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, ...
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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 ...
Morro Castle In My Sky
The following post has been brought to you by Kikita. On my most recent Miami adventure, the Fabregas family had me over for dinner. Once we had finished dinner, dessert and café the strangest thing happened. I'm not exactly sure how it happened other than the fact that I probably instigated it, but we all jumped up, piled into their ...
Getting Back to Reality
Today is Saint Patrick's Day. That is the reality. I'm not in Cuba anymore. That is the reality. I, Kikita, have no idea if I will ever be able to go back even though I would love to. That is the reality.I am behind on all the work I missed while I was gone and I need to get caught up . . . yesterday. That is the reality.But every time I drive ...
Why I Was Scared
The following post was written by Kikita. Fear. It permeates all things "Cuba Now." Some subjects we just don't talk about. Why? Fear. Even the fearless ones worry about saying some things (even if they don't admit it). Mami always says to herself, "I. Am. Fearless." I will tell you right now, I. Am. NOT. Fearless. As ...
Juicing It Up
Another posting about Kikita's adventures in Cuba written by none other than Kikita herself.The one thing everyone told me before I left was "Don't drink the water!" No water for a whole week? Well, not exactly. Just before boarding I bought two big bottles of water, but that was definitely not going to be sufficient hydration ...
Las Terrazas
This is another Kikita post about her trip to Cuba.Several years ago a cousin I had never met before was visiting from Cuba. Since he had never been to Las Vegas, Mami, Luza, my tia Helen, and I drove out there to meet him and then bring him back to California. It was a whirlwind adventure riddled with cucufates, but that is another story.On ...
Lighting My Way
This is Kikita and I am giving you . . . **Another Tissue Warning**As I said before I left for Cuba, I went with no expectations. I went with an open heart and an open mind. I went with a mission. And I accomplished it. But what I didn't expect (literally) was to find Papi everywhere I went. If I am going to be perfectly honest, I DID think ...
At the end of the day…
**Tissue Warning** This is Kikita, back from her adventure in Cuba. I saw and did and felt so many things this past week that I am having a hard time deciding what I want to share first. I met cousins for the first time and hugged them as if I had known them my whole life. I was surrounded, overwhelmed even, with love. People I'd heard ...
Keeping My Promise
I used to visit my parents at least once a week. My dad was confined to a wheelchair and in his late 80's, but his brain was sharp as ever. We would sit at their kitchen table and talk about anything, everything, and nothing. You know, like you do with the most familiar people in your life. Even though the kids would visit with me and be in ...
