Photo: Lyn Pernille Photography

The versatility of Havana’s Capitol was on display this summer. Far from serving its usual function as Cuba’s political center since the 1930s, it recently served as the stage for the presentation of the Royal Ballet of London’s first and only performance in Cuba, in collaboration with the Cuban National Ballet.

In the course of its history, Havana’s Capitol building has functioned as the Museum of Natural Sciences and, until recently, also served as home to the Ministry of Technological Sciences and the Environment.

Tickets for the performance were on sale beforehand, but the demand far outstripped the supply; the majority of those who hoped to see the performance were left without tickets. For this reason, organizers put a Plan B into action: People without tickets could gather around the Capitol to watch the ballet on giant outdoor projector screens.

Though not ideal, the plan served the occasion well. People could watch the ballet in real time, in the open air, and just a few steps away from the National Theatre, which was wear the screens were set up. Swells of people crowded into the area in anticipation, but the first night was a false alarm; everyone had to wait for the second day to see the much anticipated performance.

Demand wasn’t the only problem with the tickets, though. Price speculation prompted scalping, which, in turn, touched off an aggressive police operation intended to prevent the tickets from being resold for as much as 10 times what they’d been bought for. Tickets were being sold for astronomical prices, sums that were equivalent to an entire month’s wages: 200 pesos, or 9 US dollars.

Elbow-to-elbow people from Cuba and from abroad, from all different social classes, gathered together on the 45 steps of the Capitol building. Beyond the performance itself, it was interesting to see how Cuban daily life continued to unfold behind the transparent screen– a profound contrast between “real” life and the classical music and star-studded ballet being shown on the screens, the picturesque panorama of plies and pointes being executed these two great ballet companies.

The old city of Havana was in a partying mood on that warm Caribbean evening. It was high ballet, yes, but Cuban style: cameras flashing, shots of Havana Club rum passing hands, running commentaries and spontaneous applause as the dancers performed. And without a doubt, the high point of the evening was the intermission, when the dancers from both companies left the luxury of their stage to come outside and greet the crowd. “Bravo!” and greetings resounded, with affection and respect being shared by both sides.

Acclaimed Cuban ballet dancer Carlos Acosta told the masses how special it was for him and for all Cubans to be part of such a historic moment, adding with obvious emotion in his voice, “Enjoy it! It’s for all of us!”

The other incredible gift was the performance offered by violinist Charlie Siem, who caressed the crowd with his smooth, precise, emotive notes. The applause was thunderous and the experience– well, it was memorable.

The night closed with the presentation of flowers and special recognition to the members of the Symphonic Orchestra of the Grand Theatre of Havana, directed by maestro Daniel Capps. The grand dame of Cuban ballet, Alicia Alonso, also honored us with her presence, in spite of her fragile health and physical condition.

Alicia Alonso; Photo: dalbera

It was through Alonso that so many Cubans learned about ballet, and because of her that those in attendance knew the dances and even their exact movements. During the height of her career in the 1970s, it was Alonso who brought us interpretations of Coppelia, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and an endless number of classic, universal pieces.

The visit of the London Ballet was a gift to add to the repertoire of our memories, guarding it like a relic for future generations.

**

Photo: ChrisGoldNY

La versatilidad del Capitolio de La Habana se ha puesto de manifiesto en este caluroso verano. Lejos de cumplir con su función original como centro político de la Cuba de los años 30s, recientemente sirvió de escenario al publico para la presentación del Ballet Real de Londres en su primera y única visita a Cuba conjuntamente con el Ballet Nacional Cubano.
En su historia el edificio del Capitolio de La Habana ha funcionado como Museo de Ciencias Naturales y hasta muy poco funcionó como sede para el Ministerio de Ciencia Tecnología y Medio Ambiente.
Las entradas para la presentación de la compañía inglesa se estaban vendiendo con antelación, pero era más la demanda que la oferta y como era de esperar muchas personas se quedaron sin poder adquirir los boletos de entrada. Por esa razón nació la idea de presentar la puesta en escena en pantalla gigante en el Capitolio, a un lado del Teatro Nacional. La idea, aunque no magnifica, fue ideal y practica para esta ocasión. Se pudo observar en tiempo real, al aire libre y a unos pasos del Teatro Nacional. Sin embargo, la primera noche fue una falsa alarma; la gente hubieran que esperar al segundo día donde si se hizo realidad el sueño.

La especulación con los precios provocó una fuerte operación policial para contrarrestar las altas sumas de dinero de costo para un boleto que vio su valor multiplicado 10 veces hasta llegar a la astronómica suma equivalente al salario mensual de un obrero cubano 200 pesos (9 dólares).

Photo: headlessmonk

En sus 45 primeros escalones del Capitolio, se ubicaron codo con codo nacionales y extranjeros de las mas diversas capas sociales. Resultaba interesante ver como en el trasfondo de las pantallas se percibía la cotidianidad de los cubanos que en su ir y venir contrastaban por detrás de las pantallas gigantes con la música clásica que acompañaba el ballet de las estrellas. Pintoresco panorama de saltos y pasos con una técnica maravillosa las actuaciones de estas dos grandes compañías de ballet que se movían desde la danza contemporánea hasta el mas clásico de los ballet.

La añeja ciudad de La Habana estaba de fiesta y se estremeció en su caribeño atardecer. Se respiro un aire de teatro al estilo habanero acompañado de cámaras con flash, tragos de ron Habana Club, y comentarios y aplausos como estruendo mientras bailaban. Sin duda alguna el momento cumbre del espectáculo fue en el intermedio, cuando de manera inesperada y sorpresiva los bailarines de ambas companias dejaron su lujoso salón de actuación para llegar hasta la multitud de espectadores que observaba desde las escalinatas del capitolio la actuación en vivo para saludarlos. Gritos de “Bravo!” y saludos estremecieron el lugar dándole a la escalera, al Capitolio, y a la Habana un toque exclusivo para la historia de los dos pueblos. Se respiraba afecto y respeto de ambas partes.

Carlos Acosta afamado bailarín cubano expreso ante la multitud presente lo especial que era para el y para todos los cubanos esta presentación tan especial y agrego con palabras muy emotivas- Disfrútenla que esta es para todos nosotros!- estas palabras fundieron al publico que consideró y disfrutó de su actuación momentos antes en la tarima.

El otro magnifico regalo fue la actuación del violinista Charlie Siem que con sus suaves y maravillosas notas estremeció al publico con su ejecución precisa y su sentimiento personal. Grandioso fue el aplauso y la experiencia inmemorable para decir poco.

Para cerrar la noche hubo flores y reconocimientos especiales para los integrantes de la orquesta sinfónica del Gran Teatro de La Habana dirigida por el maestro Daniel Capps. La gran bailarina Alicia Alonso también nos honro con su presencia apesar de su frágil salud y condición física.

Photo: rayparnova

La Habana conoció los temas y movimientos a ejecutar. Fue a través de Alicia Alonso que nos llenamos y aprendimos sobre el ballet. Ella nos regalo las interpretaciones de Coppelia, El Lago de los Cisnes, Romeo y Julieta y un sin fin de obras clásicas universales en su etapa mas productiva en el ballet cubano de los 70s.

Hoy una vez mas, recibimos el arte como regalo para agregarlo a nuestro repertorio de la memoria, y guardarlo como reliquia para generaciones venideras.

Photo: Giorgio

It’s well known that Cuba has lost a large part of its young population to the phenomenon of illegal immigration from the island to the United States or other parts of the world. Many families have a loved one or know someone who has left the country in the past 20 years, and as I’m not exempt from that category, it’s a subject that holds a personal interest for me.

Nonetheless, it was only recently that I met someone who had immigrated and then returned: Ignacio. He started to tell me his history, and I asked his permission to interview him.

Ignacio had committed various crimes in Havana. The father of two daughters in Cuba, one of whom died recently, he was wanted for various small crimes when he was arrested and incarcerated in the city of Cienfuegos in the province of Las Villas before he was released and left for the US via the port of Mariel in 1980.

My relationship with him was motivated by a deep curiosity to know about his life abroad, his experiences, and the reasons he finds himself in Cuba today after having abandoned the country. One way or another, I was determined to understand a turbulent era in Cuban history that unfolded in 1980. At the time, I was barely one year old. During the same year, more than 120,000 Cubans fled the country, though not all of them in the same way or for the same reasons.

Pei de la Paz: How did you leave Cuba?

Ignacio: I left for the United States via the port of Mariel in the early days of May 1980. I had been in the Wanajay Prison in Cuba. From there, I was transferred to The Mosquito camp, which was the departure point for prisoners who were leaving the country, some of their own will and others obliged to do so. The treatment of the Cuban authorities was very rough; I’d even say abusive.

Photo: Florida Keys Public Libraries

The boat I left in was called The Mora. The owner was a Cuban woman from Marianao, one of the neighborhoods of Havana. There were 14 of us on the boat, not counting the crew, and it was a small boat. There were men, women, and children of all ages. The crew had absolutely no navigation experience, which explained why we went off course on more than one occasion. I remember that they were on the radio constantly, asking merchant boats if we were on the right path to Key West.

We were exhausted when we saw the lighthouse, arriving first to Sombrero Key after all these confusions and detours. After we recovered a bit, we realized we could see the lights of Key West–our final destination–far out on the horizon. Finally, tired and confused, we found ourselves on dry land.

Pei de la Paz: How were your first months in the US?

Ignacio: I was really one of the lucky ones; I didn’t have to spend much time in the refugee camp. I was sent to Fort McCoy military base in Wisconsin. There, I was sponsored by Mr. Richard Kaiser, a sponsorship which made me eligible to leave.

Mr. Kaiser owned some farms and land, and that was the reason he was willing to sponsor refugees without families– so he could have them on his farm as laborers. It was a kind of work exchange program; we were cheap labor; in exchange, we received room and board. That was my start in the US.

A little later, I left the farm because I wanted to have my own house and strike out on my own. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I wanted to be independent.

Pei de la Paz: Were you able to make money?

Ignacio: Yes, I was able to save a few thousand. I don’t remember exactly how much, but it was more than $5,000.

Pei de la Paz: Did you stay in Wisconsin?

Ignacio: Yes, I stayed in Wisconsin. I attended the Black Hawk Technical Institute; there we learned English, not just Cubans, but people from all over the world.

