Right now, as I am writing this, I am waiting for a reply from my Sunwing rep about booking my April 2012 group trip to Club Amigo Marea del Portillo.
I don't want to use the phone, lest she call back. I don't want to stray too far from the computer, lest she email. So, I decided to occupy my time by catching up on a little online reading, starting with my favorite news blog, Havana Times. Front and center on the home page today is a piece entitled: "Weighing in on Toilet Paper in Cuba" by Maria Matienzo Puerto, whose down-to-earth writing I particularly enjoy.
It's funny that this piece has caught my eye because the "for Cuba" shelves in my laundry room have a heap of toilet paper, ready to pack for the April trip! It was on sale, so I stocked up. A few days ago, my hubby, Mr. Patient, asked me, "Are you really taking all that toilet paper to Cuba?"
"Yes," I said, nodding firmly. I could see he was struggling not to roll his eyes, so I quickly explained: "Toilet paper is light and bulky. My luggage is usually overweight because of all the stuff I take to give away. I figured the TP would balance things out, so I wouldn't be dinged with an overweight luggage fee at the airport, yet again. This is a cost-effective step in my travel evolution."
Mr. P. liked that answer, from the Canadian cost-analysis perspective, but I could tell he was still skeptical of the value, as perceived by the prospective recipients of these proposed gifts. Therefore, I went on to tell that I'd noticed homes did not always have what many women consider a necessity when we go "wee-wee," let alone producing "number 2." In the place of toilet paper, there may be other paper products, such as an old magazine or a child's coloring book (the latter is softer). It all depends on what is available to the household; if nothing is available, nothing is available.
Whenever I travel in Cuba, I make a habit of keeping small wads of TP in my pockets, purse and backpack, and I always advise the same for people who are part of my groups – particularly the women. And, when appropriate, I leave some of my stash behind, so the next gal to settle in for a pee (or whatever), will not be caught short.
So, I was very glad to see that my observation about the need for more TP in Cuba was corrobated today by Maria's HT piece. It's a shame that what many women consider a necessity is now a luxury for Cuban women, as she notes. I was shocked to learn that TP prices have shot up so much that it now costs 30% of her wages which, I am guessing, are average. If Maria lived closer to where I will be visiting in April, I would gladly give her a few rolls! Maybe one day....
Meanwhile, I hope she knows she has something more valuable than TP from me; she has my respect. Okay, you can't wipe your "toto" with it, I know, but respect has a certain intrinsic value, even if it's not particularly useful. Right?
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
GIFTS: The short list, 2012 update
I've begun visiting Cuba regularly, organizing groups to travel with me to Club Amigo Marea del Portillo, a wonderful little resort in the southern end of the island. Because of this relatively new role as tour leader and Cuba-vangelist, I am frequently asked questions about the country. I always do my best to answer intellegently but, in all honesty, I am no expert!
With that general disclaimer in mind, I am putting forward my short list of suggestions in response to the #1 FAQ: "What gifts should I take to Cuba?" For a more comprehensive answer and longer list, please read my earlier (2010) blog post, entitled "GIFTS: What's most appreciated?"
The 2012 short list of most useful gift ideas:
- Clothing of all types & sizes (even light jackets)
- Shoes, socks & underwear (for adults & children)
- Any basic drugstore or medicine-cabinet supplies
[Please check expiry dates on consumables!]
- Toiletries like deodorant, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes/paste, etc.
- Feminine products (tampons & pads) & razors
- Paper, pens, pencils, etc. (school supplies & for adults too)
- Wind-up flashlights (batteries can be hard to get)
- Flint igniters or lighters for gas stoves (not matches)
- Solar yard lights (can be used indoors during power outages)
- USB devices (flashdrives can be loaded with movies, music, etc.)
Three items that I've added to my personal list are flint igniters, solar lights and flashdrives. These are not things I've found on any other lists; the additions are based on my own observations and experiences.
On one of my earliest trips, I asked an amigo what he felt would be useful for me to bring on another visit. He suggested lighters because many people cook with gas and, in the humidity, matches won't always work. Rather than contribute to waste in Cuba by taking disposable lighters, I began taking spark igniters - available at hardware stores because they are mainly used here for lighting welding torches. They run about $5 each.
I began taking solar-powered yard lights after visiting a friend in the village of Marea del Portillo, as it was getting dark. He had a cranky wind-up flashlight that barely illuminated the critters he was trying to show off. (If it quacks, it must be a duck!) So, on my next trip, I literally lit up his life with solar torches. Several Cuban friends I've also given them to say that they use these yard lights inside their homes when the electricity flickers off in the evening, as it frequently does.
