With now 2 weeks left until my trip to Havana I start getting responses from my friends in regards to what they want me to bring them. I am back to the same old list of items for my grandma which includes all sorts of cooking spices and over the counter medication like Pebtobismol, Alka Seltzer  or just something as simple as  band – aids. In fact, I strongly believe that I can go to any store, close my eyes and grab ANY product I can reach and someone will be needing it and happy to have it.
It is not a surprise that one of my friends asked me for a internal modem for his computer. He joked  recommending me to please not to steal it from a museum and just to try to buy it on the internet if it is still possible. He is lucky enough to have intranet and a .cu email address that he can check often.
My best friend from university wrote asking for a luxury item in Havana, Pilot pens. She is now doing a second degree and reminded me of our fight to find good quality pens to help us to write endless notes, best option being Pilot 0.5 extra fine. When you find the brand in Cuba is of course expensive and because not so many people can buy it you are under the risk of the pen being old and dry.
I am also bringing things that people I know ask to other people abroad like a new motherboard, an iPod and shoelaces (yes, shoelaces are hard to find). I am  planning to take a small notebook laptop to replace my mother’s 8 year old computer.Hopefully customs will behave humanly this time and let me pass the few electronic pieces I am taking. They normally would retain you to make you pay extra if you bring electronic devices.
One Canadian friend visited Cuba last summer and forgot to bring aluminum foil for his hookah. He likes to tell the story about his journey to find foil in Varadero town and he still cannot believe they do not sell it in Cuba. I just told him quietly that there are tons of things that do not exist there, period. How could you explain Cuba in a couple of sentences? He succeed in the end buying a horrible and thick aluminum sheet for 10$ from a woman who braids tourist’s hair and uses aluminum strings to tie the braids.
My suitcase this summer will probably have that aluminum foil for the grandma’s oven, a new kitchen timer for her fridge and candles to celebrate her birthday but I will still feel I am not bringing enough, I will just be able to cover a few basic needs and one or two pleasures.
