Cedar Sentinel 2013-2014 Issues April 2014: Volume 47 Issue 6 | Page 16

Cuba: Candid View of the Local

Ellen Galupo

Like Nebuchadnezzar’s Blazing Furnace, Cuba’s
warm wind greeted me as I exited the airport. Fortunately, when my family and I arrived, we have a
friend who was connected to the local people, so we
were able to get more than just a tourist view of Cuba.
The people were extremely generous and loving. We
visited the Seventh-day Adventist Church in a town
called Varadero. The congregation was very open
and warm and there were quite a number of people
in the church, surprisingly, considering that it was
a Communist country. The service was of course in
Spanish and they asked my sister and I if we could
sing for them – so I, a not-so-good singer sang while
my sister did the sign language for “I Can Only Imagine”. My parents still brag to this day that I am an international singer. The people truly enjoyed the song
and the pastor’s family even came up to us the next
day on Sunday when they visited us at the hotel and
sang the Spanish version of “I Can Only Imagine”.
My fondest memory of Cuba was going to their
“Mercado” or store. There was one person who was
begging for money. Habitually, I grabbed $5 from
my pocket, but was severely warned not to give it to
the locals because they are sustained by the government anyways. Against all the warnings, I gave the
money, and it was soon thereafter that a child came
up to me and gave me a small, white and fragrant orchid. The orchid, I keep to this day in my passport.
It warmed my heart so much, and my sister who
was the one who warned me was compelled to also
give money and was given a flower in return as well.
Cuba will always have a place in my heart. The
Oceans are clearly blue against the perfect-

ly etched white sandy beach. The palm trees
against the breeze perform a gentle dance.
Although Cuba is poor, it is not felt by the people
because they possess the most important attitude
of contentment. Unlike most tourists, we were able
to visit houses which were very small, but comfortable. The people lived simply and did not desire for greater power. Everyone, including doctors was paid equally. They were not extravagant
although they took great care of their appearance.
Cuba is also somewhat multicultural. They have distinguished colours of every hue. They even have their
own China town! There were also Filipinos when we
visited the Philippine Consul where the Philippine
Ambassador worked. Most exciting of all, was when
we visited Havana. Hundreds of years have faded
the history of my ancestors. My great great grandfather, according to my father, was a soldier during the
Spanish occupation in the Philippines. When he was
sent to the Philippines, his child, my great grandmother was conceived by a local native Filipino
woman. My great grandmother grew up in Cuba as
a child but was so mistreated by her step mother that
she decided to move back to the Philippines where
he met my great grandfather who was a ship captain.
It gave me shivers that Cuba had any connection to
me at all, and the people I could have met during my
week-long stay there could be my long lost relatives.
No wonder Cuba has a special place in my heart.

CUBA