Column: There’s no plastic in Cuba

Column: There’s no plastic in Cuba
http://www.bclocalnews.com/opinion/89731832.html

My girlfriend froze her credit card a few years ago. Literally, she stuck it in a bowl of water and shoved it into the freezer for a week, thinking that any purchase that was important enough could wait the 12 hour defrost time.

Now, I’m not so extreme but there have been months where I marvel at where all the money goes. About a month ago, our household decided to cool down our expenses as well. No more plastic.

Then I went off to Cuba where it was not even an issue. Let’s put things in perspective; English teachers make about the equivalent of $20 a month which does not stretch far, even considering what the government covers. There are few overweight people in the country and this is not just due to the absence of American fast food restaurants. When I went to teach in Eastern Cuba for two and a half weeks, it was cold turkey—no more capitalism.

Cuba was a shock to my Canadian way of living. No convenience stores, no takeout, and definitely no Internet commerce. I had three square meals a day, paying the cost of a cup of coffee here for most dinners. Apart from bottles of water, which I consumed greedily, there was little to buy, little opportunity, and after a while, little desire.

My credit card lay neglected; in fact, it was not used once during my whole time in Guantanamo. Apart from wanting some souvenirs for my family, my “shop till you drop” attitude had to go. And yet my life was so rich there.

Each day in class, my fellow teachers from Cuba greeted me with fresh fruit from their backyards, delicious hot chocolate, and sometimes homemade yogurt. They shared their love of their country with songs and dances. During our class breaks, there were no iPhones and Blackberries to distract them. In the evenings, people hung out and talked, watched baseball on TV, and sometimes danced. Kids played baseball with wooden sticks and battered balls and lovers went on walks, holding hands.

When I finished my teaching stint, I spent three days in an all inclusive hotel near Holguin. It was full of Canadians, sunburnt and rotund. The buffet dinner had more food than I imagined a Cuban family might eat in a year and definitely had more variety and nutrition. My credit card reappeared. All of a sudden I could buy soda pop and Cheezies, T-shirts and suntan lotion at all hours of the day.

My experience made me realize all the more that wants and needs are very different. While most Cubans make do with the basics, most Canadians aren’t even aware of their excesses. We could make do with a lot less without any discomfort.

While my credit card is now active again, it is definitely not burning up like it used to. I’ve learned to put it on ice, metaphorically speaking, asking myself before I buy, “Do I really need this right now?” Most times I probably don’t.

I came home from Cuba with so much more than a box of cigars and a Che Guevera T-shirt. I came home with a brand new way of thinking.

Andrea Phillpotts is a Richmond writer and teacher. Opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect those of any school district, organization, or school.