Learning.....

I had no idea when I took on this new chapter of my life, that EVERYDAY since the submission of that application would be a new adventure in itself. And as with all “adventures” there are things really good and things not so good….but with all comes great lessons learned and great stories to be told.

It’s now been 3 months and 6 days since I moved to Cuba and there’s some days it feels like I’ve been here for 3 years and 6 months and other days is feels like it’s only been 3 days and 6 hours. There hasn’t been a day yet, that I haven’t learned something new, whether it be professionally or personally. And even though some of these lessons have been a bit difficult and I have definitely made my share of mistakes, I still have to pinch myself and say “YOU LIVE IN CUBA!”

As is typical with the “rule of thirds” with month three has come a bit of “homesickness”. I will NEVER understand why it is that when I’m at home I yearn to be somewhere….anywhere else and then while away I crave the comforts of home. Any psychologists out there want to answer this one for me?!?! This will pass or weaken in time, it always does. One thing is definitely apparent though, no matter how long I live in a second or third world country or how well I speak the language, I will always be different, because of where I was raised and how THAT is so different from the world I am trying to blend into now. And more so in Cuba then anywhere else I have every been, when the locals don’t even understand why or how things “work” in their own country, how am I, as the “uma” (foreigner living in the country) ever going to figure it out!?

As so many things have happened since I last wrote (I’ve REALLY got to get on top of this blogging thing….sorry Leslie!!)  I will try and break it down…..

Things I wish people knew about Cuba before they get here:

#1) If you want the comforts of home…..stay there, or go to Mexico where there is MacDonalds, Starbucks, high-speed Internet and all the “first world” conveniences, cuz you just AREN’T going to find them in Cuba.

#2) Yes you DO need your tourist visa to get out of the country….we are not asking you to hold on to that silly little piece of paper just to be annoying.

#3) Cuba is not cheap……you do lose money on the Canadian dollar when you exchange it, and yes it’s true, they do NOT accept American cash here, or credit cards linked to American banks, and you can only use credit cards in a few and I mean, A FEW places!

#4) Everything here takes exceptionally longer than it does in Canada, what takes an hour in Canada, takes a week here (and that’s being nice). There is a specific process for EVERYTHING, which usually requires a lot of paper work and several people before anything is or can be completed.

#5)There are certain things that are “just Cuba”….hard beds, bland food (with lack of choice, and trust me what the tourists eat in the hotels and what I eat and am able to buy are TOTALLY different!) and Cuba time, which is neither early, late or on time……this all depends on the person. As they say here “the Swiss created the watch, Cubans invented the time…..and it depends which Cuban you’re talking too, to know what that time is!”

Things I appreciate the most about Cuba:

#1) The people ACTUALLY communicate…..there just isn’t the availability of Internet, and cell phones are still fairly new and expensive, and blue tooth headsets…..I think Eddie has the only one in Varadero! Because of this, people still talk, they smile at you and say “Hola” or “Buenos” when they pass you on the street and it’s actually to YOU they are talking too and not some metal piece in their ear!! There is a sense of community and family and friends are still the most important things in peoples’ lives.

#2) It’s safe….not once since I’ve been here have I felt threatened or been hesitant to be out on my own at anytime of day or night, honestly I’ve felt more threatened in Calgary at times.

#3) The music and the movement…..enough said.

#4) It’s beautiful….all of it, the beaches, the oceans, the country side, the old buildings, the old cars, the uniqueness of everything, the people, all of it.

#5) If I’m ever having a “low ego” or self conscious day, I just go for a walk down the street and “fill myself up” so to speak….there is no shortage of attention here!

The hardest things for me to adjust too and things I miss the most:

#1) The little things I took forgranted……like the food options in Canada….I’m definitely not eating Vietnamese salad rolls, sushi, or anything with a great amount of flavor here.  When I am home next, all family please have the fridge stocked with nothing but good Alberta beef, this is NOT the country for meat lovers or anemics!! And hot yoga classes…yes it’s hot here, and I’m doing yoga but it’s just not quite the same. Pretty much “conveniences”….like that there’s actually gas at the gas station when I want to fill up, for example.

