DAILY
PREOCCUPATION OF A CUBAN RESIDENT
WHERE
EVERYTHING TAKES ON ITS OWN PROPORTIONS
Living
here is a surrealistic paradise, a contradiction that adds on the pleasure of
living this most HUMAN of societies, where every interaction is steeped in such
affection and caring.
Two
medical students have arrived after travelling 1000 km from the East, two
psychologists have gained qualifications, one defended her thesis for PhD about
body image in Endocrinology and another entered to become a specialist counselor
in Cuban Institute of Sex and Gender studies, way way ahead of anything
available in Latin America. So we have things to celebrate. And the director of
research for Marine biology is having a birthday (recently completed a PhD
about the safety of coral reef around Cuba)
It
falls upon me to organize a dinner for the visiting students, another surprise
dinner for the psychologist starting a new career and a third dinner for the
newly minted Doctor of Psychology!
In
any other country, just the manpower either your own and paid for, would do the
trick. They organize the dinner, shop and get the place ready and the guests
stream in to enjoy delightful wines from around the globe, and a delicious if
not a gourmandizing dinner.
But
in our surrealistic country, it takes a village to provide a dinner party especially
of the dimensions I imagine. 17 for the Graduation Dinner, 18 if my mother
decides to join?
Water
in 5-litre bottle, at least one.
While
I have carefully chosen four good wines, a sauvignon blanc from NZ, A merlot
from Washington State, Pinot Grigio and a lovely red from Argentina, I need to
buy additional 4 bottles, as my Cuban friends expect to have wine, rather than
rum or mojito or Cuba libre in my house.
There
is a wine store not far away and usually one can get what we in Australia call
plonk, drinkable white or red, mainly from Chile and surprisingly from Cataluña?
I can take care of it.
The
star of the dinner table would be fish, as I have renounced eating Meat after
my last meal at a Chinese restaurant in Miami. (I should have learned, in
France, no decent diner would visit a Chinese resto)
Fish,
mmm. All eyes roll up and then someone
says, I can ask my cousin who has good contacts who may be able to get some
Pargo for you.
Where
does your cousin live? Her friend?
Not
near by but she tends to have Pargo for sale
For
the number of people you are expecting, two of them would be fine.
Huge
fish to feed 18 people, along with cold and vegetable salads, cheese, and
olives and of course the wines above mentioned.
Transportation
has not been one of the successes of the Cuban revolution and people say that
transportation has not improved since the triumphant arrival of the
revolutionaries in January 1959.
But
who can resist a ride in a 1958 Chevrolet? Still running, rather charming, some
of them even air-conditioned.
A
driver was found but his car has government license plates. So you have to park
your car a block away so that the vendors wouldn’t suspect that it is a sudden
inspection by food inspectors!
Two
huge PARGO were there for the taking. 25 dollars each pleas, said the vendor in
a hurry. (A very good price compared to Miami where they would cost at least
two to three times, it is about 2-3 dollars a pound here)
20
each and the Pargo comes with us, the vendor smiles coquettishly and accepts
the two clean 20 Cuban dollar bills.
Fortunately
my house has Olive Oil and all sorts of condiments, displaying my oriental
taste. And an oven that works.
Who
will cook?
I,
said a neighbor, who else cooks for you?
I
will think of Pargo Asado in coconut milk, two cans of it from a Miami store in
my pantry comes in handy, she cheerfully remarked.
A
cold salad is immensely popular among Cubans and I am not a great fan of it,
mainly pasta and mayonnaise with some flavor thrown in.
What
else would you like, a weary neighbor steps in.
We
have now avocados in season, I like Okra, I like eggplants, why not a vegetable
salad? With the usual seasonings.
They
grudgingly accept.
I
have to tell you, this is Cuba and this Havana. No money is exchanged, every
one is looking forward to the get together when all of us, who have been
friends for at least a decade would get together for an evening of pure mirth
affirming the beauty of our friendship.
I
have some cheese, Comte and Ementaler from France, which made the long trip
from Quivering, France just this past week, with me.
Wine,
as said above, yes
Crackers,
easy to get.
Bread?
I am not so sure I want bread
The
most difficult item to procure would be Butter but now there is an application
in Cuban cellphones where you can put in the name of object you wish to procure
and the supermarkets that have them would appear according to the distance from
your position. So I might get lucky.
Turron,
courtesy of my sister
After
dinner drink, Amaretto, good and very cheap to obtain.
Starting
tonight, the dinner is for tomorrow night, there would be people coming and
going out of my house, skinning, filleting the fish, preparing salads and
making sure all the cutlery and serviettes are clean and that there are enough
glasses for wine and water.
I
expect it to be a wonderful evening.
I
only wish my close friends; Dr. M and his wife G as well as my Omaha family
Ashleen and Mauricio were here
