Life in Cuba; food shortages, low wages and exiled family members
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- Опубликовано: 14 май 2013
- youtube's best travel videos www.overlander.tv
I met Alex at a Havana Pizza place. He spoke English and was keen to practise with me. I interviewed him about the realities of life in Cuba. We talk about the food shortages, the low wages and the fact that many Cuban's have family members they have not seen for decades, living in America.
The video features shots around Havana, capturing street life, the majestic historic buildings and the ancient American cars from the 40's and 50's
Music - Kevin MacLeod - Laid Back Guitars (royalty free)
Conocí a Alex en un lugar Habana pizza. Él habla Inglés y estaba dispuesto a practicar conmigo. Lo entrevisté acerca de las realidades de la vida en Cuba. Hablamos de la escasez de alimentos, los bajos salarios y el hecho de que muchos de cubanos tienen familiares que no han visto desde hace décadas, que viven en Estados Unidos.
El video muestra a tiros cerca de La Habana, la captura de vida de la calle, los majestuosos edificios históricos y los antiguos coches americanos de los años 40 y 50
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as a Cuban this video made me cry, I left Cuba as a 5 year old and I have grown up separated from my family members. It is very hard and sad; I miss them
me too,cuba is beautiful though
YvoOP5597 as a Cuban, I understand your pain, and the pain of this Cuban family in this video.
Me too
@@befun001 Beauty means nothing when you've got nothing to eat and your hospitals are worse than most U.S. vet clinics.
I have been going to Cuba since I was 15 years old I am now 20. I have seen both the good and the bad of Cuba. My mom and I have made several friends who have told us practically how cubans live. In Cuba you are lucky if you work as a waitress,bartender or maid simply because of the tips. Any other job you make very poor wages. If you are pregnant the government will supply you with milk until your child is 7 years old and then you will not receive milk again until you are much much older. Despite their low wages these people are the genuine and most grateful human beings to walk this earth. They work harder than any of us and do not complain and still take home much less than us. Cuba's problem is not the citizens its the government.
Even here in the states they are very hard workers.
Unfortunately it's neither the Cuban citizens nor the government... It's mainly the US blockade what's holding back the country and despite having 188 countries voting against the illegal blockade US keeps on with it...
Tom Storup only dumb ignorants like you believe that,,, Cuba opened for tourism only 10 years ago,,,and how come tourists have everything ,great food, expensive hotels , cars ,,,how come the embargo does no affect tourits? Explain that one?
Omar Clemente, I have been in Cuba several times and I know what I'm talking about...
Alex Johnson Lovely comment. Canadian, no doubt.Regards from a Cuban American in NYC.
Alex has since had the chance to visit his brother outside of Cuba.
Yes Alex sent me an email to say he met with his brother outside of Cuba. I've read your comments on Cuba, yes it is very tough...it is even difficult just to send money to cuba! For me, the spirit and pride of the people, is something that still sticks with me. When things change, it is a place I really want to spend more time in
Love getting invited into homes and getting to know the locals when I'm travelling. Always interested in seeing a place through the eyes of a local.
Loved discovering Cuba through Alex's eyes!
That was such a nice thing for you to do, uniting family. :)
Thank you. As a Cuban-American whose known both sides of 90 mile divide I can assure you, no Cuban whose left Cuba for La Yuma (U.S.) would willing go back to that misery. Most people idealizing Cuba are tourists who no nothing of Cuba other than their week long vacation at an air conditioned resort. Yes, we are proud people but in spite of not because of Casto.
Overlander TV is good TV. Thank you.
Beautiful music!
the most amazing video I have ever watched on RUclips !!
You need to get out more.
great vid man!!!
oh man, what a kind kid and good mannered, being away from a family , he was having difficulties holding his tears. made me feel almost cry here, I'M heading havana in 4 days, and i promise you all here that i will go to the shop and meet alex and Alex you have my word! i have a brand new ARMANI SHIRT THAT I BOUGHT FROM SPAIN. I SWEAR , I will give that to you .
this was one of the best youtube videos I've ever seen
glad this story has a happy ending.... good to learn that Alex met his brother...
