CUBA: Old American Cars

English: When you mention Cuba, some of the associations are OLD AMERICAN CARS and BARGAINS.
We stayed in Varadero, which is a tourist resort, located 130 km from Havana. Havana is where you see the old American cars everywhere. You can see the various creations. You can see a mixture of American and Russian car body parts all on one car.
You have no contact with prices for Cuban people. Some prices for tourists are the same as in Canada, and sometimes more expensive. They have no national cuisine but the restaurant in our hotel was great, while the other hotels guests complained of stale food. The  fruit was tasteless. You  think at least there you expect to find, high quality citrus fruit, but it may be preserved for their people, or it was not in season. In the hotel we had three meals per day and drink as much as want. When you buying something in the open markets, it is fun to bargain with the vendors. The bargaining process is simple and they are usually willing to take considerably less than the asking price. They do have some beautiful hand-made items that are at a good price. When you  leave Cuba, at the airport you must pay 25 pesos fee (about $25 US).
By Nenad Ciric, 2010

Srpski: Kada se pomene Kuba, obicno se pomisli na STARE AMERICKE AUTOMOBILE i JEFTINOCU.
Odmarali smo se u Varaderu, koji je u stvari turisticki resort, udaljen 130 km od Havane. Tek ponegde su mogli da se vide stari americki automobili, ali zato kad smo bili u Havani, ima ih na svakom koraku. Mogu da se vide razne kreacije, kao na primer americka karoserija sa branikom od ruske Lade napred, improvizovanim gepekom na krovu od sushalice za ves, a u haubi je verovatno motor sa pomesanim americkim i ruskim delovima, sa verovatno dosta improvizacija. O eko standardima necemo ni da pricamo.
Na Kubi ne mozes da osetis jeftinocu jer nemas kontakta sa njihovim cenama. Sve su cene iste kao i u Kanadi, a nesto je i skuplje. Nemaju nacionalnu kuhinju ali je restoran u nasem hotelu bio super, dok su se po ostalim hotelima zalili na bljutavu hranu. Jedino je voce bilo nikakvo i neukusno. Cudno, bar tamo ocekujes da nadjes kvalitetno juzno voce, ali ga mozda cuvaju samo za svoj narod, ili mu nije bila sezona. U hotelu smo imali tri obroka dnevno i pice koliko hoces. Posle dva dana ja sam poceo da preskacem rucak jer je previse hrane, a i vrucina je. Ali zato nisam preskakao pice. Kada kupujes nesto na otvorenim "trznim centrima" obicaj je da se cenjkas. Ja im obicno ponudim 1 pezos manje od onog sto traze, cisto da ih ispostujem i oni odmah pristanu jer su inace bili spremni da ti prodaju za bar 3-4 pezosa manje (ovo je slucaj za rucno pravljene suvernire koje kostaju oko 10 pezosa). Ako dolazis na Kubu kao turista a nemas uplacen hotel moras da potrosis odredjenu kolicinu para i da pokazes racune da bi to dokazao kad se vracas u svoju zemlju. Inace, kada hoces da izadjes iz Kube, na aerodromu moras da platis taksu 25 pezosa (oko 25$ USA).
Zapisao Nenad Ciric godine 2010.

CUBA: Poverty?

English: When you mention Cuba, one of the association is POVERTY.
Poverty can be recognized if someone has a low standard of living and can not use the benefits as anyone else. But also, you're poor if you have an unhappy life, no matter how much money you have. Never mind a rich life if you live in Antarctica ... or if you are straight and live in a city full of gay people (or opposite) ... or if you have lots of cars and you live on a small island ... or if your wife is gorgeous and having sex with everyone else except you ... In all of these cases, I can see only poverty. Some modest and small gift can make some Cubans happy, but those who are working in the hotel and receive a monthly salary of usually around 20 pesos are conceited and insulting if they receive a  tip of less than one peso. Some don’t even want less than 5 pesos, and some even want to define their  own tip. Tips should be a reflection of your mood and appreciation. We bought a big pack of Pampers worth about 12 euros for one married couple with children in Havana, for no reason. They jumped with joy, as they were happy. You are not poor if you don’t have - you are poor if you do not enjoy in what you have ... and each one of us has at least something.
By Nenad Ciric, 2010


