An excerpt of a New York Times article about Orphaned children in Haiti

"Watching a dozen grown-ups struggle to erect the tent, Daphne said that adults had told her not to think about her mother. But she could still feel her presence, she said, “like a wind at my back.”"

Here is a recent conversation with my grandmother which I found funny: (Remember to read this knowing that she has a very thick cuban accent): "Me: hola Abuelita, how are you?" "A: Oh my gaud Clarisita, I am soool bord! Sol bery borrrd. You know what I do the oder day? I go to call marielena (my aunt) and I tail her 'tek me to de mall". And so she tek me to de mall and I buy a t-chirt. Den, I come hooome and for de nexsht tu or tree days I think "dew I like de t-chirt?" and den, I call marielena and tail her "plees tek me to de mall agen". And I return de tchirt. Den I spen de nexsht tu o tree days thinking "I tink I like de t-chirt" and I call marielena agen and tell her "I need to go to de mall agen MARIELENA" and she tek me agen. I fel so bad but, I buy tchirt agen and now, I am werrring it! Ay, Clarisita, I am sol borrrrrd."

A student's review of my teaching

I got a hilarious review of me as a teacher today: "Clari is like a cheery, badass rebel, without a cause, historian whose weapon is a red pen and a lot of chalk. I learned a lot in her class." woot.

Shopping. Way. too. Much.

I think I have a shopping disorder. I buy perfumes, watches, scarves and other accessories and cannot get enough of them. I am absolutely obsessed with La Mer Collection watches and just bought two online.

I have a purple one already and I hope to goodness that this purchase will stop my need and want to own watches. I think the shopping bug has hit me lately because I am bored out of my mind. I have a lot of work to do, but outside of that, not sure to do with all my extra time. And, obviously, work is not THRILLING. I wish it was-- I love working on Cuba-- but I hate doing the day to day work that involves me working on Cuba. I love attending conferences on Cuba, listening to panels, writing small snippets about Cuba, but writing long, involved essays on Cuba...... it bogs me down. Maybe it is my topic. In Miami, writing about Cuba was more exciting.... I think it was because people were excited about Cuba. People cared about what happened to Cuba. While in North Carolina you can write whatever you want about Cuba and not worry about repercussions, it isn't as exciting. I guess because everyone looks at me with vacant eyes and will state, "Wow, that is cool. But why?" And then speak to me about some kind of random historical fact they might know about North Carolina or the South. HAHA. Like a historian must know everything about EVERYTHING. I don't know shit about American History.... and..... I just DON'T CARE.

2 days in paris

"It always fascinates me how people go from loving you, to nothing at all." 2 days in paris

Yoani Sanchez

Yoani Sanchez has been writing from Cuba about the problems of Cuba as a Cuban resident.... activism unheard of and, yet, made possible via the internet. While I am not pro-US intervention in Cuba (the US is largely responsible for poverty, corruption, and governmental mismanagement since the late 19th century -- starting in 1898), I do not support the revolution. I believe that Cubans suffer in their current conditions and I do believe in cooperation between Cubans on the island and Cubans in the US.... I have no suggestions on how to create better relationships between these two groups, except to ignore what the US government offers as plans for a normalized relationship-- the US has actively separated the two groups and used their growing hostilities towards each other to serve anti-Cuba policies created by US politicians to fuel political debate (which enables them to channel support towards specific government official and state politicians).

Yoani Sanchez might be one of my biggest heroes. She writes her beliefs about conditions in Cuba despite daily threats of violence and growing governmental pressure to stop. President Obama has recognized Yoani as a visionary and revolutionary, but has not gone beyond that recognition to move towards better relations between the US and Cuba. I do not believe Obama will affect conditions in Cuba any further than he has already done (allowing more family visits, extending what is considered family, and allowing money to be sent to Cuba in a less restricted manner). While promises were made, Helms-Burton limits the ability of the US government and its politicians to engage with Cuba.

Here is a link to learn more about Yoani Sanchez:

http://www.desdecuba.com/generaciony/?p=137&cp=1

There is both an English and Spanish version of the site. Just look for flags on the side of the page if you do not speak/read Spanish.

Winter Break

Picture of me on my first trip up a ski lift... Big Bear Mountain, California.... January 3rd, 2010.


Winter break was wonderful. I spent lots of time with my family and friends and realized how badly I needed to finish this damn dissertation and get out of NC. The American Historical Association's annual conference was in San Diego this year and some of my fellow historian colleagues began to ask me, "WHY DID YOU LEAVE SAN DIEGO?!" in a slightly exasperated manner. I have no answer other than I *thought* I could find better in the world. I have found a lot of beauty by leaving San Diego.... the beauty of Mexico City with its hustle and bustle combined with AMAZING history.... Cuba, in its state of ruins and filled with a past I never even knew, and through some good friends I have met along the way.... Naomi, Monique, Luis, Roshan (when he doesn't piss me off).... but I have also learned that San Diego really is fabulous.

Between Abuelita making hilarious comments and my mother nagging me about the obvious, I returned to an empty house in Chapel Hill and just thought.... wow, being a grad student is a lonely, quiet -- too quiet-- existence.

Here is a funny quote from my abuelita where she talks about how lucky I am to even walk straight based on the genes I inherited from my father's side of the family-- you need to speak a very proficient spanglish to understand:

“Mira, gracias a dios tu puedes caminar derechito. Durante tu bautizo, yo estaba en la casa de tu madrina…. Y tu tía Ana estaba ahí y teníamos que quedar juntitas en un cuarto. Cuando fuimos preparando para dormir tu tía se puso a cruzarse, de repente estaba clapping and putting her hands up to the sky! Estaba esperando algo, de verdad, como estaba esperando algo!…. Y yo quieta en la cama. No quería dormirme ahí… pensé que el cielo me iba a caer encima. Tanta brujería de una señora que parecía tan normal. Ay, Clarisita, gracias a dios tu puedes caminar derechito, solo dios sabe lo que estaba haciendo la señora esa. De ahí vienes tu, gracias a dios tu eres normal...”