#2) I was SO spoiled with my flight attendant schedule, one day a week off is a HUGE adjustment.

#3) Sleep is my favorite thing in this entire world AND I sleep like the dead, so having the phone ring in the middle of the night is proving to be difficult for both me, and the guests!

#4) I love doing laundry, I really do…..but I definitely loved it more with a washing machine and nice smelling detergent.

#5) I was trying to break my “hoarding” and over buying habits and this country is NOT helping those…..if you like something or think you MIGHT need it and you see it one day in the store, you have to buy it, because it may not be here next week, next month or next year for that matter.

#6) Had to add 6 to this one, as I have to state the obvious, I miss my true support system being my friends and family and I REALLY miss my dogs….they would love the beach!!

What I love about my life here:

#1) I love my job…I love that I’m being challenged and learning something new EVERY day, I love the team that I work with, I love interacting with the guests and everyone that I get to come in contact with in a day.

#2) I am able to live in a country that most people would never be able to have the opportunity to live in and I have the best of all worlds wrapped into one. I finally got it, the opportunity to be immersed in the Spanish language.

#3) I get to have coffee sitting on my balcony looking out at the ocean every morning…..and I get to sleep longer because I don’t have to wake up early to scrape my windows, warm up my car or fight horrible traffic and accidents to get to work on time.

#4) I’m learning to cook….and creatlively……cuz I have no other choice!

#5) As much as I’m busy, really busy, everything just feels calmer and slower.

The best/most unique experiences so far:

#1) Christmas Eve in Remedios where there is a massive fireworks festival that LITERALLY lasts all night, in fact the main part of it with the parade and huge finally doesn’t even start till 5am. For the life of me, I can’t remember the proper name of the whole event right now….standby.

#2) “Slime-sliding” down the jetty at the end of the peninsula…..there is a large cement jetty that leads into the Bay coming into the peninsula of VRA and as the water has washed over it over time the algae has built us and it’s now really slippery when they waves are high and washing water on it…..lets just say it’s pretty fun and worth the walk to get there.

#3) Fishing….I caught 4 my first time out!!

#4) Nights out dancing…..that will NEVER get old or boring.

#5) “Family dinners”….I love going over to my “adopted” families houses here and getting to feel like I’m really apart of something, and really apart of their families, I have been welcomed with open arms into three!!

#6) Havana….driving in it is so stressful, exploring it is a full time job, I haven't even seen half of it….. and pretty much everything there excites me, I can’t get enough of that city!! And the Parque Central Fin de Ano party was pretty spectacular.

There is still so much to tell, but it will have to wait for another day……another day SOON!! Until then….cuidate.

Con amor.

Life.....

So it's official.....I'm the worst blogger ever. I guess it's just that I've settled in and Cuba really has become home for me. I've found myself a very patient and wonderful Spanish teacher (or should I say Cuban teacher, lol.....there truly is Spanish and then Cuban, they are very different!!). In finding a teacher, I also was adopted into a Cuban family, it's incredible and something that I can't thank the Universe enough for. 
In the last couple weeks here is a very brief summary of what has happened:
1) The first slang word I learned was "tiradora" it means "sniper"....it's a long, kind of disturbing story!!
2) My favourite comment EVER is...."wow, your English is so good!!" It's a good thing none of these people know how bad my Spanish is!!
3) I officially know where the police station is and what it's like to be escorted there by the Cuban cops....yet again another LONG story
4) Calgarians love to connect with what's "familiar" to them. Saturdays are my favorite days, one; because it's an entire day with Yaremy, my best girl here in Cuba and two; it's the only day of YYC flights.
5) I'm "official" now, I have a Cuban ID card :-)
6) I could go out dancing EVERY night.....screw going to the gym....being on the dance floor is PURE freedom for me (Havana Club in VRA is incredible!!) and with the way the Cuban's dance it's an INCREDIBLE workout!!
6) I REALLY REALLY love it here and try not think about having to return to Canada for any long period of time. But I also didn't realize HOW many times a week or what hours I actually visited Walmart until I couldn't anymore.
7) I'm so glad I don't have to warm my car up or scrape my windows before heading to work!! EVEN when my little Autos doesn't know if it wants to start of not, lol.
8) People ask the WEIRDEST questions :-|.....do I look like the Canadian embassy or a counselor?!?
9) I wish Cuba new what "gluten or wheat free" is (okay so 'maybe' I'm missing the food from home just a bit)
10) Who knew that one of the things you would have to watch out for while driving on the highway at night was crabs (yup....the crustaceans) crossing!! They actually do a lot of damage by puncturing tires and thus causing accidents.
11) The driving schools here need to learn/teach the importance of driving with your BRIGHTS on at night and what to do when facing a car.....TURN THEM OFF!!