Srpski: Kada se pomene Kuba, jedna od asocijacija je SIROMASTVO.
Siromastvo se prepoznaje ako neko ima nizak standard zivota i ne moze da koristi blagodeti kao neko drugi iz njegovog okruzenja. Ali isto tako, siromasan si ako si nezadovoljan zivotom, ma koliko para imao i ne umes ili ne mozes da ih upotrebis na pravi nacin. Sta ti znaci ako si bogat a zivis na Antartiku ... ili ako volis zenske a zivis u gradu punom homoseksualaca ... ili ako imas veliki vozni park a zivis na nekom malom ostrvu ... ili ako ti je zena lepa a vodi ljubav se sa svima ostalima osim sa tobom ... U svim ovim slucajevima ja vidim samo siromastvo. Kuba je prirodno bogata - Kubanaca verovatno ima i siromasnih i bogatih, uglavnom su skromni i mali poklon moze da ih usreci, dok oni koji rade u hotelu i primaju mesecnu platu oko 20 pezosa obicno su pokondireni i uvrede se ako im das tip (bakshish) manji od jednog pezosa. Neki nece nista manje od 5 pezosa, a neki cak zele sami da odrede svoj tip. Nije ih briga sto tip treba da bude odraz tvog raspolozenja i zahvalnosti u zavisnosti kakvu si uslugu dobio. Jednom bracnom paru sa decom u Havani, koje nismo propisno ni upoznali, niti su ucinili nesto za nas, kupili smo veliko pakovanje Pampersa u vrednosti oko 12 eura. Skakali su od srece, koliko su bili radosni. Nisi siromasan ako nemas - siromasan si ako ne uzivas u onome sto imas ... a svako ima bar nesto.
Zapisao Nenad Ciric godine 2010.

CUBA: Havana

English: When you mention Cuba, we usually have in my mind images of the old town HAVANA.
The old city of Havana is the UNICEF protected historic monument, but the heat and humidity has ruined it. In Havana, you can see the beautiful buildings, but when you walk through narrow streets, every twentieth building is falling apart (I’m not exaggerating) and it is impossible to live in it because there is no roof. While going through these streets it is best not to take out your camera and show that you are tourist. Forget about the cuban hospitality that you can see in commercials. Hospitality is when you are kind and do not seek anything in return. I took off my ID bracelet from the hotel they put on your arm as proof that you are on "all inclusive".. I had to do it, because the bracelet is a sure sign for aggressive Cuban crooks that we are their target. My wife (my girlfriend then, but at the end of that day in Havana became my fiancée) looks like a Cuban, so when we corrected a few things we could move more easily. If some annoying guy approached us and tried to speak with us in English, I started to talk in Serbian, and then he give up. No communication - no money. In Havana, the Serbian language is much more useful than English. I thought that I will have more photos from Havana, but in some places it was really too big of a risk to have the camera, because we walked down some streets where tourists rarely went. We ran into a small parade with music. The locals were relaxed and played drums as the procession moved slowly. The people watched from the balcony and girls were shaking in the Caribbean way. On the highways, we could see people lining the road hitchiking. Cuba even has a law for  people who are working in some "important" places. They are dressed in a khaki colored suit and you are obliged to stop and give them a lift. There are so many, I do not know how the others get a ride.
By Nenad Ciric, 2010

