tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78030234963027211182024-02-07T03:11:31.874-05:00Mari Rodriguez Ichaso - Diario de Vida - Life's DiaryThis blog is to share my life, and especially my memories of my life in Cuba, before and after the beginning of the Cuban Revolution. As well as my comments and thoughts. It will be written in either English or Spanish. But not in Spanglish. You will find thoughts and chapters of my books, etc. which I will post regularly.
Scroll down and look into the Blog Archive on the right side of the page, filed by month, and clic in the stories you might like.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger216125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-8074375932059659472017-12-30T09:45:00.000-05:002017-12-30T09:45:51.707-05:00El Vestido de Raso Azul or The Blue Satin Dress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2HGXViBuKOq3EGtI2nf6i-Jc3V-MxWuaQznhpkOm91ZyDtbnuNvK7QMiI9EFaA8zlNX6njHkbJNocw4PJLZ7juBMVWZBBwD4Z2lXRHktGFYeN0ihqG6u5X5uWu2rOdaIsMviskRwuhbsb/s1600/IMG_9950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="640" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2HGXViBuKOq3EGtI2nf6i-Jc3V-MxWuaQznhpkOm91ZyDtbnuNvK7QMiI9EFaA8zlNX6njHkbJNocw4PJLZ7juBMVWZBBwD4Z2lXRHktGFYeN0ihqG6u5X5uWu2rOdaIsMviskRwuhbsb/s400/IMG_9950.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipRCM8x_WWLXa24dpV7NnRRi71Id_qc59-x2AmHqCoRbCuyQtYKnrQjWjE_tSVtI22Q377MV2tYDwz8YcY5BZJhKPjMsBAVyaq9xENbh0yDrpVoKFiQ7BE-ie73mVEpDtro8tR5fD9fPoA/s1600/ultimo+portrait+de+Ingres+la+princesa+de+Broglie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="599" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipRCM8x_WWLXa24dpV7NnRRi71Id_qc59-x2AmHqCoRbCuyQtYKnrQjWjE_tSVtI22Q377MV2tYDwz8YcY5BZJhKPjMsBAVyaq9xENbh0yDrpVoKFiQ7BE-ie73mVEpDtro8tR5fD9fPoA/s640/ultimo+portrait+de+Ingres+la+princesa+de+Broglie.jpg" width="508" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Princess of Broglie was painted by Ingres with a blue satin dress of the same shade & cloth -but different style as mine </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZt9oZtG_qzlGTsmfcuKoqLxAYDxEGMg9Dg86PMLPCnVaoiWRcB73Ml1UXF8WoNZhFYMm6vqcuULbB31AvoEOqDbcNwZbEWGAGeFRWKdIDU9O1Un3ilEmqRDvkuAqMkl5mIAVqAEY4Uvg/s1600/IMG_9949+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="205" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZt9oZtG_qzlGTsmfcuKoqLxAYDxEGMg9Dg86PMLPCnVaoiWRcB73Ml1UXF8WoNZhFYMm6vqcuULbB31AvoEOqDbcNwZbEWGAGeFRWKdIDU9O1Un3ilEmqRDvkuAqMkl5mIAVqAEY4Uvg/s640/IMG_9949+%25281%2529.jpg" width="435" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mannequin satin shoes were made in Italy for an American brand. They were very popular in the late 50's</td></tr>
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<strong>El Vestido de Raso Azul</strong><br />
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Living in communist Cuba, age 14 & wondering how our lives would turn out in that sad & cruel regime- my mother found a beautiful piece of blue satin -exactly this color!- and had the neighborhood dressmaker whip me up a short evening dress. <br />
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So young -yet so sophisticated. And it was gorgeous! Miraculously she found a pair of American (made in Italy) “Mannequin” white satin heels and had them dyed the exact hue! (The old store owner even wrapped them in blue tissue paper I remember!) --Thus, The Blue Satin dress -finished and beautiful- hung there, ready to be used one day. I rehearsed ,wearing it at home once in a while, walking around our living room, feeling so pretty & elegant -so grown up -and wondering when the invitation would come, or the occasion to wear it!<br />
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When we finally were allowed to leave Cuba for exile, 5 years had passed -and we were only permitted to take out of the country a suitcase with 3 dresses, 1 coat, 2 pairs of shoes and 1 nightgown. So I tried to “pass” my blue satin dress as a nightgown! We even took out the zipper of the “princess style” dress and put little bows to tie it! The Mannequin shoes were too extravagant (my mother said) since we were allowed only 2 of more 'practical' pairs -and had to stay in my soon to be confiscated (and full of all our possessions) apartment -inside of its blue tissued box. (I have always wondered what happened to them!)<br />
