Desde La Habana

You may have noticed that the majority of my posts convey a certain sense of idealism about what is really a very complicated reality here in Cuba. There are, of course, a lot of things I admire and love about Cuba and most importantly, Cuban people. Regardless of the political and economic circumstances that have forced many to leave the island and elevated others to new horizons, Cubans are above all orgulloso de ser cubano—proud to be Cuban. It’s hard to convey that sense of pride and identity to people in the United States because we so often lack a national culture to take pride in, not to mention certain decisions we’ve made in the past and continue to make today that influence the world in negative ways.

Still, there’s plenty to miss back in the US. In addition to friends and family, I find myself missing most the variety of food that we can easily obtain at nearly any hour of the day. Food here can be wonderful, but the most noticeable thing about it is a lack of spice. I can’t wait to get a burrito again and have hot sauce at my disposal.

The reason I’m writing today is because of a reality check I had about life in Cuba for Cubans. For extranjeros, I can imagine few places more unique and beautiful to visit (not to mention economical). Cubans on the other hand, live a truly difficult life and are not allowed free access to travel, the internet, and conversation with foreigners. I have been asked for my carné (identification) every day now for the past three days. The first time was as I was trying to get into the Habana Libre hotel to buy something in their store (Cubans are not allowed inside the hotel). Today, I was sitting on the steps of the University with four white students from the United States and a police officer motioned to me (and only me) to come over and talk to him. Once I showed my carné proving that I am an extranjero, I was free to go about my way.

The plus side to this is that I never have trouble getting a máquina and never get hassled to pay for something in CUCs when that same item is available in pesos cubanos. Still, the heavy police presence here and everyday restrictions placed on Cubans shed light on some of the negative aspects of the Revolution. At the end of the day, you have to compare positive and negative aspects of the Revolution and make your own call on whether or not you think it’s a good or bad thing. My only hope is that at the end of my experience here I’ll be closer to being able to make that call with some type of objectivity and authority.