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#179384 - 04/06/09 04:23 PM Re: Back From Cuba [Re: orchid]
Dotsie Offline
Founder

Registered: 07/09/08
Posts: 23647
Loc: Maryland
I can't quite imagine a life like that. I hear over and over from the people in our church who take mission trips to Honduras, that the people are the most delightful you'd ever want to meet. We're so spoiled.
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#181368 - 05/03/09 11:34 PM Re: Back From Cuba [Re: Dotsie]
orchid Offline


Registered: 01/21/07
Posts: 3675
Loc: British Columbia, Canada
Eagle, I'm reading a travelogue book by David McFadden, An Innocent in Cuba. He's Canadian. Book covers approx. 2004 time period.

It will be interesting ..for the whole world to understand what life is truly like /will be like under Fidel and later on, when he isn't in power. There seems to be so much unreleased /undiscovered creativity there. We need to hear more from so much more Cuban writers/residents.

Or maybe many of us (like myself) don't know the good internal authors living in Cuba.
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#181376 - 05/04/09 02:24 AM Re: Back From Cuba [Re: orchid]
Eagle Heart Offline
Member

Registered: 03/22/05
Posts: 4876
Loc: Canada
Orchid, the reason why you wouldn't be able to hear the "real story" from within Cuba is because they're not allowed to speak or write the truth without risking their lives and the lives of their families. When we visit our friends, we are very careful not to get into any political discussions, because we know how dangerous it is for them if they say anything against the regime. We have often had to beg our Cuban friends to stop talking about these things because we know better than they do that the walls have ears and that as soon as we leave, our friends will get a visit. We cannot trust ANYONE there (in terms of being able to talk politics), because there is no way to know who's a government informant because they are everywhere. It's the ideal place for anyone with paranoia to feel right at home, because it's probably the one place where paranoid is the safest way to be.

The reason we keep going back is because we know that until the system changes (and it will and has already begun to change for the better), the people need help to get through to the other side of these changes...I believe that everyone's heart is sparked with a passion for something, right now ours is helping these people. But we can't ever talk about the "why" of it all with them, for their safety. It's also why I don't post too many pictures of their faces online anymore, because we found out that it also puts them at risk.
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When you don't like a thing, change it.
If you can't change it, change the way you think about it.

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#181405 - 05/04/09 02:57 PM Re: Back From Cuba [Re: Eagle Heart]
Dotsie Offline
Founder

Registered: 07/09/08
Posts: 23647
Loc: Maryland
How scary. Never thought of posting their photos. What time frame do you see for their best change?
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www.nabbw.com
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#181445 - 05/05/09 01:01 AM Re: Back From Cuba [Re: Dotsie]
orchid Offline


Registered: 01/21/07
Posts: 3675
Loc: British Columbia, Canada
Eagle, that type of political sensitive environment and monitoring in Cuba, sounds like what it was in mainland China before the 1990's, in East Germany and the former Soviet Union. As a teenager, we got letters from relatives in mainland China, with stamps bearing Mao Tse-Tung's portrait. Now he's out of fashion.

It'll be interesting to see how the Cubans deal with the future. I only hope that it is the Cubans that determine their country's political, economic and social destiny. It is not necessary for any political invasion from any other foreign country to 'save'/liberate Cuba. As soon as that happens, the political-economic scapegoating and blaming of the invading/colonizing country starts. Doesn't help either country in the long run.


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#181446 - 05/05/09 01:54 AM Re: Back From Cuba [Re: orchid]
Eagle Heart Offline
Member

Registered: 03/22/05
Posts: 4876
Loc: Canada
I agree, Orchid. Repression is still repression whoever is pulling the strings. Cuba is on its way to freedom, but IMO it has to come slowly and carefully, to avoid the whole scapegoating thing, which could emerge out of any attempts to "quick-fix" the country. It's a beautiful country with beautiful, highly-educated people who are more than capable of bringing the country up to world standards given the chance - and resources - to shine.

Dotsie, I'm not even remotely politically-savvy...I couldn't even guess at timelines. Cuba is one of the few situations that I can deal with best in a "here and now" focus. I put political blinders on while there and just love the people stuck in the fallout.
_________________________
When you don't like a thing, change it.
If you can't change it, change the way you think about it.

(Maya Angelou)

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#181492 - 05/05/09 02:39 PM Re: Back From Cuba [Re: Eagle Heart]
Dotsie Offline
Founder

Registered: 07/09/08
Posts: 23647
Loc: Maryland
Eagle, we should all wear political blinders. I love that term.
_________________________
Founder Emeritus of Boomer Women Speak and the National Association of Baby Boomer Women.
www.nabbw.com
www.boomerwomenspeak.com


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#181503 - 05/05/09 03:43 PM Re: Back From Cuba [Re: Dotsie]
Eagle Heart Offline
Member

Registered: 03/22/05
Posts: 4876
Loc: Canada
I just received an email from a woman (another tourist) we met while in Cuba. She's managed to collect 44lbs of donations for Cuba...underwear, toothbrushes, needles and threads. And she has a friend who's coming to Ottawa in June, so she volunteered to deliver the boxes of stuff to us, along with some money that various people gave to this woman to give to us.

I remember many years ago hearing that saying, though I can't quote it exactly: "if it's meant to be, you don't even have to hang out a sign - the people will just come". I've been questioning my purpose...it would seem that I'm getting all the signs that helping Cuba is a bona fide "sanctified" purpose. It's good to get that affirmation from out of the blue. We've also been helping our next door neighbour fill boxes for the Philipines. As they say in Spanish, poco a poca, little by little, we change the world one person, one tummy at a time.
_________________________
When you don't like a thing, change it.
If you can't change it, change the way you think about it.

(Maya Angelou)

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