Pei de la Paz: Were you single at the time?

Ignacio: Well, I’d started a relationship with an African American named Maggie Davidson.

Pei de la Paz: Where did you meet Maggie Davidson?

Ignacio: She was in the school too, but she was there to help us. Her job (in an auto factory) wasn’t making ends meet and so she supplemented her salary by working at the school.

Pei de la Paz: How was your relationship with her?

Ignacio: To be honest, it was different. I was accustomed to relationships with Cuban women and [Maggie] was different, very different, but we got along well. We spent some very happy moments together that I still remember. We got married. Really, she’s a very good woman, with a good character.

Pei de la Paz: Did you have children?

Ignacio: Yes, a little girl we named Caridad.

Pei de la Paz: Can you describe Caridad?

Ignacio: Sure. She was an intelligent and loving child. I remember that I always bought her things and she’d be very happy.

Pei de la Paz: Did you separate from them?

Ignacio: To be honest, yes. I was in prison on two occasions in the US.

Photo: pregrinari

Pei de la Paz: Do you remember the names of the prisons?

Ignacio: Yes, one was in Illinois; I think it was called the Peoria Transitional Center for Adults. The other prison was the Waupun Correctional Institution in Wisconsin or something like that.

Pei de la Paz: What kind of work did you do in the US?

Ignacio: I got caught up in drugs. It’s what produced money quickly and easily, though it was dangerous. I found it impossible to get out, though; I made a lot of money and the money was stronger than my own will. It was rough, really rough!

Pei de la Paz: Did you want to get out of it?

Ignacio: Yes, and my wife said to me, “Give it up, let’s move,” but I didn’t listen to her. And look where I am now… in Cuba!

Pei de la Paz: What kinds of material things did you acquire in the US?

Ignacio: Well, not too much. I had a few different cars, but the ones I liked the most were the Lincoln Continental Towncar y the Buick Riviera.

Pei de la Paz: Were you in danger of being killed [because of your involvement with drugs]?

Ignacio: Yes, and the situation went on for years. Understand that beyond the drugs themselves, you start using weapons to protect yourself and you have to become violent to be able to survive within this type of activity. Violence is an indispensable requisite if you want to be able to live in that world.

Pei de la Paz: And is this the reason why you were deported?

Ignacio: Yes. I was deported because my behavior couldn’t remotely be called good. I wasn’t an abuser or a killer; I just wanted to live well. I can’t deny that [being in that life] brought lots of opportunities; that’s the truth. It wasn’t “Get out of here and go back to Cuba tomorrow!” like a lot of people thought. No! [The authorities] gave me the opportunity to reintegrated into society, but it was already too late when I realized my error.

Pei de la Paz: Tell me about the deportation.

Ignacio: Well, I don’t really know what to tell you about the deportation, but I’ll tell you what they did to me. One of the times I was incarcerated, my daughter Caridad had gone to Washington to welcome the soldiers returning from the Gulf War and her photo was published in the newspaper. And my photo was published on the other page, with the headline saying “Cuban Can Be Deported.” I wrote the paper with the intention of calling them out on their racism, and they responded that if they were racist they wouldn’t have published the article in the first place. And that’s where everything started going downhill.

Pei de la Paz: They didn’t deport you at that time, though?

Ignacio: The state judge who had sentenced me didn’t have the power to deport me, so they asked for the help of Leslie (Les) Aspin, a powerful politician with a lot of influence. He was the one who guaranteed the deportation; that much had made clear in his declaration in the newspaper. I think he eventually went on to become Clinton’s Secretary of Defense or something like that.

Pei de la Paz: Tell me about your return to Cuba.

Ignacio: It was far from easy; many people cried and cried, the process of deportation went on for years, and nobody thought that the hour would ever arrive to return to Cuba.

It was Flight 110 with 22 people on board, all deported Cubans! We were all people who were well known for their criminal activities and a history of violence, criminality, and mental illness. We were able to bring our belongings, our toiletries, and clothing, though we were “relieved” of it all once we were in Cuba. We were left with just our shoes and our toiletries. Later, we were transferred to a maximum security prison in Cuba.

There, you were evaluated according to your past history before and after your departure from Cuba; this was to make a determination as to whether to grant liberty or to continue a prison sentence. I left before the 45 days stipulated. I was one of the lucky ones! Like everyone, I received 100 Cuban pesos (the equivalent, more or less, of $5 USD), “help” from the Cuban government. Imagine the change!

Many of my friends were rejected by their families, as they’d never remembered their families in Cuba when they were rolling in money. In my case, it wasn’t like that; I’d always sent money and clothes to my family. In that respect, I can’t complain at all, but that’s not to say that [the return to my family] was easy. Even today, after 12 years, I’m still not accustomed to living in Cuba.

Pei de la Paz: How was the relationship between you and the Cuban authorities?

Ignacio: They had control over me. They told me that I had to go to work and every day they made more demands about what I had to do once I was free. But the work never came and the authorities never preoccupied themselves with the matter.

Pei de la Paz: Where did you live when you returned?

Ignacio: I returned to my old neighborhood in Old Havana. As I was returning in really good physical condition thanks to all the exercise I’d had in prison, it was easy for me to find a partner.

Photo: daveblume

My life was going fine until some old friends came around to propose some illegal business. As I wasn’t working for the government…well, you can guess what happened! I got involved in “la lucha” (literally, “the fight,” a term used to describe black market work or other work outside the norm in Cuba). That’s how I was sent to prison in Cuba again, without any trial and without really examining whether I was dangerous or constituted any other type of threat to society.

Pei de la Paz: So you were in prison in Cuba on more than one occasion, right?

Ignacio: More than once; after that, I was recruited for drug trafficking.

Pei de la Paz: How do you view your future in Cuba?

Ignacio: Look, in reality I’m more than 60 years old. I’m not involved in any illegal business. I make $12 a month and I raise a pig to sell part of it at Christmas. My situation is really tough, especially because I know the value of money– I know what it means to have $100,000 in my hand. And to see myself in this total poverty now… it’s very sad!

Pei de la Paz: What about your family in the US?

Ignacio: I lost contact with them years ago. I don’t know what happened! They sent me money and clothes after I returned, but now I don’t know what happened with them. I hope that one day before I die I can see them or at least talk with my daughter Caridad and say goodbye, which I could never do. That has hurt me, and I’m sure it hurt them, too.

Pei de la Paz: Do you want to go to the US again?

Ignacio: That idea has never left my mind; it’s always present. I’d like to go, but I don’t have the means to do so.

**
Today, Ignacio lives submerged in poverty. He works as a janitor at a health clinic in Havana. The Cuban government gave him a small room in which to live about an hour from the city of Havana. He has to go back and forth daily to get to work and to see his family.

His life is like that of many of the expatriates who were repatriated to Cuba in the 1990s for criminal convictions in the US. Alcohol has trapped him now, just as money, drugs, and the fast life did in the US.

For Ignacio, life in Cuba hasn’t been easy. He’s a man marked by two systems, victimized by himself and by the circumstances around him. For many of the Ignacios, the idea of the American dream is realized in the form of quick money made illegally, which turns into a nightmare– prison if one is lucky, or dead if he’s not, defending himself on his drug turf. The struggle Ignacio has faced has been a road filled with unexpected stops in jails and prisons.

For Ignacio, Caridad and Maggie are just a part of the tragic history of immigration and the complexity of his life. Cuba refused to receive him with dignity and offers him little help to reintegrated into social life. The general problem of unemployment, along with the conditions of poverty, lack of resources, and his criminal history are just a few of the insuperable obstacles that many men like Ignacio face when they return to their countries with empty hands. The system doesn’t let them advance, much less pursue happiness.

It was through Ignacio that I began to understand with greater clarity that human nature is fluid, not fixed, that I should pay attention to the politics that surround me because they affected me to. I understood that the role of prison is to to trap you during your most vital years and then let you go as an old person. And if you leave Cuba, she never really lets you go.

At 60 years old, Ignacio feels like a man who belongs neither here nor there. No one fears him anymore and he’s not a threat to society. He’s another of those men without a country, without a spiritual home to call his own.

*

Photo: Drpoulette

Es sabido que Cuba ha perdido una gran parte de su populacion mas joven por la inmigracion ilegal hacia los EEUU o a otras partes del mundo. De hecho muchas familias tienen un miembro o conocen a alguien que ha abandonado el pais en los ultimos 20 años.

Para mi en especial este fenomeno me interesa estudiarlo de cerca. Sin embargo hasta muy reciente no habia conocido todavia a nadie personalmente que hubiera regresado, hasta hace muy poco que conoci a Ignacio. El empezo a contarme su historia, y pedi su permiso para entrevistarlo.

Ignacio habia cometido varios crimenes en la Habana. Padre de dos hijas en Cuba, de la cual una falleció recientemente, el era buscado por delitos menores cuando fue arrestado y encarcelado en la ciudad de Cienfuegos, en la provincia de Las Villas, antes de salir para los EEUU directamente de la prision via Mariel en 1980.

Mi amistad con el se motiva por la inmensa curiosidad de conocer su vida en el exterior, sus experiencias y las razones por las cuales el se encuentra hoy en Cuba despues de abandonar el pais. De una manera u otra trato de recoger evidencias de una etapa turbulenta del ano 80 en Cuba cuando apenas yo tenia un año de edad y 120,000 cubanos abandonaron el pais. No todos de la misma manera ni en las mismas circunstancias o por las mismas razones.

Pei de la Paz: Como saliste de Cuba?

Ignacio: Me voy a los Estados Unidos en los primeros dias de Mayo de 1980 por el puerto del Mariel. Estaba preso en la carcel de Wanajay en Cuba. De alli me trasladaron para el campamento El Mosquito que era el punto de partida para los presos que abandonaban el pais, unos por su propia voluntad y otros obligados. El trato por parte de las autoridades cubanas fue muy duro, inclusive abusivo.

El barco donde me fuí se llamaba La Mora; la dueña era una cubana de Marianao, unos de los barrios de la Habana. Eramos como 14 personas sin contar la tripulacion, en un bote muy pequeño; habian hombres, mujeres, y niños de todas las edades.

