| Etecsa Telecommunications Building,
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| | And these benches are located right
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| Downtown Havana, Thursday, April 13,
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| | outside Cuba´s most famous building!
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| 2005, 3:32 pm I really gotta hurry, I
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| | Today I received the explanation that
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| only have about 28 minutes left on my
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| | quality wood is extremely difficult to
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| Internet card so I am going to try to be
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| | get and that people simply help
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| brief here. The last few days have been
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| | themselves..... The number and types of
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| extremely interesting. I am not a
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| | private entrepreneurial schemes is too
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| political expert, but in a city like
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| | large to mention. Only a few are legal,
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| Havana you can´t help but be confronted
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| | for example the paladares (private
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| with politics. Everywhere you see
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| | restaurants in private homes), the casas
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| billboards with political slogans,
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| | particulares (bed and breakfasts) as well
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| monuments of heroes that were significant
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| | as various types of private taxis. But
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| in Cuba´s history, pictures of Che
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| | apart from this small number of
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| Guevara and Fidel Castro, and the Cuban
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| | officially permitted private enterprises,
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| Revolution as well as the present
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| | virtually everybody in this country has
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| economic circumstances are omnipresent
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| | turned into an entrepreneur. Any person
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| topics of conversation. I have read a lot
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| | that owns a car, and car ownership is
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| about Cuba and tried to talk to as many
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| | extremely restricted here, uses it to
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| people as possible and there are a few
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| | give a lift to people, picks up
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| things that have crystallized in my mind
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| | passengers at a street corner and drops
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| as general impressions of Cuba. Once
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| | them off 20 minutes later in return for
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| again, these are my personal impressions
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| | 10 Pesos, all money made under the table.
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| and they are definitely not based on
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| | All these things are strangely ironic to
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| scientific fact, but nevertheless I will
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| | me, since Cuba officially is a Communist
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| share them with you. Cubans are a
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| | country, where private property and
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| fiercely proud and independent people and
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| | private enterprise is all but forbidden,
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| more than anything they insist on
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| | but in order to survive the entire
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| preserving their national independence
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| | population has turned into an army of
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| and sovereignty. At various times
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| | entrepreneurs. On the other hand, Cuba
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| throughout history Cuba was dominated by
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| | has achieved tremendous accomplishments,
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| the Spanish, the English or the Americans
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| | for a small, third-world Carribean
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| and since the Cuban Revolution in 1959
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| | country. Close to 100% of Cuba´s
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| Cubans have had self-determination for
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| | population is literate, public education
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| the first time in history. Obviously,
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| | is available to everybody. Black people
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| Cubans avowed political enemy is the US
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| | and women in particular have benefited
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| goverment, but I have heard numerous
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| | from the effects of the revoluation. The
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| people say that they have nothing against
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| | health care and education system are
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| the American people, their issues are
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| | among the most developed systems in the
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| with the US government, and in particular
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| | 3rd world, and Cuba´s life expectancy
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| the embargo and the travel restrictions
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| | and infant mortality rates are among the
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| for Cubans living in the US. Apparently,
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| | best of the world. In addition,
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| relatives of Cuban families are now only
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| | post-revolutionary Cuba has also
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| allowed to travel to Cuba once every 3
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| | dedicated itself to promoting sport and
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| years, so the policites were tightened
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| | athelticism and today Cuba excels in many
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| significantly by the US government in
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| | different sports (track and field,
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| recent times. The results of the embargo
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| | baseball, basketball, volleyball, fencing
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| and the economic shortages are visible
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| | and others) on an international level. So
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| everywhere, buildings are crumbling,
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| | all in all, the Cuban Revolution has had
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| there is not enough construction
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| | some astoundingly positive effects on the
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| material, hospitals are lacking in
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| | country, despite all the hardships that
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| equipment, and personal income is
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| | people still experience. However, it
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| extremely low (eg. between $ 8 and $20 a
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| | seems that there is a little bit of
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| month...). As a result, everybody is
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| | optimism in the air, since Cuba signed
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| forced to open a little side business.
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| | trade agreements with Venezuela, various
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| During the last few days I have heard
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| | other Latin American countries and China.
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| that it is extremely common in Cuba to
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| | And of course great hope is placed in
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| steal resources from the State since all
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| | Cuba´s tourism industry. However, on the
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| economic activity including retail is
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| | other hand, you have to keep in mind that
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| nationalized. People steal cosmetics,
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| | Cuba is still a dictatorship, a
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| hygience products, cement, wood,
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| | totalitarian regime and human rights and
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| computers, cigars, everything that is not
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| | personal freedoms are restricted here.
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| absolutely nailed down. Then they sell
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| | There is a palpable paranoia here among
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| the products privately under the table.
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| | people in that they are afraid of
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| It is strangely ironic that in a
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| | publicly criticizing the regime. And
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| Communist country, everybody has turned
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| | organizations like the CDR, the Comite de
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| into an entrepreneur... The phrase that I
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| | la Defensa de la Revolution, often act as
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| have heard is ¨hay que inventar¨, you
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| | watchdogs and informers on the people.
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| have to invent things - be creative in
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| | Travel is extremely restricted, or
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| order to survive. This mentality
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| | impossible, and there are no official
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| manifests itself in some very obvious
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| | methods of criticizing the government.
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| ways: yesterday Pedro and I tried to get
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| | This short little bit of time has been
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| into the Partagas Tobacco Factory since I
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| | great in giving me an insight into Cuban
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| wanted to go on a tour. The security
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| | culture, politics and economics, and my
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| guard told us that an employee had died
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| | classes at the university are great since
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| and that therefore the factory was
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| | my colleagues also add to a very
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| closed. Then, under his breath, he asked
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| | interesting discussion. We discuss and
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| us if we wanted to buy a box of cigars.
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| | compare the Scandinavian, Cuban and
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| How amazing: the security guard
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| | Canadian health systems, political
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| protecting the tobacco factory is selling
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| | systems, mass media and economic policies
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| (stolen) cigars on the black market.
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| | and all this has truly been an
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| Also, just outside the Capitol building,
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| | eye-opening experience. This entire
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| Havana´s most astounding and most
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| | article including photos is located at
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| well-known architectural jewel, there is
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| | Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a web
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| a beautiful park with tropical flowers,
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| | portal for unconventional travel &
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| shadowy trees and benches. And almost all
| |
| | cross-cultural connections. Check out our
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| the benches are missing their wooden
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| | brand new FREE ebooks about travel.
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| slats, on the seat, the backrest or both.
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|
