Tuesday, March 10, 2015

This morning we met with representatives from the Institute of Friendship with the Peoples. We listened for an hour or so to a talk about the how the revolution had benefitted the Cuban people. Since Obama and Raul Castro agreed to loosen trade and travel restrictions on the historic date, December 17, 2014, life will be rapidly changing in Cuba. We were reassured that Cuba will have regulations in place when the inevitable takes place and the voracious corporations come knocking. We were told that the corporations will have to be “Cubanized.” May that be so.

There are two kinds of Cubans living abroad we were told. The older exile community that wants to “harm” Cuba, and then the younger generation who want to be able to return to Cuba and have free access for going back and forth. The older US Cuban exile community wants to return to “plantation life” with exploitation of labor. The big change that’s happening in business is the cooperative model; new enterprises will make more profits and then share the profits among the workers….above and beyond the base salary. The presenter explained that the discrepancies in the population are found in the area of consumption. That is to say, even if some Cubans have more money than others, they will still attend the same schools and have the same doctors and same recreation, safety, social security and vacations. But they can consume as much as they want.

We expressed concern about big corporations like Monsanto taking over in Cuba and harming the quality of life, including the quality of the food. The presenter assured us that these entities will have to comply with Cuban labor laws and regulations and the corporations would have to be “Cubanized.” She said the biggest problems is Cuba are not the systems which actually work very well. It’s the facilities that are the problem due to lack of economic resources—like potholes in the street. In medicine, doctors are introducing more homeopathic, herbal, and other alternate modes of healing to substitute for high tech medicine.

Here are some facts we learned at our session:

–One million Cubans live in the US.

–2.2 million inhabitants of Havana

–2-3% unemployment in Cuba

–All Cubans do two years of social service or military service.

–48% of Cuban parliament is made up of women.

–According to Unesco, Cuba is in second place for the highest level of education of the average person.

–Young people want jobs that pay a good wage, especially in the tech sector.

Later in the day, Amircal produced a recent edition of The Nation, a magazine with politically oriented articles written for people seeking unbiased journalism. He showed us an article about the Cuba-America détente. Within the article, reference was made to the driver of our van, Chiqui, who was a veterinarian struggling to make a living. To make a better wage, he joined the tourist business. He was quoted as saying, when asked about socialism versus capitalism, “You can’t eat politics. Survival takes precedence over ideology.”

On our walk to our next destination, I noticed all the different modes of transportation from pedicabs, horse and carriage, motorcycles, bicycles, and old US cars, old clunky cars from the former USSR, and even a few newer ones from China, and Korea. 

 

 

In the afternoon we had our own private classes in Cuban music by a distinguished professor, Dr. Alberto Faya, chairman of the music department and founder of a the musical band, Moncado. Through listening to music, we learned about the history of music in Cuba. The Professor talked about the influence of African slaves on the music in Cuba, reminiscent of Bahia in Brazil. The very first African slaves to land in Cuba were the Bantu people, who arrived on the slave ships naked, without a single possession, both men and women. The king of Spain referred to them as “black tools” without acknowledgement that they were human beings. They overcame unbearable hardship and loss with the help of their music and dance and other cultural traditions. At that point in the storytelling, the professor closed his eyes and sang a hauntingly beautiful and mournful Bantu chant. I had to wipe the tears from my eyes.

Did you know that the Buena Vista Social Club was actually a real club to preserve the music of the old people before they died.  I love the music and can’t get enough of it.

Wim Wenders made a documentary about The Buena Vista Social Club. Click here to listen to the music as you make dinner and do your chores.

And just for old time’s sake, here is Guantanamera Guajira. Click here. (Guantanamera Guajira refers to a country girl from Guantanamo. Guajiro is a Taino word from the language of the indigenous Arawak people, the original inhabitants of Cuba. The word Cuba is a Taino word as well.)

I’m going to take off for a little stroll around town. Will you join me—virtually speaking?

 

In the evening the group went to The Yellow Submarine night club, next to John Lennon Park where old and contemporary US music is played every night. Cubans love American music. The Beatles were initially banned in Cuba, although groups got together in a certain park to play their music in clandestine jam sessions. Eventually the ban was lifted and the park was dedicated to John Lennon. On one of the park benches is a bronze statue of John Lennon sitting with his legs crossed and looking pensive. As tourists approach this unusual installation, a woman quickly goes to the bronze statue and places wire-rimmed glasses on John Lennon’s nose. When the tourists leave, she takes them off and wraps them up. Putting on eye glasses and taking them off became the woman’s job after the glasses were repeatedly stolen by fans of the Beatles.

As you might have guessed, I went off in search of internet connection.

Your devoted reporter is signing off.

Hasta mañana.

 

 

 

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