Daisy Valera’s Diary

For some time now, a small frog has been determined to live in my kitchen. I affectionately call her Juana (despite not knowing its sex).

We Cubans complain a lot about the difficulties of getting around, especially those of us who live in the capital. It is not without good reason that the problem of transportation heads the list of our most pressing challenges, along with those of food and shelter.

Cuba is now promoting the hiring of workers without creating laws that prevent the exploitation of these individuals who will go from being government workers to having private bosses.

As a whole, these songs make up a critical collection with demands that demonstrate the commitment of these artists to people — especially to the youth of Cuba — in these days of momentous changes to the island’s economic and political model.

Though there aren’t too many things that we put in our mouths here on this island, and it’s a daily battle to find and buy food here, Cubans are always trying to get hold of the country’s most popular drink: coffee.

While my dreams of doing research and being surrounded by reagents have been put on hold; in the meantime I’m learning how to fill out forms and do paperwork.

Of course my name didn’t appear in a caption, but that didn’t bother me; I’m not an ardent champion of copyrights.

. Some would dare say that in Cuba this day is a festive one because women now have the same rights as men and are treated the same way by society. But to say this it would be necessary to close one’s eyes.

The croquette has been a food frequently found on Cuban tables since the beginning of the Special Period crisis (the collapse of the socialist camp); it’s one of those things that ended up coming to stay.

I’m a radiochemist — not a journalist — but I feel sufficiently committed to everyone who was there to write about what happened. I believe it’s a small contribution that can end up contributing to solving the problem.