Los que comandaban esta embarcacion no tenian conocimiento alguno de navegacion y por esas razones nos desviamos de curso en mas de una ocasion. Recuerdo que por la radio ellos preguntaban constantemente a los barcos mercantes que si estabamos en el camino correcto hacia Cayo Hueso.

Photo: afagen

Estabamos cansados cuando vimos el faro y llegamos primero a Cayo Sombrero, despues de toda estas confusiones y desvio. Despues de recuperarnos un poco ya se podia ver muy a lo lejos en el horizonte las luces de Cayo Hueso, nuestro destino final. Al fin, cansados y algo confundidos, llegamos a tierra firme.

Pei de la Paz: Como estuvo los primeros meses en los EEUU?

Ignacio: Fui uno de los poco con suerte, pues no pase mucho tiempo en el campamento para refugiados. Estaba en la base de entrenamiento militar Fort McCoy en Wisconsin. Alli me apadrina el senor Richard Kaiser para salir.

El senor Kaiser era un dueño de fincas y terrenos que buscaba a los refugiados sin familias para que laboraran y vivieran en su finca con los demas obreros; era como un contrato para buscar mano de obra barata a cambio de alojamiento y comida. Asi fue mi comienzó en los EEUU.

Luego despues de poco tiempo me fui de la finca porque quería tener mi propia casa y poder hacer algo independiente. No sé que me pasó pero queria intentarlo solo.

Pei de la Paz: Lograstes tener dinero en los EEUU?

Ignacio: Si ,tenía unos cuantos miles ahorrados. No recuerdo cuanto pero eran más de $5,000.00.

Pei de la Paz: Seguiste en Wisconsin?

Ignacio: Si, seguí en Wisconsin, en la escuela, El Instituto Tecnico Black Hawk; allí aprendíamos ingles no solo los cubanos sino tambien personas de todas partes del mundo.

Pei de la Paz: Estabas solo por aquella fecha?

Ignacio: Bueno, estaba comenzando una relación con una afronorteamericana. Ella se llamaba Maggie Davidson.

Pei de la Paz: Donde conociste a Maggie Davidson?

Ignacio: Ella estaba en la escuela también, pero solo estaba allí para ayudarnos ya que su trabajo, (una fábrica de automóviles) estaba en baja y para poder cobrar el salario debía ir a la escuela para asistir a los estudiantes y asi de esa manera complimentaba su salario.

Pei de la Paz: Como te fue la relación con ella?

Ignacio: A decir verdad fue algo diferente; estaba acostumbrado a las relaciones con cubanas y ella era distinta, muy distinta, pero nos llevamos muy bien. Vivimos momentos muy felices que todavia los recuerdo. Nosotros nos casamos de boda; realmente ella es una buena mujer de muy buen caracter y muy preparada.

Pei de la Paz: Tuvieron niños?

Ignacio: Si, una hembra que le pusimos Caridad.

Pei de la Paz: Puedes describírme a Caridad?

Ignacio: Si claro, ella era una niña muy inteligente y cariñosa. Recuerdo que yo siempre le compraba cosas y ella se ponía muy contenta.

Pei de la Paz: Nunca te separaste de ellas?

Ignacio: A decir verdad, si. Estuve preso en dos ocasiones en los Estados Unidos.

Pei de la Paz: Recuerdas los nombres de las prisiones?

Photo: cfinke

Ignacio: Si, una fue en el estado de Illinois, creo que se llamaba Peoria Centro Transicional para Adultos y la otra prision fue en la institucion Correccional Waupun en el estado de Wiscosin o algo asi.

Pei de la Paz: A que te dedicaste en los EEUU?

Ignacio: La droga fue lo que me perdió. Es que daba dinero muy rápido y fácil aunque muy peligroso, pero no me era posible salir, es que me entraba mucho dinero y el dinero fue mas fuerte que mi voluntad… era dificil, muy dificil!

Pei de la Paz: Quisiste salir de eso?

Ignacio: Si, mi esposa me lo decía, quítate, vamos a mudarnos, pero yo no le hice caso y mira donde estoy. En Cuba!

Pei de la Paz: Que cosas materiales obtuvistes en los EEUU?

Ignacio: Bueno, no mucho; tuve varios carros pero lo que más me gustaron fueron el Lincoln Continental Towncar y el Buick Riviera.

Pei de la Paz: Estabas en peligro de ser asesinado o terminar preso todos los días?

Ignacio: Así mismo fue y se mantuvo por años y anos esta situación y cada vez quería mas. Además la droga trae consigo el uso de armas para tu protección y debía ser violento para sobrevivir dentro de esa actividad. La violencia es un requisito indispensable para poder vivir en ese mundo.

Pei de la Paz: Y es por eso que te deportan?

Ignacio: Si, me deportan porque mi comportamiento no era nada bueno. Yo nunca fui abusador ni asesino, simplemente quería vivir bien. Ya era mucho lo mío y no te puedo negar que me dieron oportunidades y eso es verdad. No fue “Dale para Cuba mañana y ya como muchos piensan” No! Ellos me dieron oportunidad para que yo me reincorporara, pero ahora es muy tarde cuando me doy cuenta de mi error.

Pei de la Paz: Bueno, cuentame de la deportación.

Ignacio: Bueno, sobre la deportación no sé que contarte, pero te diré algo que me hicieron: en una ocasión que estaba detenido mi niña Caridad había ido a Washington para abanderar a los soldados de la guerra del Golfo y sale la foto de mi niña en una página y yo en la otra con letras que decían “Cuban Can be Deported”…. y yo le escribí al periódico con la intención de demandarlos por considerar ese articulo un poco racista en su tono y acercamiento y ellos me respondieron “que si ellos fueran racistas no hubieran publicado el artículo” y ahi paro todo.

Pei de la Paz: Entonces esa vez no te deportaron?

Ignacio: Bueno, en los EEUU el juez estatal que me sentencio no tiene ese poder para deportarme, así que pidieron ayuda a Leslie (Les) Aspin, un poderoso politico de mucha influencia y fue el quien garantizo la deportación, así lo dejo claro en su declaracion en el periódico. Esta persona supe con los años se convertiría en secretario de defensa de Clinton o algo así.

Pei de la Paz: Cuentame de la llegada a Cuba.

Photo: Dr. John 2005

Ignacio: No fue nada fácil; muchos lloraban, este proceso de deportación duro años y nadie pensaba que llegaría la hora de bajar un avión de regreso a Cuba esposados. Era en el vuelo 110 con 22 personas a bordo, todos cubanos deportados! Personajes muy conocidos por sus actividades delictivas y su historial de violencia, criminalidad y enfermedades mentales. Traíamos pertenecías, aseo personal, ropa entre otras cosas de las cuales fuimos despojados de todo en Cuba; solo nos dejaron los zapatos y el aseo personal. Luego fuimos trasladados para la prisión de máxima seguridad en Cuba.

Alli te evaluaban de acuerdo a tu historial antes y despues de tu salida de Cuba para hacer una determinacion para tu libertad o para continuar tu tiempo en prisión. Yo salí antes de los 45 días estipulados. Fui de los pocos con suerte! Recibí como todos la ayuda del gobierno de 100 pesos cubanos (un equivalente a mas o menos $5.00 dolares) Imaginate el cambio!

Muchos de mis amigos fueron rechazados por su familia ya que según ellos nunca se acordaron de los familiares en Cuba cuando manejaban grandes sumas de dinero. En mi caso no fue así; yo le mandaba dinero a mi familia y ropa, así que por esa parte no me puedo quejar, pero esto no quiere decir que fue fácil. Todavía hoy después de 12 años no me acostumbro a vivir en Cuba.

Pei de la Paz: Como fue la relación entre usted y las autoridades cubanas?

Ignacio: Ellos tenían un control sobre mi. Me dijeron que tenía que ponerme a trabajar y ponian cada dia mas demanda de lo que debia hacer una vez afuera de libertad, pero el trabajo nunca llego y los oficiales que me atendían no se preocuparon del todo.

Photo: Aaron Escobar

Pei de la Paz: Donde empezó a vivir en Cuba?

Ignacio: Regrese a mi barrio natal en la Habana Vieja. Como yo regrese en muy buenas condiciones físicas debido a los ejercicios en la prision me fue fácil encontrar pareja.

Mi vida siguio tranquila hasta que me tocan la puerta antiguas amistades proponiéndome negocios ilegales y como no estaba trabajando para el gobierno ..tú sabes! Empecé en la lucha (termino que se usa para decir que estas sobreviviendo por la via ilegal o fuera de la norma) en Cuba. Así fue como me meten preso en Cuba de nuevo, sin pruebas de ningún delito por índice de peligrosidad o prision preventiva.

Pei de la Paz: Entonces estuvo preso en Cuba una vez mas, no?

Ignacio: No, mas de una vez; después de eso me recluyen por trafico de drogas.

Pei de la Paz: Como veas tu futuro en Cuba?

Ignacio: Mira, en la actualidad tengo más de 60 años y no estoy involucrado en ningún negocio ilegal. Trabajo por 12 dólares mensuales y crio un puerco para vender una parte en navidad. Es muy dura la situación que tengo ya que se lo que es el valor del dinero, se lo que significan $100,000 dólares en mis manos y verme ahora en esta pobreza total… es muy triste!

Pei de la Paz: Y tu familia de USA?

Ignacio: Hace años perdí mi contacto con ellas. No se qué paso! Ellas me enviaron dinero y ropa después que regrese de allá, pero ahora no se qué paso con ellas. Yo espero algun dia antes de morirme poder verlas o al menos hablar con mi hija Caridad y darles el adios que nunca pude. Eso me ha dolido a mi y te aseguro que a ellas tambien.

Pei de la Paz: Quieres irte para los Estados Unidos de nuevo?

Ignacio: Esa idea nunca se me fue de la mente, está latente en mí, yo quisiera irme pero no tengo los medios.

**
Hoy Ignacio vive sumido en la pobreza. Trabaja como mozo de limpieza para un policlinico en La Habana. El estado cubano le dio un pequeno cuarto para vivir como a una hora de la ciudad de La Habana donde diariamente tiene que transportarse para ver a su familia y para trabajar. Su vida es una de estas muchas que fueron repatriados a Cuba en los 90s por delitos cometidos en los EEUU. El alcohol le atrapo de la misma manera que el dinero, la droga y la vida rapida en los EEUU.

