Day to day...

Cubans concern themselves with what to eat, where to get the food and how to pay for it. Each family gets a "libreta" --a ration book that allows each family a certain amount of items i.e. rice, beans, coffee, sugar...the libreta amount of food and staples tends to last an average of 10 days. So what does one do for the other 20 days?

A percentage of the population have $$ coming on from family abroad...but a greater percentage don't have that luxury and survive in a variety of ways. Some will steal items from their jobs to sell later...quite often I as a foreigner will encounter someone trying to sell me cigars...those cigars are usually taken by one working in a cigar factory...or they take pieces of tobacco and assemble them at home...one may sell eggs at work and take one or two a day and this will feed their child breakfast on a regular basis.

Due to the aging water system, old plumbing in old buildings, many places don't have a consistent source of clean water...enterprising young men will take a 55 gallon drum..attach wheels to it and sell water in a neighborhood...of course for a couple of dollars. Then there are those that will sell their bodies to make ends meet...Cubans will find a way to make ends meet.

These women were standing in line one day outside of a store...but it's their mirrored stance one unaware of the other patiently waiting to ... wait.