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8/23/1998 - Necessity Breeds Invention by Paige Evans

Necessity Breeds Invention CUBA Havana August ByPaigeEvans Overthecourseofthepastdecade IhavesearchedforapartmentsinMan hattan Rome San Francisco three world competitive estatemarkets Armedwiththeseexperiences Ithoughtfindingaplacetolive inHavanawouldcover leastsomewhat familiarground ButmyHavana apartment searchhasunearthedanaltogethernewrange ofvariablesandchal lenges AswithmanythingshereinCuba Ishouldhaveknowntoexpectthe unexpected NoneofthemyriadlandlordswithwhomI vespokenhasaskedmewhether I smoke enough money cover Also selling points emphasize proximity hospital where water electricity relatively dependableor embassy where there regular policecontrol arenotonesforwhichIgenerallylook Intheirdesperate searchfortheU S dollarsneededtobuyeverythingfrom clothing electronic goods medicine Cubans tives orsqueeze first floorbedroom order vacate oftheir homes rental foreigners Thus despite reported housing shortage Cuban seems someone spare independent apart mentavailable forrental dollars Because private rentals phenomenon prices Havana apart ments widely apparent correlation value Landlords forwhatever theyimagine thinkthey Vilma woman piping voice works music organismo institute issponsoringmy stayhere inCuba handsme mynew Cuban residency together address Aurelio doctor withanapartmenttorent Itisagoodlocation andIthink itisinexpensive Vilma notmentionthat Aurelio herbrother tellsmethiswhenI apartment After quick bedroom shared kitchen andbathroom Aurelio offersme coffee living When I water instead warns Never drink terhereunless ithasbeenboiled foratleasttwentyminutes Peoplehere ignorant about realize water Ithasbacteria especiallyinthesummer Itcangiveyougiardia Iama doctor Iknow Aurelio hands glass boiled water lights another filterless cigarette He across fixes penetrating He pausesslightly pensively thenhiswordsfloodoutinastream Iamadoctor Iamforced rentout ofmyapartment order survive IamnotregisteredasalandlordwiththeHous Ministry If would relationship I ofcourse clearmythings shelfinthe WhenI tellhimIamlookingforsomethingmore independent Aurelioagainpauses staringatmewith disconcerting intensity I discover later chiatrist whichmayaccount piercing AsisthecaseinmanyCubanlivingrooms Aurelio television playing loudly The beard speaking Aureliosnaps offtheTV salsaCD instead Heproudlyhandsmehis collection CDs ofwhichareAmerican TwooftheCDsare ofKenny G whoisverypopular anotheris ofMaria Carey Idonotrecognizethe othertwoAmerican singers This surprises Aurelio Aurelio sfacelightsupwhen Imention Iattended International Yoruba Confer Hiswordsagainburstoutof I religious See He pullsanecklace ofcolored santeria beadsfromunderhis shirt These aremy colors That saint Hepointstoahuge beatificpaint Saint Lazarus AndthatisEleggua Ashrine Eleggua santeria gatekeeper orisha deity represented aroughly roundedblockofwood standsjust Aurelio front Vilmais religious Weknowagooddealabout religion andweknowmanyreligious people Real religious people You careful research These moreandmorepeople babalaos order money tourists The fakes It terrible religion I Danish womanwhobought string these beads You I these One dollar You Ten dollars If emonyormeeta religiousperson tellme I willgowith makesureyouarenottakenadvantageof Icantake youalloverthe island To Matanzas Santiago Cuba Isle Pines Many places around island importanttoreligiouspeople Youcan tellthemyouare doing research thatyou curious He digsthrough ofhome recorded cassettes Ihaveacassetteofreligiousincantations Icangetyou anytapesorCDsyouwant cheap onthe street Much cheaperthaninthe stores Just letmeknowwhatyou Youcan alsotapethemhere onmymachine Any Whether outmyroom They bemuchhigherqualityrecordingsthanygu getonmost BPE cassettesonthe street Wouldyouliketohearthe giousmusic Norma aneighborofmyfriendRaphael isare nownedCubangeneticistwithanapartmentto She short pudgywomanin withbleached squinty smile EVidently 1940s ranch style belonged U S millionaire We chairs patio beside empty shell ofaswimmingpool whose colored tiles crumbling maintenance Raphael comments inCuba couldmaintain poolthese supplies chemicals andmoneyneededto UnlikemanyCubans Normahasbeenabletotravel internationally In 1980s spent months doing genetic research Albert Einstein Institute Bronx spent another months Rome She croons New York I adore New York Whata place The action Thecitythatneversleeps It isthe centeroftheuniverse AndRome Romeis enchanting All Themostbeautifulcityinthe world Norma shows apart house dingy bedroom functioning conditioner cramped bathroom kitchenette completely lackingthecharmofHavana scolonialb uildings Ido notknowwhattosayabouttheapartment Idon twant insult Norma I wanttobemisleading Luckily Normaoffersmeanout She tells registered apart intention registering She argues wouldn paying impuesto doesn perpetual hassle HousingInspector Onceprivatelandlordsareregistered Cuban Housing Ministry computer notchange status theinspectorcontinuestocheckup their homes impose costly monthly rented whether landlord tohave renters atany given I tellNormathat S citizenhere fortwoyears I everything legally I cards printedandaninternationalphoneline installed Ineed receiptsformyrent ShesayswecanclaimIama friendstayinginherhomeforfree anarrangement would require register landlord dreaded impuesto Shehas spenttime inNYC doing research couldhave establisheda friendship withme there Suchanarrangementwouldbeaccept abletothehousingauthorities WhenIaskhowmuch shewantsin Normaasks foran exorbitantsum