Srpski: Kada se pomene Kuba, najcesce su nam u glavi slike starog grada HAVANA.
Stari grad Havana je Unicefom zasticen istorijski spomenik, ali ga Kubanci slabo stite od propadanja ... godine, vrucina i vlaga rade svoje. U Havani se stvarno mogu videti predivne gradjevine, ali kada hodas uskim ulicama sa lepim zgradama u nizu, svaka dvadeseta je polusrusena (ne preterujem) i ne moze se u njoj ziveti jer nema ni krova. Dok prolazis tim ulicama ne dao ti bog da izvadis fotoaparat i slikas jer ce poceti zicanje, neprirodna ljubaznost uz ocekivanje tipa, ili jos gore, neprijatni, negostoljubivi pogledi. Zaboravi na onu cubansku gostoprimljivost koju vidis na TV-u. Prava ljubaznost i gostoprimljivost je kada ne trazis nista zauzvrat. Ja sam skinuo svoju narukvicu koju ti prilikom cekiranja u hotelu stave kao dokaz da si na "all inclusive". Mogao sam to da uradim jer mogu tako da iskrivim palceve i provucem narukvicu. Hudini je morao da polomi svoje palceve da bi mogao da izvodi trikove sa okovima, a ja sam rodjen takav falican. Morao sam to da uradim, jer je narukvica siguran znak za nasrtljive, preljubazne kubanske prevarante da pocnu sa svojim trikovima za izmamljivanje para. Moja zena (tada jos uvek verenica, mada do kraja dana u Havani postala je zarucnica) inace lici na Kubanku, tako da kad smo te neke stvari korigovali, mogli smo lakse da se krecemo. Kad bi nam neko uporan prisao i poceo na engleskom, ja mu ga lepo smirenim tonom iznakrshim majke na srpskom, tako da on shvati da ne moze nista i odustane. Nema komunikacije - nema para. Stvarno, u Havani, srpski jezik je mnogo korisniji od engleskog. Mislio sam da cu vise fotografija da imam iz Havane, ali na nekom mestima je stvarno bio preveliki rizik izvaditi fotoaparat, posto smo se setali i ulicama gde turisti slabo zalaze. Tako smo naleteli na jednu malu paradu sa muzikom. Lokalci su opusteno igrali uz bubnjeve i povorka se polako kretala, ljudi gledali sa balkona a zenske mesale na karipski nacin. Kada smo se vracali iz Havane, svuda usput, kao i kao i u dolasku, mogli smo da vidimo nacickane ljude pored puta kako autostopiraju. Cuba cak ima zakon da za neke ljude koji rade na nekim “vaznim” mestima, kada su obuceni u odelo kaki boje, duzan si da stanes i povezes ih. Takvih ima dosta, ne znam kako ostali uopste dodju na red.
Zapisao Nenad Ciric godine 2010.

Che Guevara and Communism

English: When you mention Cuba, some of the associations would be CHE GUEVARA and COMMUNISM.
Che Guevara has definitely found his place in history. At the time it was to be the biggest political change in Cuba, but now no one will even mention it. I remember that when I was younger, T-shirts with his image were popular. Wear it or you are not cool. In Cuba no one wears Che T-shirts. Of course, T-shirts with his image can still be purchased anywhere, but this is obviously just for tourists.
The way they live in Cuba, should not be called communism. Communism is something that should come after capitalism, if people's awareness and lifestyles change (to that I doubt). The embargo has left a mark on the lives of Cubans. They are all by themselves to survive. I managed to notice - not very handy. In my opinion, they have only tourism, mainly due to the location. Some hotels do not have toilet seats, or toilet paper, and have a rating of three or four stars. Supplies and hygiene products are a luxury. Luckily, our hotel in Varadero “Villa Cuba” was great. I would recommended it.


