Event for Young People at Grados Restaurant in Havana
HAVANA TIMES – A very peculiar event was held at Grados restaurant, located on E Street between 23rd and 25th in Havana’s Vedado district. This venue specializes in selling light refreshments, such as Cuban and Japanese hamburgers, as well as offering tea, cocktails, and beer.
At the youth event, which was dedicated to Japanese culture and which I attended with my son, what caught my attention were the people dressed up as characters from anime and manga series. Others wore kimonos. I later found out that they are cosplayers who perform at parties and birthdays, dressing up according to the client’s request.
In one of the rooms, a young man would write whatever you wanted on a strip of paper—in Japanese. I asked him to write my name. And if you wanted, you could also put on a kimono and take a souvenir photo. Additionally, on the porch, there was a small stall selling toys and posters.
Groups of friends formed, there was lots of conversation, drinks, and even two or three people who danced to the rhythm of Japanese music. It didn’t seem like they lived in a country in crisis. I imagine they managed to disconnect from reality, and that’s a good thing. The atmosphere was healthy and calm.
With the rise of social media, jobs as varied as DJs, content creators, so-called influencers, and those who work in merchandising have emerged.
Being an older person, I felt a bit awkward and out of place, but no one bothered me and I ended up having a good time.
I leave you with the photographs so you can see their happy faces. Youth is always beautiful.
An event dedicated to Uruguay will be held at the same venue soon.
It’s refreshing to see a good news story on Havana times. Most of the stories lead me to think that Cuba is a dark desolate place with hardly any food and electricity as being a rare commodity. I’m glad folks had an opportunity to disconnect from the harsh reality of communism for a little while and enjoy themselves.