morerentthanIpaidforalargerapartmentinNewYork despite shewouldnotneed cover hefty rental taxes I Paolo Italian professional photographer based Havana party celebrating brothers initiation santeria Just night before goats roosters chickens sacrificed Eleggua initiates orisha intheCentral Havanalivingroomwhere Paolo I introduced The since thoroughly cleaned evidence night slaugh terremains Today livingroomis floodedwith ecstatically pullingcandy pifata inhonor childlikeEleggua Paolo stealthilyweavesbetweenthe children snapping photos The initiates mother visitingfromTucsonwhere liveswithherAmeri canhusband tapesthe kidsonabrandnewvideoc Alittleboydances playfully front ofthe camera others stare transfixed viewfinder The something tiates receiving visitors diningroomnextdoor Theyhave changedtheir elaboratecostumes since I arrived instead gingham knickers Eleggua colors ofredandblack theyaredressedinelaborate blackjackets taloons andcapsreminiscentofElizabethancourtjester costumes Dried grass skirtscovertheirpantaloons redpaint streakstheircheeks upperlipsandchins ingan African flavor their otherwise European style costumes Palm fronds dining ceiling andcover walls floor The dried salted cassesofbirdsandfish aswellasotherobjects likecigars plastic children Tucson Toys R Us hangamongthe fronds Awoodenbowl holding horns offerings dollar bills notes floor initiates Urns filled stones water silverbangles shells plates heaped roasted floor Paolophotographsthe scene visitors prostratethem selves before initiates horns communi catewith Eleggua intone ritualchants PaolotellsmehisCubanwife isabouttogivebirth twins Theyhave decided raise their children Cuba rather Brooklyn Italy because Paoloexplains Cubansaresuchwarmpeople children Dangerous things drugs handguns problem States Kids actually still enjoy their childhoods Cuba It sjustwhentheygrowupthatthefrustrations begin defeat Paolo searching larger apartment accommodate growing family Whenhe finds bedroom apartmentwhere lived three years available Asheshowsmetheone bedroomthe followingday Paolo Nowthey afraid place They neighborhood meeting night where people H ousing Ministry plans crackdown renters They registered They could renttheapartmenttome becauseIamafriend oftheirs theycouldsayIwasstayingtherefor Buttheycould neveraffordthefine U S iftheHousingIn spectorfound theywere renting illegally TeresaandArmando elderly couple independent apartmenton upper floor oftheir colonialhome Armandowasonceadistinguishedmath ematics professor Univer sityofHavana frailand forgetful Aband around periphery Teresa darkly stained black After Teresa shown theapartment sitintheirliv ingroom whereArmandoserves meastrong sweetricewinehedistilledhimself Ican teachyouhowtomakeit Iusedtomakeitformyolder wholoves thiswine Hepassesmeaframedwed photo This wedding He married awoman fromNewYork They married Catholic Church Here Teresa interjects I Catholic Mymothe rwasSpanish IgototheCatholic Churchon25th Street every Sunday Armandohandsmeasecondphoto ofthreerows mechanics BMW uniforms He points mustachioedyoungman This ismyyoungerson He livesinFortLauderdale Heisveryintelligent He already makes dollars theUnited States years Teresa heaves great Our entire family Everyone Someofthem liveinFlorida NewJersey A Spain Are Cuba whole years I months Things There Cana dianmanlivingnextdoor HearrivedinCubawith these grand ideas Canadian Che Guevara For firstmonth herode abike getaroundthe In Buthecouldnotstand Heboughthimselfacar Whatchoice isthere Whoeverheardofacitywithout Institute Current World Affairs publictransportation ThentheCanadianmovedout Siboney wealthiest ofthe wherethe estpeople Nowhehas central conditioning conditioning He lives comfort Teresa shakes But pesos No facil She shrugs defeatedly again intones common Cubanrefrain Noesfacil Itisnoteasy AsTeresaspeaks Armandostrokesthebaldingbelly ofone their three ancient Whenshe pauses launches lengthy history ofthebeloved pooches He tells where along whattheirindividualpersonalities Evidently wholimps around creaky joints ishighlyterritorial HebarkedrigorouslywhenIarrived IfIlivedupstairs thiscouldproveaboon forsecurity reasons Security major concern Havana Most apartmentsherehaveirongates securedwithpadlocks covering everywindow In these times sbreak inrate ishigh particularlyin foreign homes withtheircovetedand costly possessions Teresabringstheconversationbacktotheapartment upstairs If decide entire floor would yours I renting though soyoucould leaveyourcomputerin thelivingroom Booksyoucouldleave thebookscould clothing other things But computer would And baggage course Yourbaggageyoumustkeepinyourroom That wecan tellthe Housing InspectorArmando usingthe otherrooms thatthey arecommonspace The Inspector never upstairs I couldnot afford Shepauses andherbrowknitswithworry Ihave alreadypromisedtheplace toanItalianwhohas stayed before He always goodtous ButhefraternizestoomuchwithCubans I wouldrather You seemlike seriousper Asinglewoman isgood Anintellectual The mentouristsbringjiniteras prostitutes intoyourhome Some those girls years Who knows howtheywillbehave TheItalian older buthehas ayoungCubangirl Teresaruns forefinger along ofheroppo forearm gesture sometimes lighter skinned Cubans indicate brown black She bringsher friendsinto thehouse notpeople ofthe finer class The ofpeoplewho practice religionyou interested santeria Idonotknowthosepeople hours They might steal things house Your friends would beadifferent class ofperson Academics Intellectuals Cubansdonot rentingout theirhomesto strangers youknow Wedo itbecausewehaveto Howelsecan survive BPE Z Institute CurrentWorld Affairs