Cuba: siempre con combate

[Diane Monaco <diane.monaco@xxxxxxxxx>]

Louis wrote:

> ...it is remarkable that Cuba has climbed up
> into the first tier of nations. Could you imagine if the USA had a
> hostile neighbor to the North that was nearly 30 times the size in
> population and had about 500 times greater GDP and was bent on destroying
> our economy? The USA would fall apart within months, I'm sure. Cuba has
> not only not fallen apart, it has made steady improvement--even according
> to economic thinktanks hostile to its existence. That's a good argument
> for socialism.

Cuba IS a remarkable country -- I was there last month for the first time
on an educational exchange, and I'm still utterly astonished by its
obvious, ever-present and forward-looking optimism and hope for its
future and for the future of all humankind really.  Louis, I totally
agree with you that socialism has everything to do with it...in
particular the Cuban brand of socialism.  

The Cuban people are wonderfully kind, relaxed, interested, healthy...and
wonderfully fit!  Everyone is fit...including animals.  I mean,
even the pigs are in good shape, and there are plenty of pigs around --
on leashes no less -- as pork is a major meat source in Cuba. 
Cubans eat lots of fruit, rice, beans, pork, and chicken.  

The country is so naturally beautiful and it's been kept that way. 
There are no billboards contaminating the Royal and coconut palm laden
landscape, other than a motivational or proactive quote or two (siempre
con combate)...and the streets of Havana are lined with the magnificent
and flowering - flamboyan...at least in June.  Cuba is absolutely
breathtaking with many Unesco biosphere reserves throughout.  There
are relatively few automobiles in Havana, but when you do see them, they
are either American cars from the 1950s or Russian cars from the 1970s or
thereabouts.  Public transportation includes regular buses,
"camel" buses, a few taxi cabs, bicycle cabs...and
walking.  I'm sure that's a good reason why they're so fit.

There is lots of music, visual art work and murals in Cuba...which again
points to their optimism.  Cubans love ice cream (Coppelia and
Nestle) and they obviously freely dress as they wish, but they mostly
wear blue jeans, shorts, sleeveless shirts, and tees to keep
cool...unless some type of uniform is required.  All students and
many government workers wear some type of uniform.

I actually saw a lot of nationalism.  There are many museums/sights
(Museo de la Revolucion, Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabana -- Carlos
III of Spain) and memorials/events to honor the past and present of Cuba
(a cannon is fired every night from la Cabana by Cubans dressed as 1800s
era Spanish soldiers).  There are busts of Jose Marti outside
schools and government buildings...lots of posters of Ernesto
"Che" Guevara everywhere...I also saw memorials to Mother
Teresa of Calcutta, Princess Diana, Ernest Hemingway, and John
Lennon.

So now as the Cubans would say:  "Don't tell me the whole story
of tobacco" (meaning cut to the chase)

siempre con combate,

Diane