Author: Regina Cano

“When Cubans try to get close to a foreigner, it’s not to make friends. It’s always with the intention of getting something in return.” These were more or less the words of a Latin American woman who lived in Cuba for several years.

“Auntie’s Houses” is what they used to be called to cover up the real names of brothels here in the city. These days other polite terms have been adopted to identify these places of amorous encounters, rendezvous and dalliances.

The love of the mother for her child is unconditional — according to Cubans — as are the child’s feeling toward its mother. Yet in more than an insignificant percentage of instances nowadays, this image is broken and the pieces of the picture go flying.

Living with other people in a community on this island always involves patience, consideration, respect and understanding, qualities that are difficult to maintain where there are mixed social groups with diverging interests.

The falling of a 13-year-old girl from the fourth floor of her school building has shocked everyone who has heard the story (though I think relatively few people have).

A few months ago I saw a documentary titled +600º, which deals with coffee and the screw on coffee makers that can explode. The documentary addresses the disappearance of the metallurgic foundries in San Jose de Las Lajas, a municipality south of the capital.

Sebastian is a 14-year-old junior high school student who has had long hair since he was five. Since his first contact with schools, except in his first of several elementary schools, he has had the same problem because of that decision.

“Simply, do it simply, do it with your own hands and la la la…” sing the voices in the introduction of a program on Cuba’s “Multivision” television network.

The Russians who lived in the Alamar community are remembered for their sales of products that only turned up in their markets. I think back to how when the foreign technicians would go to work, the housewives opened for business.

Others here in Havana Times have already talked about their good and bad experiences with the Russians; I think that all cultures — including ours — have their pros and cons.