Excellent.
Yes
As one local said to me, "Cuba is no different from North Korea in regard to the leadership structure; "hereditary dictatorship" You are going to love my 'shipwrecked in Cuba' video that I will put out next week! We were basically held prisoner on the yacht for 6 days! Real insight into how the government works
fantastic Mark, what a wonderful video. thanks for showing us a place we can not see, easily :)
Happy people having a sad time, thank you for sharing something I will never experience, I was mesmerised. Hope the connection to their son/brother will one day be made.
Nice video! That's the history of many of us, leaving our families, our country, our life to find a better life. I miss Cuba so much...this guy reminds me living there!
yes
Good job, mate!
Very good video.
Great video
that awesome
YOU ARE TOTALLY RIGHT!
oohh, so amazing story.
Espero puede encontrar a su hermano
Okay, we're coming this week to Cuba Alex. I will look for you at the pizza house.
ESPERO QUE ALEX HAYA LOGRADO YA SU SUENO Y ESTE AQUI EN MIAMI GOZANDO DE LA LIBERTAD
The last part was especially sad for me since I had to grow up watching these types of videos from family & friends some whom I never met.
I talk about this is a later video Laura. Tourist's stay in accommodation known as casa particular, costs start from 25 CUC
Mr. Overlander, your videos are excellent. Thank you for sharing. Do you know if this young man was ever able to get out of Cuba?
great
God bless
Great video Mark. Thank you for sharing.... where did you stay and how much did you pay? just curious.
I would like to point out the Capital Dome in the background...look familiar??? Where have you seen this before? BTW, looks like it is behing refurbished with all the scaffolding...
love cuba .been traveling to guama/santiago province since i was 19 .I am 22 now and many things have changed. I am an afghan/canadian and i have been there 5 times this year
can you tell me the music that plays in the background at 3:39... please!!!
+overlander.tv awesome video give me the idea of how cuban life.. sad to see people are just contended of what there is for them.
the buildings look like at one time they were gorgeous
Did Alex's brother saw the video?? great video btw
The people of Cuba are NOT our (USA) enemies. I'm so glad relations are beginning to thaw, the embargo may or may not have made sense at the time but it surely doesn't now. We need to allow Cuba to become our friend.
I left my channel details with Alex. Also, I've been in email contact with Yemilet who taught me to dance Cuban style in another video. Not sure how she got internet access, but nothing surprises me, Cubans are very ingenious!
The greatest tragedy of the Cuban revolution wasn't that private properties were nationalized and confiscated, and that private business were closed down or taken away. It was the fact that the Cuban family was divided. People spend decades without seeing each other only receiving the occasional letter or telephone call. That's a lot of suffering, and of emotional baggage. To stay in the island means you're not free, but to leave it means you might never see it or the people you love again.
Absolutely heartbreaking. :(
The reason he cant see his brother is not bevause of the embargo. The embargo doesnt prohibit him from leaving Cuba, Cuba does. Cuba only recently changed this policy of requiring permission to leave. Cubans living in the US can freely travel to Cuba and often do pay for their relatives to vist the US.
Family friend
I am so glad Alex had the opportunity to see his brother after all these years!! I really hope there will be a change in Cuba, families need to be freely reunited, can't wait to see when this happens. I don't know why but I have a great burden for this country!
I feel sad that family members are separated like that - hope they can meet up soon
thanks for your comments, yes it is a difficult country to read. I asked many Cubans if they believed things would change when Castro died. I was surprised to hear many say the current system would take some time to change.
Hey did Alex ever get to communicate with his brother? Was his brother in Hialeah?
What gets me so bad is that I go to Cuba all the time and 99% of the Cubans there that have family in the USA never get help from them. I go and visit family and a lot of friends and buy a bunch of things for them that they need. And when I hear that they have families like poor Alex and don't get any help makes me so mad. When about does Alex work? I am going back in January 2013. I'll see you Alex.
