Diaries Archives - Page 534 of 639

Sudden Wrinkles

OK, there are worse things in the world than discovering new wrinkles, no doubt; but it’s sad to see your youthfulness fading without having done anything important.

Sleeping on the Havana Malecon

Her house shoes are under the bed close by her feet, so if she has to go to the bathroom during the night she won’t have to step on the cold floor, since that’s bad for her health. The “bed,” though a bit hard, is at least a “bed.”

Why Not Eat Free Croquettes?

The last Havana International Trade Fair took place last month, yet I still remember what happened to me the day of its closing, which was when most people have access to the week-long event.

The Inverted Pyramid

My neighbor (like many people) doesn’t work and doesn’t study. He’s a kid educated under the Revolution, but he lives off of “business,” from “inventing.” Yet his income allows him to enjoy places that are so expensive that an experienced and qualified professional can not afford them.

Unity “From Below” Can Work in Cuba

A while ago I wrote a post about how in the neighborhood assemblies in my town (Santa Cruz del North) a unanimous demand was generated to halt the administrative decision already functioning, to take away specialized hospital services from our community.

Obstacles in Our Paths

The supposed maintenance of our urban thoroughfares has brought its consequences like every attempt at regulation approached reluctantly and with little enthusiasm.

My Cousin Alicia

A large number of Cubans have family members abroad, particularly in the United States. I include myself on that list since several of my aunts, uncles and cousins left for that country in the 1980s.

Lakes & Volcanoes Chronicles (Part I)*

To travel to Nicaragua had been an enduring dream, one I had yearned since childhood when my parents left me in the care of my grandparents to go to that Central America to offer internationalist support, first to the Sandinista Front guerrilla movement and later to the revolutionary government.

Cuba and the Tech Generations

Many of us, from all parts of the planet, grew up around countless machines and access to information. Even our more numerous peers who did not grow up with any of these privileges are privy to the existence of an interconnected world.

The Death of Dog Cemetery

The Dog Cemetery disappeared almost totally just at the moment it was beginning to take on scale, and precisely when it was acquiring meaning for the residents in the surrounding area. It no longer exists as such, and all of this was due to human insensitivity.