I enjoy this surrealistic life in Havana, Cuba . We go to a Pharmacy and the attendant is very warm and helpful, but the answer to: Do you have ... such and such medication?, the answer is a pleasant NO.. Call us tomorrow and if something comes, we will let you know. The woman wanted some confidential advice (sorry to put it here), should she ask the man she plans to sleep with (not her husband) whether he would be willing to have a vasectomy, as she has a Latex allergy?
Even Garcia Marquez couldnt come up with situations more bizarre and joyful than the ones we deal with every day with greatest of resilience and pleasure and laughter and mirth. the Miami Cubans who have more money and more luxuries are devoid of much of a good life and laugh and certainly far less innocent and more fraudulent. Of course not all Island Cubans are innovative and genuine and not all Miami Cubans are fraudulent and unhappy.
I had some endocrine colleagues over for dinner and my Cuban sister had prepared an excellent dinner: Lobster in Coconut Milk with relevant spices, three different kinds of salads, Organic Brown Rice, incredibly delicious Black Beans of her confection. No one could finish the dishes, especially as I was offering lovely Chocolate Cuban Ice-cream (one of the best and healthier tastes from Cuba).
Before the start of the dinner, I thought of my family in Haifa and Brussels, and thought of the little hands hovering over the candles and the shabbat prayers being said.
I had candles, a piece of bread (Lehem) and of course wine ( Kim Crawford from New Zealand).
Felt good to welcome Shabbat in this lovely island..I look forward to repeat these prayers in Quiberon, Miami, Budapest? in the coming months...