Photo: Senor Adventure

Para Ignacio la vida en Cuba no ha sido facil. Es un hombre marcado por los dos sistemas, victima de si mismo y de las circunstancias que lo rodean. Para muchos de los Ignacios la idea del sueno americano llega en la via de enriquecimiento ilicito rapido, convirtiendose en una pesadilla terminando en la carcel si es que estan de suerte o muertos defendiendo las calles que ellos controlaban como traficantes. Al parecer la lucha que ha enfrentado ha sido calle abajo con paradas espontaneas en carceles y prisiones.

Para Ignacio, Caridad y Maggie son solo una parte de la historia tragica de la inmigracion y la complejidad de su vida. Cuba se niega a recibirlo con dignidad y le ofrece muy poca ayuda para la reintegracion social. La falta de empleos en general, unidos a las condiciones de pobreza, escases e historial criminal son algunos de los obstaculos insuperables para muchos de estos hombres que como Ignacio regresan a su pais con las manos vacias para volver a reintegrarse a la sociedad que un dia los aparto. El sistema no le permite avanzar y mucho menos alcanzar su felicidad.

Fue a traves de él que entiendo con mas claridad que la naturaleza humana es cambiante y no fija, que debo prestar atencion a la politica que me rodea porque esta me afecta, que el papel de la prision es atrapar tus años jovenes y arrojarte como viejo y que te vas de Cuba, y ni regresando regresas!

A los 60 años Ignacio se siente un hombre que no pertenece ni de aqui, ni de allá. Ya nadie le teme y no es un peligro para la sociedad. Es uno mas de los hombres sin país, ni hogar espiritual que lo pueda llamar suyo.

With a name like “Chocolate Museum,” perhaps you imagine a museum like any other, full of items with historical value, rare objects, antiques, precious artifcats, and an extensive collection of books, photos, and documents on display.

This museum isn’t exactly like that. This museum is for the display of the ordinary and the common, not just from Cuba, but also from Spain, Belgium, and Mexico… but what is true is that all the items in this “collection” are somehow related to the culture of cacao and chocolate.

Master chocolate makers from Belgium came to Havana to train an elite group in artisanal chocolate-making so they could open a store in Havana where chocolate truffles, bon bons, and bars would be made in front of visitors.

Bears and tobacco leaves are some of the whimsical figures this new generation of Cuban chocolate artists is turning out. The chocolates also run the gamut with respect to the percentage of cacao and sugar each piece contains; there’s bitter, dark, milk, and white chocolate on display here.

The museum is climatized and well furnished, offering several tables from which guests can enjoy the museum’s collection and watch the chocolate makers at work.

And remember– the chocolate museum isn’t really a museum at all, but a cafe where you can enjoy this delicious aphrodisiac hot or cold.

Besides the candies, the Chocolate Museum has an extensive variety of tempting drinks, like the Aztec hot chocolate, mixed with black pepper and nutmeg. It really is a drink for the gods.

Ironically, the museum is located on “Bitter Street” (Calle Amargura), which gives it a special touch! It’s open to the public each day from 10 AM until 7:30 PM. Stop by for a visit– just be careful to keep your temptation and weight under control!

*
Millones de personas en el mundo consumen a diario chocolate o los derivados de el mismo. Este se encuentra en golosina, bebidas, lociones, e inclusive se ha utilizado para la construccion de piezas de vestir y en objetos exoticos. Si es usted uno de estos consumidores que esta en La Habana con confianza acérquese y visitelo.

Al escuchar Museo de Chocolate quizas su mente asocie e imagine un museo como cualquier otro, lleno de piezas de gran valor historico, objetos raros, colecciones antiguas y preciosas con extensa coleccion de libros, fotos, y documentos. Bueno, no exactamente. El museo del cual les hablo a decir verdad tiene piezas ordinarias y comunes, no solo de Cuba, sino tambien España, Bélgica y Mexico. Todos relacionados con la cultura del cacao y del chocolate.

Maestros chocolateros Belgas con mucha experiencia en el tema llegaron a La Habana para entrenar y formar un grupo de elite que tendría la tarea de encaminarse en el arte de la chocolatería y abrir en La Habana un lugar donde elaborar frente al cliente, bombones y tabletas de una manera diferente, artística y artesanal.

Desde un oso a un tabaco se mueven las caprichosas figuras que nos presentan los artistas de nueva generación de chocolateros cubanos. No solo se diferencian de la forma sino de la cantidad de cacao y azúcar en cada mezcla, dando lugar a los amargos, oscuros, con leche y blanco.

Climatizado y bien amueblado cuenta el museo con varias mesas desde donde se puede apreciar la colección del museo y a la vez a los chocolateros trabajando. De hecho el museo de chocolate no es un museo, sino una cafeteria donde se puede consumir este delicioso afrodiciaco frio o caliente.

Una gama de ofertas de bebidas que exhibe el museo es extensa y tentadora, como la taza de chocolate azteca mezclada con pimienta y nuez moscada es deleite para dioses para decir verdad.

Ironicamente este museo se encuentra hubicado en la calle “Amargura” la cual le da un toque especial! El mismo abre sus puertas al publico todos los días de 10:00 am a 7:30 pm. Y mi unica sugerencia es cuidado con las tentaciones y su peso.

*
Traveling to another country presents a number of logistical challenges: finding accommodation, learning the local transportation system, making sure you’re safe, and learning local customs, to name just a few. Visiting Cuba presents even more challenges, such as exchanging money, and then, learning about the different types of currency, how items are priced, and forms of payment.

Cuba, with its CUC (shorthand for the “Cuban convertible”, as it’s called), turns money exchange into a science that’s not easy to decipher in one or two weeks. Figuring out the maze of transactions is a task that’s utterly Cuban–and tough, to boot.

Recently, some German friends of mine wanted to have the experience of buying fresh fruit and vegetables at a local market. A chalkboard indicated that guavas were 5 pesos a pound. They paid 10 CUC for two pounds of these delicious, aromatic fruit.

In reality, they paid $240 Cuban pesos, the equivalent of a Cuban’s monthly salary.

Every CUC is equivalent to 24 Cuban pesos. Every CUC is divisible into $0.25, $0.10 and $0.05 coins, facilitating small transactions, quite similar to the US dollar.

Although they were aware of the equivalency, my friends never thought that the national markets would charge in national currency (the peso) and not in CUC (the convertible).

The Cuban national currency (the peso) generates confusion among tourists, particularly as the coins look similar to those of the CUC. Complicating this scenario is the fact that we have a complex system of payment, which one can really only learn through his or her experiences of living in Cuba.

The peso is the currency used by the government to pay its workers. It’s also the currency that’s used to pay for daily expenses, such as transportation, as well as telephone and electric bills.

Oftentimes, tourists pay for services in CUC when they should be paying in Cuban pesos. Many Cubans take advantage of tourists’ lack of knowledge about the currency for motives of personal gain. It’s a common situation in markets that are designated for national consumption.

The system of money exchange gets more complicated and darker still, even for Cubans. For example, if you stop at a store designated for national consumption and you only have CUC, the exchange value of that CUC will only be 20 Cuban pesos instead of 24 Cuban pesos… complex, right? Yes, it is. Returning to our example of the German tourists buying guavas, having paid with one CUC, they would have only received 10 Cuban pesos, instead of 14, the official rate.

To get a better sense of this internal exchange rate, here’s a conversion table used by the Currency Exchange Bureaus in Cuba (CADECAs):

1 CUC= $24.00 Cuban Pesos
0.25= $6.00
0.10= $2.40
0.05= $1.20

The rate of exchange described in the market scenario, which I’ll refer to as an illicit exchange rate, are reflected in the following table:

1CUC= $20.00 Cuban Pesos
0.25= $5.00
0.10= $2.00
0.05= $1.00

Who knows what the reason is for this difference in the exchange rate in markets compared to the official exchange rate, but perhaps it can be explained by two possibilities: one, the ease with which this modified exchange rate facilitates transactions for vendors, who can work with round numbers instead of fractions: 1, 2, 5 and 20, for example, instead of 1.20, 2.40, etc. Perhaps the other reason is that this unofficial yet sanctioned exchange rate allows the vendors to earn a bit more. Nevertheless, I believe that once the embargo is lifted, the system of currency in Cuba will become more simplified.

The incentive for dishonesty and deception with respect to currency exchange is clear: just a few CUCs represent the monthly salary of an entire family. A good salary for a Cuban is 450 Cuban pesos– the equivalent of 19 CUC. It’s not hard to understand, then, why the driver of a private car for hire might take advantage of the ignorance of his passengers– and the perceived depth of their pockets–when charging them more for a trip from Point A to Point B than he’d charge from Point B to Point A when the distance is exactly the same.

The ideal place to change money is in banks or in authorized exchange bureaus, known in Cuba as CADECAS. CADECAs can be found throughout Havana and other provinces, as well as in hotels.

As incredible as it may seem, it’s not uncommon for tourists in Havana to be approached by a local who offers to change their money for them. I’d recommend, however, that you not take them up on the offer; money exchange outside of banks and CADECAs is not an authorized activity, and can end up causing you and the local problems. On more than one occasion, the tourist will receive one Cuban peso for every CUC he changes. In such cases, your money is lost and you’ll have no right or recourse to reclaim it. For this reason, I strongly suggest that you change your money in small denominations at CADECAs, being sure to ask for both currencies (CUC and Cuban pesos), as both are acceptable forms of payment throughout Cuba.

Although traveling in Cuba is safe compared to many other places in Latin America, it’s preferable if you travel with people you know or trusted friends until you’re confident enough to get around on your own.

Good luck!

*
Llegar de un pais a otro presenta un sin numero de problemas logisticos: acomodacion, transportacion, seguridad, costumbres, etc. Llegar a La Habana, Cuba especialmente envuelve algo mas que esto como por ejemplo, el cambio de monedas, precios, y formas de pago. Cuba, con su CUC (Cuba Unidad Convertible) como se le denomina por sus siglas o simplemente “convertibles,” envuelve una ciencia aparte no muy facil de decifrar en una semana o dos. Navegar por este laberinto de transaciones es de por si una tarea muy cubana y ardua a la vez.

