Thoughts from Cuba

     I returned yesterday from a seven day trip to Cuba. I know all inclusive vacations are about the relaxing and getting away but going to another country I think what you learn and how it changes you and hopefully the way you live your life is important. 
     The drive from the airport was an eye opener for the kids. Seeing the style of the houses, stores, towns etc. was a big change for them as they hadn't been anywhere other than Canada and the United States. As we rode the bus and looked at the houses I asked the kids whether they now understood why I say we're rich. Their responses indicated that they understood the point. 
     Driving through the three towns on the way to the resort it hit me that at all the houses we drove by where people appeared to be home the people were either sitting and watching TV or sitting on the porch with a drink. I commented to my wife that even in a country that looks and lives so differently at the end of the day the people come home and sit and watch TV or sit out on the porch. 
     Ultimately the things that really made me think came from a friendship I formed with Henry a Cuban guy who worked at the resort. The kids and I played a lot of chess with him and it turned out we had a lot in common. We were close in age, had similar childhood experiences and both had young sons. Henry and I had good conversations about life, raising children and what's important. He had some experience traveling to other countries due to a past as a competitive swimmer and spoke reasonably about what he viewed as the positive and negative aspects of each of our cultures. His views made me realize that the Cuban life was a lot different than what I envisioned. Our conversations also made me realize that at the macro level we really weren't that different. Two men who go to work every day, come home and try to do the right thing in raising our children and the way we live our lives. A lot of micro level differences but establishing that friendship was an eye opener for me.
     The lack of access to technology, certain foods and some freedoms etc. were definite concerns of Henry's about the Cuban life. However he also raised concerns with the Canadian system's potential lack of fairness in raising children based on parent's money, influence etc. Also about the impact of video games and similar technology to raising children versus what he referred to as the more natural way his son would be raised in Cuba playing sports, fishing, camping etc. The most interesting conversation points between us though were about Canadians spending their lives chasing consumer goods and the stress it can create. 
     To me this is the real value of traveling to other countries and understanding other cultures. The things it makes you consider and hopefully the resulting positive changes that you make in your own life. I hope I can use the knowledge and perspective that I gained to improve my life and that of my family.