Cubans Laughing in the Face of Adversity
Pedro P Morejon
HAVANA TIMES – Every afternoon, when I finish work, I head to the train station. There, alongside hundreds of passengers, a dirty, uncomfortable, slow train, which never leaves on schedule by the way because when it isn’t being checked over, it’s waiting for the engineer, or the engine has a problem, etc.
There is always a reason that they almost always never tell you. On the other hand, I imagine the effort it takes for mechanics to keep these old pieces of junk up and running.
It’s normal to be waiting for up to an hour before it departs. Once onboard, I only have to travel 14 km (8.5 miles) and even then it feels like eternity. I can’t imagine having to travel for the entire two hours the route lasts to the Los Palacios municipality, the final destination, but there aren’t many alternatives.
The other option for “ordinary people” who are the majority, is worse: going to the highway to “hitch a ride”, as we say here. That’s to say, wait for someone who never agreed to pick you up.
To make matters worse, the waiting room has been undergoing repairs for almost two years, and people have to crowd in a small space, nearly everyone having to stand up. During this time, people kill the wait by talking about anything and everything.
One day this week, I ran into the same situation, as was to be expected. Some young people discuss soccer. They repeatedly argue about who is better, Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, or there are arguments between Real Madrid and Barcelona fans. To be honest, they just bore me.
A group of men talk about the national situation. The conversation turns to a subject that catches my attention: The giant African snail.
One of them, who seems to be better informed, explains that this kind of species came to the island a few years ago, reproduces a lot, as it can lay over a thousand eggs per year, and attacks any crop, even putting animals’ and human health in danger. He also explains that the authorities are adopting much-needed measures to prevent them from spreading and to wipe them out.
The majority of the group are more entertained than concerned about the news. The well-informed man confirms the dangers.
– These animals are a plague. If they come into contact with a tobacco, corn, cassava field, or anything else for that matter, they will lay it to waste in a night and not leave anything behind.
– My God! I don’t even want to think about what might happen if one of those creatures reaches my field, a farmer exclaims, clearly concerned by this news.
The well-informed man confirms that no plant is safe, that they devour everything.
– I bet you they don’t touch the marabu weeds because nobody can beat it- another man says, toning down the conversation.
– We have resisted a greater plague for years, so this small snail is going to be peanuts – adds a man with more tattoos on his body than a rock star.
That’s when the announcement is made, informing us that the train went off the rails God knows where and that the train will no longer depart. People begin to withdraw, submissively but not quietly. Some shout out a joke, others continue with their conversations as if nothing had happened. The interesting thing, though, is that I hardly ever see anyone looking sad.
I don’t know why, but I erupted into laughter right at that moment. An ironic laugh.
Sometime later, I wondered whether we are masochists or whether our attitude is nothing more than our own psychological self-defense. The truth is that with so much pent-up frustration, we have learned to laugh in the face of adversity.
The person who said the prosperous land Cuba once was. Doesn’t remember only 13pc of Cubans were prosperous The rest were peasants and treated thus No Education/ Health care or basic living conditions. The American Mafia had a death grip on the Island. And the government openingly took Mordida Why do you think The USA Is so bitterly determined to bring Cubans to there knees, My Admiration for the people of Cuba is never ending. And if China comes in with there goods/ .trains etc a price will have to be paid but a least you know this Not like the Americans especially the new government under Trump who BULLY The world. Pretending its all about Freedom.. Imperialist more like
Tropical Gulag ?!? Ai, que dramatico somos !
Amazing all the havoc that one megalomaniacal man could wreak on a once prosperous land!
El Ferrocarril Chino de Maisi a San Antonio, en solo 4 horas?
Chinese-made trains? Who promised that? Fidel or Raul?
I wouldn’t count on seeing any of them any time soon!
Most likely, the whole rail infrastructure in Cuba would have to be completely modernized before any high-speed train, Chinese or otherwise, could ever operate there!
They have been cut off from the outside world for 60 years now. Those under age 60 have familiarity only with the Castroite rule.