Recientemente unos amigos mios Alemanes querian tener esa experiencia de viajeros primerisos de comprar en el mercado de frutas y vegetales frescos. En la pizarra aparecia “guayabas 5 pesos por libra.” Ellos compraron 2 libras de estas deliciosas y aromaticas frutas, pagando 10 CUC por este producto. En realidad pagaron $240 pesos cubanos, el equivalente a mas de un sueldo mensual para un Cubano.

Cada moneda de 1 CUC equivale a $24 pesos cubanos. Cada CUC se divide en monedas de $0.25, $0.10 y $0.05 para facilitar su cambio en transaciones pequenas, muy parecido al dolar en su unidad fraccionaria de cambio. Mis amigos aunque sabian su equivalencia en el cambio no se imaginaron nunca que en los mercados nacionales el pago es en moneda nacional (peso) y no en CUC (Moneda Convertible).

La moneda nacional Cubana (el peso) genera en sentido general confusión para los turistas ya que se parecen al CUC al cambiarse en monedas pequenas. Todo esto sin tomar en cuenta que tenemos un complicado sistema de pago que solo se aprenderá con la experiencia de vivir en Cuba. El peso es la moneda con la cual el gobierno paga a los trabajadores. Esta se utiliza para los pagos de actividades diarias: servicios telefónicos, eléctrico, transportes, etc.

Los turistas muchas veces pagan los servicios en CUC cuando deberían pagarlos en pesos cubanos. Muchos cubanos se aprovechan de este desconocimiento para sacar provecho. Esta situación se da mucho en los mercados para consumo nacional.

Este sistema de cambio en el mercado negro tiene otro valor, inclusive para los cubanos. Por ejemplo si te detienes a comprar en un establecimiento para el consumo nacional y solo tienes dinero CUC, el equivalente de este CUC sera de solo $20 pesos cubanos en vez de $24. Complejo verdad? Si, lo es. Ese mismo turista por ejemplo podria pagar por sus guayabas con 1 CUC y le devolverian $10 pesos cubano, en vez de $14 que es el cambio oficial.

Para una mejor idea de este cambio y su equivalencia, aqui esta la tabla de conversiones de CUC a peso cubano en casa de cambio oficia (CADECAS):

1 CUC= $24.00 pesos cubanos
0.25= $6.00
0.10= $2.40
0.05= $1.20

El mercado negro tiene una diferente tarifa de cambio en los mercados de frutas y vegetales. Estos se reflejan en la siguiente tabla de cambio de CUC a peso cubano:

1CUC= $20.00 pesos cubanos
0.25= $5.00
0.10= $2.00
0.05= $1.00

No se cual es la razona para esta diferencia en las tarifas en el mercado negro, pero quizas esta sea por dos razones especificas: una es la facilidad que esta presenta para los vendedores al trabajar con unidades de cambio completa: 1, 2, 5 y 20, en vez de: 1.20, 2.40, etc. Y la otras es por las ganancias que este cambio representa para ellos. Sin embargo creo que una vez las restricciones del bloqueo se levanten se podria simplificar este sistema monetario de cambio.

El incentivo para la deshonestidad van marcado por el hecho de que unos pocos convertibles representa el salario mensual de una familia. Un buen salario llegaria a $450 pesos Cubanos o $19 CUC. Muchas veces una misma carrera en un auto de alquiler privado te cuesta mas en la ida que en la venida, estimando el precio no por la distancia sino por la ignorancia de sus pasajeros y por la profundidad de tu bolsillo.

El lugar ideal para cambiar la moneda a CUC, pesos cubanos, o monedas extranjeras es en los bancos o en las casas de cambio, conocidas por sus siglas como “CADECAS.” Estas se encuentran en diferentes localidades en La Habana y en las provincias, pero mayormente dentro de hoteles.

Por insólito que parezca en La Habana es muy frecuente que alguna persona se le acerque con la intención de cambiarle la moneda. Le recomendaría no hacerlo ya que eso es una actividad delictiva que terminara perjudicandole. En mas de una ocasion el cambio que le harán será de un peso cubano por cada CUC que cambie, robandole de esa manera su dinero sin derecho a reclamo. Mi criterio es que cambie en la CADECA una pequeña cantidad de CUC a pesos cubanos de esa manera ya tienes las dos formas de pagos aceptables para Cuba.

Aunque viajar en Cuba es seguro comparado a otros lugares en latinoamerica, es preferible que lo hagan con personas conocidas o amigos de un amigo hasta que puedas navegar por si solo.

Buena suerte!

After conducting a biopsy of the “death of racism in Cuba,” I have to ask whether the promises of equality implied by the Revolution have actually benefited the darker members of the Cuban population.

The manner in which the contract with the people was written seemed to promise that everything would be different during the Revolutionary era.

So why, then, is it the case that some people are treated better than others when the achievements of the Revolution were made at the cost of Cuba’s darkest? What’s happened to the Cimarron (the black man who fled to the mountains in search of freedom?)

It was one of the nights when these questions preoccupied my mind that I found myself at a party in East Havana, at a Soviet style housing project on the edge of the Havana Bay. These units were constructed at the beginning of the 70s to alleviate the housing shortage for the city’s poorest. It was here that all the questions flooded me suddenly.

And it was clear I wasn’t the only one thinking about these issues.

I heard a conversation between two young people in which one said to the other that Father de las Casas (known as the protector of the Indians after the Spanish conquest) felt compassion for the Indian and brought Blacks in his place. Welcome to Havana.

The young people at the party wore shirts with images of Che Guevara; the majority of them were blacks and mulattos, all high school or university graduates. They shouted, “Viva la revolucion!” while the groups played their songs, all of them singing about Afro-Cubanness and questioning what would have been unthinkable in past years.

They sang about the current conditions for young Black Cubans and their role in society. The lyrics were sung poems, intelligent and authentically Cuban and Mambi (a name given to the rebel forces that fought for Cuba’s liberation from the Spanish empire). Sounds came from their mouths like bullets from machine guns. The music didn’t just invite you to dance, but also to think. Their songs were ammunition leftover from the Cuban struggle of the past 100 years, but now shooting out of new rifles.

They look young on the surface, but on the inside, they’re from another era; they’re not the sons of the Revolution. They sang about people from other epochs: men of war, all rebels. The emotion carried over into the dance, into the African movements and the heat of the sea, mixing with the youthful spirit in the air on this warm Havana night.

The refrains in the background of their songs came from songs much older than the 1959 Revolution that brought Fidel to power, songs like “Canto a la Vuelta Bajera,” which was written by Afro-Cuban composer Ignacio Pineiro around the 1930s, and which said in the original version:

On the Havana plain,
between Madrugas and Guines,
sings the woman from Vueltabajera…

Who without boasting about her courage
just asks for harmony
among the good Cubans…

My beloved brothers,
save my homeland,
Cuban! With sweet pride,
Don’t mistreat your brother, but
defend what’s yours…

*
The conversations among the young people preoccupied me and transported me to a post-Fidel Cuba and what that would mean for all of us. It’s inconceivable to think of continued marginalization. In today’s Cuba, it’s neither a good idea nor a healthy one.

The idea of a racial struggle in Cuba is one that torments us all, as it would be devastating, a fight beyond that which Cuba has, perhaps, ever seen, even though the majority of us are “too white to be black and too black to be white,” as my grandmother’s Spanish neighbor who has lived in Cuba for 87 years told me.

I walk home late, with all these radical thoughts in my head, with the songs from the microphones echoing in my head. I sit at the edge of the sea to meditate, looking toward the horizon. I can’t stop thinking about the struggle for human dignity and the resistance we face when we fight against living on our knees. It’s a fight that we humans as a group have had to fight for all time. There’s nothing bad in the world that we haven’t had to go through as a group together. It’s critical to think about unity before it becomes too late… or, at least, to finally uproot the problem altogether.

The last thing I expected when I entered the hall of the housing complex was a party that would continue to speak to me after I’d left her behind. It was at that moment that my vision changed forever. It wasn’t that the realization was strange for me in any way; rather, it was the force with which the message was conveyed, as if I’d been spoken to in tongues.

Tomorrow will be a new day for our island nation, though with all the old problems the world has always faced: poverty, illness, a shortage of resources, and everything that comes along with life in the third world.

In truth, we haven’t changed at all. Racism, though unofficial, has arrived, or–better said–it never really left. And for that reason, we’re fighting and singing just like Pineiro: Cuban! With sweet pride, don’t mistreat your brother, but defend what’s yours!

*

Despues de realizar una biosis a la “muerte del racismo en Cuba” me pregunto si las promesas de igualdad llegaron a beneficiar a los mas oscuros de la poblacion cubana.

La manera que el contrato fue escrito reflejaba que todo iba ser diferente en la etapa revolucionaria.

Entonces, por que hay unos que se tratan mejor que otros cuando todas estas revoluciones se han hechos a costa de los mas oscuros de la poblacion cubana? Que le ha pasado al Cimarron (negro que huia a las montanas en busca de libertad)?

Fue en una de las noches que me encontraba en una fiesta en la Habana del Este: un complejo de viviendas al estilo sovietico que bordea las orillas de las costas de la bahia de La Habana. Estas fueron construidos en los principios de los 70s para aliviar los problemas de viviendas para los mas pobres de la ciudad. Fue aqui que estas preguntas me vinieron a la mente de una manera repentina.

Escuchaba una conversacion entre dos jovenes donde uno le decia al otro que el Padre de las Casas (protector de los indios despues de la conquista espanola),sintio compasion por el indio y en su lugar trajo al negro…. Bienvenido a La Habana!

El grupo de jovenes llevaba camisetas con las imagines del Che Guevara y en su mayoria negros y mulatos todos graduados de escuela superior o la universidad. Gritaban “Viva la revolucion!” mientras la banda interpretaba sus canciones, todas ellas con el tema de la afro-cubanidad y cuestionando lo impensable en anos pasados sobre la situacion cubana.

Se cantaba de las condiciones existentes para los jovenes negros cubanos y de su papel dentro de su sociedad. Sus canciones eran poemas cantados, inteligentes y genuinamente cubanos, y mambis (nombre que se le dio a la fuerza rebelde que luchaba por la liberacion de Cuba del yugo espanol). Todo pasaba muy rapido como disparos de metralladoras en bocas que conocian lo que cantaban. La musica no solo te invitaba a bailar, pero tambien a pensar. Eran sus canciones como cartuchos de municiones que sobraron en la lucha revolucionaria de Cuba en los ultimos 100 anos, ahora disparado con rifles nuevos.

