It’s been tied up since it was 35 days old. “Burnet” is what we call it – among other names. It’s a Siamese cat that lives in a small space under the wooden staircase that accesses the barbacoa* of a very small room in a house with many similar rooms on Zanja Street, in Havana.
Read MoreSo those who still believe in or need a Pope, the lay sisters and ordained nuns who clamor for the approval of a female priesthood, or simply the media and other curious people who waited between the black smoke and the white outside of the Vatican now have their Holy Father.
Read MoreWhenever I hear someone complain about how bad it is Cuba, if it’s one of those people who fought, convinced of what we have today (or about the promises blown away by the wind), I’ll note that in times of greatest political upheaval, many useful details go overlooked.
Read MoreJust after the plane took off, a question came to my mind: When would I see this unusual island again? Then everything went black in the window beside my seat for three and a half hours, at least until the plane flew over the over the abundance of neon lights that illuminate any capital other than Havana.
Read MorePeople don’t always speak very well of Argentineans. They’re labeled smug for feeling like they’re Europeans. Even the Mexican poet Octavio Paz once said “Argentines are Italians who speak Spanish and feel themselves Frenchmen.”
Read MoreIn recent days in the Cuban transnational press, there have appeared various analyses of the latest initiative of the Laboratorio Casa Cuba, a project sponsored by the editors of Espacio Laical [a publication of the Cuban Catholic Church], in the company of a group of young socialist intellectuals on the island.
Read MoreA few days ago, the partner of a friend of mine started beating her up in the middle of the street here in Havana in the presence of several other people they knew. I wasn’t there at the time, but I learned that my husband was the only person who ran over to defend her.
Read MoreNosing through a friend’s bookshelf, I found a work titled Aventuras del caballero del miembro encogido (Adventures of the Gentleman with the Shrunken Limb), which was written by the Cuban comedy group “Nos y Otros” (1982-1997). I took advantage of this chance to borrow this copy.
Read MoreSpeaking of Chavez’s death, I was reading some articles on the Internet. Most of them were no more than boring caricatures. Luckily there are others that are better balanced, such as the one by Boaventura Sousa Dos Santos, titled “Chavez: The Legacy and the Challenges” (Chavez, el legado y los desafíos).
Read MoreThe last time I spoke with Angel, I told him to have faith, because the truth always ends up coming out. At the same time I wondered why a feminist had to defend an alleged spouse abuser. Were the accusations true? These questions didn’t make me doubt the innocence of Angel Santiesteban.
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