First of all, let me say that I was putting something together and it was zapped out of my computer and now exists in a cyberworld out there somewhere. If anyone finds it, finish it for me and post it under any name you like.

ANYWAY ....

Just got back from Cuba from a Mom-In-Law-pick-up-trip. While there I just couldn't help but notice somethings that got me thinking about what it is we expect from the destinations we go to.... think about it.

• Go to Orlando and you want to see Mice and mouse ears
• Go to Paris and the Eiffel tower better be there
• Go to New York and the Statue of liberty is on the job (some tourists are looking for big apples - good luck!)
• Go to Cuba and ... Lovely ladies dancing and handsome men with great smiles.

This is just to name a few. But let's talk about the expectations from Cuba -at least mine. I expected rythms and sounds that would make my feet move in ways that they wouldn't anywhere else. I expected art. Tons of it - painted and sculpted beyond my imagination. I expected and the island delivered. Afterall, it is the job of a tourism island to deliver the expected. Or .. they are out of business. Must be tough to have to deliver the expected and not what you may actually want to deliver. For some lucky ones, both are the same thing.

Since (while in Cuba) I lived in my wifes family home and not a hotel, I got to see more than a lobby full of attendants. There is hunger on that island. Hunger and need for the essentials and for much more. Eyes look at you and say "I am hungry" - this goes for the few that are well fed as well.
The smile covers the faces but not the hunger for that "certain something". There is need there. You have to look but it is there and it is obvious to those that look beyond skin and look at the essence of the human. It is there.

YET - and it is a big YET. The product delivered is the one expected. Lovely ladies dancing and handsome men playing guitars and singing. Music fills the air of different plazas but those same instruments lay still at home. Smiles fade into concern for tomorows meal when the night falls and tourists go to roost. It is the way of that world. It is the way of Cuba and ... Just maybe it is the way of Tourism destinations elsewhere.

It amazed me to return to Aruba to see all the "Friendly, Safe and Welcome" signs. I asked myself about our hunger and our need. Not the one expected by the visitor but the one we have. Ours. The personal one.

Aruba and its' people have great expectations. Not only of themselves but of the many visitors that come year after year. Aruba and her people expect that by providing safety and friendliness that some kindness will be returned to her. It isn't a calculated deal, not one of those "You give me this and I will give you that". No, it is a simple and aged contract based on respect. I know this since I am Aruban and lived in the USA long enough to have felt a sense of what it must be like to be a tourist.

Aruban people give from their hearts. On the other hand, many visitors stopped calling themselves tourists and now come back to their second home. It is a wonderful pact. A rather nice deal. I would guess that you just can't boycott needs and expectations. At least I can't.

Let me close this with a snippet. A small happening at the airport in Cuba.

My son is all of 3 years and 6 months old and while at the airport we went through the normal teary goodbyes. The latins are the best at this. Any way, there was another family next to ours (also crying) and they had a little girl that I calculated to be about my sons age. This little saint of a girl walks over to my son and says - "Vas a vlover?" "Will you return?" My kid looks up at me for guidance on this one and I nodded. He turned around to the little girl and said "Si" And in that momment, an expectation was created on both sides. One is that a little girl expects her new friend will return and from my sons side, that I will get him there. Will they find each other again? I doubt it. It was just an airport thing and we just can't put to many expectations on fleeting affairs, even in children - or can we?

charles
arubafastphones.com

Welcome back home, Charles. Excellent essay!!! So much rang so true! I especially appreciated the part (and I paraphrase) about having to deliver what is expected when that is not what you want to deliver. Those for whom both are the same are truly the lucky ones.

I also really felt the "hunger' you described in Cuba. The following is an editorial and does not relect the opinion of anyone but me. The continued economic sanctions by the United States against Cuba are indefensable. China has most favored nation status and we continued to impose bans on trade with Cuba. Makes no sense to me.

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Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

What a nice thread to read to start the day, especially at this particular time of year.. It goes along with the holiday spirit.