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But at least I was taking to Mexico my beautiful dress, which had become my symbol of hope for a new & happy life. I was 19 & had so many dreams to fulfill! But at Havana Airport the woman officer who checked our bags and counted one by one “the permitted items” was no fool. And she immediately got very upset & “confiscated” myoffending dress. “No soy idiota compañerita” -she spewed. Terrified of being denied our departure (as it was a common thing) my mother told her to please keep it, since my daughter “made a mistake”. <br />
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And my Vestido de Raso Azul stayed behind. And now I found this photo of the exact same material & color -and it felt just right to share with you this little story. This picture has brought back to my memory a zillion feelings. Both sad & happy! And the phrase “recuerda El Vestido de Raso Azul” would become part of our vocabulary between mami and I. <br />
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It was almost a symbol of so many things. Mainly Hope! Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-65917401409826123982016-04-21T12:51:00.001-04:002016-05-01T11:22:38.332-04:00Todo esto es verdad -aunque suena tan surrealista...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74H6IGqiZCuBvQF1cmw2pQIpOMgiVs93GcsjksWCxfb9wH-7DSH7mQw97Bitb2n4K5JMpDQaj4EDvCVvBYyJ00ZXZlzecCLu2ObBdr9s5PISHotEgrfMQ0lU312Udx2tpQlz03RhpkfrI/s1600/MARI+DE+BEBE+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74H6IGqiZCuBvQF1cmw2pQIpOMgiVs93GcsjksWCxfb9wH-7DSH7mQw97Bitb2n4K5JMpDQaj4EDvCVvBYyJ00ZXZlzecCLu2ObBdr9s5PISHotEgrfMQ0lU312Udx2tpQlz03RhpkfrI/s400/MARI+DE+BEBE+-+Copy.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Looking back...This picture was taken in Havana when I was 2 - </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">It reminds me that there was a piece of my very blonde hair that my mother had cut it -and pasted on my pink baby album. I used to look at it and loved it! And my mother also enjoyed looking at the album with me...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">But when we left Havana for exile in the late 60´s, the album was "confiscated" at the airport by the army militia people who were in charge, because "it is not part of the permitted items list Compañerita (Little Comrade)" ...so they removed it from my suitcase as they counted the "3 permitted changes of clothing"-- and I never saw it again. That same morning of March 18th my mother was carrying a scarf that belonged to her recently deceased mother (it still smelled like my grandmother!) and it was also "confiscated" by the airport army goons! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">She had to control herself because we had been told that if we protested or cried, "it would made things worse". And we had been waiting for this permit to leave Cuba for 3 years! And -even more important- my brother was about to turn 15 in just 3 months, thus making him enter into Cuba´s Obligatory Military Service --and being shipped out to the wars of Angola or Congo, where Castro sent Cuban soldiers to fight! So this was our one and only opportunity to leave, spare Leon from such a terrible future --and a baby album, or my grandmother´s scarf, could not put this in danger. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">So -terrified- we did not protest and flew to exile in Mexico City.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Small cruelties -and a surreal situation of impotence and fear- that continues to exist to this day in Cuba's lawless & cruel regime. </span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-7630560192251882752016-04-21T12:20:00.001-04:002016-04-21T12:20:31.381-04:00El amor -y las cosas que me hacen mucho más feliz.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYAkxmPpoBfWQalF18NKqGOO3ZLvJfQPXXz3GuFstqcM3hm4GpmNyNOhHQ6xk6uiTl578WznhSb3CIeZke1kEBrkzQcm9TB5U1nN_BsI8-zYu0pimErFumt5rMaz2KcPks3GA92efG9UO/s1600/ph-10089+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYAkxmPpoBfWQalF18NKqGOO3ZLvJfQPXXz3GuFstqcM3hm4GpmNyNOhHQ6xk6uiTl578WznhSb3CIeZke1kEBrkzQcm9TB5U1nN_BsI8-zYu0pimErFumt5rMaz2KcPks3GA92efG9UO/s640/ph-10089+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0000009536743px; line-height: 18px;">Reflexionando en una mañana neoyorquina preciosa...Yo he vivido toda mi vida enamorada. Enamorada de unos hombres súper interesantes (la mayoría) igual que enamorada del amor y sus símbolos...