In Cuba, sometimes things just run out. It's not like in Germany, where the nearest supermarket runs out of canned tomatoes so you just find them somewhere else. In Cuba, maybe there just isn't any.
In Spanish, you say "no hay." It means, "there isn't." It's not 'no hay' for today, or 'no hay' at this location, please try one of our other branches. It's just 'no hay.
I first learned this concept from my Cuban friend Surama. She told me that Christmas Eve dinner in Cuba is usually made with pork if there is any, and when there isn't any pork, then with eggs instead. When we gave Surama's mom a huge jar of Nutella, she explained that Nutella is hard to find and expensive in Cuba. She also said that at the moment, there just isn't any. We stopped at a restaurant in Vedado, Havana, to hear some music and rest our feet. I read the 3 page menu and tried to order an omelette. No hay. How about french fries? No hay.
"Ok," I told the waitress, "what do you have?" Sandwiches, she said. So I ordered a cheese sandwich.
In Viñales, our house had a rooftop patio with a view of the mountains. It was the perfect place to watch the sunset and drink a beer. I went to buy some in town. I asked at the grocery store, the bar, the other bar, and at the convenience store. In every place, I got the same answer: "No hay." The whole town was out of beer, until the distributor's truck came by again. I am from the country of "whatever you want you can get it, in mega-economy size, probably 24 hours a day, possibly delivered to your door". This 'no hay' concept was foreign to me.
Cubans receive ration cards that allow them to buy certain amounts of certain foods at low, subsidized prices. People can also purchase food in addition of these ration amounts, at different prices. Several times during our trip, I saw people lining up at the butcher shop; the ham had just come in. Of course, products are also available on the black market and in stores with prices in CUCs.
But sometimes, no matter where you try to buy something, 'no hay'.
About Me
- Julia
- Thanks for coming to my blog. It started as a way to keep in touch with family and friends, and now has become an ongoing project. I'm an American living in Germany and trying to travel whenever I can. I write about my experiences as an expatriate (the interesting ones and the embarrassing ones), and about my travels. There are some recurring characters in this blog, particularly my husband Brian and several of our friends. The title comes from the idea that living in a foreign country means making a lot of mistakes. So the things you used to do easily you now have to try over and over again. Hopefully, like me, you can laugh at how idiotic it feels. If you have happened upon my blog, then welcome. Knowing that people are reading what I write makes me keep going. Feel free to write comments or suggestions for future posts.
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