My day to day is starting to flow better, more understanding, more routine, which I find comforting. I don't go a day without learning something new or appreciating all that I have and where I am though.....honestly, it's the little things, that I hope I NEVER take for granted. An ocean view, good coffee, REAL human contact (I love the kisses for greeting and the fact that people look you in the eye and actually talk to you instead of always being on their cell phones!!), and well constantly being complimented on my eyes and smile doesn't hurt the ego ;-P


If anyone is coming to VRA....wanna bring a package down??? I'm running short on items that I just simply can't get here....just thought I'd throw it out there ;-0


Another day at the office...after a full airport day, is now complete so I shall sign off. For all of you that are starting to send me "hate mail" I'm SO SORRY.....I'm not dead, very much alive but just living life here, as selfish as it is. Between the lack of Internet connectivity as well as the lack of time, my connection to life outside of Cuba is few and far between. All I can say is....PLEASE don't take it personally!!!


With besos and abrazos, I wish you Buenas Noches!!!

My first full month!!

It's Nov first and it's officially the start of my first whole month here in Cuba, as well as the start of "high season" in the industry.....let the madness begin :-)
I'm now into week 3 of being in my new home! I can't believe it's already been over 2 weeks. Last week I did most of the excursions, shot the worst golf game of my life (thank goodness for the double boogie max on each hole for that tournament!), figured out that safety is definitely not a priority in Cuba, had my first day at the airport and picked up a few more Spanish words.
Excursions....I would have to say the Habana Especial (Havana Special) was a huge highlight. It was a long day, but so worth it. Havana is an incredible city, not to mention the irony that exists there. There is "old Havana" and "new Havana" but if you ask me, it's all just old...and older!! Like many Latin American cities, it's busy and crowded, and full of beautiful life and culture. Walking the streets of Havana, you can't help but wonder, "how does Socialism REALLY work?",  as everyone and everything is definitely NOT "equal". I already can't wait to go back though. I am keen to hit up the big art market by the bay and start buying beautiful art to decorate my place :-) The paintings are quite simply spectacular!! The Tropicana show is even better than it was 5 years ago when I saw it while on vacation here, a definite must see. Extra bonuses of this day were that there was a great Mom and daughter team on the tour from Spain, and well their Spanish is so much clearer than the Cubans and they were so patient with me that I ended up learning heaps from them, as I spent most of the day and evening with them. And last but not least one of my new friend, Felix, who is a tour guide for Cubanacan was the tour guide. Overall Thursday was a pretty darned good day. 
Friday was the day with "my girls".....Vilma and Yaremy, the other two girls on the team here. Because they were away training in Canada when I arrived, to give us some "bonding time" we went on the Discovery Tour. Another big day, but an absolute BLAST!! On this tour you get a little bit of everything, Jeep off-roading, speedboats down the river, an amazing lunch at a campino outside of Varadero, swimming in caves and snorkelling. And seeing as this was the first and only tour I was able to do with other people I actually know, it was extra exciting. I'm excited for people to start coming to visit so that I can re-do some of the excursions with them, as I know ones like the Seasafari Catameran are going to be hard to get sick off! 
As it's always an ongoing adventure with my living accomodations, this past week was no exception, lol. I finally got gas this week to use my camping style cook-top stove....and what makes this extra special is the triple sized propane tank that sits on my balcony with a long hose that reaches from it through to my window and is tastefully taped to the connection on the stove. I was having visions of my balcony and kitchen blowing up from a lightning strike, last night as there was a huge thunder storm!! It's still hit and miss with the hot water, so lets just say "hair wash" day is very dependent on the water, or how brave I'm feeling to stick my head under the shower head. This is quite the adjustment for the girl who LOVES super hot showers :-l
If we're not on "Cuba time" today, I may even get my new car for the season!! The one I'm driving (a Geely sedan) literally sounds like the parts are all falling off it when I drive it. Dad you would have a 'hayday' fixing this thing!! A reliable car here is a must, as I'm driving everyday to either the hotels or the airport, and I certainly don't want to be hanging out with the livestock on the side of the road somewhere.
Yesterday was my first day of hotel briefings....I can't even tell you how much fun I had. It's also really great to see how excited people are when I start to speak and they realize I'm from Canada, and then if they're from out West it's like they've found something to relate to and a sort of comfort away from home. I'm also really thankful now for being a flight attendant and knowing most of the cities quite well, as peoples eyes light up when you point out your favourite restaurant or park or whatever it may be in their hometown. I guess that's human nature is to trust more in the what's familiar or what you can relate too. My team here has been so patient with me on all levels, learning the job, learning the Cubanacan procedures, helping me with my Spanish. I don't think they'll ever understand how much I really appreciate it. Tonight is our team building night, so we're all headed out for dinner here in Varadero and then to one of the local dance halls called Casa La Musica. This will be my first time out dancing in Cuba and needless to say I'm just a bit excited ;-) I just have to learn how to move like the Cuban girls so I don't stand out more than I already do!
Time to get some work done. My schedule should be starting to come more consistent now, give or take a few "unexpecteds" so I will try and update this blog more often. Por ahora....ciao 

