English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
HAVANA, Cuba – Yazmín doesn’t do the street. Nor does she acknowledge exercising the oldest profession in the world. She navigates the Internet for 10 CUC an hour, in some Havana hotel with this service. She visits websites to find a partner: cibercupido.com, mejoramor.com, and,among others, the Cuban website revolico.com, in the Jobs section. The … Continue reading ““No One Treats Me Like a Prostitute” / Lilianne Ruiz”
There’s a green robot with antennae everywhere you look. In the mobile phone repairers’ ads, on certain nice T-shirts, and even staring at us from the windshields of some cars. Not only does the Android app show up in many places in Cuba, the Google operating system has also grown in popularity over the last … Continue reading “The Ten Most Popular Android Apps in Cuba / Yoani Sanchez”
Walter had his doubts. He was vacillating between a US-made Willys Jeep from the ’50s, with a Toyoto diesel engine, German air brakes, recently painted and restores, for 32,000 convertible pesos (about $35,000), or wait until January 3, to see if the State would sell the jeep more cheaply. “I don’t think they’re going to … Continue reading “Who Can Buy a New Car in Cuba? / Ivan Garcia”
By Haroldo Dilla Alfonso, Dominican Republic, July 26, 2013, Originally posted on Cubaencuentro. Translation originally on Havana Times. HAVANA TIMES — An ad for a private day care center in Havana has been posted on the Internet (including Cuba’s classifieds page, Revolico) for some days now. The owner, Zulema Rosales, is reportedly the daughter of … Continue reading “The Privatization of Education in Cuba: Kissing the Right Frog / Haroldo Dilla Alfonso (Posted on Dora Leonor Mesa’s blog)”
A couple days ago two neighbors were talking outside my house about the notice published in the newspaper Granma, official organ of the Communist Party. I don’t know what the news was, but one said to the other, “It came out in Granma, I read it,” as proof of veracity. The other responded, “I don’t … Continue reading “Uninformed or Poor? / Yusimi Rodriguez Lopez”
Playa Siboney, the telephone company’s work for the fiber optic cable. The residents of Siboney have reasons to be sad and upset, very upset. Hurricane Sandy devastated a good part of their coastal infrastructure, destroying houses, throwing up huge rocks on the shore, and seriously damaging the area’s vegetation. More than eight months after this … Continue reading “Playa Siboney: Where the Fiber Optic Cable Touches Land / Yoani Sanchez”
This post is from the Havana Times, and is an authorized translation prepared by that site of an article that appeared in the BBC’s El Mundo. A summary is the statistics is as follows: In a country of over 11 million people, the new internet (mostly intranet) access will consist of: 1 cybercafe for every … Continue reading “BBC Analyzes What “Expanded Internet Access” Really Means For Cuba”
Almost two years late, the famous fiber optic cable will be available to the population within a few days. One hundred and eighteen Internet sites will be opened throughout the country, although the number set up by the State phone company, ETECSA, for information isn’t working (cleverly or by chance the phone number is 118). … Continue reading “Surfing the Internet / Regina Coyula”
I put up this post this past Friday, but the WordPress goblins made it disappear. With my scarce connection time and my barely adequate technical knowledge, I wasted a copious amount of time looking for responses in a forum, and along the way, restoring this post. Management having failed, I’ll do this the old way: … Continue reading “The “Revoliquera” Experience (Reloaded) / Regina Coyula”
Operation Truth Video & Transcript Site manager: We decided not to subtitle the video itself, given its length and poor sound quality, so a transcript is provided below and can be downloaded here. The video of Eliecer’s encounter with Ricardo Alarcon is available subtitled in English here. Yoani Sánchez: It’s a pleasure to be with you … Continue reading “Operation Truth – Video / Eliecer Avila and Yoani Sanchez”
The sign is colorful, well designed, and announces repairs for mobile phones, especially iPhones. Outside people are waiting in line with their favorite toy in their hands. They are Havana’s Apple fans, the “Mac lovers” who have one of these extraordinary smartphones. They are those who have managed to buy it in the informal market … Continue reading “Apple Causes a Furor in Havana / Yoani Sanchez”
The sign is small, peeking out with a certain timidity over the balcony wall several yards above ground. A simple “For Sale” that would go unnoticed if it weren’t that in the apartment next door you can read the same phrase painted on a window. Two floors higher, the neighbors on the 6th floor have … Continue reading “Before the Revolution or During the Revolution? / Yoani Sanchez”
Selling pets is one of the businesses that has been growing over the last months in Havana, the capital city. Countless people walk around with mutts in hand along the streets and avenues, looking for purchasers for their merchandise. Others put ads in on their doors or attach signs to bus stops or crowded places, … Continue reading “Growing Number of Businesses Sell Pets / Wendy Iriepa and Ignacio Estrada”
“A doctor implanted them during his guard duty,” she told me, while proudly feeling her breasts through her blouse. Then she points to her rear end and pouts, “This didn’t go so well for me, because the surgeon didn’t have much practice.” When I asked her where she got the silicone prostheses so obvious in … Continue reading “Silicone Island / Yoani Sánchez”
www.revolico.com/compra-venta/mascotas-animales/gaticos-3… KITTENS Date: Thursday, April 26, 2012, 6:59 PM MANY KITTENS, MANY KITTENS, GORGEOUS AND WELL CARED FOR BY THEIR MAMA CAT. MALES AND FEMALES. ONLY FOR NICE PEOPLE WHO LOVE CATS. CALL ME: 698-82-69 OR 205-73-76 OR 53340187 OR 53338409. ORLANDO Y SILVIA… Email: orlandoluispardolazo@gmail.com April 26 2012