Erasmo Calzadilla’s Diary

In my last post, I said that I didn’t have a reason to write anymore. But, Bingo! I think I’ve found it! I’m going to dedicate this space to telling you about my everyday impressions in this strange world, following the work of my predecessor, Uncle Matt the Traveler.

It’s been a while now since I’ve written something for Havana Times; and I wouldn’t write anything if its editor, a personal friend of mine, hadn’t kept on asking me to. The first thing that comes to mind to tell you is, well, precisely why I stopped writing.

The moral of this story isn’t my phobia of reggaeton but of the fear that the National Security Agency awakens in nearly everyone here in Dallas. Talking about this subject with Cuban emigres in the US, one of them even told me…

Last weekend I cycled from my suburban neighborhood to downtown Dallas. I thought I was going to deal with a dangerous and annoying traffic but instead I found a network of tree-lined cycle paths, one of whose branches leads up quite close to the city center. (17 photos)

It seems to be some kind of historic law that wherever a movement for concentrating power arises, the extreme opposite is also born: calling for redistribution, leveling out and socialization.

On Saturday there was a march in Dallas, Texas, against recent executive measures affecting immigration. I witnessed an environment loaded with energy and fury; mockery and caricatures of Donald Trump (10 photos)

In an event in Miami, in September 2016, I posed some uncomfortable questions to heads of official-dissident journalism. Now that I made the jump to stay in the US one of them saw the opportunity to seek revenge, presenting me as a Castro supporter who betrayed his principles in search of the American dream.

I’ve just got back from the supermarket. I bought a whole load of delicious and healthy food which is difficult to get a hold of in Cuba: Whole wheat bread and brown rice, fresh apples which keep you away from the doctor, orange juice… Clean and fresh vegetables, kind salespeople, eco-friendly bags…

In September, I crossed over the pond and came to the US as I had been invited to attend a journalism-related event. After many doubts and going over and over the topic in my mind, I finally decided to stay here, taking advantage of the wet-foot/ dry-foot policy – as it turned out, shortly before it was revoked.

September is passing us by and there have been different news reports going around relating to the energy situation in Cuba. It’s a shame that they’re all fake or superficial.