Although Cuba has suffered terrible economic strain since the collapse of Soviet subsidies after 1989, most city dwellers have a television and basic appliances like a refrigerator, air conditioner or a Russian made washing machine such as the one here at left.
Notice how one can see directly onto the street (and vice versa) from the front room of this Habana apartment. The omnipresent carpet one finds in the United States is also lacking. Instead tiles are used - as in the picture on the right. Why do you suppose this is?
Private telephones are increasingly available because of a joint venture in 1994 whicprivatized the state run telephone system and created the private company ETECSA, 51% of which is still owned by the Cuban government. However, telephones are still not as common as in other countries and private internet use is still quite limited but does exist.
While most North Americans don't keep a shrine in their houses, in Cuba this might not be unusual. This altar has to do with a widespread religion in Cuba called Santería, a so-called syncretized religion which plays a major role in the life of many Cubans. A syncretized religion in one in which two belief systems meld to form a new religion. In the case of Santería, this means that Christian beliefs mixed with the beliefs of the kidnapped African slaves to create a new religion which equates Catholic saints to the gods of the Yoruba of central Africa . Believers make offerings to the gods, or Orishas, at these altars. It is a common practice in Cuba , for example, when opening a bottle of rum, to pour out a few drops onto the ground for the gods. For more information about Santería, click here - 
In some parts of the world less emphasis is placed on combating bodily odors than in the United States . This is NOT the case in Cuba , where cleanliness and good hygiene are very important. 
