Diaries

Misery Laughs

When a bus I was on today stopped at a traffic light, outside the window was an older man who looked like a bum. He was stretched out on the sidewalk under one of the large porticos that run down Infanta Avenue.

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Sakineh Ashtiani

The first thing that my caught my attention is that I can’t find her name on any website produced in Cuba. When the news media in my country speaks of Iran, they refer to some economic agreement or of the good relations between the two countries.

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Looking for Food

The fair is a battle between all those who want to buy produce without first getting in line, and with the sellers who strive —I don’t know how— to make the scales always mark in their favor.

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The Color of Medicines

I don’t recall any professor or technician trying to kindle a sense of sensitivity or respect for the animals. Instead, they did just the opposite. The lives of those small beings were worth less than nothing to them.

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Giving Birth to an Idea

The idea is spinning around in my mind and spirit. At times I see myself as being beautiful with my immense belly that I can barely hold up, while shrouded in joy.

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Electricity Blues in Cuba’s Homes

At home I’ve duplicated all possible measures to save energy: we practically live in the dark, I wash and iron every fifteen days; when a lot of clothes pile up, I wash some by hand; I defrost the refrigerator religiously every five days and I only use the electric burner when I have absolutely no other alternative.

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One Peso Please

Ever since I was a little girl I’ve loved to go on walks through the streets of Old Havana, strolling between its porticos and columns, admiring its stained-glass windows and the colonial roofs.

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When the River Sounds

Adelaida commented to me that she felt dejected because she was going through a situation for the first time in her life as a Catholic – one that she had never before experienced.

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Posturing and Posing

Just like anywhere else in the world, a certain percentage of people here in Cuba actively work at conditioning their bodies – developing each muscle and thinking more about their “looks.” What’s more, the number of these individuals is on the rise.

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