We love to remember the part in which so and so is discovered or what’s his name escapes. These are shows where we jump for joy, bite our nails (over what we already know will or won’t happen), or stomp on the floor in frustration over the bad guy’s victory (temporary, of course). In some ways we act like well-trained dogs.
Read MoreThis week marks the 50th year since President John F. Kennedy authorized the economic embargo against Cuba. From London I was asked to interview ordinary Cubans for them to tell us how this has impacted on their daily lives.
Read MoreToday in Cuba there exist situations that are somewhat complicated. At least for me, knowing that I’m shouldering a debt to the government makes me feel kind of uncomfortable.
Read MoreThe Catholic Church is usually conservative, undemocratic, elitist and exclusionary. But ours (here in Cuba) — that’s to say, its leaders — have acted this way in such a blatantly arrogant fashion, and whenever presented with an opportunity to place themselves on the wrong side of history, they’ve always done it.
Read MoreOne of the greatest examples of dignity I’ve ever seen in my life was shown to me by a little sparrow, that bird that’s so common in cities, the ones that search for crumbs on sidewalks and streets to the indifference of passersby.
Read MoreCuriosity has gotten the better of me and I’ve started to buy treats on the street, especially from vendors who sing what they’re selling. The other day, a friend and I bought something like a granola bar, made of peanuts fused together with honey (mani en grano).
Read MoreThe news spread like wildfire through the neighborhood. I was awakened by the phone. It was my cousin Lucia who had interrupted my early morning dreams. “Rosa, get up!” she commanded, like some general giving orders to his troops to march into battle.
Read MoreThese stories reflect a short summary of how some people and institutions in Cuba are focusing more on the mundane problems instead of seeking solutions to those that really matter. This is what Cubans call being “estar en la boberia” (wrapped up in nonsense).
Read MoreI approach “Cuba Since the Revolution of 1959: A Critical Assessment” with two vital questions: 1) Is this book accessible and helpful to those without an academic background, and 2) can we trust Samuel Farber, the author, to be our guide and teacher in this endeavor to understand Cuba’s past and present?
Read MoreMy fear is that we are beginning to experience another phase of the history of this city. The “socialist” city (mediocre and boring) is giving way to another city whose “brand” is precisely the metropolitan situation that was denied for five decades – with its glamor, mysteries and nights of sequins and sex.
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