It was served family style and we all shared, each trying the different types of soups they presented to us.  We were offered delicious, right out of the oven, bread with special spreads (instead of white toast with butter).  We all enjoyed fruit smoothies, drinking them out of reusable bamboo straws. And the main entrée was a medley of several of their offerings.  There was no scarcity here and it was actually a good thing we enjoyed this meal on our last day as it would have set a very bad precedent for the rest of the week.

This is because, in Cuba, there is a rationing system.  They don’t have enough food to feed everyone and most Cuban people make very little money so they ration and subsidize essential items like rice, beans, eggs, meat and milk.  I don’t actually consider the last three items “essential” but this is Cuba’s system, not mine.  Every Cuban is given a ration book at the beginning of the year.  Each time they go to the market, they hand the book to the clerk and they are given certain items at a subsidized rate.  If they need more than what is allocated to them, they have to pay a higher rate (which I was told is normally the case as the rationed amount is not enough).  There are other food items that can be purchased outside of the ration warehouse in community markets but those items are more expensive…at the one we visited, those items included fresh vegetables, a few meat stands and a flower stand.

The restaurants we went to really didn’t know what to do with me…the vegetarian.  Normally, I’d end up with a plate of cabbage, tomatoes and cucumbers.  I tried to ask for rice and beans but on several occasions, I was told they didn’t have any beans.  This was something I really couldn’t comprehend since it’s one of their most common and cheapest staples!  So I did eat omelets on this trip – quite a few of them actually.  I had to get protein from somewhere.  I also ate a lot of cabbage that week – cooked and dry.  I really don’t like cabbage…never have.

If I hadn’t liked my group, I probably would have just stayed at the hotel every night as they had much better dinner options for me in their buffet style restaurant.  But I liked my group…so I ate a lot of cabbage and one night, when our dinner was at the hotel, I got to eat pasta with a made-to-order sauce.

Not to say every meal was only the three staples of cabbage, cucumbers and tomatoes; there was one night when I got beets, carrots and cauliflower.  And many times when I was offered rice, just no beans. There were at least three occasions when we couldn’t even get one of the national beers because the restaurants and bars were out…although they never seemed to be out of Rum.  And I don’t know why the vegetarian restaurant in the middle of nowhere had more food options than restaurants in Havana but that’s Cuba for you.

As the week progressed, I would venture to say we all found gratitude for the abundance of options we have in the States.  We often take this abundance for granted so this week, since it’s a Harmonious Explorations post, I ask that the next time you go to your grocery store or Farmer’s Market, you look around at the abundance and be thankful.  Not everyone is as fortunate as we are. 

for Harmony…Chrissy

Given these statistics, if they are indeed true, it would make sense the Cuban people have a great sense of community because they aren’t sitting at home, on the internet, glued to the TV or playing video games.  They are outdoors, socializing in person with others!  I know, what a concept!

But all joking aside, there truly is a difference between the typical communities in the States where people get home from work, pull into their garages, close the door and go inside versus the people in Cuba who set up a card table in the street and play a nightly game of dominoes with their neighbors.  Or the kids playing soccer, men playing chess in the park, the father and son taking a walk together or the two friends sitting out on the porch, talking with each other…in person.  Not on the phone, not via text or instant message…in person.  Rarely did you ever see anyone by themselves.

Another reason Cuba has such a strong community presence is because of groups called the “CDR” or Committees for the Defense of the Revolution.  This is like a crazy Homeowner’s Association on steroids.  I can say that because I used to manage community associations and vividly remember the insanity of it all. 

