Diaries Archives - Page 550 of 646

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.

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.

Suffering for Them, Fearing for Me

It’s similar to the case of my neighbor. His sister, the woman who takes care of him, is also elderly but she’s completely independent, meaning she has the capacity to take care of herself on her own.

From the Sidewalk Back

To get to work today, I took Obispo Street at the hour the stores were opening for business. From a distance I could see a mass of people had gathered, which made me immediately think that a line had formed to buy God knows what.

A Little on Cuban Graffiti

Within stenciled graffiti there stand out the numerous ones that, along with military helmets and grenades, exhibit the initials “BCD,” which stands for “Bajo condiciones dificiles” (Under difficult conditions).

The Dilemma of Manuela the Manicurist

My friend Manuela has always painted people’s finger and toenails, or better said, she’s always “given them manicures,” so that it sounds more “American” (some people say things like this when they want to make things seem more important).

Killing for the Homeland

One of the ways we extol violence —us, regular people, those of us who don’t have the power to decide who we go to war with or not— is through our national anthems.

The Concerns of Many

People are unhappy and unmotivated because —independently of the fact that many of them know this is an economic necessity for the country— what they don’t have is all the information they require.

Spaghetti, Havana Style

A few days ago I received a visit of a friend who works in Italy. Since she knows that I adore Parmesan cheese, she brought back a little bottle of grated cheese as a gift.

Revolutionary Martyrs of the Other Orientation

Our national historiography has invariably hidden from us the possible sexual orientations of valiant revolutionaries. It’s as if they wanted to convince us with silence that being a homosexual during the Republic was something exclusive to “corrupt politicians.”