Comments on: Nina’s thoughts on Waiting for Snow… http://livinglit.edublogs.org/2008/09/09/ninas-thoughts-on-waiting-for-snow/ Using Social Networking to Travel the World with Literature Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:07:25 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Nina Liakos http://livinglit.edublogs.org/2008/09/09/ninas-thoughts-on-waiting-for-snow/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Nina Liakos Tue, 23 Dec 2008 05:09:59 +0000 http://livinglit.edublogs.org/?p=12#comment-13 I don't like the way some words in my text are linked to advertisements, and I would like to know how to undo this! I don’t like the way some words in my text are linked to advertisements, and I would like to know how to undo this!

]]> By: cristinacost http://livinglit.edublogs.org/2008/09/09/ninas-thoughts-on-waiting-for-snow/comment-page-1/#comment-10 cristinacost Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:45:54 +0000 http://livinglit.edublogs.org/?p=12#comment-10 Hi Ladies, great post-blogpost reflections. There's so much I don't know. There's so much more I want to know. All the historical aspects are also very important. Another book I have read way before this one is one by Alina, Castro's daughter, and it was also impressive to visit her own perspective of Cuba and Cuban regime: http://www.ereader.com/servlet/mw?t=book&bi=6597&si=59 And Nina, you are absolutely right - the book is written with rich prose - I can't think of a better way to describe it. It's quite impressive how smells, landscapes, colours are described in Eire's narrative. Hi Ladies,
great post-blogpost reflections. There’s so much I don’t know. There’s so much more I want to know. All the historical aspects are also very important. Another book I have read way before this one is one by Alina, Castro’s daughter, and it was also impressive to visit her own perspective of Cuba and Cuban regime: http://www.ereader.com/servlet/mw?t=book&bi=6597&si=59

And Nina, you are absolutely right – the book is written with rich prose – I can’t think of a better way to describe it. It’s quite impressive how smells, landscapes, colours are described in Eire’s narrative.

]]> By: Nina Liakos http://livinglit.edublogs.org/2008/09/09/ninas-thoughts-on-waiting-for-snow/comment-page-1/#comment-9 Nina Liakos Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:20:03 +0000 http://livinglit.edublogs.org/?p=12#comment-9 Jane, I am sure that you are right. When relations are finally normalized, the capitalists are going to wreak havoc. Whenever there is a revolution, somebody suffers (the adage about having to break eggs to make an omelet seems apt here). In the case of Cuba, the ruling elite, of which Carlos Eire was a part, were the ones to suffer. If you are one of those who suffer, of course it is difficult to see the positive aspects of the change. Still, I think even Eire recognizes the humiliation and poverty which were borne by the poorer, darker people of Cuba before the Revolution; whether Castro really raised all those people up is another question. Jane,
I am sure that you are right. When relations are finally normalized, the capitalists are going to wreak havoc.

Whenever there is a revolution, somebody suffers (the adage about having to break eggs to make an omelet seems apt here). In the case of Cuba, the ruling elite, of which Carlos Eire was a part, were the ones to suffer. If you are one of those who suffer, of course it is difficult to see the positive aspects of the change. Still, I think even Eire recognizes the humiliation and poverty which were borne by the poorer, darker people of Cuba before the Revolution; whether Castro really raised all those people up is another question.

]]> By: Jane http://livinglit.edublogs.org/2008/09/09/ninas-thoughts-on-waiting-for-snow/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Jane Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:02:50 +0000 http://livinglit.edublogs.org/?p=12#comment-8 One thing that disappointed me a bit is that Eire never made any mention of the enormous strides Cuba made during its "difficult period" in the 1990's after the collapse of the Soviet Union (when Russia stopped providing aid). With its isolation due to the US embargo and no more aid from the USSR, Cuba was forced to find ways to sustain development. In 2006, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) claimed that Cuba was the only country in the world to achieve sustainable development. The study credited "the high level of literacy, long life expectancy and low consumption of energy for this success." (See http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?rep=2&aid=331619&sid=ENV&ssid=26 ) Of course, this period was not the focus of Eire's memoir, and mentioning it could confuse readers (sustainable development does not mean citizens enjoy freedom of speech, etc), but I think it would still be worthwhile to mention the steadfast determination and hard work of those left behind. Sadly, once relations between Cuba and the US are normalized, I'm afraid that this model of sustainable development will be lost when real estate is snapped up, corporations established and Western business ethics prevail. One thing that disappointed me a bit is that Eire never made any mention of the enormous strides Cuba made during its “difficult period” in the 1990’s after the collapse of the Soviet Union (when Russia stopped providing aid). With its isolation due to the US embargo and no more aid from the USSR, Cuba was forced to find ways to sustain development. In 2006, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) claimed that Cuba was the only country in the world to achieve sustainable development. The study credited “the high level of literacy, long life expectancy and low consumption of energy for this success.”
(See http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?rep=2&aid=331619&sid=ENV&ssid=26 ) Of course, this period was not the focus of Eire’s memoir, and mentioning it could confuse readers (sustainable development does not mean citizens enjoy freedom of speech, etc), but I think it would still be worthwhile to mention the steadfast determination and hard work of those left behind. Sadly, once relations between Cuba and the US are normalized, I’m afraid that this model of sustainable development will be lost when real estate is snapped up, corporations established and Western business ethics prevail.

]]>