CUBAN TRANSITIONS

As I first stepped down the aluminum staircase of our mysterious “Fly Guam” airplane in Cuba, the air seemed familiar.  It was warm, sweet, heavy, and moist as I tried to inhale it in big gulps.  I kept on taking bigger gulps because I could not exactly determine why it seemed so familiar.  The white noise from the airplanes and the walk towards the José Martí airport all reminded me of something familiar.  After we had lined up to be checked in, photographed, registered, interrogated about the purpose of our visit, and waited for our baggage to come on to the rotary belt, I still could not pinpoint this familiarity.  As I made my way out with the rest of the students towards our tour bus, the crowds of people waiting outside the airport and the lighting of the airport grew a mysterious feeling within me.  This mysterious feeling surfaced even more as we rode off in the bus with two strangers who we would come to know very well in the next few weeks: our tour guide, Yoel, and our driver, Duniel.  While looking at the scenery and trees outside of the window, I finally understood why this feeling was brewing up inside me.  It was simply trying to make a connection with home, Pakistan.    All this time I was being reminded of Pakistan through all the similarities Cuba and Pakistan shared.  This would not be the last time I would feel this way, but the beginning of numerous encounters, where I would be brought back to home.

The weather, the air, the scent, the paved and unpaved roads, all reminded me of Pakisan.  Even the jasmine flowers and their sweet scent outside of my room at Hotel Ancon connected my back to my country.   The coco-taxi reminded me of the Rickshaws that occupied the streets in Pakistan. Other forms of transportation shared by both countries include: horse-drawn carriages, bikes, and small cars.

Cuban Coco-taxis (left) and Pakistani Rickshaw (right)

Other similarities included vendors selling produce on carts throughout the streets.    As vendors were seen selling roasted peanuts in paper cones while yelling “mane, mane,” in Pakistan vendors are seen selling roasted nuts and corn in newspaper cones while yelling, “ne ne.”  Just like in Pakistan, bargaining of goods was evident in every corner of Cuba. In both countries vendors are seen persuading consumers to buy their goods, so they could earn a living, in order to support their families.

Poverty is also very ubiquitous in Pakistan as it is in Cuba.  While in Cuba individuals are found begging for money in the form of tips, in Pakistan one will find beggars directly asking for money.   While in Cuba most beggars were found fairly well-dressed, in Pakistan, most beggars are found wearing tattered and disheveled clothing.

As we travelled throughout Cuba we observed numerous farms, orchards, mango trees, other tropical fruits.  Similarly, in Pakistan one will find similar fruits, orchards, and farms.  Agriculture is also taken very seriously in both countries because it is a form of sustenance and a way of living for numerous people.  In Pakistan agriculture is the largest economic activity, accounting for about 21.2% of its GDP.  In 2008, agriculture accounted for 20% of Cuba’s GDP.

Farming in Cuba (left) and Pakistan (right)

Additionally, I was very shocked when I first tasted the dairy products, for instance, the yogurt, the milk, the butter, because they all tasted so natural and fresh, just like in Pakistan.   I made sure to consume enough of these dairy products before getting back to the US where I would be reintroduced to their processed and homogenized forms.   Additionally, while in Cuba each meal included a cup of coffee, in Pakistan a meal is not complete without a cup of tea.

Furthermore, the hospitality and friendly attitudes of the people resonates in both countries.  For example, as we were warmly welcomed by the CDR to the block party by every member of the community, it reminded me of the people of Pakistan.  For instance, in Pakistan one will find weddings and parties taking place in the middle of the streets in which every member of the community participates and shows hospitality to their guests.

Finally, before stepping back on to the aluminum staircase of our plane which would take as back to Miami, Florida, I couldn’t help but touch the ground for one last time.  This ground had provided me with a home away from home.  It had connected me back to my own country I had left a few years ago and was beginning to forget.

A link comparing some statistics between Cuba and Pakistan:
http://www.aneki.com/comparison.php?country_1=Cuba&country_2=Pakistan

Other sources used:

http://countrystudies.us/pakistan/49.htm

http://www.peoplesworld.org/solving-the-problem-of-cuban-agriculture/

http://farmlandgrab.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/200909220745200656.jpg