Osmel Almaguer’s Diary

For the majority of Cubans who live in this country, Havana is a chance to make an important change in their lives. Here one can make good money, get a good house and — and if it’s pertinent — they can find someone to help them leave the country; those are some of the ideas that emigrants to the city bring with them.

The only thing that could have been held against him was from his previous job, when he cared for the rides at the Children’s Amusement Park there in Alamar, and what happened was pure childishness.

Alfredo sells tennis shoes, socks, shorts and T-shirts, all at pretty high prices. Sure, their name brand goods, to be specific they’re all by Adidas.

Since the issuing of licenses was approved for anyone who wants to become a self-employed worker, many people have gotten busy putting together their own businesses.

My cousin was living in Holguin and worked at the provincial headquarters of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) as a maintenance attendant. One fine day a special meeting was organized for workers at that office who were having housing difficulties.

To be a regular blood donor is now a quite remarkable task, keeping in mind the difficulties of securing sufficient food, the unpleasantness of having a needle stuck in your body and the almost totally free character of the donation.

On occasions I’ve heard people say — half-jokingly, and half seriously — that fewer Havanans live in Havana than immigrants.

Although it sometimes seems unbelievable to us, still today, in the Cuba of the 21st century, there occur events fitting of medieval life, an age when scientists and women with uncommon features — under the suspicion of heresy — were persecuted and burned at the stake.

Thirty years ago the cultural life in Cuba was sustained by an institutional framework designed by the revolutionary government. This wasn’t perfect, but at least it worked at that time.

When I got there I found him conversing peacefully with my father in his front room. At first I didn’t recognize him, so I said hi somewhat indifferently.