Constantly affected by power outages, Cubans resort to all sorts of inventive ways to mitigate the lack of electricity, mosquitoes, and heat. One such example is a mother and daughter who use a water spray to cool themselves down.
“There’s no power, and we’re sweating like crazy,” said a woman named Leidyta FreeSoul (@leidysnodarse) on TikTok. In the video she shared, both of them use a spray bottle to mist their faces and necks with water. “My daughter finds solutions,” she added.
The girl explained that she used an empty perfume bottle, filled it with water, and uses it to spray her face, neck, and chest. "Oh, this feels so good!" expressed the woman, whose face was barely visible due to the blackout.
“Don't look for problems, look for solutions. We already have enough problems,” stated the young mother, who has previously shared videos recorded during power outages or related to them.
Creative Solutions Amidst Constant Power Outages
Recently, a Cuban man was captured at dawn still sleeping after spending the night on a rooftop on what appeared to be a mattress covered by a mosquito net. This is an ingenious initiative to sleep amidst the unbearable power outages that punish the population across the island.
"This is how we wake up in Cuba," expressed user Saúl Manuel on his Facebook account. However, he is not the only Cuban who has had to resort to desperate measures to mitigate the heat and power outages.
A mattress placed on a cart, covered by a mosquito net, and left outdoors represents another form of "creative resistance" that some Cubans are employing today to make the power outages more bearable.
The desolate scene was shared last June on Facebook by the user identified as Saúl Manuel, who accompanied the image with a brief text reflecting the anguish that island residents experience after years of power outages: "This is how we wake up in Cuba."
Frequently Asked Questions About Coping with Power Outages in Cuba
In light of the ongoing power outages in Cuba, residents have developed various methods to cope with the challenging conditions. Below are some frequently asked questions and their answers regarding these creative solutions.
How do Cubans cool down during power outages?
Cubans use various methods to cool down during power outages, such as using water spray bottles, sleeping on rooftops with mosquito nets, and placing mattresses on carts outdoors.
What is "creative resistance" in the context of Cuban power outages?
"Creative resistance" refers to the inventive ways Cubans cope with the hardships of power outages, such as using spray bottles for cooling, sleeping outdoors, and adapting daily routines to mitigate the effects of heat and lack of electricity.