Diaries Archives - Page 225 of 628

In Cuba: Nobody’s to Blame or Are They?

If we all, or nearly all of us in Cuba, are in the same boat, why can’t we respect and help each other on a day to day basis? Why do we let ourselves be carried away by the worst of our situation?

The Fito Paez Concert at Havana’s Karl Marx Theater

I saw the announcement about composer and singer Fito Paez’s arrival with his band, and the reason why he wanted to perform his last concert on his Latin American tour in our beloved, marvelous city.

I’m Liking Havana less and less

This Havana that I wanted for years to call my home, this Havana where I studied at its University and where I’ve already worked for a fair bit… this Havana that I like less and less every day.

Does Reggaeton Have To Be So Vulgar?

Has anybody ever listened to the lyrics of some reggaeton songs? I hardly understand them, I find it difficult to understand what they’re saying, but when I sit down and focus on the lyrics, I have to admit I don’t like them one bit. Yes, the beat is contagious. Careful, I must confess that I’ve danced to many songs at one party or another, however, the message some of the songs convey… leaves a great deal to be desired.

The New Cuba Says: Kill, God forgives

A small businessman had this sign up on his stand, located on Havana’s Infanta Street. A threatening portrayal of the new Cuban race, a fearful fragment of theology, which inverts St. Augustine de Hippo’s philosopy of “Love and do what you will.”

How People in Cuba Get Sick

Today, let’s talk about morbidity rates in Cuba. Why do people get sick? How have morbidity rates changed in recent years? In order to write this post, I casually sounded out about a dozen well-informed people…

Booking a Vacation in Cuba

I try and book my holidays every year at Los Cocos, a campsite that has two cabins built specifically to accommodate people with special needs. For two months I was calling up their offices daily to find out when they’ll start selling bookings for the summer.

Two Pieces of Cuban Red Tape and No Solutions (1)

It’s been exactly a year now since I naively pinned my hopes on the Cuban bureaucratic system for the umpteenth time. I’m sad to say it, but reality keeps giving me a slap in the face …

The Power of the People, This is Real Power

I’ve always heard a phrase which, in socialist Cuba, held a lot of weight: “The power of the people, this is real power.” I don’t know very well, nor am I very interested in, who the author of this idea is, but what I do know is that it was constantly used in every aspect of our daily life.

Collecting Donations for the Revolution

The fight against Batista’s dictatorship (1952-1958) was a heroic feat in the country’s larger cities. The young revolutionaries who fought against that criminal regime had to pay a high price in blood, a really high price. In smaller towns in Cuba’s interior provinces…