Srpski: Kada se pomene Kuba, obicno se pomisli na CHE GEVARU i KOMUNIZAM.
Che Gevara je definitivno otiso u istoriju, kada se bude desila neka krupnija politicka promena na Kubi, niko vise nece ni da ga spominje. Ja se secam kako su kod nas ranije, majce sa njegovim likom bile popularne - ili je nosis ili nisi cool. Na Kubi niko ne nosi Che Gevarinu majcu (dosta im je prosle revolucije ... mozda se spremaju za sledecu). Naravno, majce sa njegovim likom mogu da se kupe svuda, ali je to samo za turiste ocigledno.
Ovo kako zive na Kubi, ne bi trebalo da se zove komunizam. Komunizam je nesto sto bi trebalo da dodje posle kapitalizma, ako se svest ljudi i nacin zivota promeni (u sta cisto sumnjam). Svet ce uvek biti zivotinjsko carstvo ma koliki tehnoloski napredak ljudi napravili, jer ljudi sami - najokrutniji su deo tog zivotinjskog carstva. Video sam ponovo pionire i prisetio se dana kada sam bio mali. Ipak to nije komunizam. Svi ce ti pioniri krenuti svojim putem i bolece ih za sve ostale. Kubanci sve sami moraju da proizvedu, a koliko sam uspeo da primetim - nisu bas mnogo majstoricavi. Po mom misljenju imaju samo turizam, najvise zahvaljujuci lokaciji. Neki hoteli nemaju ni daske na WC soljama, ni toalet papir, a imaju tri ili cetiri zvezdice. Pribor i sredstva za higijenu su luksuz. Srecom nas hotel u Varaderu “Villa Cuba” bio je odlican, odabrao sam ga po preporuci.

Fidel Castro

English: When you mention Cuba, one of the association would be FIDEL CASTRO.
Fidel Castro is still alive - at least so they say, but a state run by his brother. One family government throughout the country - as once Romania. I do not know how these people really love their great leader, but if you live in isolation all of your life that is all you know. They do however know that there is a different world where things are more progressive. Some of the people still don’t have basic things. I doubt that the government would not like anything to change. They do enjoy their baseball, that's their national sport. They  have many great Cuban ball players that have gone on to play for the Major Leagues. Frantic fans pass through the streets in groups, shouting and cheering, even if there is no game. I guess this is one way to cheer, when they can not shout "Down with the Government". They even have a  park where baseball fans get together to quarrel and intellectualize about the games.


Srpski: Kada se pomene Kuba, jedna od asocijacija je FIDEL KASTRO.
Fidel Kastro je jos uvek ziv - bar tako kazu, ali drzavu vodi njegov brat. Znaci jedna familija upravlja celom drzavom - kao nekad Rumunija. Ja se secam da je Jugoslavija bila veliki prijatelj sa Kubom - pokret nesvrstanosti i ostala sr... (ovo sa tackama ne znaci ostala sranja, vec ostala sreca). Ne znam koliko ovaj narod stvarno voli svog velikog vodju, ali ako zivis izolovan i znas da svi drugi idu napred, a ti jos uvek kuburis sa osnovnim stvarima, cisto sumnjam da ne bi voleo nesto da promenis. Umesto toga, oni su se potpuno preorjentisali na bejzbol, to im je nacionalni sport. Freneticni navijaci u grupama idu ulicama, deru se i navijaju, cak i kad nema utakmice. Valjda je to jedan od nacina da se isprazne, kad ne mogu da vicu "dole vlada". Cak su jedan od parkova zauzeli i tu se tradicionalno okupljaju, svadjaju i pametuju oko utakmica.