I watch for sales and buy boxes of solar lights whenever possible. The best deals have been about $40 for a box of 20; in other words, about $2/each. I have seen some at dollar stores for less money but they are also cheaper with respect to quality and amount of illumnation. People will be appreciative of any solar lights but I try to take models I think will last at least until my next trip!
More recently, I've begun taking USB devices (a.k.a. flashdrives, flash keys, thumb drives, etc.). Again, I watch closely for sale prices and have sometimes been able to pick up 8-GB drives for about $12/each, on average. These are pricier gifts but light and compact (my suitcases are usually heavy and overflowing) and, most importantly, they are extremely useful in Cuba. People typically use them to share movies, music and games, as well as information.
That last point is especially worth noting. Most Cubans do not have Internet access, even if they have computers. By downloading info on world events to a USB key, they can share international news with many people. Thus, they can learn about current events, albeit a bit belatedly. (For instance, they may not have learned of Whitney Houston's death two minutes after it occurred, like many North Americans did.) Also, the lives of expensive, hard-to-get electronic equipment can be extended by using a USB port instead of the more delicate disk drive.
Okay, I've blithered on again for much longer than I'd intended - I had wanted to keep this post short! Oh, well, I'm a writer. Once my fingers start dancing, it's sometimes hard to stop them....
With that general disclaimer in mind, I am putting forward my short list of suggestions in response to the #1 FAQ: "What gifts should I take to Cuba?" For a more comprehensive answer and longer list, please read my earlier (2010) blog post, entitled "GIFTS: What's most appreciated?"
The 2012 short list of most useful gift ideas:
- Clothing of all types & sizes (even light jackets)
- Shoes, socks & underwear (for adults & children)
- Any basic drugstore or medicine-cabinet supplies
[Please check expiry dates on consumables!]
- Toiletries like deodorant, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes/paste, etc.
- Feminine products (tampons & pads) & razors
- Paper, pens, pencils, etc. (school supplies & for adults too)
- Wind-up flashlights (batteries can be hard to get)
- Flint igniters or lighters for gas stoves (not matches)
- Solar yard lights (can be used indoors during power outages)
- USB devices (flashdrives can be loaded with movies, music, etc.)
Three items that I've added to my personal list are flint igniters, solar lights and flashdrives. These are not things I've found on any other lists; the additions are based on my own observations and experiences.
On one of my earliest trips, I asked an amigo what he felt would be useful for me to bring on another visit. He suggested lighters because many people cook with gas and, in the humidity, matches won't always work. Rather than contribute to waste in Cuba by taking disposable lighters, I began taking spark igniters - available at hardware stores because they are mainly used here for lighting welding torches. They run about $5 each.
I began taking solar-powered yard lights after visiting a friend in the village of Marea del Portillo, as it was getting dark. He had a cranky wind-up flashlight that barely illuminated the critters he was trying to show off. (If it quacks, it must be a duck!) So, on my next trip, I literally lit up his life with solar torches. Several Cuban friends I've also given them to say that they use these yard lights inside their homes when the electricity flickers off in the evening, as it frequently does.
I watch for sales and buy boxes of solar lights whenever possible. The best deals have been about $40 for a box of 20; in other words, about $2/each. I have seen some at dollar stores for less money but they are also cheaper with respect to quality and amount of illumnation. People will be appreciative of any solar lights but I try to take models I think will last at least until my next trip!
More recently, I've begun taking USB devices (a.k.a. flashdrives, flash keys, thumb drives, etc.). Again, I watch closely for sale prices and have sometimes been able to pick up 8-GB drives for about $12/each, on average. These are pricier gifts but light and compact (my suitcases are usually heavy and overflowing) and, most importantly, they are extremely useful in Cuba. People typically use them to share movies, music and games, as well as information.
That last point is especially worth noting. Most Cubans do not have Internet access, even if they have computers. By downloading info on world events to a USB key, they can share international news with many people. Thus, they can learn about current events, albeit a bit belatedly. (For instance, they may not have learned of Whitney Houston's death two minutes after it occurred, like many North Americans did.) Also, the lives of expensive, hard-to-get electronic equipment can be extended by using a USB port instead of the more delicate disk drive.
Okay, I've blithered on again for much longer than I'd intended - I had wanted to keep this post short! Oh, well, I'm a writer. Once my fingers start dancing, it's sometimes hard to stop them....
