Life is Better on the Farm

SAN ANTONIO - POST #2

After spending the entire day with voices jabbering in my ears, I'm a little burned out on conversation and chatter, so while my colleagues are off attending a lecture that has little interest for me, I find myself enjoying the silence of the computer room again.

Last night was really neat! I had the opportunity to meet Liliana Valenzuela, a woman who translates novels into Spanish for authors like Julia Alvarez, Sandra Cisneros, and Denise Chávez. I was mesmerized by her love of language and culture, and I learned a heck of a lot from her as she talked about how she works. She definitely whetted my appetite in terms of doing some serious translations. Now I can't wait to purchase Caramelo in both languages and compare the two. Once I get home, I hope to spend a couple hours a day translating Manuel Vázquez Portal's memoirs from prison!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that once I get it finished, a publisher will pick it up! (I think it has great potential!--much more so that Eduardo's novel that I spent hours on a couple of years ago.)

I've also been contemplating what I want to put out to the Universe for Solstice, and I think I've got it together. I'm not going to divulge what I want to manifest to anyone but the solstice fire, however. Again, I'm spending some serious time in thought because I have learned ( a couple of times in the hard way) to be careful what I conjure. I do think, however, I've got this idea bound pretty tight in terms of what I want the Universe to assist me with.

Another revelation I've had here is that not all my Cuban friends are very informed about the reality of life in Cuba. In fact, I'm somewhat surprised that even though these highly intelligent exiles all express a great desire to return to the island, very few of them have any real sense of what life is like there. Oh, they read things, and they all have their opinions, but few have contact with people who have just arrived from Cuba or ones who suffer daily under Castro's regime. I realize that I'm not an expert, but when I listen to their great ideas about what life will be like post-Castro, I know these Cuban-Americans are WAY off base. I don't say too much as I listen, but let's just say that they're in for a HUGE reality check once Fidel kicks the bucket...I just want to go help those I know there in any way I can...And if I can hang out on the beautiful Cuban beaches from time to time, then I'll be very, very happy.

Off to the dorm to hit the sack. Love to all who read this......