En la superficie se veian jovenes pero, en lo interior eran como jovenes de otra epoca y de otros siglos y no los hijos de la revolucion. Los jovenes hablaban de personajes de otras epocas: hombres de guerras todos, inconformes todos. Emocion contagiada con el baile, los movimientos afro-exoticos y el calor del mar unido con el aliento joven eran factores dominantes en esta noche calida habanera.

Los estribillos de fondos de para sus canciones eran de canciones de otros tiempos mucho antes la revolucion de 1959 que trajo a Fidel Castro al poder como “Canto a la Vuelta Bajera,” compuesta por el compositor afrocubano Ignacio Pineiro alrededor de los anos 30s, y que en su original dice:

En la llanura Habanera
entre Madrugas y Guines
canta la Vueltabajera….

Que sin alarde de valia
tan solo pide armonia
entre los buenos cubanos…

tan queridos hermanos
salven a la patria mia..

Cubano! Con dulce orgullo
no maltrates a tu hermano pero
defiende lo tuyo…

Estas conversaciones entre los jovenes me trastorna y transporta a una Cuba post-Fidel y lo que esta nos traera a todos. Es inconsebible pensar en la marginacion en un momento como este. En la Cuba de hoy no es una idea ni muy buena ni tampoco saludable.

La idea de una lucha racial en Cuba es una idea que nos atormenta a todos por lo desbastadora que esta seria: una lucha que quizas no se ha visto en Cuba todavia, aunque somos en nuestra mayoria “muy claros para ser negro y muy negros para ser blancos,” segun me dijo la espanola vecina de mi abuela que ha vivido en Cuba por los ultimos 87 anos de su vida.

Camino a casa ya muy entrada la noche con todos estos pensamientos radicales y con las canciones que salieron de los microfonos resonando las paredes de mi cabeza, me siento solo a meditar a la orilla de la costa mirando al horizonte. No dejo de pensar en otra cosa que en la quejas que emanana de la dignidad humana y en la resistencia a vivir de rodillas. Despues de todo, no hay una cosa mala que exista en el mundo que como grupo no hemos pasado. Es preciso pensar en la unidad antes que sea muy tarde o por lo menos cerrar fila de una vez por todo para sacar este problema de raiz.

Lo menos que espere al entrar los pasillos y los corredores de este complejo de vivienda fue una fiesta que me hablara hasta despues de irme de ella. Fue en este momento en que mi vision ha cambiado para siempre. No fue que esta vision era extrana para mi en ningun aspecto; sino, fue en la fuerza en que esta se dijo, era como si me hablaran en lenguas.

Manana sera un dia nuevo para nuestra isla nacion con los problemas viejos del mundo: pobreza, enfermedades, escases de recursos y todo esto que le acompana en el tercer mundo.

En realidad no hemos cambiado nada. El racismo no legalizado oficialmente ha llegado o no se ha ido nunca y por eso estamos luchando y cantando como hizo Pineiro: Cubano! Con dulce orgullo no maltrates al extrano pero defiende lo tuyo!

In Cuba, any of these three options is difficult to achieve.

Posadas, temporary hotels that once served couples, have disappeared. These were excellent options for couples in love; cheap, safe, and clean, they were visited by young and old alike who were in search of intimacy, looking for what all people in love around the world are looking for: a place to talk the secret language of love.

Posadas were refuges for Cuban lovers, a place to spend the night or just a few hours. Even well into the Revolution (as recently as 2003!), the posadas continued functioning, whether out of necessity or custom. They were one of the few places that survived profound social changes, more or less intact, functioning as they always had.

But now, the posadas have disappeared. They’ve all been closed, and in their closing, have created worries among thousands of young Cubans who can’t find an intimate place to discharge their sexual energy with their partners.

Wondering about the social impact that the closure of the posadas has had on Cuban youth, I began to collect opinions about the subject. Personally, I thought the closure of the posadas was a loss, but I wanted to confirm that my opinion wasn’t personal, but was, rather, well-founded in larger social concerns and, possibly, with serious irreparable moral and social implications.

I interviewed Pablo, a 30 year old who lives in Havana with his girlfriend.

“How long have you been together,” I asked. “We’ve been together a year and we’ve only had sex twice. There are five of us in my house: my mom and dad, plus my two younger sisters. With the addition of my girlfriend, we’re six. The apartment where we live only has one bedroom, where my sisters and my parents sleep. After 9 PM, I turn the living room into my bedroom. There, my girlfriend and I have sex, but with caution. She tells me her house would be even worse!” Pablo said.

“Do you think your situation is unusual?” I asked Pablo. “No, not at all,” he responded. “In fact, just so you get an idea—in my building, all the apartments are the same as mine, and in all of them three or more people live in the same little space.”

“But you can rent a hotel room, right?” I asked him. “Sure- last year the government passed a law permitting Cubans to rent hotel rooms; before, only tourists could rent them.”

“And so?” I asked, wondering where he was leading. “Are you kidding?” he asked, without stopping to think. “We don’t have money for that!” “What amount are you talking about?” I asked Pablo. “Between 50 and 200 or more a night,” he replied. “In Cuban national currency? Pesos?” I continued. “No! In convertibles. 24 Cuban pesos are equivalent to one convertible peso, or CUC. Cubans can’t pay that—not unless they’re the creme-de-la-crème of society,” he said.

“So, where does that leave you?” I asked Pablo. “There aren’t any hotels where you can pay with Cuban pesos?” “Not that I’m aware of,” Pablo said after a pause. “And look, I’ve walked all around Havana and haven’t found a single one!”

“Before,” Pablo continued, “there were posadas.”

“Posadas?” I asked him. “What’s a posada?”

“They were little motels where you could pay a reasonable sum in Cuban pesos. You could rent a room by the hour and, well… you know…be alone with your girl.”

“So what happened?” I asked him.

“Nothing, they disappeared,” Pablo said with obvious disappointment. “The government turned them into housing. They gave the posadas to families who didn’t have a place to live.”

“Has the government looked for another alternative for the posadas?” I asked. “No!” Pablo said.

This is the Cuban reality. It’s true that if you have a connection, you might be able to rent a room in a “casa particular” (the Cuban equivalent of a bed and breakfast), giving rise to an underground money-making business. Renting a room in a casa particular will cost you $5-10 CUC per hour, depending on the location and the demand. For the average worker, that price is equivalent to one’s monthly salary.

In Havana, plenty of couples are looking for a place to do the 1-2-3 on any given night in any given month. Searching for a safe place, a dark place, couples may find themselves making love in public places at odd hours: in stairways, doorways, parks, and rooftops.

These encounters aren’t the product of some romantic fantasy, an erotic adventure, or any sort of moral deviance or perversion. No, these clandestine acts are simply young people responding to the biological demands of love. Yet the risk of being seen and the fear of being arrested go hand in hand, and today, a mother’s greatest concern in Cuba is when her son introduces her to his girlfriend: Where will they make love? How will the mother protect her family while giving her son and his lover the space they need?

The effect of the closure of the posadas is one of degradation. Young men feel impotent; young women feel hopeless. The lack of a place that’s safe and appropriate for couples to make love is the primary reason why many young people’s relationships end prematurely. Personally, I’ve found that this situation reduces loving relationships to an animalistic, repulsive encounter.

Havana is home to more than 2.5 million Cubans. The diversity of thoughts and tastes is obvious in a city of this size. The voices against the closure of the posadas are growing stronger every day, with the need for a response to this social problem growing in urgency.

*
Para toda relacion amorosa un espacio que le permita a ambos la privacidad emocional, intimidad, y coneccion personal es una necesidad inegociable! Los deseos para todos los recien casados es tener su propio espacio, ya sea un apartamento, una habitacion o una casa independiente. En Cuba, cualquiera de estas tres opciones es un deseo muy dificil de alcanzar.

Las posadas (hoteles de paso) que antes servian a los enamorados, viajeros de paso en ruta de un sitio a otro ya han desaparecidos. Por excelencia eran sitios baratos y seguros. Visitados por parejas jovenes y no muy jovenes en busca de la intimidad, buscando hacer lo que las personas que se aman hacen en todo el mundo: hablar el lenguaje intimo del amor.

Eran los sitios de escape para los amantes, o simplemente un lugar donde pasar una noche o unas horas. Aun hasta bien avanzada la revolucion (2003) estas posadas siguieron funcionado por necesidad o por costumbre social; fueron uno de los pocos lugares que sobrevivieron los profundos cambios sociales, mas o menos intacto, como funcionaron en el pasado.

Estas posadas han desaparecidos. Todas han sido cerradas, creando con su cierre la preocupacion de miles de jovenes Cubanos que no encuentran lugar intimo para descargar esa energia sexual con su pareja. Buscando una respuesta al impacto social que este cierre propino en los jovenes, me di a la tarea de recojer opiniones al respecto. Personalmente tenia mis dudas; queria confrontar mis dudas con los demas, queria confirmar que no era una preocupacion personal sino una bien fundida preocupacion social con posibles danos morales y sociales irreparables.

Pablo, un joven de no mas de 30 anos que reside en la Habana con su pareja:

Cuanto tiempo llevan juntos? –le pregunte- Llevamos 1 ano y solo hemos tenido relaciones sexuales a plenitud en dos ocasiones. En mi casa somos cinco: mi madre y mi padre y mis 2 hermanitas pequenas. Ahora somos 6 con la llegada de mi novia. El apartamento en que vivimos tiene un solo cuarto dormitorio donde duermen mis hermanas y mis padres. Yo convierto la sala de mi casa en mi cuarto despues de las 9 pm, alli es donde con mucha precaucion tengo relaciones sexuales con mi chica. En su casa-me dice al hablar de su novia- es imposible ya que la situacion es peor!

-Crees que tu situacion es algo fuera de lo comun?- No, no del todo- Pablo me responde- de hecho para que tengas una idea. En mi edificio todas las casas son iguales que la mia y en todos ellos viven tres o mas personas en el mismo espacio.

Pero puedes alquilar una habitacion en un hotel?-le pregunto- Si, el ano pasado creo que salio una ley que los Cubanos ya podemos alquilar habitaciones en los hoteles que antes eran solo para turistas.

