Patrick’s Day Party Saturday night and were speaking to a couple who had returned, just that morning, from Cuba.
Among other things, he was saying he had asked one of the employees if he was happy living there. Apparently the answer was “the government houses me, feeds me, of course I am happy here”. I tried to explain some of the points you have brought here including the fact that the fellow didn’t really have a choice about what to say. He found it quite different than the experience of talking to the locals there.
What is the best way to tip there? Coins? Bills? Pesos? Canadian dollars?
On Elian Gonzalez, this was huge in Cuba. Daily marches in front of the US interest section in Havana. A permanent tribunal was actually built for this, and it still there and it is still being used. The news was all Elian all the time.
On BVSC, the old singers were unknown to me and most people in Cuba. The first time I heard of them was after the film and album had become popular abroad. That style of music is only popular in Cuba today with the older generation. My own favorite of the current singers are Orishas, try them if you get a chance.
Well you hear about things in Cuba, but only through word of mouth or by listening to US and Mexican radio stations. You can get movies, some legally some not, it really depends on if the government decided the movie is subversive or not. Books, there are approved authors, other than that you can only gets books through the black market, mostly from tourists who leave books.
As far as popular things, just about anyone who is primarily a TV star in the US or Canada is almost completely unknown in Cuba. The first time I saw the tonight show I could not figure out why the crowd applauded Jay Leno so enthusiastically since he was clearly too ugly to be a movie star or popular singer. I decided he was probably a popular politician. Of course I couldn’t understand a word he said so it took me a while to get that straight.
First the tipping, Convertible Cuban Pesos known as chavitos, are the best way of tipping, anything else is going to be hard to move.
I think your friend was being fibbed to or maybe he did not get the sarcasm. The reason I say that is that the government does not feed or house anyone, at least not for free. Everyone in Cuba pays rent, and pays for food also, so there may have been more to that coversation.
I did stay in Canada for 6 years, but I found better paying work in the US in my field so I’m here for now. Culturally I’m liking the US a little better now, it’s fun hearing spanish again.
I’ll even pay for that drink Canadiangirl.
What, if anything, did you know about the UK other than the fact that we are allies of the USA.
My brother went to Cuba some years ago and his impression was that the tourist areas are fine, the rest not so good.
He did say that the Cubans themselves were extremely friendly
I think knew a little bit more about the UK than other Cubans. I dated a Cuban girl whose last name is Simms, her grandfather had emigrated to Cuba from Liverpool, and her dad would get stuff shipped to him from England once a while. Books, magazines, whiskey, cookies, and so on. I knew that culturally there were distinct from the US, but honestly at the time I could not tell the difference. I know better now.
Did all the stuff shipped to your ex-girlfriends dad get to him safely and unopened?
FWIW I live about 30 miles from Scouseland, aka Liverpool
I think it did, but I really have no idea. Nowadays it’s routine for packages to Cuba to be opened and sometimes not all the contents make it through. I have had medicine packages obviously opened with nothing taken, but friends of mine have not been so lucky.
Thanks for your answers to my previous questions.
What is your opinion of Oliver Stone’s statements about Castro as given here http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2003/09/30/oliver_stone_comandante_interview.shtml and here? http://www.etherzone.com/2004/stra101304.shtml
Thanks in advance.
I’m so glad somebody re-opened this thread.
When I casually mentioned to a friend from Panama that in Cuba Chango is a woman, she demanded I re-open the thread and get more information.
Is this Chango also in charge of storms, anger and lightning?