Diaries Archives - Page 280 of 648

Peak Oil in Latin America

The prosperous émigrés that frequent the comments section of this page don’t want to hear about Peak Oil, and I get a rather morbid kick reminding them of it.

Transportation in Cuba, or the Hours of National Despair

I get on a bus and see people run and cling to the open door, trying to keep their heels from being mangled. I see a mother hoist her kid onto her shoulder and grab hold of another passenger’s waist, struggling to hold on to his neighbor with calloused hands.

Spanish Performance Artist La Ribot in Cuba

The stage is covered entirely with a white fabric. A naked woman is stretched out across it, posing like the Venus with the Mirror. Several objects – a stills camera, dresses, chairs, rain coats, instruction manuals and others – lie scattered on the floor about her.

Heading towards the Escambray (Part I)

After parting with the members of the guerrilla who chose to stay behind, unwilling to make the trip towards the Escambray mountain range, and sending two men who had wounded themselves accidentally to see different doctors, we left the La Margarita ranch at night…

Cuba: When Silence Kills

In the case of cancer, however, the “enemy” isn’t outside but within. To combat it, the State-Party-government would have to begin by criticizing its own values and foundational principles, and to go against its own interests as governing elite.

On Cuban Alimony

I recently filed an official petition requesting alimony from my child’s father. I didn’t want to do it, and I thought it about a lot before making my decision – but I finally went ahead and did it. I only turned to justice when I had no other option.

Havana Municipality Faces Water Shortages

Water shortages in the town of Santiago de las Vegas (in Havana’s municipality of Boyeros) have become more frequent since January of this year. The Boyeros municipal government has mobilized over 50 water trucks as part of a plan to mitigate the problem.

Cuban Painter Tomas Sanchez: A Necessary Art

A series of works by émigré Cuban painter Tomas Sanchez are currently on display at the third floor of Havana’s National Fine Arts Museum as part of the 12th Havana Arts Biennale.

Men Don’t Cry

“Boys don’t cry, damn it!” How many times have we heard this? I, for one, heard it many a time from my father, scolding my younger brother for crying over something (being hungry, tired, etc.). My poor, misguided family forced the boys to swallow their pain.

To Never Grow Up

Cartoons are part of the world of children, but many adults still enjoy them and retain – or have not managed to tear themselves from – the innocence of their childhood. I confess I’ve never stopped liking them.