Diaries

There is Nothing Worse than Silence

I’ve heard several people say positive things about Cuba’s new First Vice-Minister Miguel Diaz-Canel. They say that, when he was the Party Secretary for the province of Villa Clara, he would ride around town on a bicycle, in humble sports clothes, just another common, unassuming resident of Matanzas.

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Indalla Is Located in Cuba

Indalla is a shantytown located in the heart of the Cuban capital, whose existence even the president of the municipality where it is situated was unaware of. This marginal neighborhood was discovered a few months ago by the mayor of its own local government, while sanitation units were conducting a health inspection in the area.

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Madness in Cuba

Crazy people, those who have lost all touch with reality or their “marbles” (as it is said colloquially), the “mentally insane”, as they are also called, abound in all countries around the world. Well, folks, Cuba has had no shortage of crazies either.

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Cuba and its Biodiversity

In spite of phenomena such as the proliferation of aggressive fish species, the creation of artificial land bridges, irresponsible sugar-cane harvesting practices, the use of transgenic products and the propagation of marabou across our fields and cities, Cuba continues to be a prodigious island in terms of biodiversity.

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Where Should Cubans Go Now?

La Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba (ETECSA) comenzó a recibir el servicio internacional a través de Cable & Wireless Jamaica desde el 13 de mayo pasado, informó Diario de Cuba.

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Towards a Global Conception of Cuban Identity

On the carriage of one of Havana’s bicycle cabs, I saw a veritable coat of arms. Distributed among its four corners, I caught sight of the US and German flags (accompanied by the three stars denoting the world soccer championships won by the latter), the logos of two baseball teams (Havana’s Industriales and the New York Yankees), and the emblem of Spain’s Real Madrid soccer club. At the center, an imperial eagle.

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Some Remarks on Hairstyles, Stereotypes and Comfort

As a way of illustrating this idea, it could be said I once belonged to that group of black women who straighten their hair. As I never did learn the art of hair styling, having straight hair was a way of saving time, which I would otherwise have spent in futile aesthetic experiments.

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A Most Exquisite Addiction

Have any of you ever been addicted to anything? I have. One of my addictions, I confess, is masturbation. Though it’s a bit embarrassing to write about this, I’ll give it a shot. It will be my modest way of helping demystify this rather tenacious taboo.

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My Friend’s Friend

It is a sad song that gets to me. But, even though the lyrics clearly evoke the figure of the former leader of Venezuela, the way he shared his country’s riches with sister nations and his struggle for Latin America, it is not Chavez that this song brings to mind when I hear it.

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Cuba’s New Ice-Cream Carts

I still remember that, throughout my childhood and until the onslaught of the Special Period in the early 90s, the “Ice Cream Carts”, small trucks that sold ice-cream in the currency one’s salary was paid in (when one could make ends meet with these), would drive around Havana, announcing themselves with Johann Strauss’ “Blue Danube”, and that these were extremely popular in those happier times.

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