But it seems to work for Cuba.  Each community has a CDR and each one has elected officials to help manage it.  They are the watchdogs in the community.  They know everything that is going on, in each household, and they take action when needed.  Sometimes it’s good, like when someone has a drinking problem, the CDR reps will help the person get to counseling.   Other times, I would say, it goes a little too far.  Personally, I don’t want everyone knowing my personal business!  But there’s no getting around it in the CDR.   I think they were, at one time, supposed to monitor the people in the neighborhood in case anyone decided to go against the revolution.  Perhaps they still do that and to me, that seems really repressive.  But the Cubans I spoke with believe they are free and not repressed.  They don’t know any other way of living so this is just what is normal.  I mean, after all, doesn’t everyone live in a community where a personal file is kept on them at someone else’s home?  If you live in an HOA, the answer is Yes but my personal actions and political beliefs are not in that file – only mentions in the file would be that I didn’t get the weeds out of my front yard or I had a loud party and neighbors complained.

There are pros and cons to everything in life, and this is one of them.  We can’t say if it’s good or bad because we aren’t living it.  Personally, I’d rather live in a more social community, like the ones I saw in Cuba…only without the people monitoring my every move.

for Harmony…Chrissy

On Christmas day, we visited a community project called Callegon de Hamel (Hamel’s Alley) which had both colorful art and lively music.   Albeit a very small space, it has thrived for the last twenty years, being a visual manifestation of the founder’s, Salvador González, goal to highlight the Santeria religion and Afro-Caribbean culture and create a place for all to come to appreciate art, music and culture.  It is a place for children and adults to learn art and be given the ability to express themselves through art.  Entrance was free to this community exhibit.

Later that day, we met an artist, Ruben Fernandez Leal, at his home.  He showed us his works of art and invited us to take a seat as he talked with us about his life, his art and his dreams of obtaining a Visa to visit Sacramento, California for an exhibit of his art in May 2012, which he invited me to be his guest if he’s able to come!  He does three-dimensional art so when you look at it from three different angles, you see three different pictures.  You can see an example here on his website or here is a short video of one of his art pieces:

Another artist we met was Lester Campa.  He had beautiful, soulful pieces of art that reflect both the politics of his country as well as environmental issues.  We met him in his home studio in Las Terrazas, an eco-community I write more about in my upcoming book.  He is a world-renowned artist, having traveled around the world displaying his art in museums and galleries.  My favorite piece was one of a trunk of a white palm tree with no leaves.  It was black in the background except where its shadow was which was painted white.  The shadow’s trunk had leaves, reflecting the hope of a better tomorrow.  The photo below is of his workspace.  As you can see from his workspace, John Lennon is a favorite of his.

Everywhere we went, we saw musicians playing instruments and singing songs.  I created a video of the week and realized I didn’t need to add any background.  Even the scene with the drying laundry hanging off the balcony railing had music, naturally playing, in the background. The only silence I noticed was out in the country at the tobacco farm and Viñales Valley.

This short video was taken at La Bodeguita del Medio, Hemingway’s old hangout.

The most popular song that seemed to be played over and over again all week by many of the musicians we encountered was Guantanamera (thanks Sara for the name!).  But even though we did seem to hear that song everywhere we went, I never grew tired of it.  Probably because I was in such awe of how much vibrancy and music there is in Cuba.  At home, I just don’t get that.  I hear cars driving by outside and crows in the trees, but unless I turn on my iPod, there’s no music.  Not in our streets or other public places.  When you’re there, you really get the sense of community that exists in Cuba through the cultural experience.

for Harmony…Chrissy

The first group we met with was a project in Cayo Hueso “La Casa del Niño y la Niña”.  Cayo Hueso is one of the poorer neighborhoods in Cuba and it’s a stark difference from the lavish homes in Miramar as I did not see a single tree or piece of shrubbery in the entire community as we drove through it.  The only time I saw plant life was when it was hanging off someone’s balcony railing.

