Whatever Happens in Cuba
Never Happened
“Don’t speak English and follow my lead.” While stranded in a blackout, a local cook who recognized my distinct foreign tongue came to the rescue with a mobile flashlight directing me to a corner store selling sodas and helping to quench my thirst by acting as the translator.
Misunderstanding the amount, a death stare is lasered when more cash than asked is given, while the man behind the counter darts a stare back in astonishment.
Finishing up the transaction, the woman takes my hand as I grip the sweating sodas, as we retreat out into the streets of Havana Vieja, Old Havana, directing me the way back to my casas particulares or local, makeshift Airbnbs.
That night Cubans released a brief sigh of annoyance and then resumed their night while under the twinkle of stars as their corner of the city basked in darkness, during a power outage that could last from three to thirty minutes.
The locals take their plans outdoors, sitting out on their porches, with nothing while awaiting for power while cars and four-legged residents interrupt their pitch-black ambient peace.
Cubans in Havana revolve their way of living around surviving and making the most of little to nothing while the city’s people thrive off its best asset, an influx that never fails the people, tourism.
Almost all residents in the streets of Havana are open to helping and some take it as a chance to make a quick buck off a tourist or in my case help out a lost one. However, aside from the children that ask for money that’s referred to as “candy,” the rest can be “useful” in finding a cab or selling goods, and random acts of kindness.
The country recently updated its dual currency system of the US dollar and Cuban pesos to just the latter, bringing the country into an era of inflation. Now everyday working Cubans persist to live off wages from multiple avenues to be converted at the best rate, all dependent on the hour and location of the exchange which varies on a daily basis. Still, Cubans have more to lose every day.
As early as 6 a.m. lines pile up, connecting patient clusters of the working class alongside sidewalks, for internet access, food rations, or public transportation. People have grown accustomed to less but rather than complaining find ways to adjust and continue their business with their widely known challenges.
Most Cubans make their living while educated through prominent educational institutions, such as Universidad de la Habana or Havana University, but work remedial jobs, prominently in the tourism sector, knowing the market and profit value of the foreign currency.
Bryan, a 20-year-old souvenir vendor based in Havana, practices his English with his customers that stop by his stall selling magnets, pottery, and other touristy knickknacks.
A medical student studying at the University, opened up about making more, standing at his stall for hours on the floor of a warehouse with many others, selling the same merchandise as his counterparts, than living on his monthly student stipend of $3,000 USD or 72,000.00 Cuban pesos.
His face cheered up when his English was validated with head nodding, and mutual understanding, as he decided on prices with his boss keeping an eye a few stalls away.
“I’m working hard and practicing my English, so I can become a doctor,” he explained “I don’t make a lot as a student but I want to delve into rehabilitation and help disabled people.”
According to the U.S. Embassy, tourism visits to Cuba are not allowed for US citizens. However other reasons to visit that are permitted include academic or educational visits, humanitarian work, or most commonly family visits.
Many may associate the complex relationship between the two countries back to the Kennedy presidency, and the Bay of Pigs invasion, along with the cherry on top of the infamous decisions made by Fidel Castro with alliances with the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
However, the foundational construct goes back to 1823 with the Monroe Doctrine.
In order to maintain control of the western hemisphere from European expansion to the rest of the Americas, the document halted any threat of imperialism with the extension of Pres. Theodore Roosevelt’s Roosevelt Corollary or ‘Big Stick’ foreign policy.
This enabled the US to patrol Caribbean islands such as Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, not so much for the threat of European powers but rather for the regulation of trade and imported goods. The island is known for its sugar and tobacco exports, however, figures show a decline in the production of Cuba’s sugar industry since 2002.
(top to bottom)
Finca Marta farm outside of the city of Havana. Photo by Fatima Moien.
Dr. Fernando Funes presents and cuts fresh honeycomb produced on his farm, Finca Marta, right outside Havana, Cuba. Photo by Cody Edward Gee Sheridan Hmelar.
The nation’s leading farmer known for his developments in agroecology, Dr. Fernando Funes Monzote, comes from a Cuban family that transcended the Special Period in Cuba, where organic agriculture was first introduced.
While breaking down the challenges and the research he’s done, along with the sacrifice of his wife by his side, his farm, Finca Marta has been placed on the map, for feeding the restaurants of neighboring cities, such as Havana, along with the rest of the country.
His motivational and hopeful view of Cuba relies on the education of the youth, striving to keep young people invested in climate change, and giving back to nature while understanding the growing need to leave Cuba for opportunities elsewhere.
“Cuba has special conditions that can help advance the rest of the world and we’ve been trying for 30 years, but our voice is small,” Monzote said.
For tourists entering Cuba for the first time, the stark lack of food, diversity of options, and basic essentials can be repelling, however, as it’s part of the normalized lifestyle for everyday Cubans, it has become an unspoken deal to feel and treat tourists with the utmost care and compassion.
Regardless of the business aspect and forced adaptation for educated Cubans to take advantage of working in tourism, many find their work and see it as their calling toward the country’s overarching mentality of collectivism.
“I knew since high school that I wanted to study tourism. Yes, why not go into tourism because there’s stability there but that’s not how I see it,” said Miguel, 23 years old studying and finishing up the last year of his tourism management program at Havana University.
The general consensus of Cubans comes down to working hard and being attentive to making and spending their hard-earned money. For most, there’s nowhere else to go but rather build the life that’s been given to them, and share that with others captivated by their everyday resilience.
“I believe you don’t need lots of money to be happy, all you need is love,” said Monzote.
