Havana has its own beauty in the rain – The big puddles that mirror the buildings. The kids skidding around playing in the rain. But it also has its limitations. Sometimes in truly unexpected ways.

I cannot go to work today, says Pedro, looking out of the window. Why not I say, what is the problem? He looks at me perplexed. La Lluvia (the rain), he says pointedly. I will get sick, very sick if my clothes get wet. Some people die you know.  I cannot but to laugh a little. Pedro looks at me with big hurtful eyes

Do you want your whole bathroom to collapse?

We are building a bathroom on the terrace. The builder does not turn up.  At 11 am I call him. But, mi vida, he says, look at the weather, la lluvia. And so? I say, We have a full roof covering the terrace. You do not understand he says, trying to be patient with me. Me, the foreigner, cannot be expected to understand very much. La humidad, it is very bad, the cement will not dry. Really ? I say sceptically. Do you want your bathroom to collapse? I admit that I do not.  I recognize a lost argument and settle in to wait for the sun.

I go to collect my sandals at the shoe mender. They are not ready says he, Of course not, how can I mend them in this weather`?  La humidad, it is bad for the glue, they will fall apart again immediately. You have to come back when the weather improves.

The tourists do not understand, complains my friend Milagros. What don’t they understand I ask? They are angry because their breakfast was late, she says. Well, they would be angry and with reason, I say. But Nini, hermana, says Milagros chocked to her core. I cannot go to get the fruit in this horrible rain. I went, I point out. Don’t you have an umbrella? Of course, says Milagros, but imagine my hair in this humidad, it gets all curly. And only yesterday I went to the hairdresser.

My husband comes back from the baker.  No bread he says, the guests will have to do without bread for their breakfast this morning. Why, I ask, what happened? The baker could not work in the night, explains my husband, because of the rain. With all this humidad, he could get sick, so it was better to stay in bed.

At a standstill. Almost. Better to have a coffee and be patient. Nothing will change by trying to apply Scandinavian logic. Of that I am sure.