Generally those who support the present day-to-day situation in the Tropical Gulag are those that have never had to live there!
Gracias…ellos lo tienen facil..dique compre una BiCi, en Cuba. Paz y Guia…AZMTKO
Can you even find a good map of them in Cuba? lol
The faces of those Cuban folks waiting for the train aren’t laughing. It’s no different than us here in The US stuck in traffic driving a $30,000 automobile at The Rush Hour.
Yo creo que sí, y estoy feliz a oir que la gente pueden a hallar las felicidades con uno y otro.
One not only sees them Peter, how about feeling them as you travel? Where else can one see a highway petering out in a field and bridges without approach roads? Es Cuba!
Have you seen the roads in Cuba?
Welcome to the wonderful world of socialism/communism?
Porque carecen de entretenimientos o acceso a ellos, la dificultad económica y la falta de desarrollo, sumado a que los medios de informacion son muy controlados por el gobiermo y responden a sus intereses, (hay sólo 8 canales de tv. y todos son cubanos), Internet solo comienza a despuntar y sus precios son prohibitivos, sin hablar de lo lenta que es… ahí esta servido el caldo de cultivo del nivel de informacion (ojo: sobre tópicos nacionales específicos) de los cubanos.
if Elias you believe that Chinese trains – reflecting Chinese financial colonialism – for nothing the Chinese do is free, are going to resolve any of Cuba’s inherent problems consequent to pursuit of a dogmatic 19th century philosophy, you have a ripe imagination. What will those as yet, imaginary trains do to resolve the problems of a stagnant non-productive economy? If indeed they do eventually appear, tourist passengers will be able to gaze out and see those hundreds of thousands of acres of good agricultural land reverting to bush, but Cubans will still only be able to travel in ancient converted trucks – equality is not for them.
I liked your comparison of the Castro regime to an anaconda! It not only chokes initiative, but squeezes out any real enjoyment of life. Cubans are unfortunately unable to enjoy life in the ways they would like, but have to daily struggle for existence. Resolver!!
I agree with you sometimes you are better off to laugh facing adversity then you confront it Cuba is well informed but it rather ignore then to face it I think people in Cuba suffered enough it’s time to give them a break nicely written Pedro
I agree with you sometimes you are better off to laugh facing adversity then you confront it Cuba is well informed but ignores it a friend from Canada not Cuban
Much better way to spend time than talking about the anaconda that is holding people by the throat. Soon the Chinese trains will take them from one end of the island to the other. In China they run at 350 km/hr ! Until then enjoy your time any way you like !
Have you any idea Bobby of the cost in working hours necessary for a Cuban to purchase a bicycle? Have you any advice regarding how to protect that bicycle from theft – either of parts (if chained) or completely when the owner is working?
But then I guess you don’t really know Cuba.
Gracias! Thank you for such an interesting take on adversity. The cubans have what many others are losing, social skills. People are too busy on their phones, including babies.
In one opinion piece you have summed up both the things I love and hate about my adoptive country…Thanks!
My Cuban brothers deceive better life and the answer is the Americans attiduthy toward Cuba
A good interesting read, so thank you Pedro for sharing your taste of adversity
This was very well written, love your writing style. I hope you got home before midnight.
Get a bicycle. 14km takes less time by bike at a very leasurely pace than waiting 1hr on the platform.
My brother the Cuban people are loosing hope ,,,,its better just to laugh it up than cry about it
..The majority of the group are more entertained than concerned about the news. The well-informed man confirms the dangers…..
Yo quisiera saber en que parte de mundo la mayoria de la gente esta mas interesada en news mas que en entretenimiento, pregunten en Miami, Santiago o Bombay a la mayoria de las personas sobre la realidad mundial o mas cercana a ellos y veran el grado de ignorancia en que vive la humanidad, en mi opinion Cuba es un pais bastante educado e informado.
What an interesting story to give the outside world a better view into the daily life of the common people of this beautiful country.