If I may expound on Aruba... you're so right on! The Aruban people give without expectations, without selfishness - and, without limitations. In all my travels, I've never met a more genteel people, a more sincere people.

It truly hurts my heart to see what's happening to the place I love and the people I've come to know... for you're right Charles, it has become home to so many of us.

Let's pray that the New Year brings peace to that little island where happiness truly lives.

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The countdown's begun!
January 30th to February 27th!

Charles - Thank you for your impressions of Cuba. I have never been there but love to learn about different places.

Could this "hunger" you describe have anything to do with Castro's regime? I dont know much about it's politics but any Cubans I know from NY were happy to get away from Cuba.

Charlie - what are the US imposed sanctions? I heard about them but not sure what it exactly means!

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Charles - thanks for the postcard from your heart. As we said before, you are a valuable additon to our family here, and your words are not lost on any of us. Very warm holiday wishes to you and your family.

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I don't know if I am getting the right message about Aruba but all I can say is that since my very 1st visit in 1991, my husband and I forgot about wanting to go anywhere else. Although we have traveled by cruise to other islands, we really didn't want to be there. No place has ever felt this way to us. Bad things can happen anywhere it's sad to say but I feel a true peace of mind when I am in Aruba. I hope that the world sees Aruba for what it is. A very nice place with very nice people. I for one will always consider it my second home.

the sanctions began after the cuban missle crisis of october, 1962 when castro decided to go the route of communism and russian premier krushev with the blessing of castro placed nuclear missles on cuba aimed at the east coast of the u.s. the santions include a ban on travel to cuba and no trade with cuba from the u.s. it was a tense and terrible time for the people of the u.s. i was 22 years old and fresh home from the military. most people don't realize just how close we came to an all out nuclear war with russia. the us navy set a blockade in cuban waters to prevent russian ships from delivering anymore nuclear weapons to cuba, meanwhile us spy planes were flying over cuba showing photographs of the missle installations. at one point a us navy war ship fired across the bow of a russian freighter. we all thought that was the catylist that would start the war. for 10 days we sweated, while president kennedy faced off with krushev and castro. there were plans for an air strike to eliminate the missle bases but after 10 tense days krushev backed down. it is thought that a deal to remove u.s. missle bases in turkey was the reason. the tensions between the 2 super powers was immense and real. since that time the us has maintained the sanctions.

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Places to go, people to see and things to do.

For a snapshot view of this embargo, this is why we are not allowed to have Cuban cigars in the US - by law, we cannot contribute to their economy in any way. Obviously tourism would contribute, so we cannot travel there. When Castro is no longer in power it's possible that things might change, but he represents the old guard so things have not changed much in 40 years...

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Thanks dv and kevin for the explanations. I didn't realize the sanctions started by back then.

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dvtrekker and kevin have both pretty much answered your question. The sanctions started in 1962 and continue to this day. I realize that Castro is still in power but, c'mon. It's been 40 years and, as I said before, Communist China has most favored nation trade status; why are we still banning trade and travel with Cuba?

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Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

China and the United States recognize the mutual benefits of solving their international problems together peacefully, and the two governments are likely to avoid initiating another armed conflict when the theme for the twenty-first century is world peace. As communication improves and economic relationships form between China and the United States, there is a good chance that the two great nations will be able to solve their discrepancies without violence. in 1997 and 1998 china has signed several treaties on human rights and has vowed to conform to the standards of western democracy. although bejiing still remains somewhat defiant. on the other hand, cuban president castro has done nothing to mend relations with the us and still remains defiant even as his people flee cuba because there are no human rights there and the cuban people live in fear. perhaps when castro is no longer in power, things may change, it depends on who takes over. perhaps then cuba will take its place among the shining gems of the caribbean it once was. i would love to see that day and be able to visit cuba.

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Places to go, people to see and things to do.

I agree with this point 100%.

