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A day using money in Cuba

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Re: A day using money in Cuba

#71

Post by sneak »

Mengkudulangsat wrote: post #61

As I'm reading through this I'm fascinated about the character's "write russian articles for Bitcoin gig". Perhaps internet infrastructure isn't that good yet in Cuba, but with Starlink and other LEO internet projects underway, that might change in the medium term. Once basic ingredients are there, we might see an explosion of, for lack of a better term... "digital sweatshops". Things like data annotation / game grin…

Starlink’s first version will require ground relay stations within the overlapping spot beams (the inter-spacecraft relay lasers aren’t until later) and also likely intends to comply with local laws in all places it is offered for sale.

I had high hopes here too, initially.

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#72

Post by hogFeast »

Ah, I live in the UK and it is still fairly common to hear people enviously tell you how successful Cuba is (this is people of a certain age, the same people usually think China was a great success under Mao because much of the Cultural Revolution didn't become apparent until the 90s)...people are weird.

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#73

Post by selimthegrim »

0x8BADF00D wrote: post #57
riffic wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

this is an extremely bad take.

It isn't. For example, in the Indian subcontinent, honor killing of the bride and practices like sati were widespread and culturally accepted. Only until the British colonized these countries were these types of practices stopped. There are still native tribes in many places on the earth that practice cannibalism; if you were to approach these tribes, they would capture you and cook you. We can all agree this is a ba…

Uh there was this little thing called the Mogul Empire you might have heard of, that tended to frown upon sati.

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#74

Post by VWWHFSfQ »

riffic wrote: post #33
lordnacho wrote: post #11

I actually went to Cuba on holiday, and I used the tourist dollars. It's incredible how this separates society into haves and have-nots. Basically everyone wants to be near the tourists. They'll invite you into their homes for food, they'll offer to take you around town, sell you some cigars, and so on. Since you have tourist bucks, you also have access to the tourist nightclubs, where you run into some regional cele…

> most of the island is mired in poverty the elephant in the room is the 60 year old embargo and its third-rail effect on American politics.

The actual elephant in the room is 60 years of brutal communist dictatorship.

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#75

Post by anotrawy »

robocat wrote: post #55
smnrchrds wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The police arrest those who spend too much time with foreigners. This is news to me. Do you have a source for this claim?

I’ve caused it, although approx 15 years ago when I was in Cuba for a month. First time, an obviously dodgy couple in Havana approached me at night shortly after I arrived. I will usually be friendly and talk with anyone without prejudice. I enjoy talking to grifters and operators, and I will happily pretend to be a victim when it amuses me to do so if I only risk a few dollars. I have travelled enough to be somewhat…

There's a guy on YouTube who recently captured what you've described. His channel is named 'bald and bankrupt'. It was a fascinating look into Cuba. He's also toured many of the old Soviet states too.

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#76

Post by maxilevi »

asciimike wrote: post #45
TMWNN wrote: post #4

Reminiscent of Argentina's Blue Dollar, the real exchange rate between the peso and the US dollar and usually very different from the official rate.

I thought the Blue Dollar was mostly phased out when they let the peso float at the end of 2015?

The currency restrictions were reinstated at the end of 2019.

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#77

Post by em-bee »

stevenjohns wrote: post #46
fennecfoxen wrote: post #31

Went to Cuba with my girl. (She really wanted to go; I was the skeptic.) Walking around the ruins of the Centrum, and someone invites her in to get a haircut. Sure, she says, why not? $5 (convertible), but all we had on hand was a $20. Little Cuban girl heads out running through the neighborhood to scrounge up change for a $20 because that’s almost a month’s salary.

Similar situation, although not as intense. I bought a skewer of grilled meat from a poor elderly woman in central Colombia. The skewer was 5,000 COP and all I had was a 50,000 note (which I discovered when the food was ready) which is about a day’s wage. She had to leave the grill and go out in the search for change. Felt terrible.

that's why i always make sure to have small change, so i can pay exact amounts. that doesn't stop me from giving a tip if it's warranted, and it also helps to not to get cheated where they take your money and then don't give you change.

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#78

Post by danlugo92 »

empath75 wrote: post #67
fennecfoxen wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Random over-generosity is not a particularly effective charity pattern. If you feel that Hacker News denizens like ourselves happen to have too much money, there are a variety of organizations which can transmit sums of money to those in need: not just a one-time $15 at random with a special tax diverted to prop up the Cuban government, but on a recurring basis, every month, as part of a program to help eliminate wor…

Who cares if it’s an effective form of charity. It’s nothing for you and a big deal for that person. Not everything needs to be minimaxed to death. Same deal with haggling in the developing world. It’s just a gross thing to do when there is a big wealth inequality.

I live in Venezuela (which is Cuba lite) but earn a foreign salary.

"It’s nothing for you" compromised around half of my expenses before I started budgeting.

I hate forced charity.

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#79

Post by pwned1 »

riffic wrote: post #33
lordnacho wrote: post #11

I actually went to Cuba on holiday, and I used the tourist dollars. It's incredible how this separates society into haves and have-nots. Basically everyone wants to be near the tourists. They'll invite you into their homes for food, they'll offer to take you around town, sell you some cigars, and so on. Since you have tourist bucks, you also have access to the tourist nightclubs, where you run into some regional cele…

> most of the island is mired in poverty the elephant in the room is the 60 year old embargo and its third-rail effect on American politics.

They can trade with the rest of the world, right?

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#80

Post by cptaj »

VWWHFSfQ wrote: post #74
riffic wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> most of the island is mired in poverty the elephant in the room is the 60 year old embargo and its third-rail effect on American politics.

The actual elephant in the room is 60 years of brutal communist dictatorship.

This right here.

Cuba is under a DICTATORSHIP. Stop defending the damn thing. The embargo is NOT the reason they're poor. Ask any cuban.

But PLEASE if you're not going to bother to listen to the people who actually live in the place, just be kind and shut up. Your support literally kills people over there.

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