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A day using money in Cuba

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Re: A day using money in Cuba

#181

Post by 082349872349872 »

m0zg wrote: post #180
082349872349872 wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Out of curiosity, ребята, three questions about Иван Васильевич меняет профессию: (a) which currency would Shurik have used when buying transistors (~45 minutes)? I'm assuming he would've used regular rubles if he'd managed to find them in a shop, but since he was buying from a dubious looking source (Бери шинель?) would he have needed other currency? (b) when Иван Грозный discovers the elevator (~24 minutes), is his…

Haven't watched it in decades, so thanks for time references. The currency question is easy: in the USSR there was nothing other than Soviet Rubles. There was no other currency, dubious source or not, especially for a ботаник from a НИИ like Shurik. The thief scene here ( https://youtu.be/a50qT9bW2Qo?t=856 ) shows what I assume are government bonds, not currency. My parents never had those and I've never seen them in…

Мерси боку !

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#182

Post by 082349872349872 »

m0zg wrote: post #180
082349872349872 wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Out of curiosity, ребята, three questions about Иван Васильевич меняет профессию: (a) which currency would Shurik have used when buying transistors (~45 minutes)? I'm assuming he would've used regular rubles if he'd managed to find them in a shop, but since he was buying from a dubious looking source (Бери шинель?) would he have needed other currency? (b) when Иван Грозный discovers the elevator (~24 minutes), is his…

Haven't watched it in decades, so thanks for time references. The currency question is easy: in the USSR there was nothing other than Soviet Rubles. There was no other currency, dubious source or not, especially for a ботаник from a НИИ like Shurik. The thief scene here ( https://youtu.be/a50qT9bW2Qo?t=856 ) shows what I assume are government bonds, not currency. My parents never had those and I've never seen them in…

You're right; they're bonds. compare https://assets.bwbx.io/images/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/iXcD4yjnYag... Шпак богач...

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#183

Post by _hhkc »

vkou wrote: post #20
_iatg wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> those who imposed socialism on others, but did not live in it themselves I wouldn't be able to describe it any better way than this.

Can't our current economic system be described as rule by those who impose dog-eat-dog capitalism on others, but do not live in it themselves? I think the common factor is that elites always find a way to insulate themselves from the problems of the plebs, including the ones that they have created.

Sounds like you've never lived a day of Cuban/Russian/Venezuelan communism in your life

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#184

Post by graeme »

bonzini wrote: post #37
graeme wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Note that this separation is more due to the fact that you’re rich, than any formal currency arrangement. Foreigners in the 1990s got the same treatment, before any formal dollarization or dual currency system existed. Cubans who make their money only from official sources are desperately poor. Those with connections abroad, connections to tourism or to the black market are richer. The money difference merely makes i…

> Anyone who approaches you speaking english is a hustler and does it professionally. Outside the cities it's a bit better. Hitchhiking is common in Cuba and when we visited it was both fun and instructive to talk to the people to whom we offered a ride. Also talking to the people at CUP bars and restaurants like Dona Yulla was fun. We spoke Spanish though (or a mix of Spanish and Italian).

Agreed, different outside tourist hotspots.

>to whom we offered a ride.

But this is a major difference. You approach a Cuban --> 99.9% normal person. They approach you, speaking English --> probably hustler.

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#185

Post by graeme »

zxcv1975 wrote: post #176
graeme wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Note that this separation is more due to the fact that you’re rich, than any formal currency arrangement. Foreigners in the 1990s got the same treatment, before any formal dollarization or dual currency system existed. Cubans who make their money only from official sources are desperately poor. Those with connections abroad, connections to tourism or to the black market are richer. The money difference merely makes i…

> And the government goes a long way to try to separate tourists from the real society, though you can still get to it if you care to. It's not like that anymore. There are many Cubans who rent a room in their houses, so foreigners live with them and share with the family. > The police arrest those who spend too much time with foreigners It is possible, but I don't think it is very likely. I think those who can be ar…

You could rent rooms in houses when I was there too, that's mostly where I stayed. But 99% of the tourist market is in enclaves.

As for arresting Cubans, I may have spoken too loosely. The government doesn't really have a problem with conversations between foreigners and Cubans here and there, or with people having a foreign friend. What the government is looking out for is someone who has a habit of talking to many different foreigners. Usually this is done for some illegal purpose: black market hustling, or sex work. But talking to a lot of different people is one of the things they use to check for that.

As an example, if a Cuban visits a foreign friend in one of those tourist rooms, they have to give up their internal passport to the host, who must record their visit in a log which the police review.

And like anything else, something which is tolerated can still cause problems. i.e. in much of the west, you can do drugs fairly safely, but you shouldn't wave it in a cop's face. So, if you are a Cuban and do have a foreign friend, you still have to be careful. Cuba has a system of neighbourhood government snitches that keep tabs on everyone. However, these have relaxed a bit I think.

I can say I never found Cubans hesitant to make friends with me while I worked there. But, Cubans always have to be careful about where the lines are, and not to cross them.

For more, have a look at all the replies to this question about my post: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23305332

Re: A day using money in Cuba

#186

Post by simonebrunozzi »

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…

These buses are called Guagua. There's a simple reason why [0].

[0]: https://www.thecubanhistory.com/2016/09/origin-of-the-cuban-...

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