“What’s a stranger doing in a strange land?”
“I am following my destiny”, said the Boy. (The Alchemist, pg. 117)
My ordeal here in Cuba is due to end soon, by Thursday latest barring further hiccups. I have met many characters along the way, and they will be crucial to my story if you should ever ask me about it. They also provide an interesting cross section of Cuban society.
Fifi – the gracious host who by day repairs TVs for the official salary of $20 a month, and then gets 30 times that at night renting under Cuba’s erratic casa particular scheme.
Alejandro – the cool, tall, english speaking Cuban dude who spends an awful lot of time with his girlfriend watching Cuban telenovelas, a favorite national pastime.
Lisabet – the housemaid who has degrees in art, industrial design, economics, and wants to do another one in law. Education is free in Cuba.
N. - The ambassador/professor who teaches at the Superior Institute of International Relations (a postgraduate prep institution for future diplomats and ambassadors) and also works at MinRex, Cuba’s foreign affairs ministry.
D.F. – the american from new jersey who is a “consultant” for food businesses here. He also has a Cuban family and has dedicated himself to the orisha Chango of the island’s Santeria religion.
Stte. O.R.J. – Investigator who took my police report. He thinks Singapore makes clothes for export.
The Spaniard – Hairy dude who lives in a subletted room next to Fifi’s. Tried to ‘sell’ me one of his girls to drown my passport sorrows.
Manreesa – Helpful porter at the nearby Hotel Presidente who cost me $16 with his fumbled call placements to France, and who tried to stop me from inking my thumbs with a pen when I had to fax my thumbprints to Singapore (I’m right handed and had to get his help for my right thumb)
I. – Fishnet, sunglassess-wearing Cuban Immigration Officer who gave me my toughest Spanish oral exam ever (3 hours!) when I had to appear before Cuban Immigration alone for an entire day.
J. – A German med student I met at Immigration who is studying here. He has a Cuban dancer girlfriend (one of a pair of twins, he helpfully adds). He learnt English at school in the Cayman Islands and fluent Spanish growing up in Columbia.
Roberto – Daniel and James’ host, helped me in my second trip to Immigration. He used to work as a radiologist in Cuba’s famed healthcare system, but now spends his days with his two parrots and dog, Major. He remembers the fights of the Revolution growing up as a boy in Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second capital.
Ridiculously Overqualified Recepcionista – ROR works at the hotel and is as completely intimidating as she is completely fluent in five languages.
Carlos – Retired Cuban Ambassador with funny stories to tell from his days serving in the Cuban contingent fighting apartheid South Africa at Cuito Cuanavale (Nelson Mandela famously told Castro “You made this possible” at his inauguration)
AL, MS, (&LSC) – Duo working tirelessly in Singapore, Washington, (and France) for my return. Over the course of my time here I have had to work across 4 time zones and as many continents, depending on how you count Cuba.
There are more still but they probably tie in with Geoffrey’s narrative.
in a weird sort of way, i envy you.
Good luck! Hope you make it out as planned!
Maybe you could post some photos, if you still have your camera – or borrow one.
i’m out! haha trust me the expense wasnt worth it. i do have a camera and tons of photos… but no way to post them, which is partially why I havent been writing about the full story or of Cuba as yet