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Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

I have a Canadian friend who just returned from Cuba. Her pics were beautiful. I've always dreamed of going there and my friend is working very hard to make that happen for us Americans. Although she did not visit Havana and the "Hot" spots, much of the island is very tropic and beautiful. A few areas that were very popular back in the day have become ghost towns due to loss of tourism etc. I think my expectations are those of what we are used to seeing in the Godfather movies where theres big beautiful hotels with lots of dancing in nightclubs, gambling, etc. I recently watched Mariel Hemingway's special on the Food Channel about her grandfather and his stomping grounds and "royal" status in Cuba. It was filmed not too long ago and was very very interesting. She took us to remote places on the island that were her grandfathers favorites and everyone remembers him and he had left a huge part of his life in Cuba. I will be the first one on the plane when they lift that embargo.

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"These are a few of my favorite things"
...Elisa
defecting to St. Thomas/St. John Oct. 10-17, '09, St. Thomas/St. John 2/23-3/3, 2010

elisabeth_nj
Cuba - is amongst many other things - a place fulll of memories. Buildings in the "Old Havana" area remind me of old Incan men with their faces full of lines and the parched effects of the environment on them - waiting for something to take them to a better place. Yet under the lines and the parched skin lies dignity and (let's not forget the waiting as they sit), there is a quiet and deep dignity. So are many of the older structures. Their beauty marred, their backs hunched and waiting for the sound of bull dozers.

The buildings need paint and the streets need tar or cobble stones. None of these come cheap or easily, yet - the island structures struggle to keep pace with the lovely dancers at the TROPICANA and put on a make-up - that at the end of the day, washes away. Cuba - in its' day, would have been a great place to be rich and a hell hole to be poor. Today - of course - those lines of distinction are non-existing. It is not uncommon to sit with the Cubans (I like the old folks best) and hear stories about how Batista did the things he did and then how the new regime came moving in.

There is a sense of loyalty in many Cuban faces. Same leader for 40+ years (with his faults and problems) - yet - same man at the helm. Makes you think a minute and wonder what the word loyalty is all about. Granted, it is imposed.... YET... He will go some day and the fear is not in his passing but in his replacement. It happens to be my fear as well.

Some years ago, I spoke to an older Aruba gent. He and his brothers worked in Cuba and had children there. They developed savings and came back a bit richer than they left. What touched me was the glassy eyed look when he asked me to look up a name. His son. He grabbed my hand and asked me that "If you find him, just say I thought about him so much" - Then he did the expected and squeezed my hand and asked for my reassurance that this would all be just between the two of us. I went to Cuba with a piece of paper, looked in the phone book and found nothing. Thank God. The old man died without us ever talking about that again. Such is life - isn't it?

The ties between Aruba and Cuba are not little ones. Speaking of which, my little one has a Cuban Mom and an Aruba Dad. Nice mix huh? I call him a Caruban. He has the pride and initiative of so many Cubans. If you get a chance, look at our web site and you will see the many pics of Junior. Some day when he is older, I will again call him a Caruban and he will tell me to knock it off and I will inform him that I won't. And in the truest sense of the word - (I repeat myself) "Such is life".

These, my friends are Caribbean and island snippets.

charles
arubafastphones.com

My gosh Charles...you have such passion in your writings I actually get goose bumps reading every word!

Why do I now have a feeling that I just finished reading (or watching) the old man in the sea???

P.S. My friend and I call her "in love with Uba's"...she loves Cuba and Aruba.

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"These are a few of my favorite things"
...Elisa
defecting to St. Thomas/St. John Oct. 10-17, '09, St. Thomas/St. John 2/23-3/3, 2010

Thanks for compliment
c

[quote=elisabeth_nj]My gosh Charles...

Charles.... seeing these things through your eyes is a wonderful journey. If today, I were still teaching Creative Writing, I would have my students read your stories to see how words can paint pictures that see through souls, and those same words, take us to places we've never been. Bravo!

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The countdown's begun!
January 30th to February 27th!