Yes Alex did finally meet his brother. Send me an email and I can put you in touch with him
My email is cubanamor2013@gmail.com. I hope they can help him out now. It is so sad how I go there all the time and hear how they are forgotten in Cuba while living here in the USA. Thanks for the trying to put us together. Please erase my email address after you receive it. Adios, Eileen
Eso que dices no es verdad. Los cubanos nos ayudamos el uno a otro hasta a los amigos y vecinos. Quizas esas personas que conoces han sido desagradecidas o aprovechadoras y la familia en USA se canso de la explotacion. No olvides que se trabaja mucho en este país y que las "calles no estan asfalcadas en oro" como muchos piensan
Cuban -American ARE VERY SELF CENTER ABOUT HOW THEY LOOK VERY SELFISH , I KNOW I HAVE A TON OF CUBAN COUSINS IN MIAMI , WHEN I LOST MY HOUSE NOBODY GIVE A SHIT IF I WOULD STARVED OR BE HOMELESS , INFACT , MY OTHER BROTHER THAT WORK FOR TE BORDER PATROL , WON'T Recognize THAT HE HAS FAMILY IN CUBA HAVING A GREAT HHARDSHIP .
I really hope Ronaldo sees this! How will you get this video to him?
My grandfather was a prominent doctor in pre - Castro Havana and he would bring my father and siblings to Miami Beach twice per year and they would do most of their shopping in downtown Miami because was cheaper than home.
So?
Then and now everything imported in the Caribbean cost a mint
James Varela
Correct. But that has nothing to do with Castro. Don't worry, as this country continues to spiral downhill, pushed by right wing Cubanos who live here, we will become more like those Caribbean countries. Then you will wish you never left la Habana.
oh OVERLANDER. would you tell me which shop he works at ? i will visit this guy, i have good amount of brand clothes. that i want to give it to him.
Alex is in Miami now and doing well, working as a refrigerator repairman
How beautiful yet how sad at the end when the parents send their exiled son a message. One thing makes me wonder though, did they send their 2 year old to the US on his own?
What year was this vid taken? I ask because I was born there and have not gone back since I left in 1967 in my pre-teen years.
By then food, clothing, shoes were already rationed and very scarce as I remember. I also remember visiting my cousin at a school near El Malecon and looking at the city from the top floors there and other buildings such as what was then the Hotel Habana Hilton and El Foxa. I would walk the streets in old Habana where my aunt lived on Empedrado Street near the Cathedral and Bodeguita Del Medio.
Although it had started to deteriorate it did not look this bad, it actually still looked nice. I have heard from other Cubans that have visited and others who tell me I don't want to go and see it today because it will drive me to tears.
+Ed King this was 2012
+Overlander.tv Thank you and thank you for taking us back
I was there in now September 2016 and things are bad because of the sanctions. On the bright side, people still know how to have a goo time and have a positive attitude. I really love the Cuban people. People also were dressed quite well which surprised me and most of the girls had hair extensions and looked very fashionable. But even if there is a shortage of food, I still saw alot of overweight people. It is really a nice country though because the people are just so genuine.
***** Were you able to roam freely anywhere you wanted to go?
Ed King yes.
Is that true, I mean that they either choose clothing or money ?
This video made me cry bc I left Cuba when I was 10 yrs old and couldnt go back
+Arianna Rosewing Why was that?
+Gordon Paterson because Cuba is shit
+Jimmy Russells You live there Jimmy?
Gordon Paterson HELLLL NOO! But I got friends who told me that place is hell. And they are happy here
+Jimmy Russells Yeah you are most probably right but free health care and free education must help and the removal of sanctions may help and those old American Cars will be in hot demand and with overseas visitors rushing there may just help a tad.
The man in white fancy t-shirt and with the modern hairstyle does not look hungry. He looks sneaky, though.
Ayy Papi!
Alex is really cute 😍
What is the violent crime rate and how many homeless are there?
Yeah, much better.
The " we accept the status quo" mentality is part of the problem. Cubans really need to push the government to change if they want to start seeing something different in their country.