CUBA: Rum and Cuban cigars

English: When you mention Cuba, some of the associations would be RUM and CUBAN CIGARS.
Rum in Cuba is the main ingredient of cocktails. I noticed that nobody drinks it straight. They have it in abundance because they produce it in Cuba. I didn’t managed to find out what is the price of rum is for Cubans, it is probably less than 0.1 convertible peso for a bottle of 1 liter. The convertible peso is only used by tourists. 1 convertible peso is worth about $1 US. As far as the rum - it is hard to be a good critic, because I have never drank it very much and always I mixed it with something else. I can only say that Cuban rum is normal - normal shock in the head and other body parts ... I drank it regularly and in sufficient quantities.
In Cuba you can buy cigars on the street, but it is illegal and you may buy an imitation, as they wrap them in private.  Often they are wrapped in a banana leaf, and who knows what else. Could be cheaper but you may not get what you think you're buying.
By Nenad Ciric, 2010

Srpski: Kada se pomene Kuba, obicno se pomisli na RUM i KUBANSKE CIGARE.
Rum je na Kubi glavni sastojak svih koktela. Nisam primetio da ga neko pije bez dodataka, kao recimo mi rakiju (ipak smo mi delije). Imaju ga u izobilju jer ga sami proizvode. Nisam uspeo da saznam kolika mu je cena za Kubance, verovatno je manje od 0.1 konvertibilnog pezosa za flasu od 1 litra. Konvertibilni pezos koriste turisti, a oni imaju njihov pezos koji vredi malo vise od jednog govneta. 1 konvertibilni pezos vredi otprilike 1 americki dolar. Podelili su monetu tako da turisti kupuju po visim cenama nego oni, sto ima smisla jer bi u protivnom bilo nenormalno jeftino za turiste. Sto se ruma tice tu bas ne mogu da budem neki kriticar, posto ga ranije nisam previse pio, i uvek sam ga sa necim mesao, tako da samo mogu da konstatujem da je ovaj kubanski rum normalan - normalno udara u glavu i ostale delove tela ... konzumirao sam ga redovno i u dovoljnim kolicinama.
Na Kubi mozes da kupis cigare na ulici, ali je nelegalno i mozes da kupis imitaciju, posto ih oni privatno motaju, a cesto ih motaju i od lista banane i ko zna jos cime. Bude jeftinije ali ne dobijes ono sto mislis da si platio.
Zapisao Nenad Ciric godine 2010.

CUBA: The heat

English: When you mention Cuba, one of the association would be THE HEAT.
Heat was not the first thing we felt when we landed at the airport. The first thing that we experienced was the in-hospitable attitude of the immigration officers. It is known that a  communist (or rather dictatorial) country pretends to want to preserve themselves from the evil capitalist influences. Only the first day was cloudy and at the end of the day it rained. All the other days were sunny. There are Cubans who complain that they've had enough sun and it would be nice for it to feel like winter, like we have in Canada. I think that they would prefer to experience a better life - not the different weather in Canada.  No normal person would  have changed that paradise in the Caribbean for a rainy Vancouver, or a cold day in Saskatchewan. The look of money can change the sense of temperature ...
By Nenad Ciric, 2010

Srpski: Kada se pomene Kuba, jedna od asocijacija je VRUCINA.
Vrucina nije bila prvo sto smo osetili kad smo sleteli na aerodrom. Prvo sto te doceka je preterana ozbiljnost i negostoljubivost u imigracionom delu. Poznato je kako se u komunistickoj (ili bolje reci diktatorskoj) zemlji pretvaraju da zele da se sacuvaju od zlog kapitalistickog uticaja. Druga stvar koja se oseti je vlaga u vazduhu veca od normalne, ne zbog toga sto je tog dana bilo oblacno, vec zbog podneblja. Inace, samo je prvog dana bilo oblacno i pred kraj dana je padala kisa. Svih ostalih dana je bilo suncano, pravo leto. Sto ti je covek - uvek mu fali nesto: Ovde se Kubanci zale da im je dosta sunca i da bi rado voleli da osete zimu, kao sto mi imamo u Kanadi. Ja mislim da bi oni radije da osete zivot - a ne vreme u Kanadi; niko normalan ne bi menjao onaj raj na Karibima za kisoviti Vancouver, ili zimogrozni Saskatchewan. Para izgleda moze da promeni i osecaj za temperaturu ...
Zapisao Nenad Ciric godine 2010.