¡Tenía que estar enamorada para ser feliz y tengo la suerte que tuve unos cuantos amores fabulosos (tampoco muchos!)- y me casé muy enamorada! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0000009536743px; line-height: 18px;">Desde niña 'el amor' era tan importante para mí (¡Ay, Corín Tell</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0000009536743px; line-height: 18px;">ado!) - y eso me llenaba de sueños y de alegría, además de tormentos y angustias. Un 'cachumbabé´ de emociones maravilloso. Pero -no sé por qué-... llegó el momento en que 'el amor' me ha llegado a parecer aburrido e innecesario --y aunque me encanta ver a gente enamorada, que me recuerda mi propia vida --ya estoy tan satisfecha de vivir sin esos amores, que no los hecho de menos. </span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0000009536743px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0000009536743px; line-height: 18px;">Por eso quiero compartir mis pensamientos. El tiempo que dedicaría al amor, pues se lo dedico a mi nieta, a mi familia, a mis libros, a mis intereses personales, al escribir, al placer de mis viajes...¡a tantas cosas!.. Algunas amigas de mi edad me comentan la mismo --y eso es muy interesante. ¿Podría enamorarme de nuevo? Ay, no lo creo. </span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0000009536743px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0000009536743px; line-height: 18px;">Y eso de hacerlo para "tener compañía" no es para mí. Y si me toca un señor con 'la bombita' creo que me mato de risa! </span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0000009536743px; line-height: 18px;">(Foto de mi pelicula romantica favorita, que me sigue fascinando: Love in the Afternoon con Audrey Hepburn y Gary Cooper, filmada en el Hotel Ritz de Paris)</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-27020428127633900812016-01-18T11:40:00.000-05:002016-02-03T07:54:28.026-05:00La moda y sus emociones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6UdQtLBqr-RJ2ie3pMmEhuoRF2LbEOKGiGVwoagGs0fneSvGC0INaPltz7N5BC-4B3L1gsFwTmb0JXN_so1Hnbvg_0h2sFsOEMQncpKxBc69ZBcuppjyGi8D5k87ihikTZ-rhalQSwUbR/s1600/Christian-Louboutin-Spring-2012-Shoes-Collection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6UdQtLBqr-RJ2ie3pMmEhuoRF2LbEOKGiGVwoagGs0fneSvGC0INaPltz7N5BC-4B3L1gsFwTmb0JXN_so1Hnbvg_0h2sFsOEMQncpKxBc69ZBcuppjyGi8D5k87ihikTZ-rhalQSwUbR/s320/Christian-Louboutin-Spring-2012-Shoes-Collection.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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¿Zapatos? ¿U
obras de arte?</div>
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<span lang="ES">Los zapatos -de
los que siempre he vivido enamorada- cada dia me sorprenden más, porque la última tendencia
son los diseños complicados, con enorme originalidad --y algunos como si fueran
esculturas -- ¡puras obras de arte y también verdaderos 'ejercicios' de
valentía y voluntad para poder caminar con ellos con equilibrio!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES">Y algunos de última
moda me tienen un poco preocupada, porque no estoy segura si me gusta tan solo
miralos -o ponérmelos. ¡Los veo tan incómodos y raros! Y otros -como los 'sneakers´ (aunque sean de diseño) los detesto.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span lang="ES">Por eso es que la
ropa que llevamos debe ser más sencilla, menos complicada, pues los zapatos muchas
veces son la 'estrella' del conjunto que llevamos. Y lo más divertido es que
desde las marcas más caras como Christian Louboutin, con sus suelas rojas, y
los propios "manolos" de Manolo Blahnik --¡hasta los más económicos! -- son definitivamente muy artísticos. ¿Y los tacones?
Como dicen en España ¡de vértigo!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES">Y esto ocurre en
todas las facetas de la Moda...La ropa, los bolsos, los diseños de muebles, de
objetos para la cocina, para la casa, ...¡y hasta las cosas más tontas!...todas
tienen un giro original, un toque de 'arte' popular, de belleza, de impacto y
hasta de surrealismo. </span></div>
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<span lang="ES">Y eso me encanta porque es emocionante que en el siglo
XXI haya un mayor respeto al diseño --y este pueda ser llevado a lo cotidiano
con naturalidad y que nadie se sorprenda, ni haya un <i>'salon des</i> <i>refusés'</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES">¿Lo peor de todo?