You are tlaking ****t,you don't know what is communist.That is the more criminal regime in history,it's governance structure is impenetrable,the communist is terminated by his leader only,becasue the population don't have any power.Why do you believe than China,Korea and Vietnam are still commnist?Because the mentality of theirs people.Don't.You are wrong,because the communist is the science of the absolute control,the peoples are helpless in front of that regime.European get free of communist,thank to Gorbashev,if Gorbashev would have been a scoundrel still East Europe was communist and Gorbashev would be there.Try the communist never reaches your country,because you will know what is mentality.
It's hard I'm in from Cuba and if u just say something bad about the government you go to jail for five years or more there has been people who have been beat by the police for protesting or even killed
cary morejon thats sad.. omg¡
My understanding is that the ones who have done this end up in prison or dead.
Great video. I hope you upload more videos like this one.
Btw, you know since Obama loosened family flights and limits on what they can bring back to cuba, Alex's brother should be able to come back with virtually no restrictions from the US side.
So it is not true that Alex can't see his brother because of US restrictions. Those restrictions no longer exist. So long, of course, his brother can and wants to come back!
Alex has since met his brother outside of Cuba
what is the minimum wage there in Canadian dollars?
No one knows. No wages just what you make. Plus somedays the government takes all your earnings and sometimes they don't.
ThisOneComment, You have to pay the government and the government pays the citizen.. The minimum wage is $9 a month but you can work undocumented
:(
oh $10.15 candian dollar per month... Cuba pays their people C$10.15 per month. Employers have to pay the Cuban government and the government will then pay you C$10.15. You also get a ration book to buy essentials
Their average wage may be small but u have to keep in mind that housing electricity water is free and u get a ration book for essentials when someone is pregnant u get milk till the kid is 7 yrs old so yeah keep that in mind
Well, family separation is a longer story than a simple US embargo. Without "embargo" Cuban gov will need less the money from the exiled and it's possible that they restricts even more the entrance of nationals emigrated.
Freedom and democracy for Cuba ...
Democracy lol.. Freedom lol.. They could have that, just this government has no money. TO have a communist society, the government must have money and not be run by a family. It must be run by smart people
Fro7enDesigns Also wouldn't hurt to have multiple political parties who are elected to office, like 3 different socialist parties to vote for or something.
Did anybody see the big lady at 2:25? Talk about shortage of food.
Must be an American tourist lol
Life in the US: Food shortages, low wages and exiled family members.. not to mention lack of healthcare during a pandemic, homelessness, and the a dying empire.
Cuba is turning it's government to a worker co-op system, where the people are in control. This is revolutionary and it seizes the means of production.
The means of production of what?
I hope it's working.
That's so sad. Hopefully Alex can see his brother soon...on another note, how attractive is this guy?
still better than detroit
Go Panama an see each other or Caribbean islands
Alex is so cute he's a Cuban STUD
Life in Cuba; food shortages, low wages and exiled family members
Exiled families?
Artur Bychkov yes
A las armaaass! !!tiempo de gerra! !!
I am Cuban
Wow...mate...what a big wake up call for us in Western countries who take all the conveniences for granted ae.thanks so much bro...for giving us an insight into a diff world of civilisation.I hope tht dude gets to see his bro.so down to earth he seemed.cheers mate....®aul★★★★★
before the revolution. Cuba Before 1959: An Advanced Country
The government gives presents to its citizens. One year my wife's family got a whole chicken. Yes they got a chicken. Of course they had to pluck it. No big deal. What a meal!!!!! Sometimes coffee is more abundant than other times. Usually you make your expresso (Cuban coffee) and then keep drying out the coffee and reusing. And the food rations are amazing. You don't pay for it!!! They give your skinny ass enough food rice and beans for 10 days or so. You scramble the rest of the month getting food. Power outages. Drinking water. Paradise. I am taking my fat ass down the to see this beautiful revolution with my own eyes. The wife is not happy going though. She was young when she and her mother left and still hadn't gotten over how badly the were treated in getting out. People were so envious and hateful they couldn't leave too!!!!!! Music is good and island is pretty. Climate is great. People nice overall.
