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Alice Jones: High rollers and the fate of fat cigars
Havana Notebook
Monday, 6 April 2009
So the credit crunch has reached even the shores of Fidel Castro's crumbling Communist outpost. It seems that in the depths of a recession there are far fewer fat cats celebrating a clinched deal by chewing on a fat Montecristo No. 2. Setting fire to a bundle of dried leaves at around a pound a puff is a luxury to live without in straitened times.
For the last three weeks the schoolroom on the first floor of the elegant 19th-century Partagas cigar factory in central Havana has lain empty. Chairs are piled up on top of the rows of wooden desks where up to 300 trainee torcedores (rollers) are normally taught the intricate art of cigar-making.
The factory is no longer recruiting and has further sacked 15 per cent of its staff, thanks to a spectacular fall in demand. Those remaining are no longer allowed to produce over their quotas to earn a little extra. Once they have reached their target ? for the highest rollers, up to 120 deftly hand-made cigars a day ? they are sent home.
There is light on the horizon, though. Last week, the US federal government announced a tax hike on tobacco which, combined with a new bill relaxing the rules on allowing Americans into Cuba, should see the industry warm up again. And if all else fails, perhaps the Cuban tourist board can look into developing Guantanamo Bay (on the island's south-eastern tip) as a potential holiday hot-spot. According to Miss Universe, it's a "lo-o-o-t of fun" this time of year.
Havana Notebook
Monday, 6 April 2009
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So the credit crunch has reached even the shores of Fidel Castro's crumbling Communist outpost. It seems that in the depths of a recession there are far fewer fat cats celebrating a clinched deal by chewing on a fat Montecristo No. 2. Setting fire to a bundle of dried leaves at around a pound a puff is a luxury to live without in straitened times.
For the last three weeks the schoolroom on the first floor of the elegant 19th-century Partagas cigar factory in central Havana has lain empty. Chairs are piled up on top of the rows of wooden desks where up to 300 trainee torcedores (rollers) are normally taught the intricate art of cigar-making.
The factory is no longer recruiting and has further sacked 15 per cent of its staff, thanks to a spectacular fall in demand. Those remaining are no longer allowed to produce over their quotas to earn a little extra. Once they have reached their target ? for the highest rollers, up to 120 deftly hand-made cigars a day ? they are sent home.
There is light on the horizon, though. Last week, the US federal government announced a tax hike on tobacco which, combined with a new bill relaxing the rules on allowing Americans into Cuba, should see the industry warm up again. And if all else fails, perhaps the Cuban tourist board can look into developing Guantanamo Bay (on the island's south-eastern tip) as a potential holiday hot-spot. According to Miss Universe, it's a "lo-o-o-t of fun" this time of year.
Really senor Larry??? LMFAO???
Names TJ, TJCoro, and I think 
Larry's been smoking a pipe again! 
don TJ and the 
Coros
Robusto and I share the same day job. Maybe it's an acquired taste in humor. 
Thanks for clearing that up Mr. Larry. 
Now I understand that Mr. R's subtle Brit humor is an acquired taste. Well above the cognitive skills of a simple minded, hard working, God frearing, booze drinking, trouble making, fist fighting, muckraking, stogie smoking Mf'ing hombre like me, from the State of Mind, Mexico. 
.
, that's all. 
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