On the third day of working at the radio station, I was in called in by the Human Resources Department. The head —with much regret, which I felt was sincere— returned all my papers to me and said they had canceled my contract until the address change issue was resolved. He told me I would have to go to the Department of Human Resources of Radio Cubana and speak with the boss.
Read MoreDuring parts of August and September, several letters were published in which readers, in one way or another, advocated for the elimination of the ration book to aid the ailing national economy. The ration book is a small 20-page booklet with which the Cuban people have been able to buy basic food staples at very low prices since the 1960s.
Read MoreAll that has constituted this long process to get our homes rehabilitated has allowed me to better understand the different levels that govern and move the domestic economy here in Cuba, where we enjoy the “the power of the people” as owners and lords of all in sight and everything we can touch with our hands.
Read More“The pig meat tragedy,” that’s what I ended up calling what happened to me at the Tulipan Market, which is characterized by its wide assortment of fruits and vegetables at prices a little lower than those in non-state-run markets.
Read MoreI have to wonder, what would have happened with the US civil rights movement of the 1960s and 70s if it had been led by a white person? Would it have been possible for a non-Black to deliver the extraordinary “I Have a Dream” speech?
Read MoreStarting from there began a quite embarrassing discussion, him arguing about the need for an address change so they could hire me, and me refuting him with the new law. This first collision, though violent, didn’t prepare me for what would come later.
Read MoreOne would suppose that a mass-based socialist revolution such as the one that triumphed on January 1, 1959 would carry those demanded reforms to term, but real-life events took a different turn.
Read MoreWhen I got in I realized there were few unoccupied seats. Where she was sitting there was one, but out of fear of appearing too forward, I hesitated from taking it. However, the speed with which the seats continued to fill made me react, so I went ahead and plopped down beside her.
Read MoreNot a single yawn was seen in the theater; the silence was like a knife cutting the air, evidence that the new productions have placed their fingers squarely on the wound. Don’t forget: Intelligence is everywhere in Cuba, even in the snout of the caiman, where Guantanamo is located.
Read MoreNot long ago, I saw a guy on a bus wearing a cap with the Confederate flag on it. Plus, written across the front was the motto “Confederacy border patrol: Keeping Yankees north since…” (followed by an absurd date from American history). The man – a Cuban, white and mustached – was also wearing a US Marines t-shirt.
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