Entonces?-le digo algo asombrado y dudoso- Nada chico, -me dice casi sin pensar- es que no tenemos el dinero! –De que cantidad hablas? Entre 50 y 200 ……o mas por noche- me dice- Dinero Cubano? Pesos? – No! eso es en monedas convertibles que serian un equivalente de 24 pesos Cubanos por 1 en moneda convertible o cuc. Eso no lo puede pagar los Cubanos, al menos que no seas la elite de la elite.- Entonces donde?-le digo-no hay hoteles que puedas pagar con pesos cubanos?- que yo sepa no, -me dice despues de una pausa- y mira que yo camino toda la Habana y no hay ni uno!

Antes habian posadas. Posadas?-le pregunto para estar seguro-Eso que es? Que eran?

Eran unos motelitos que se podia pagar en pesos cubanos a un precio aceptable para cualquiera que podia rentarlos por hora y tener…tu sabes, estar solo con la jeva (novia).

Y que paso?

Nada, desaparecieron-me dice con resignacion- las convirtieron en casas. Le dieron esas posadas a familias que no tenian donde vivir.

El gobierno ha buscado otra alternativa?

No! –me dijo de manera final.

Esta es la realidad Cubana. Es cierto que si tienes un “contacto” puedes encontrar casas particulares que han ocupado el vacio que estas posadas dejaron, dando paso al lucro clandestino. La renta por hora van desde $5cuc hasta $10 cuc, dependiendo el lugar y la demanda. Para un trabajador normal ese precio es el equivalente al salario mensual.

La discusion al respecto se torna fuerte siempre y cuando un hijo le introduce a su madre su pareja y vice-versa . Es una verdadera odisea tener privacidad en lugares seguros y al alcance del bolsillo.

En La Habana, hay mas de un punado de pareja buscando un sitio para hacer el uno, dos, tres en cualquier noche de cualquier mes. Como lugar seguro, un lugar oscuro, este puede ser la via publica a altas horas de la madrugada, en escaleras, portales, parques y azoteas. Estos encuentros no son productos de una fantasia romantica, aventura erotica, ni producto de una desviacion moral y pervertida. Es un acto clandestino que obedece a la necesidad. El riesgo de ser visto y el miedo de ser arrestado por la policia moral van de mano en mano.

El efecto de esto cierres en las relaciones es desbastador y degradante. El joven se siente impotente y la joven se enfrenta al que diran. La falta de un ambiente sano y decoroso para ambos es factor principal para mucho de los conflictos que terminan en separacion entre pareja. De hecho, personalmente encuentro que esta situacion reduce las relaciones amorasas a un estado animalista y repulsivo.

La Habana es la casa para mas de dos millones y medio de Cubanos. La diversidad de pensamientos y gustos es obvio en una ciudad de esta magnitud. Las voces en contra de estas medidas son cada dia mas altas, las preocupaciones mas constants, y la necesidad de una respuesta a este problema social es de caracter urgente.

]]> http://collazoprojects.com/2009/03/12/love-in-hard-timesel-amor-en-los-tiempos-duros/feed/ 3 http://collazoprojects.com/2009/02/28/havana-in-transitionla-habana-en-transicion/ http://collazoprojects.com/2009/02/28/havana-in-transitionla-habana-en-transicion/#comments Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:30:38 +0000 julie http://collazoprojects.com/?p=195 Continue reading »]]> Text: Martin Pei de la Paz
Photos: Brayan Collazo
English version; vease abajo para la version en espanol
**

Hurry, Havana is changing!

Two things come to mind for most people when they hear the word “Cuba”: old cars and the famous “camellos” (camel buses), the cargo trucks converted into public transportation.

But the end is near for both. With new agreements between the governments of China, countries of the EU, and Russia, Havana has signed the official death certificate for the old, dilapidated cars and buses of the past. The Cuban government is introducing a more modern fleet of buses (called “guaguas” here), which have better emissions standards, are less damaging to the roads, and which will be easier and more comfortable for people to use. These new buses have all the modern amenities lacking in the camellos: clock, radio, microphone to communicate stops to passengers, and other features that make the ride more fun and comfortable.

According to the government, these new buses will offer service with greater frequency and more efficiency than the old buses. During peak hours, buses will run every six minutes, and during regular hours, every nine minutes. In reality, though, the frequency seems to be considerably longer–about 15-20 minutes between buses.

Many people continue to call the new buses camellos, in spite of the changes, as many of the buses maintain the same route numbers, though the corresponding letter– M-for Metrobus, the official name of the camellos– has been replaced with a P.

Articulated buses have also been introduced– these are the buses that have the accordion-like fold in the middle, turning two buses into one. These cost around 40 cents in Cuban national money, the equivalent of about 5 US cents. These articulated buses run the major routes in the city of Havana.

In spite of the new changes, problems have been noted, such as the intentional lack of care of the new fleet, and the attempts of some riders to avoid paying for their rides. Other problems include receiving change in pesos instead of exact change. Finally, the average time it takes to complete a full route is 50-70 minutes.

Now, in Havana, you can see buses from China, Russia, Japan, and Germany rolling down the city’s streets and avenues. Along with the new buses, the government has introduced “rutero” taxis, or minibuses, that have a pre-determined route. These have been introduced in an effort to combat the “particulares” taxis, which are ad hoc taxis driven by independent drivers. The cost of the microbuses is higher– around $5 Cuban pesos for the same route it would cost 40 cents for on the regular bus, but they’re undoubtedly more comfortable and have fewer stops between Point A and Point B. Plus, they still cost less than the $10 Cuban pesos a driver of a particular would charge for the same route.

The camellos won’t disappear entirely though; they’re getting a second life after being transported to the interior of the island. This is obviously an interventionary measure to address the lack of public transportation in the interior of the island, outside the capital, and in the rest of the country’s provinces.

For many, these changes in the transportation system may seem hardly worth note, but they represent an enormous symbolic step when one considers that the Cuban economy has been in tatters for the past decades, particularly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. During this time, bicycles and mule drawn carts were the only alternative to deal with a massive transportation infrastructure disaster. Little by little, Cuba is beginning to benefit from the agreements with other countries.

But there are other changes as well.

With the opening and mutual support being established between Cuba and other countries, and with the election of Obama to the presidency of the United States, the winds of change signal a shift, one in favor of a peaceful dialogue between Havana and Washington, D.C. Such a dialogue could bring still more benefits to both countries, and more profound changes to Cuba. For more than 50 years, a politics of conflict has marked the relationship between the two countries, despite efforts of both to mend the rift, whether through open dialogue or secret operations. All of this came to light recently when the CIA declassified documents about its operations in and about Cuba. Declassified NSA documents, government memoranda, and intelligence reports also provide a window into this subject.

The negotiations with Havana won’t be as easy as some people think. The concerns affecting both nations are marked by a lack of confidence and mutual suspicion. Each side has its doubts. Perhaps the easiest issues to be addressed will be those related to immigration and drug trafficking.

The cards of the big game, though, will involve the repatriation or extradition of fugitives, the issue of Guantanamo Bay, compensation for property of Cubans and US businesses seized during the Revolution, and, equally pressing, the release of the five Cuban security agents from US prisons.

Washington and Havana have danced to different rhythms for a long time. Each side knows its steps perfectly. We have learned that there’s no difficulty that lasts 1,000 years. The enemies of the past now share common borders in Europe—Poland, Germany, and France—and the United States and Russia participate in joint operations. Enemies now work together as allies, indicating that enemies don’t have to stay foes forever.

**
Texto por: Martin Pei de la Paz
Fotos por: Brayan Collazo
*

Apurate, que La Habana esta cambiando!

Para muchos cuando le dices “Cuba” le viene a la mente dos cosas: los carros de los tiempos pre-revolucionarios y los famosos camellos, los camiones de carga convertidos en transporte publico.

Pero el fin ya se acerca para ambos. Con los nuevos tratados de cooperacion entre los gobiernos de China, la Union Europea, y Rusia, La Habana ha firmado el “certificado oficial de muerte” para los dilapilados carros del pasado. El gobierno cubano esta introduciendo una reciente flotilla de omnibuses o guaguas (como alli les llaman), que seran los encargados de reducir la contaminacion ambiental y prevenir la futura deterioracion de sus calles y avenidas, haciendo la vida mas facil para sus habitantes. Estos nuevos omnibuses cuentan con reloj, radio, reproductora de musica, microfonos de intercomunicacion chofer/pasajeros, entre otras comodidades que hacen el viaje mas divertido y comodo.

Segun el gobierno, estos nuevos vehiculos ofreceran servicios con mayor frecuencia y con mas eficiencia que en el pasado. Ellos estipulan que en las horas picos estos se demorarian unos 6 minutos y en horas regular o normal 9 minutos entre uno y otro. Sin embargo, la realidad no es asi, estos vienen con una frecuencia de 15 a 20 minutos entre uno y otros.

Muchas personas siguen llamandoles camellos en ocaciones, apesar de los cambios, ya que muchos mantienen el mismo numero aunque sus letras han cambiado de M-6 (la letra M para metrobuses que era el nombre oficial del camello) que ahora es P-6 para los nuevos omnibus que recorren la misma ruta.

Las articuladas como se les llaman tambien a los omnibus dobles en forman de acordion cuestan alrededor de $0.40 centavos Cubanos o un equivalente cercano a $0.05 U.S. Estas cubren las mayores rutas en la ciudad de La Habana.

Con los nuevos cambios tambien llegan nuevos problemas como la deterioracion intencionada o falta de cuidado de estos nuevos omnibuses, y la falla de algunos consumidores en abonar el costo completo del servicio, o el hecho de no recibir el cambio si se paga con pesos en vez de cambio exacto. El average de tiempo recorrido por esto omnibus es de 50 a 70 minutos.

En estos momentos se pueden ver en La Habana omnibuses de China, Rusia, Japon, y Alemania (Mercedes Benz) recorriendo sus calles y avenidas. Conjuntamente con estos servicios se han incorporado los taxis ruteros o micro buses que tienen una ruta pre-determinada, todo esto en un esfuerzo para contrarestar los taxis particulares, los taxis independientes. Estos taxis ruteros son mas pequenos y modernos que los omnibus nuevos introducidos. A estos no se le permite llevar personas de pie. Su costo es mas elevado, unos $5.00 pesos Cubanos por la misma ruta que podrias viajar a un costo de $0.40 centavos en una transportacion regular, pero mucho menos si consideras que esa misma ruta en un particular te podria costar unos $10.00 en moneda nacional. Indudablemente, los ruteros son mas comodos y con menos paradas entre un punto y otro.

