A Cuban resident in Germany recorded his astonishment upon visiting a water park and noticing that bathers left their sandals scattered anywhere without anyone touching them, something that would be unthinkable in Cuba.
The reel published on Instagram by @rubytelocuenta_cu triggered a stream of comments from Cubans in the diaspora who immediately identified with the situation.
The video was recorded in what several followers identified in the comments as Tropical Islands, the largest indoor water park in Europe, located in Krausnick, Brandenburg, about 60 kilometers south of Berlin.
“Look at Germany, man, everyone comes here and leaves their flip-flops everywhere as if it’s nothing. If Kimbo, El Tijera, or Mala Maña were here, I’d have a story for you,” the creator says humorously, using Cuban slang to describe people on the island who would take someone else's shoes without a second thought.
The question he posed to his followers — "Would they last more than 10 minutes there in your country?" — became the spark for countless responses filled with humor and even nostalgia.
The comments reflect a shared sentiment among Cuban emigrants: extreme caution with one's belongings is a trait acquired on the island that does not disappear even after living abroad for many years.
"In Cuba, if you fall asleep, they take them off your feet," wrote a user. Another summarized the experience with a phrase that captured much of the reaction: "It happens to me too, it's a gene we have that never goes away."
Humor wasn't long in coming. "I'm wearing Nikes and coming out with a Gucci," joked one commentator. Another was more direct: "Buddy, where we come from, you have to play soccer barefoot with flip-flops in hand."
Some users provided perspective on the cultural difference with their own anecdotes. "Once I had a concert in Bocholt, I forgot my laptop, my camera, and my keys, and someone contacted me on Instagram and returned everything. Incredible, but I was also really lucky." Another, on the other hand, admitted that at a party in Germany, a friend of his did have his sneakers stolen, which generated more laughter in the thread.
The comparison with Cuba was inevitable. "If that's in Cuba, there's nothing left," declared a follower. "Many of those Germans, if they went to Playa Guanabo, the story would be different," added another. A more reflective comment closed the debate with a phrase that resonated among the followers: "What happens is that the thief thinks everyone steals. Get out of Cuba."
This is not the first viral video by the creator about the cultural shock between Cuba and Germany. In July, he published a reel about his first time using the Berlin metro, and in March, he shared content comparing things he has in Germany that he did not have in Cuba.
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