This community projects helps school-age children with their schooling as well as art and cultural studies.  It was a nice opportunity to meet the kids and hear them speak about their lives and this project.  They were all intelligent, well spoken and full of ideas and hope.  The motto of the project is: Listening to young voices and taking them into account for a better world.  From what I gathered from the meeting, children, in Cuban society, are highly valued.  They are all aware of, and even recited for us, the basic principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 31.  They even have a song about it!  The article states the rights of children, here are a few: the right to a name and nationality, the right to not be discriminated against for any reason, the right to have fun and play, the right to their own opinion, the right to special care if they are physically or mentally disabled, the right to adequate food, housing and medical care, the right to develop their full potential…

When I asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up, they all had a different answer: a singer, baseball player, teacher, actor, physician, artist, musician.  Depending on their talents, anything was possible.  After all, education in Cuba is free.  Even for more advanced degrees like law, medicine and PhD programs.  If you have the grades, you can do whatever you want.  You can even receive multiple degrees and be a perpetual student!

The second community project we visited was called “With Hope and Love” in Pinar del Rio, about two hours west of Havana.  This is a community based art project, set up for kids and young adults with Down syndrome and other mental challenges.  Not only were the kids there that afternoon but their families were as well.  They showed us how they create the pieces of art, called collograph art, and one of the tour participants even tried making one of his own!  Once they finish their painting, they then use a somewhat primitive printing press to transfer the image onto a piece of paper.  At the end, many of the kids spoke to us (our guide translated) and they shared with us how this project has made a difference in their lives.  One even said how the project directors were also matchmakers, that each of the teens and young adults in the program had a boyfriend or girlfriend! 

What was so touching about this project was that not only did these kids have a place to go and learn new talents, becoming an integral part of the community, they were also supported by their families.  Each child had at least one family member there with them that day to encourage and support them.

This project is supposed to have an art exhibit in Livermore, California later this Spring but I haven’t been able to find any details about it online.  If you are interested in learning more, please use the form found on the Welcome page.

for Harmony…Chrissy

“They say that socialism failed because it did not tell the economy the economic cost of socialism and they look at capitalism and say capitalism will probably fail because it does not tell the market the ecological cost of capitalism.”  Howard Lyman

While Cuba’s transition to green agriculture was a response to the Soviet Union collapse, it may have been one of the best things to come out of the Special Period.  Not having access to chemicals, herbicides and pesticides, Cuba was forced to learn how to farm organically.  Having little oil to run machinery, much of the work is done by hand and goods are transported by oxen and horse-drawn carts.

While that is all good (and something to be contemplated by farmers here in the US), in the past they had allowed the rainforest to be cut down in order to plant sugar cane, tobacco fields and for firewood.  It was estimated that when Columbus arrived, Cuba was made up of 90% forests, when Castro took power, there was 10% and now with ongoing reforestation efforts, they have about 25%.

The other bad news?  Their water systems are less than adequate and many of their industries have been dumping waste into the waterways.  Hence why we were told the water in the hotel is safe for hygiene purposes only and even that seemed a little sketchy.  While I cringed every time I opened one, bottled water was a must on this trip.

So we’ve covered soil and water…how about the air?  I couldn’t see the pollution (like you do in Los Angeles), however I know it exists.  All you have to do is look at our 50+ year old cars and buses and see the smoke coming out of the tailpipe.  That can’t be good for the people or the environment.

The good news?  Because people from the US aren’t flocking there in droves, the environment that exists has remained steadily safe.  Cuba’s coral reefs aren’t being overrun by boats, jetskis and divers, the rainforests, at this time, have very few people traipsing through them and the ecological necessities like sandy beaches and trees for birds, turtles and other wildlife are remaining intact and less crowded than many other Caribbean islands.  The ecological diversity found in Cuba is one to be explored, protected and respected.

That’s going to change though and already is changing…as the US loosens its restrictions on people traveling to Cuba, more people will visit.  The ecological losses will be tremendous if Cuba is not careful in safeguarding its environment from the tourism industry.  Amongst other things, this could mean more deforestation in the inland areas and development in the coastal regions.  My hope is that Cuba does not allow tourists to overrun their precious ecosystems, as we have thoughtlessly done in so many other countries, but holds steady in their commitment to the environment and their people, finding the necessary balance between its economy and its environment.

for Harmony…Chrissy

Remember when I wrote about the Happy Planet Index last year and how Costa Rica was #1 and Nicaragua was #11?  Cuba ranks at #7 of having the happiest, most sustainable people in the world.  I’ll remind you again that the US ranks at #114.  This is the latest rating and considering they are still in a bit of “the special period” with their food rationing and not having enough supplies, they are still ranked at #7!

