Culture Smart Cuba

The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

Mandy MacDonald, Russell Maddicks

$22.99

Paperback

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Spanish

Kuperard Publishers
01 July 2016

Cultural studies; Popular culture; Travel & holiday guides; Languages & ESL; Spanish - Cultural Material; Phrase Books

Series: Culture Smart

Cuba is a land of contradictions that is easy to enjoy but difficult for first-time visitors to decipher. The largest island in the Caribbean, it is a tropical paradise that Christopher Columbus called the most beautiful land that human eyes have ever seen. It is famous for the romantic charm of its crumbling colonial cities, the beauty of its white sand beaches, and its irresistible Afro-Cuban dance beats. But it is also a land of shortages and tight government control, which has been in a sixty-year political standoff with its superpower neighbor, the USA. The homegrown version of single-party socialism created by Fidel Castro has kept Cuba in a Cold War time warp that only now is beginning to change. As travel restrictions are relaxed US tourists can once again visit the island. Greater flexibility toward private enterprise is opening it up to boutique hotels and high-quality home-based restaurants. There is a boom in special-interest tourism for cyclists, hikers, birdwatchers, and scuba divers, while foreign entrepreneurs are eagerly exploring investment opportunities. Culture Smart! Cuba will take you beyond the usual descriptions of Havana nightlife, vintage cars, and hand-rolled cigars and give you an insider's view of an island that is teetering on the brink of historic change. It offers insights into Cuba's fascinating history, national icons, unique food, vibrant cultural scene, and world-renowned music. Practical tips help business travelers gain an edge on the competition. But most of all, this book aims to show you how best to break the ice and get a better understanding of the infinitely resourceful Cuban people, who despite severe hardships and shortages over many years remain optimistic and fiercely proud of their heritage and culture.

By: Mandy MacDonald, Russell Maddicks
Imprint: Kuperard Publishers
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: 2nd
Dimensions: Height: 169mm, Width: 110mm, Spine: 13mm
Weight: 181g
ISBN: 9781857338485
ISBN 10: 1857338480
Series: Culture Smart
Pages: 168
Publication Date: 01 July 2016
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Brief History Politics - Economic Life Traditions - Friendships & Family Relationships Bureaucracy Religion Humour - Local Holidays Taboos Invitations Gifts Dress - Business etiquette - Punctuality & Appointments - Team working Communication Negotiating - Women in Society Tips - Eating Out - Traditional Food - Dos and Don t - Making Friends

Russell Maddicks is a much published BBC-trained journalist, translator, and travel writer. A graduate in Economic and Social History from the University of Hull, England, he has spent the last twenty years traveling, living, and working in South and Central America, most recently as Latin American Regional Specialist for BBC Monitoring. He has made many extended trips to Cuba, a country that continues to dazzle and surprise him. He is also the author of Culture Smart! Venezuela (2012), Culture Smart! Ecuador (2014), and the Bradt Guide to Venezuela (2011).