Jorge Milanes’s Diary

The subject of solid waste collection, cleaning and maintaining this city is common and repetititve. However, the loss of consciousness of many of its employees contributes to many of its social objectives, which it was created to fulfill, not being met.

A colleague at work told me that she was renting a space in her house to self-employed workers. The business consisted in the printing of documents, photocopies, etc. Before she was renting out the space, she paid, with a lot of effort, about 300 Cuban pesos of electricity, which is equivalent to 12 CUC or USD.

While it is true that education in Cuba is free, the beginning of a new school year makes many families go out looking for school items, which is now customary, and this is no easy feat on the salaries that most workers make.

Havana was one of Spain’s conquests. The object of its greed and the battleground for the bloodiest of battles, where pirates made their mark, but also left their treasure. It will soon be 500 years old and it isn’t ready for the celebration…

“My children aren’t interested in the traditional advice I have taught them because they tell me that they aren’t seeing any results, that they can’t see themselves being successful,” I heard a man say this morning as I was getting into a collective taxi.

I have always heard people say that Cojimar is a fishing town because of its geographical location and how some of its residents used to make a living. But, is this still a valid hypothesis?

My US friend Cyd and I were having a look at a bookstore in Havana. “I’m looking for contemporary Cuban transgender literature,” he said, without noticing my doubts about a bibliography which, when it does come out, is sold in bulk and sells out quickly.

Years ago, you could purchase this highly valued product, which was imported from Canada, the US or Brazil, according to its packaging. Domestic trade used to distribute it among the population via the food rations booklet or at hard-currency stores.

Chong is the surname of a woman who spends a lot of time at the bodega store, although she only goes to buy bread. She recently confessed that at her age she needs to socialize a lot in order to feel alive because her two children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren live in Europe, and her husband passed away some years ago.

Last Tuesday, I went to a Western Union office in Villa Panamericana, a neighborhood to the east of Havana, about five km from the center. I needed to withdraw some money that an old friend had sent as a birthday present.