Contrary to our second amendment, no one in Cuba has a gun, except for those in the armed services and those who obtained one illegally (which I would imagine happens very infrequently, although I’m sure it does happen).  And I would much rather live in a society that doesn’t allow guns or use my taxes to support wars and train a military to kill people.  I may be naïve when I say that but I really do love John Lennon’s idea of “living life in peace”.  Costa Rica doesn’t have a military, Cuban people don’t have guns and they both have some of the happiest people in the world, living in two of the most sustainable countries in the world.  There has to be a correlation.  Especially since both countries put more money towards health and education than they do military expenditures.

Because Cuba promotes socialism and a lack of competition, could that also be why they’re listed in the top 10 of the happiness index? While not a socialist country, Costa Rica also offers free education and healthcare to its citizens.  (And neither country has a Starbucks.  Just saying…)

I wonder what would happen in Cuba if the embargo/blockade was removed and those in the US could travel to Cuba legally and with ease?  If Cuba could receive goods and supplies at cheaper prices and more easily from our manufacturers?  They still wouldn’t have access to certain things like satellite TV and cable – the government would still control what activities from the outside world were available to the people.  They probably still wouldn’t have internet in their homes without being monitored and having to pay a heavy expense.  Would their happiness rating increase or decrease if they had access to more capitalist goods and visitors from the United States?

for Harmony…Chrissy

Like I mentioned in the last post, Cuban billboards were always about politics, the revolution, heroes of the past and socialism.  Some of the signs, I just didn’t understand.  I was able to translate them but I wasn’t able to identify with what they signified.  Such as the one below:

“We see you pure as a child, pure as a man, Comandante Che, friend”

I asked a friend who has traveled to Cuba several times and she told me it most likely is a billboard in honor of Che Guevara and his ideas. Doesn’t really mean much to me but it does to the Cuban people.   For those of you in the States, how often do you see a billboard of George Washington, Martin Luther King, Jr or John F. Kennedy?  I guess in our own way, we honor our past heroes by naming airports, libraries, parks and schools after them.  But that to me is a lot less impactful compared to having billboards spread out around the country.

There were also signs hanging from apartment balconies and storefront windows such as these:

Country or Death

Long Live the Revolution

Another thing that I couldn’t understand and spent much time researching when I got home was…what exactly is Communism?  The way it was explained to me by Cubans who I met and spoke with was communism is similar to the Buddhist’s view of enlightenment.  That it was a lifestyle they were striving for but hadn’t yet been able to reach.  That not even the USSR ever reached a true communist society.  While I had read the Communist Manifesto in grad school, I don’t remember it ever being discussed in a way that sounded like attaining enlightenment.

So in researching communism, I became more intrigued because it is so closely related to what is currently happening in the States with the “Occupy Movement”.  I found this quote about it: “In it (The Communist Manifesto) they declare that many problems in society are due to the unequal distribution of wealth. To bring about happiness and prosperity for all, the distinctions between the rich and poor of society must be eliminated. And since the rich will never give up their goods or status voluntarily, a rebellion of the poor — the working class — is necessary.”  Sounds awfully familiar to me…while the Occupy groups haven’t reached the stage of violence, they are saying there is a disparity between the classes.  And many have said that soon, we will no longer have a middle class in the US – it will be the poor and the rich, the haves and the have-nots. 

