Impressions of My Visit in Spain
By Osmel Ramirez Alvarez
HAVANA TIMES – Since January 25th, I’ve been in Spain and I haven’t emigrated ‘yet’, and hopefully I never have to. For me, leaving Cuba permanently is not part of my plan A, it wouldn’t be voluntary, it wouldn’t be my best option. I am very much a family person and ‘still’ fill enough compensation in that to withstand the disaster and repression, which have had their toughest moments for me.
I came by invitation from my friends at Diario de Cuba after spending over three years with a travel ban, then Covid 19 hit, prohibiting everyone from traveling, and then the post-Covid period, where everything had to recover and nothing remained exactly the same. Finally, I was given the opportunity to leave Cuba again and take a break after so many difficulties.
I had already visited this country in 2017 and on that occasion, as now, I felt at home; I see no significant differences in Spanish culture compared to Cuban culture. I don’t even need to acclimate. Besides, there are now many more Cubans settled on the peninsula and consequently more friends to interact with.
And it’s fair to say, they are people of high human quality. Cubans who cannot remove Cuba from their skin, soul, and mind. They bubble with patriotism, eagerness to help bring about change in Cuba, and frustration at forced migration. Every encounter has been very satisfying, every little piece of Cuba extrapolated to a functional environment here in the real world.
I’m neither in a course nor exactly working. Technically, I’m on vacation, although being self-employed it’s hard for me to believe that I’m resting for periods longer than hours. Rarely days. I’m always working, and it’s already a habit incorporated into my life routine.
I’m always taking photographs of what catches my attention: the contrasts with our reality, so adverse; and what seems significant to me. I’ll share some images and in subsequent publications, I’ll go into detail about other experiences.
