Author: Rosa Martínez

An Autumn Day in Guantanamo

Cuban autumn has almost ended and life in Cuba continues without much change, both climatically and socially speaking. The excessive heat continues, although not like it was in July in August of course. An improvement here, destruction there, a dream here, disappoinment there, but we carry on the same as always, don’t we?

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Beans Missing from Cuban Tables

White rice with black or red bean stew is the most common meal in all of Cuba, from the most western region where they grow tobacco in Pinar del Rio, to Maisi, in the far eastern province of Guantanamo. But what was the fail-safe meal for ordinary Cubans up until recently, has now become a dreadful headache.

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Almost, but Never There

“Vale la pena” is one of the few Cuban TV shows that I still watch regularly. My passion for psychologist Calvino’s lectures began a long time ago, when I was a university student and I saw myself reflected in most of the subjects that the Havana University professor used to discuss every week.

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Born poor…

In Cuba, there is a very popular saying that says that whoever is born a sardine, never becomes a codfish. This is a very Cuban way (there are many more) to explain the global phenomenon of 90% of people who are born rich end up dying rich and that very few people who are born poor, ever become rich.

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The Ironing Lady

Even though there are household chores that I don’t enjoy (like ironing, for example), I have never been able to give myself the luxury of paying someone else to do it for me, as the two incomes that come into our house just about cover food expenses for the entire family, let alone pay for a bit of help that would give me some more time for myself.

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Free Internet in Cuba

The day that half of the Cuban population, especially teenagers and young people, have been waiting for finally came. Free Internet is now a reality in Cuba. News spread like a cloud of dust from neighbor to neighbor, from telephone to telephone, from family here to a relative there.

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Remedy for Stress

I have read that “Stress is the health epidemic of the 21st century,” on more than one occasion. It’s so bad for you that it can trigger many other diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, stomach ulcers, muscular aches and pains and even death.

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