Communism tries to give equality to all.  Although it doesn’t quite succeed and there is definitely a disparity between those with wealth in Cuba and those without.  There were some areas of Havana (albeit only a few) that had large park-like center medians and beautifully maintained homes.  Trees and flowers were plentiful and well taken care of.  In most other areas, like I mentioned in the first post, homes hadn’t been maintained in many years and I wasn’t sure if they were even structurally sound but people were living in them.  Some of these areas had very few trees, if any at all.  It was all concrete, buildings and electrical wires.  But I do want to add that it was always clean.  People took great pride in their neighborhoods and I often saw people sweeping up leaves and debris.  Rarely did I ever see trash or litter in the streets.

I suppose that is why they say they haven’t reached a true communist state.  Because there is still an issue with people not having enough and some people having more than what they need.  I wonder what it will take for them to reach a true “communist state”?  Will it ever be possible?

for Harmony…Chrissy

First, I’ll back up and explain my reasons for going to Cuba.  About half the people I knew were horrified I was going (mostly those in the US) and the other half were excited (mostly those in Costa Rica and Canada).  I told the half that were horrified to just wait…wait until I returned.  I’m sure there were still whispers of “Chrissy’s gone loco”.  The most commonly asked questions leading up to the trip – are you traveling through Cancun or the Caymans and why would you want to visit a communist country?

I went there legally…I had an approved US State Department issued Visa.  I traveled on a charter flight out of Miami Airport on Delta Airlines to Havana and returned the same way.  The restrictions have been lifted (to a certain degree) for travel to Cuba.  The caveat is you must travel with an approved tour company on a “people to people” tour.  What that means is I wasn’t going to be wandering off on my own to explore or go snorkeling in the Caribbean Sea (as it was not a “people to fish” tour).  Although we were fortunate to visit the beach one afternoon as a group.

To answer the second question, well, I read The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels in Graduate school and I actually liked a lot of what Marx and Engels had to say.  Don’t get me wrong – there are a lot of negatives to communism.  However the underlying aspect of socialism intrigued me. 

But besides the socialism aspect, one might actually want to ask me…why did I want to travel to Cuba?

From a photojournalist’s standpoint, it was like stepping back in time.  We stayed at the 5 star Hotel Nacional de Cuba (5 stars for Cuban standards, not US) which was built in 1930 and is where Sinatra and Gardner, Nat King Cole, the mafia and many others  all stayed back in the day.  I would also learn that it was the location of where the missiles were to be launched in 1961 (which was not so cool but still a piece of history to learn about).  I also wanted to see our old 1950’s cars cruising down the Malecon, listen to jazz, drink a mojito in the bar where Hemingway hung out, explore Habana Viejo and so much more…

Walking down the steps of the plane to the tarmac, it reminded me of my travels to Costa Rica and Nicaragua.  The warm, tropical air defrosting my body from the cold winter that had just begun in Northern California.  Stepping off the last stair, I was mindful of my feet and where I was.  I was now on communist soil in a country in which an embargo had been in effect since 1962…almost 50 years.  And I knew that at some point in the future, the US would lift the embargo and the Cuba that is today would not be the same Cuba people will visit in the future.  I wanted to know and see firsthand this piece of history before it changed.  Still, getting back to the moment of disembarking, their soil felt pretty much the same as our soil. 

What was not the same were their billboards.  While our billboards are generally advertising something that we should buy (based on our capitalist ideals), their billboards were all political and many of them were reminders of the past: the revolution, their heroes.  One of my favorite signs is below, unfortunately we were in a shuttle and I only got a partial photo:

Socialism: Today, Tomorrow, Always

The city of Havana and one we visited later, Pinar del Rio, reminded me of a very unmaintained 19^th Avenue in San Francisco.  In Cuba, there were all of these great homes, townhomes and even a few small highrises throughout the cities but none of them had been maintained for 50 years so they were all deteriorating.  It was really quite sad because the architecture and colors could have been so beautiful.  But with our embargo (or “blockade” as the Cubans call it), they are unable to get materials, or the funds needed, to make repairs.