Los camellos tendran una segunda vida. Estos han sido transplantados al interior de la isla. Esto es obviamente una medida de necesidad hasta que la isla completa pueda disfrutar de un servicio uniforme para toda la poblacion dentro y fuera de la capital y en las demas provincias del pais.

Aparentemente para muchos los cambios en el sistema de transporte son pequenos, pero para otros estos simbolizan un paso economico enorme si se tiene en cuenta que la economia cubana estaba grave o mejor dicho en el cementerio durante gran parte de los anos 90 despues de la desintegracion de la Union Sovietica, donde los coches tirados por bestias y las bicicletas eran una alternativa logica para aliviar sus problemas, tanto en la capital como en el campo. Cuba se esta beneficiando poco a poco de los convenios ya establecidos con paises como China, Rusia, y la comunidad Europea, no solo sobre el transporte, pero tambien sobre otros temas.

Con la apertura y el apoyo mutuo entre Cuba y estos otros paises, y con la eleccion de Obama a la presidencia de los Estados Unidos, las corrientes son favorables a favor de un dialogo de paz entre La Habana y Washington. Este dialogo podria traer aun mas beneficios para ambos paises y cambios mas profundos para Cuba y su vecino del norte. Por mas de 50 anos se ha mantenido una politica de desconfianza de ambas partes, aunque en casi todas las administraciones se ha hecho un intento ya sea esta de forma abierta o de manera secretas, todos estos intentos fueron un esfuerzo de establecer un “modus vivendo” entre naciones. Todo esto salio a la luz en la evidencias obtenida atraves de los recientes documentos desclasificados de la CIA, NSA, memorandos del gobierno, e otros reportes de inteligencia.

Las negociaciones con La Habana no serian tan faciles como algunos piensan. Los temas que tratan sobre la Habana y Washington se miran con desconfianza y sospechas. No hay con relacion a Cuba una sola voz que se considere confiable, todas tienen sus dudas. Quizas los temas mas simples de tratar serian los temas de la inmigracion y el trafico de drogas que ya se han dado pasos en el pasado en torno a esto. Las cartas de juego mayor estan en la expatriacion de fugitivos, elementos buscados por terrorismo, Guantanamo, compensacion de las propiedades confiscadas al triunfo de la revolucion y el mas reciente tema, la liberacion de los 5 agentes de la seguridad cubana todavia en carceles norteamericana.

Washington y La Habana han bailado a ritmos diferentes por mucho tiempo, los bailadores se conocen los pasos, giros y movimiento a la perfeccion. Hemos aprendido que no hay mal que dure mil ano ni cuerpo que lo resista. Los enemigos del pasado hoy comparten fronteras comun en Europa: Polonia, Alemania, Francia. Estados Unidos y Rusia participan en operaciones conjuntas. Todo parece indicar que estos son enemigos “temporarios” y no eternos. Naciones que han pasado por etapas oscuras y dolorosas. Cuba es tambien parte de esta historia y no una excepcion de esta regla.

]]> http://collazoprojects.com/2009/02/28/havana-in-transitionla-habana-en-transicion/feed/ 0 http://collazoprojects.com/2008/12/26/move-to-europe-now-theres-a-resolution/ http://collazoprojects.com/2008/12/26/move-to-europe-now-theres-a-resolution/#comments Fri, 26 Dec 2008 05:22:25 +0000 julie http://collazoprojects.com/?p=173 Continue reading »]]> Guest Post by Sasha Zahn

Every year we all sit down and make New Year’s resolutions.

How many of them do we actually keep?

You know, I think the problem lies within the word itself: Resolutions. Like we need to resolve ourselves, force ourselves, get dirty, and push through.

Who honestly wants to do that?

So I resolve to call them New Year’s missions. That makes it sound infinitely cooler – like you’re James Bond, or part of the CIA. It brings up thoughts of cool gadgets and martinis, and adventure. And I have the perfect mission for us to shoot for this year.

Come live in Europe.

That’s right. I said live.

I know that sounds crazy, but think about it. Isn’t there even a little part of you that would love to live that scene from a movie, the one where you throw open the shutters of a window in Paris, or London, or wherever in Europe, and look down at all the people hustling and bustling below? Have you ever wanted to be able to really be fluent in that language you took in high school? Who ever said that they wished they’d never tried to fulfill their dreams?

You can do it. I know, because I did it a few years ago. I packed my bags and came to Hungary, not knowing a soul, the language, or culture. I did it to go to school. It turned out to be one of the most pivotal points of my life. I would never change it.

You could do it, too.

Most of the people I talk to about coming to Europe think it’s much more complicated than it seems. I myself questioned it. My uncle told me, “Wait, you can go study in Europe, still get student aid, fulfill your dreams to become a doctor, and travel in your spare time? I would have done it yesterday.”

Thinking back on it, it seems like a no brainer.

But what about??

There are tons of excuses you can make. It’s not the right time, or it is too off the wall. The one I hear the most is the economy.

Yes, the economy back home is bad. Yes, the dollar is weak. It seems like a bad time to travel. But really? Is it? There are some parts of Eastern Europe, like Prague and Budapest, that have all the charms of Western European life, but are incredibly affordable if you still earn in dollars. Or try transferring to a country in Western Europe. You’d be earning in the local currency, not the dollar.

Or, if the job market is bad, why not take this opportunity to get a step on the competition with more education? Student loans are still available to US students studying abroad. Many of my friends here and I feel so lucky to be in school right now, and not job hunting.

And hopefully, we’ll graduate at a time when the economy is on the up. No company in this global market is ever going to think of your experience abroad as a negative. You’ll be worldly, experienced outside of your own country, maybe even multilingual. If you do ever return back to the US, you have advantages others won’t.

Take the steps to make it real.

If you do take on this mission, fulfill it. There are plenty of resources to help you. I have decided to make a step by step process to getting you there. Start talking to people about what you plan to do. The sooner you start telling people your idea, the more real it seems. It was a span of 6 months between when I decided and when I moved. Start thinking about your dream destination and imagine yourself there. Buy a book on traveling Europe, and start listening to some great podcasts or subscribe to some invaluable travel sites, like this one. Make it real. Make it happen.

I’ll have a martini waiting for you, – shaken, not stirred.

Sasha Zahn is the author and editor of YankeeInNewWorld.com, a site dedicated to helping Americans living in Europe and still staying connected to home. She is no way affiliated with the CIA, but likes her missions none the less. You can find her on her site, or on Twitter.

Resolution photo: covs97
Map photo: Laughing Squid

]]> http://collazoprojects.com/2008/12/26/move-to-europe-now-theres-a-resolution/feed/ 7 http://collazoprojects.com/2008/07/14/what-ill-miss-about-boston-what-you-should-visit/ http://collazoprojects.com/2008/07/14/what-ill-miss-about-boston-what-you-should-visit/#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:54:38 +0000 julie http://collazoprojects.com/?p=83 Continue reading »]]> Today’s post is by Matt Kepnes, world traveler and writer. Matt, who is from Boston, is setting off on his next big adventure this week. In this article, he reflects on what he’ll miss about Boston, and gives you an insider’s look at the must-visit sites in his home city.
*

It’s a matter of days before I leave Boston again. In 2006, I left for a year of adventure. Now, six months after I came home, I’m leaving again- this time for much longer. Except for sporadic visits to see my parents, I doubt I’ll live here again.

I love Boston. It has a lot to offer, to see, and to do. It remains one of my favorite cities in the world. I’ve just outgrown living here. But there are a lot of things I’ll miss:

Eating on Newbury St.

Newbury St. is famous for its luxurious shops and fine dining. In the summer time there is nothing better than pulling up a table outside and eating at one of the many great restaurants as the people go by. From the beginning of summer until its end, you can find me here.

Bar Hopping Allston

Allston is the college, young adult area of Boston and many of my friends live here. Every weekend we go out and bar hop. It won’t be the same without witnessing their crazy antics week after week. Even if the bars sometimes get boring, my friends never do.

Sushi Dinners

I know you can get sushi anywhere, but Boston has some of the best restaurants in the world and I love eating here. More importantly, I love eating with my two friends, Ashley and Fran, who are just as die hard about sushi as I am. I can always count on one of them to go and satisfy a sushi craving with me.

Eating in Faneuil Hall

Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall has been a center for eating and partying since its creation. It’s home to Quincy Market, a long hall filled with dozens of little restaurants. I love to pick up lunch and head outside to watch the crowds and street performers. It’s a good way to enjoy a nice day and watch the tourists stare blankly at their maps.

Legal Seafoods

Legal’s is a Boston institution. Its seafood is amazing and I love eating there. You’ll never get a bad meal at Legal Seafoods. There’s nothing like it in the world- its atmosphere, staff, and great calamari! I’m hungry already. Too bad it’s a little expensive.

Summer in the Commons

Boston Common is the city’s downtown green space. I love just sitting there, reading, taking a nap, or playing some sports. Great way to lazily spend the day.

Relaxing at the beach

The beaches around the city may not be the best in the world, but they are good nonetheless. Great sand, warm water (on a good day) and good restaurants on the boardwalks. I love pigging out on fried clams while getting a nice tan.

Hikes outside the city

Boston is surrounded by parks that provide amazing hiking opportunities. Every summer my friends and I head to Breakheart Reservation or Lynn Woods to spend the day hiking around and swimming in the lakes.

Free Concerts

Every year, the city has a series of free concerts right by the Charles River. Crowds descend on the riverbank bringing food and drink, sit in the sun, and listen to the tunes all day. I’ve seen countless bands there and it’s a great (free) summer activity.

What do you like to do in Boston? Submit your favorite places in the comments!
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Read more of Matt’s work on his website, www.nomadicmatt.com. In particular, check out his interview with Lonely Planet guidebook writer, Leif Petterson.

Boston skyline photo: Pear Biter (creative commons)

Boston Common photo: Foraggio Fotographic (creative commons)

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