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Embargo's golden anniversary: failure to thrive
This is an open letter to whomever it may concern, including President Barack Obama.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr. O.,
Let me start by stating that I don't really like politics; I'm not a fan of any blood sport. You, however, seem more human and humane than many politicians. Maybe I'm a deluded optimist but I believe you have a little more integrity than most of your power-seeking predecessors in that big white house, and I think you have a heart.
As of this month, February 2012, it has been a full 50 years since JFK authorized an economic embargo against Cuba. It has remained in place under 10 U.S. presidents and a pair of Castros but, in all that time, what has been accomplished? The indefatigable Cuban government soldiers on – including many of the old guard who physically fought to liberate the country from Batista, a truly bloody politician. If the goal was to crush the country's spirit and arm wrestle the Cuban government into financial submission, it hasn't worked. After half a century, isn't it time to call it a draw and move on to projects that will actually benefit humanity?
I've been to Cuba a few times and, let me tell you, those folks are incredibly resilient, resourceful and more than a tad bit stubborn. They are not going to roll over and show you their bellies. They've been through worse and survived. In fact, they didn't just survive, they sang and danced.
But, Mr. O., I want you know, this continued blockade is hard on the politically innocent people of the country; I'm thinking, in particular, of the Cubans who are younger than the embargo. They have free education and free health care but they don't always have enough food, jobs are scarce as hen's teeth and the light at the end of the tunnel is very dim. Yet, they survive. They make do. They help each other. They barter. They work under the table. They make friends with tourists. As a whole, they're very friendly people, hard working and incredibly family oriented. That may be what has kept them going in dark times – their strong sense of camaraderie which, to my mind, echoes the attitudes of the Dirty '30s in America.
The national feeling of all being in it together, I suspect, is part of the reason why this 50-year-old embargo has not worked. When people stand together, it's hard to knock 'em down. Why keep trying? The country is not doing as well as it could be but they're not going to give up.
If Cuba were a child, one might diagnose it as having FTT – failure to thrive. Havana Times writer Fernando Ravsberg recently interviewed Johana Tablada, the deputy director of the North American Division of the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who said just that. He asked her about the damage this protracted embargo has done and she stated: "...the essential harm is that Cuba has been prevented from developing itself to its full potential." [The full article is worth reading, as is a related piece by Ravsberg.] Cuba is surviving but not thriving.
Despite their collective struggles, however, the Cuban people have accomplished a lot, particularly in the world of medicine – Cuban doctors and other medical personnel are internationally renowned. I think you know more about this "soft diplomacy" than I do, Mr. O., since you commented on it at the 5th Summit of the Americas in 2009. [For more information on this topic, here's a link.] In addition to medicine, Cubans excel at many things, from music to baseball; I can't help but wonder what they could accomplish if the embargo did not impede their progress. They've done so well while merely surviving, what could they achieve if they were given the freedom to thrive?
Fifty years have passed, Mr. O. Rather than mark the golden anniversary of a dismal decree, why not make this a golden opportunity for positive change? Shouldn't the next generation of Cuban children be given a better chance to have productive lives? Wouldn't the world be improved, overall, if Cubans had more freedom to pursue economic opportunities through trade and travel? I'm no political analyst but, from my humble, semi-educated perspective, I believe it would.
Sincerely,
JennyC.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
POEM: Alchemic Sky
Life has been so busy for me lately that I rarely have time to write anything other than email. This poem, which was inspired by seeing a beautiful sunset when I was driving home from work this evening, was a blessing. I saw the sky - so beautiful as the sun was melting into gold - and I thought of alchemy, that special magic which turns ordinary things into precious gold and then....as always, my thoughts turned to Cuba.
Alchemic Sky
(A poem for Cuba)
I want to be the alchemic night
and melt the moon to honey;
I know you are hungry.
I want to be the alchemic day
and turn the sun to gold bars;
I know you need money.
I want to be the alchemic stars
and make your dreams seem possible;
I know you want more.
I want to be the alchemic sky
and change the world.
~ Jennifer R. Cressman
February 8, 2012
Alchemic Sky
(A poem for Cuba)
I want to be the alchemic night
and melt the moon to honey;
I know you are hungry.
I want to be the alchemic day
and turn the sun to gold bars;
I know you need money.
I want to be the alchemic stars
and make your dreams seem possible;
I know you want more.
I want to be the alchemic sky
and change the world.
~ Jennifer R. Cressman
February 8, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Booking groups to Cuba is a challenge with Sunwing!
