A ruined day

I woke up this morning with tremendous apprehension, I had many pending and had to solve them as soon as possible. The most important of all is my thesis, the last obstacle towards my graduation. I also wanted to do the laundry and tidy up the mess in the house.

I sat down to plan my next few days, when my mind is scattered, it always helps to put everything on a calendar or make a to-do list. It gives you peace of mind to know that everything will be fine, that you have time to do what you need and that the people or goals that depend on you will not be left adrift. Once I put my life together, the blackout came. I should have expected it, but it was still discouraging, many of the plans for the day were necessarily postponed. Editing my thesis, endless work for me, was impossible because my laptop is very old and does not work if it is not connected to the power. I couldn't wash either, and cooking would be too hard because I wouldn't be able to use the electrical equipment.

Blockout planning

In Havana, we have planned blackouts for four hours every three days. We can consider ourselves lucky compared with other provinces that have affected electricity for long hours and almost every day of the week. However, nobody wants a blackout, not every three days or every ten. It changes your whole routine, it forces you to leave things for another day.

It is true that blackouts, at least those that occur in the morning, are not only planned but also announced. However, that schedule varies by week and I am tired of keeping up with it. That's why it takes me by surprise and ruins my day. I complained bitterly and my husband told me that I should have been more responsible to keep up with the schedule of blackouts. His answer irritated me because I knew deep down that he was right, you cannot live in Cuba thinking that you live in a normal country and that all the circumstances will be in your favor.

What to do on a blockout day?

On blackout days we need to get creative. There are many things to do, but my two favorites are running away and reading, which is another way to run away.

Running away

Today I went to my grandparents' house, but on other days I can choose to go to my mother's or my mother-in-law's house. As the blackouts are in areas of the city, not all of them are affected by the electrical flow at the same time. In any case, in addition to the planned blackouts, there are the spontaneous ones, which is why today the power went out at my grandmother's house while I was there, although it was for a short time.

Sometimes, when I take a look at the horrific outage schedule, I plan ahead to get things done outside the house on the day the power goes out. I go to the University, to the doctor, to visit someone, to do some paperwork, anything is better than being at home.

Why is it so horrible to be without power? In addition to the fact that it is impossible to use any electrical appliance, it also implies that, for some strange reason, the mobile data connection will be terrible. On the other hand, the heat is unbearable in the summer, and, considering that Cuba has summer almost every month of the year, it is always unbearable.

Reading

Reading is always a relief in times of crisis. My favorite spot to read is outside my house, there is so much green outside and also a bit of fresh air that never hurts in these temperatures. Also, this is the best-lit place in the house. I read on my Kindle, stories about ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, about the Etruscans; I read Cicero, and Don Quixote, which more than five hundred years later still makes me laugh, I read the Bible...

Reading is the most comfortable and heavenly way out of a blackout. It is true that if you read and don't cook you will die of hunger, because all the nearby cafeterias close due to lack of electricity. However, when reading you can travel without moving your feet, without exposing yourself to the annihilating sun, and without having to deal with more voices than those of the book itself. Reading is a selfish refuge, that's why I haven't chosen it today, but I have to admit I regret it.