There is a vast amount of culture in Cuba.  From art to music to baseball to just the people themselves, it was an amazing opportunity to experience it all.  I loved walking down the street and seeing people socialize with one another throughout the day.  I loved hearing their music, meeting artists and talking to them about their work and talking with random people to learn who they are and what their life is like.  And while Cuban rum and cigars are considered contraband and cannot be brought into the States, I did partake in both while I was there.

Probably the best part for me personally was that after 47 days of not being able to breathe and being confined to my house, within only a few hours of arriving in Havana I was not only able to breathe but also enjoy being outdoors without any fears of having a negative reaction.  Even with all of their pollution from unsmogged cars, the warm humid air was such a blessing for me since I had been sick since I stepped off the plane from Costa Rica in early November. 

There are still things I’m trying to figure out and many questions remain. Even though my group will probably tell you I asked more questions that any of them combined!  Over the next few weeks, I’ll be dissecting the trip in more detail.  I’ll talk about the culture more, a little about politics, two different groups of kids we met, a look at their environmental ideas, the lives of the people I met, including those with family in the US who cannot return, their beaches, baseball games and their food rationing/diet as well as what it was like to be a vegetarian in a country that, with only a few exceptions, doesn’t really understand the concept.

For a sneak peek at what’s to come, you can check out a collection of the photos and videos I took here.

for Harmony…Chrissy

I’m happy to announce that a few of my books are now available for sale on Amazon.com!  While it’s a little scary, venturing into the self-publishing world, I also believe that it’s so worthwhile.  Each of the books I’ve written come from my heart and my hope is that by having you and others reading them, it will create ripples of inspiration and action to help create a better world.

So my Explorations request this month is to request that you check out my new Amazon.com bookstore and if it feels right to you, please make a purchase.  Just as with my other books, $1 from every book sold benefits the nonprofit, EarthEquilibrium.org.  And if you’ve already read one, or more, of the books available for sale, I hope you’ll consider leaving a positive review on its page!

Here are the books currently available (click here to visit my author page)

• Vicarious Adventures on the Rich Coast, a travel guide and memoir
• Living Intentionally: A short and sweet guide on how to live a healthy, happy and harmonious life
• Daily Yoga: Taking your practice off the mat and into your life

While still a bit of a work in progress, I thought I’d share with you my “book trailer” video!

Also, if you have something you’d like to share with the forHarmony.net community, please contact me with the details and I will do my best to support you in getting the word out.

Thank you and wishing you a beautiful and joyous 2012.

for Harmony…Chrissy

This holiday season, I’m actually doing something very different and spending it with a group of strangers in a country that I’ve never visited but have had a keen interest in traveling to for several years now.  I’m not going to tell you the country right now as I’ll write about my experiences there more in 2012 but I will tell you that it’s known for having high environmental standards and some of the richest people in the world, although most have very little actual money.

Some of you might be saying, well it sounds like you’re traveling to Costa Rica given their environmental protections and their goal of being carbon neutral by 2021.   They are also some of the happiest people in the world, with riches found in their culture, communities and pura vida lifestyle.

But like I mentioned, where I’m going is someplace I’ve never been.  And I’ve made 10 incredible trips to the Rich Coast so it could not be Costa Rica (although there are many places there that I’d still like to visit!).  But in the spirit of meaningful gift giving and wanting you to share in the beautiful experiences I have had there, I wanted to mention that the Costa Rica Tourist Board is giving away one free trip for two people to Costa Rica every day, Monday through Friday, until February 5, 2012.

All you have to do is ‘like’ their Facebook page and then remember to enter each day on their “Costa Rica’s Million Dollar Gift of Happiness” page!  Some of my favorite hotels are included with the prizes!  And definitely check out the videos of “Mr. Sloth” on the entry page – they’ll give you a good laugh.

This holiday season, I hope you’ll not only be mindful about the gifts you purchase for your loved ones but also take time to consider how you can give back to those less fortunate, either now or in the future.

Happy holidays to you all.

for Harmony…Chrissy