Dear readers,
As many of you know, I have been organizing group trips to Club Amigo Marea del Portillo, Cuba, twice a year. In 2010, I started doing the booking myself and not charging anything for my services because I wanted to keep the cost as low as possible. My goal was to encourage more people to travel to this small resort in the shoulder seasons (April & October), in order to help the local economy and the people of this community.
It didn't seem complicated to book trips for groups. Let me revise that: it shouldn't be complicated to book trips for groups. Maybe it isn't complicated with some international travel companies but, with Sunwing, it is. From my perspective at the present moment, in fact, it is crazy-making!
Without going into all the gory details as to why I feel incited to insanity, let me just say this: Sunwing's group booking rules seem designed to discourage group travel; they are obtuse and should be revised.
However, I don't give up easily. I will be taking a group to Marea del Portillo in April and I am continuing to work on getting the best possible prices for everyone who wants to join me. Unfortunately, Sunwing is the only airline that services this resort, so I must play the game according to their rules. That means I am learning new forms of patience and trying not to grind my teeth too hard.
I can't give you any firm prices for the April trip yet but I am remaining confident that the two-week rate will be around $1,000 and the one-week rate will be close to $800 for the VIP Cabana package - hopefully less - including the fuel surcharge, which is presently $290. This all-inclusive deal covers your flight and taxes, food and beverages, accommodation and a selection of perks, such as a lobster dinner on a lovely island. Here is a link that gives you an overview of the resort; if you scroll down the list, you will see what is included in the VIP package. I prefer staying in a cabana because they are quieter and more private but, if your budget is snug, I can book you into the beach-front hotel, right next door to the cabanas.
This group will be departing from Toronto in two stages: April 5 for the two-weekers and April 12 for those going for a single week. The return date will be April 19.
During the second week (April 12-19), there will be some special options available for those who are so inclined. Wendy Martin of Sacred Breath Yoga Studio will be offering yoga on the beach. Wendy Oke of Alma Matters will be available to lead a mini-workshop on art and spirituality, with respect to 2012 and Cuba. Karen Wehrstein, who excels in many styles of writing - from journalism to fantasy - is also hoping to join this travel posse and lead a writing workshop.
As well, as always, I will be arranging some special activities for my groupies (so to speak). I'll announce those details later. Meanwhile...
Keep smiling,
Jenny
As many of you know, I have been organizing group trips to Club Amigo Marea del Portillo, Cuba, twice a year. In 2010, I started doing the booking myself and not charging anything for my services because I wanted to keep the cost as low as possible. My goal was to encourage more people to travel to this small resort in the shoulder seasons (April & October), in order to help the local economy and the people of this community.
It didn't seem complicated to book trips for groups. Let me revise that: it shouldn't be complicated to book trips for groups. Maybe it isn't complicated with some international travel companies but, with Sunwing, it is. From my perspective at the present moment, in fact, it is crazy-making!
Without going into all the gory details as to why I feel incited to insanity, let me just say this: Sunwing's group booking rules seem designed to discourage group travel; they are obtuse and should be revised.
However, I don't give up easily. I will be taking a group to Marea del Portillo in April and I am continuing to work on getting the best possible prices for everyone who wants to join me. Unfortunately, Sunwing is the only airline that services this resort, so I must play the game according to their rules. That means I am learning new forms of patience and trying not to grind my teeth too hard.
I can't give you any firm prices for the April trip yet but I am remaining confident that the two-week rate will be around $1,000 and the one-week rate will be close to $800 for the VIP Cabana package - hopefully less - including the fuel surcharge, which is presently $290. This all-inclusive deal covers your flight and taxes, food and beverages, accommodation and a selection of perks, such as a lobster dinner on a lovely island. Here is a link that gives you an overview of the resort; if you scroll down the list, you will see what is included in the VIP package. I prefer staying in a cabana because they are quieter and more private but, if your budget is snug, I can book you into the beach-front hotel, right next door to the cabanas.
This group will be departing from Toronto in two stages: April 5 for the two-weekers and April 12 for those going for a single week. The return date will be April 19.
During the second week (April 12-19), there will be some special options available for those who are so inclined. Wendy Martin of Sacred Breath Yoga Studio will be offering yoga on the beach. Wendy Oke of Alma Matters will be available to lead a mini-workshop on art and spirituality, with respect to 2012 and Cuba. Karen Wehrstein, who excels in many styles of writing - from journalism to fantasy - is also hoping to join this travel posse and lead a writing workshop.
As well, as always, I will be arranging some special activities for my groupies (so to speak). I'll announce those details later. Meanwhile...
Keep smiling,
Jenny
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