Next week marks the anniversary of the death of mass-murderer Che Guevara. Many of us have had more than our share of run-ins with ignorant hipsters sporting t-shirts and messenger bags with the idealized image of the "revolutionary poster boy." Like most Cubans, I'm not shy about offering the truth of who Che was and why their ...
Current Affairs
Hot! Hot! Hot! (a mini-rant)
On Monday, the 27th of September, we here in Southern California experienced the gosh-darndest Hottest Stinking Day of the Year. This is the thermometer (excuse me, Comfortmeter) in our backyard.For those of you who are impaired when it comes to reading old-school-liquid-filled thermometers, the red liquid (possibly alcohol or mercury; both ...
A Big, Fat, Cuban Family Mother’s Day
My big, fat, Cuban family is made up of dozens of amazing women that I am blessed to be related to. I know many of you feel the same. And because I consider (our readers) as family, I thought Mother's Day would be a great day to pay tribute to your special moms right here. Thank you for the privilege of including us as you celebrate the lives ...
In God We Trust
Today is the National Day of Prayer. If some groups in our country had their way today would be the last Day of Prayer celebrated nationally. I don't know what their beliefs are (or if they even have any, outside of not believing that there is a God). But I do know this: There is no way you can go to our nation's capital and continue to ...
A Week in My Life or Why I Love Mondays
I often wonder how my Cuban grandmother spent her days. I wonder what she cared about and how she decided what to have for dinner. I have stories, of course, from my mom, about how she would make desserts every night. Homemade desserts EVERY NIGHT, people! Doesn't that just sound glorious? I know some things just by word of mouth. She ...
The Sound of Silence
The following post was written by Kikita. The Damas en Blanco (Ladies in White) held their demonstration in Havana one week after my abuela, Luza, and I had returned from our trip. Most of the members of my big, fat, Cuban family have all expressed the relief they feel that Luza and I were not in Havana when everything happened. As one who likes to ...
Cubans in L.A. Hunger for Change
Kikita here. I'm still working on getting used to being back in sunny SoCal. I STILL wake-up everyday and have to remind myself I am no longer in Cuba. I hear the silence of my house and miss the sounds of my great aunts and uncles starting their day. When my phone rings it usually surprises me, if I hear it at all. And when I'm ...
Speaking of Cuban Dissidents . . .
The following post was written by Kikita.My whole life I've grown up hearing the songs about how beautiful Cuba is. I've seen the paintings. I know Cuba is beautiful. I've always known. "Pearl of the Antilles" "La Reina de la Mar Caribe" "Cuba Linda de mi vida" Despite constantly hearing it growing up, ...
Kikita and the Cuban Dissident Bloggers
Marta here. Back in February of this year, my friends over at Babalú blog and Uncommon Sense posted a link to a Cuban dissident blogger whose name was Regina Coyula. I was a little shocked. I have a Cuban cousin with that name, but I knew her family to be hardcore communists. However, when I clicked on the link, I saw her familiar face. It was ...
Bon Voyage
I'm putting these two on a plane today. I have super-mixed emotions about them traveling to Cuba, but like Amy said in her post, family trumps politics. They will be in Miami for the next few days and then fly to Cuba next Monday. I am FINE* with it. Really I am. Ay, Dios mio. *heavy sigh**FINE - Freaked out. Insecure. Neurotic. and ...
