Just last week, I was at my friend Michaela’s house dropping
off a bag of stuff I’m sending to my family in Cuba. Her husband, Fred,
is visiting Havana and was kind enough to be my courier. Among the
things I sent with Fred were two packages of Cuban coffee. Yes, that’s
right: I’m sending Cuban coffee to Cuba. It’s absurd and hilarious and
I got a real kick out of telling everyone I came across that day about it.
This is because Cuban coffee is too expensive for the average Cuban to buy
in Cuba. So they make do—Cubans always make do—reusing old coffee
or grinding in some split peas if they have to get their fix. I, on the other
hand, buy it for three bucks at Target.
Coffee is just one of the things my family in the States sends to my family
in Cuba. Usually, monthly, we send money, medicine or syringes for the
diabetic aunt (since the hospital doesn’t have any unused disposable
ones), baby clothes, adult clothes, shoes, or food (there’s a website for
Americans to buy food that is sent to Cuba, but at an absurd upcharge).
They cannot survive without our help. For many Cuban-American
families all over the States, this is just a regular part of life, another bill
to pay each month.
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