Diaries

The Soviet Films of My Cuban Adolescence

I recall that the portrayal of the Battle of Borodino in Soviet director Sergeui Bondarchuck’s War and Peace, an adaptation of Tolstoy’s novel, made the film a true work of art, as did that ballroom dance scene, with its costumes, lights and dancers performing a delicious and interminable waltz.

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My Opening Day at Havana’s Book Fair

This year, I went to Havana’s International Book Fair like someone who believes in miracles: with my fingers crossed behind my back, hoping something had changed. I thought it a good sign that, this time around, the entrance tickets weren’t made of newsprint. (36 photos)

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Our Personal Space in Cuba

A kid was playing with his soccer ball near the spot where we were waiting in line to buy bread. Not far, his parents kept an eye on him while they talked. The ball flew very close to me several times but the kid’s parents never said anything to him.

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Yet Another Amazing Marine Creature in Cuba

The polychaet I recently had in my aquarium is an amazing animal nearly everyone recognizes. It ended up in my fish tank on the request of my nephew who, scuba diving with me one day, suggested I take it home to marvel at its behavior. (10 photos)

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Historic Havana Market Closes

During the final week of January the locally famous Cuatro Caminos market in Havana, Cuba closed its doors to the public after more than 100 years of business under both capitalist and communist economic models. (7 photos)

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Venezuela: Troubled Waters with Many Losers

As a kid, I would sometimes sit down to watch a movie that had already started and would ask my dad who the good and bad guys were. As a child, and even as a teenager, one tends to divide the world into the good and the bad.

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My Semen Analysis

What is the quality of my sperm? That is what the doctors are trying to find out. The first test I was subjected to yielded such bad results that the technicians were wondering whether, instead of ejaculating, I hadn’t actually spat in the jar they gave me.

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The Time to Lift the Cuba Blockade is Now

Recent news seems to suggest changes in the opinions of a number of individuals and governments with respect to the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States more than 50 years ago.

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Changing Times: On Sex in Cuba

I’ve noticed that some of my previous articles dealing with the issue of sex have stirred up a number of debates and also a bit of mockery. I would therefore like to touch on this issue again. I imagine I’ll find other related topics of interest later, as this is a rich and multifaceted issue for discussion.

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Cuba: On Borrowed Dignity

A friend who is about to take her first trip abroad tells me she has already packed her bags and that she’s borrowed nearly everything she’s taking with her. As we know, in Cuba, not even thirty-seven years of work in the public health sector gives one enough for a trip abroad…or to have things to pack.

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