Where to start?! Cockroaches perhaps??

So what do you do when you don't know what else to do with your life?? I used to think it was be a flight attendant and now I know it's to move to a COMPLETELY different country. And just to make it more exciting, do it like this:
1) Go where you don't speak the language
2) Make sure you pick a place where nearly the entire country is stuck in the past, by at least 50 years
3) Get a completely new job, where you have no idea what you're doing
4) Make sure there's cockroaches....like the one crawling above my window right now (just for added adventure these should be included....I swear they all know I HATE them!!)
and last but not least
5) Remember how bloody lucky you are to be there.
Not many people I know will ever get the opportunity to call Varadero, Cuba home, and for this opportunity I will forever count my blessings.
From the moment I found out I had actually gotten the job, tried to prepare for the move and then now have arrived... it has been an adventure!! Nothing starts off a big move to a totally foreign country like reading your flight schedule wrong and thinking you had an entire other day to prepare. Oh and thank you Lindz and Terri for the "panic packing" on a hangover to top it off. Everyone please note: READ THE REDEYE FLIGHT SCHED VERY CAREFULLY!!!
My team here is incredible....and it helps that the hombres are pretty darn cute. What better way to be welcomed into a country and new job than by your handsome collegues?? In less than a week of being here, I've already moved apartments (Mar Del Sur "Sewer" to Varazul), had two more bins sent with MORE stuff (thank you Mom, YOU ROCK!!), am signed up to golf in the Breezes Varadero golf tournament on Wed and have a date!! LOL.....are you proud Megs?? I have also successfully killed 3 cockroaches in my new place (to everyone who doesn't know this NEVER squish a cockroach, that's how the procreate....seriously....DON'T DO IT!) and the decorating in the nuevo casa is almost complete :-). My ocean view is incredible....I FINALLY got one, it's been a dream for awhile, and at night if I sleep with the window open I can hear the waves, it's heaven.  Overall, I'm really starting to settle in. My Spanglish needs some SERIOUS improvement, as in it needs to turn into full-on fluent Spanish and PRONTO!! I guess I forgot, (or maybe just didn't pay attention) when I was on vacation here a few years ago, as to how little the locals speak English. Doing business when you don't speak the same language and especially when phone calls need to be made?! YIKES....I have my work cut out for me!!!
For now, I will bid "Buenas Noches" for tonight, as tomorrow is a big day, the 3 City Tour. I am aware this post was boring and kind of all over the place....bare with me, it's been an overwhelming week and 2 days!!
The next post will have more detail and pictures.....standby one :-)