Me , as a AMERICAN CUBAN ,BORN IN USA , , I WOULD LIVE IN THE COUNTRY WHERE I GROW MY OWN FOOD , PIG ,CHICKEN , AND FISH , ALSO YOU CAN GROW ,MALANGA , BANANAS. YUCA , MANGOES , PINEAPPLE, LYCHEES , AND SO MUCH MORE , THE WILL TO WORK AND GROW ,NOBODY SHOULD STARVE , THE SOIL IS PRIME FOR GROWING , SO NO EXCUSE .
What is the music in this clip?
yeah sure...if you´d be anther cuban i am sure you could travel to Canada just for holidays... specially after earning 20-30 usd per month as a salary..
Alex was misrepresenting the facts. Cubans are provided with food by the government- therefore his comment that he would starve if he chose to buy clothing items is a big lie.
***** NO ONE STARVES IN CUBA. The Cuban government utilizes a scientific formula to calculate the amount of food/ration required per household. Admittedly, there were extra ordinary times during the special period when the USSR collapsed - however, the Cuban Government recovered by sourcing alternative revenue stream via tourism. Cubans do not pay for education up to university. Neither do they pay for healthcare. They are provided with food. Their income may seem small to non residents but considering they have little to no expenses - that's quite enough. Unfortunately, many have learned that if they sing a sob story to meddlesome bleeding heart visitors, they will get "extra stuff".
***** It's un-patriotic to demonize one's own country to foreigners whose sole intention is exploitation. America which is supposedly one of the richest countries does not provide free education nor healthcare. They claim it's too costly and will cause economical burden. Little Cuba does that and more - despite being economically starved by the American embargo. America is a bully. Viva Cuba! Viva Revolucion! Long live the courageous Cuban people!
***** Right. Just like spending money in the U.S. will put a limit on the amount of food you can buy. What's the diff?
NOOO YOU ARE WRONG, THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T PROVIDE THE FOOD, THEY SALE IT AND VERY EXPENSIVE AND A LOT OF THE TIMES YOU CAN NOT BUY OR EAT WHAT YOU WANT, CLOTHES ARE VERY EXPENSIVE, DON'T TALK WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW, AND SALARIES ARE ABOUT $12 MONTHLY, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
@@bvbocan1 yes yes yes and I love their numbers of abortions!!!!!! It is a tremendous birth control technique. Being poor, their impact on the earth's environment is small. Good. People have to walk and ride bikes. Good. If you live in Cuba and whine about anything - don't let as one "spy" hear you. Things are going good. No problem. Viva viva viva and give me a cigar.
honestly its not with the US, you can buy a ticket and got to Cuba now whether or not cuba allows you to enter is another story
El sistema tiene que cambiar ,no mas dictadura .
Hey you never got in touch with me for his email???? I leave next month.
stone ages.. old cars, cars, city..ect
old city
poor...but happy I am Cuban,
Yan zen but there so happy they enjoy life....
Well, when/if the United States changes the law, those families will be able to visit their relatives in Cuba.
it's messy
Very old city and looking like 200years
Thats just downtown Havana, old town, there are also newer buildings and skyscrapers in the rest of the city.
He can see her brother !??
ranlaen, I will not argue what you're saying as there is A LOT OF TRUTH to what you say, but let's not ignore the fact that the situation in Cuba is FAR FROM IDEAL and that the way they live is no way to live either.
alex papito yo te adopto!
Stop spreading your dumb shitty knowledge ...you wanna know how to live under corrupt capitalist government ,Learn about Bangladesh..we don't get any free stuff not even medical, rich are growing more rich and poor are more poor ...Be Thankful to god
THAT GUY IN THE INTERVIEW IS SO DAMN CUTE I WOULD MARRY HIM,
I'm taking my RUclips Channel to Cuba next week. It will be my 3rd trip down but the 1st time I will there for Fidel Castro's (perhaps) last birthday (August 13th). Stay tuned for those who are interested in modern Cuba and the slowly dying revolution...
so basically their country looks clean, developed, their citizens are looking healthy and attractive, can someone remind me again why people think Cuba is a bad country?
hi alex, if you need help please contact me through this email address, thanks, looking forward to hear from you