by Ted Onulak

Created on: September 22, 2008   Last Updated: November 24, 2008

A great opportunity was opened for me when a close friend and former colleague from my days working on a State Department contract for the U.S. Refugee Program invited us to visit him in Havana. Though many quasi-legal avenues are open for U.S. travelers, I went through the legal channels, which took lots of paperwork and several weeks to clear, but it was well worth it.

Upon leaving the Havana airport, and heading out on a four-lane highway, probably one of the best in Cuba, I was struck by a large billboard on the side of the road. It was a giant portrait of a little girl in a Cuban schoolgirl uniform with violin bow in hand, playing an invisible violin. The girls face showed all the intensity of a concert violinist. The slogan was translated to me as, "You can take away my violin, but you can't take away my music!"

I was accompanied by my wife "Fabulous", who is a Brazilian, and as she would put it, "a Latin, da germa". A Latin to the core. It would be through her eyes and the eyes of our American host, that I would see Cuba, as my own sight has been failing due to a long-term retinal deterioration. I mention this, only because some of the observations were gathered with many other senses.

My first close up of Havana was the area of the diplomatic residential community, Cubanacan. Before the Revolution, it was called "Country Club". The houses around this former ex-pat only country club and golf course are sturdy and gated. Many have their own generators to deal with the now daily Havana power outages, to supply air-conditioners against the relentless heat.

I guess you could say that the country club's "comrade barrier", was broken in 1959, as witnessed by the photograph of Fidel and Che in their fatigues, playing golf at the once exclusive turf of Cuba's foreign investors. This well-known propaganda shot, illustrated the new balance of power. But if the Cuban people wanted to play golf they would have to use invisible clubs, as well as make music with invisible violins.

Heroic leaders don't play invisible violins, they play air guitar, that obsession of most teenaged boys where they stand in front of mirrors, make a sneering face and act real tough while wailing invisible music. There would be a lot of air guitar to be played in the turbulent history of Cuban-American relations, at one point to the brink of nuclear war. I don't really have much against air guitar, as long as people aren't doing it professionally.

At this point you may ask am I offended

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• Next Page >>