Every so often, early on a Sunday, two Jehovah’s Witnesses – the kind who, certain of their noble mission of saving souls, go from door to door confront all manner of reactions – knock at my door. Putting on my best face, I tell them that I believe in god but that I already chose my path.
Read MoreWhile reading an international magazine, I came across a quote by Confucius that caught my attention: “In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.” I spent the better part of the night awake, thinking of these words.
Read MoreFor some months now, Cuban women have been enthusiastically organizing the ninth congress of the Cuban Women’s Federation (FMC), scheduled to take place in March. One of the characteristics of this process that caught my attention is the participation of young women, willing to take on new responsibilities within the FMC and to defend the achievements of the revolution.
Read MoreDuring a trip to Pinar del Rio I remembered what it means to be treated as a nobody and met a community organizer who has a machete. I approached with caution. I am wary of tourist traps and the annoying, pushy men that spring them. (16 photos)
Read MoreI’ve spent months looking for a small-sized bra without padding and still haven’t found it at any store. If I were looking for a pair of comfortable, low-heeled sandals, I would have to set out on a similar odyssey, because platform shoes are now in style.
Read MoreThe nearly incessant and deafening noises made by fireworks and firecrackers make Venezuela’s New Year’s celebrations a very stressful time for cats and dogs (and for other species, myself included, as well). Recently, however, I read some good news for these animals we call “pets.” (21 photos)
Read MoreWhile I was studying at the Technical Institute for Hotel and Tourism Services, a terrible accusation was leveled at me: I was accused me of being a prostitute – and not just any prostitute, but one who sold their favors to foreigners.
Read MoreWhat does Christmas amount to in Cuba? A day of reconciliation, not among family members (forced to live together in overcrowded homes or torn apart by emigration), but between the State and the generation my grandparents.
Read MoreThough exchanging a house or apartment with “hidden defects” is punishable by law in Cuba, people continue to do it (and successfully, in more than 90 percent of cases). Hidden defects are all such flaws a household may have which are concealed when the property is shown to its future resident.
Read MoreIf we’re to believe science and our biological temperature sensors, industrial civilization and the world we live in as a whole will be gasping for air in less than two decades. The shortage of raw materials, the ecological catastrophe and the trauma of falling from so high will turn everything we know upside down.
Read More