This year the summer stage does not escape the economic situation that the country has, restrictions of all kinds that we suffer every day due to the cruel blockade that is imposed on us by the United States government, but that is no reason to be intimidated.
And as the summer song says in one of its refrains, it says “pa’ti, pa’ mi, con todos”.
And although this time a number of activities for family fun were also planned. During these very hot months, Cubans crave trips to the beaches, rivers and dips to cool off a bit and enjoy the scorching sun and fresh air; Trips to the baths, which were very, very limited by the existing fuel situation.
However, Cubans grow up in the face of problems looking for ways to have fun, each in their own way with ingenuity and improvisation.
It’s common to hear that “Cubans are fleeing”, and it’s true, in every neighborhood of Santiago you stumble upon a passionate game of dominoes, there are people playing a game of parcheesi and even forgetting the time; Others meet up with friends, have coffee and talk first about baseball, about activities at home – in the case of the women – and finish by telling stories and remembering passages from their lives.
Some have fun and make music with cans and sticks or listen to the songs of the moment over and over again.
The truth is that nothing and nobody takes away from our town this special way of having fun, being with family and spending a summer together; It is common for the little ones to enjoy the pools invented by their parents without leaving home to take a good dip.
Nowadays, at dusk, the hustle and bustle returns to the neighborhoods where they play stable, hide and seek, topa’o; Racing competitions are held, and they even get excited and laugh at the usual age-appropriate tricks.
Congratulations, these children’s activities will become popular in times of internet, tablets, computers, series…
It would be very useful for mass organizations in the communities to promote these initiatives that do not require large resources but only the will and creativity to share moments of healthy rest with the little ones at home.
So let’s leave traditional games like: blind hen, pelegrina, pulling rope, tucking donkey’s tail…
Undoubtedly, summer is not just sun and sand, everyone enjoys it in their own way, as the saying goes: “There is more time than life”, and certainly we can take a dip in other stages of summer while looking for alternatives like this one that my neighbor has applied so that his little Alexandra can have a great time at Vamos con Todo this summer.