Que muchos de estos zapatos son tan espantosamente incómodos que voy a tener
que hacer como hacía la millonaria árabe Mouna Al-Ayoub, quien tenía sus trajes
de Chanel colocados en maniquíes y los colocaba como adornos en los salones de
su mansión parisina. </span></div>
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<span lang="ES"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="ES">Y yo quizás pueda colocar esos zapatos 'de vértigo' junto
a mis libros y mi colección de botellas de perfumes antiguas, en una esquinita
del mínimo librero de mi minúsculo apartamento neoyorquino, donde compartián
'atagère' con muchas otras partes y seres de mi vida. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-33986661163984608282016-01-18T08:01:00.000-05:002016-01-18T08:01:07.006-05:00Corin Tellado y yo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ksjlXekuIB_jDTu0ZavloqCo-8AgI6XUiu6KdfJCQ8fwmFOrE9MYnyod87ZkoLyQBR5nyRK0-PQWv_mKTCqmr4GgKVvSQq8gRS0c49OY7tzmgK8K6_DNFn9XPTcSBp8MxsSOi0QK8uuv/s1600/corin-tellado-angustiosa-inquietud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ksjlXekuIB_jDTu0ZavloqCo-8AgI6XUiu6KdfJCQ8fwmFOrE9MYnyod87ZkoLyQBR5nyRK0-PQWv_mKTCqmr4GgKVvSQq8gRS0c49OY7tzmgK8K6_DNFn9XPTcSBp8MxsSOi0QK8uuv/s400/corin-tellado-angustiosa-inquietud.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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Una larga reflexion: ¿Corin Tellado y yo?</div>
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Lo tengo que confesar: las mujeres y los hombres de Corín Tellado moldearon profundamente mi adolescencia --y la visión de lo que era -¡o debía ser!- el amor.</div>
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Y aunque muchas personas adoran burlarse de aquellas novelitas románticas tan típicas de los años 50 y 60, en que las historias siempre terminan bien y el amor triunfa a toda costa --¡pienso que muchos de los que se burlan NUNCA leyeron a Corín Tellado!</div>
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Porque ella escribía de mujeres modernas, que no se dejaban dominar por los hombres, que tenían gran personalidad y que a la vez sentían una gran atracción por hombres que aunque fueran feos, siempre tenían ingenio, una irreverencia muy sexy -- y eran atractivos y sensuales con apenas un gesto o una mirada de sus "ojos acerados".</div>
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Corín Tellado nos familiarizó con las 'salas de fiestas', los 'descapotables', el cigarrillo 'colgando de la comisura de los labios', la americana abierta, el pelo todavía mojado por el agua del mar, los dedos 'cuadrados' y las manos bronceadas que encendían cigarrillos siempre a tiempo --y cierta truculencia que no llegaba más allá de unos besos de infarto y de un bailar con los cuerpos muy pegados, y de una mano fuerte y muy viril que nos agarraba del talle 'posesivamente'.</div>
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En aquellas relaciones 'inocentes' (mientras yo las leía, las parejas nunca llegaban a hacer el amor, lo que quizá ocurrió más tarde, cuando ya yo no leía las novelas)--había más voluptuosidad y más sensualidad que en mil novelas más 'fuertes' y atrevidas juntas. Las novelitas eran de una sensualidad-romántica increíble -y los hombres arquetipos de la virilidad más absoluta, los que -aunque a veces se portaban un poco mal- siempre caían rendidos ante el amor y ‘entraban todos por el aro’. ¿Y por qué la vida no siempre resulta así? Ah, porque el amor es cuestión de suerte y nada más. Pura suerte y a veces hasta esos hombres divinos todavía se encuentran por ahí.</div>
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¿Y por qué dejé de leer a Corín Tellado la que esperaba ansiosamente cada dos semanas cuando siendo una niña atrevida corría en La Habana a comprar la nueva Vanidades, donde aparecia su novela, al quiosco de la esquina?</div>
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Porque la llegada de Francoise Sagan -más cínica y modernísima- y de las divertidas películas de Brigitte Bardot (a quien yo imitaba en peinado y en todo lo que podía) me hizo dejar atrás las novelas y serle infiel a Corín Tellado. También porque comenzó la Revolución Cubana y mi adolescencia sufrió un terremoto de raíz. Y un buen dia no había nuevas novelitas que leer --y nos conformábamos con releer las viejas una y otra vez, lo que en medio de las carencias y las injusticias que nos rodeaban eran un gran escape y un gran consuelo.</div>
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Me gusta recordar todo esto --- y comprendo que los cientos de novelas que leí de ella --y el mundo tan maravilloso al que me llevaban- dejaron una fuerte marca en el idealismo que le puse toda mi vida al amor. Y recuerdo novelas que reflejaban gente interesante, lugares que me daban ganas de viajar y conocerlos todos, hombres 'como deben ser' -- y dejarme tantos, tantísimos, buenos recuerdos.</div>
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<a aria-describedby="js_b" aria-haspopup="true" aria-owns="js_a" class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1036826161" href="https://www.facebook.com/mari.ichaso" id="js_c" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Mari Rodriguez Ichaso</a> - Nueva York - Enero 2016</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-65811121192646386892016-01-12T07:07:00.000-05:002016-01-12T07:07:02.130-05:00¡Una leyenda parisina reabre sus puertas!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-nL3x1LVagtF8BAct4AHXcFTAN4dGg3GIWf6q3ZxVqRImP8aNNzCQRvsvbGSajd4VzJgqHLk14drSNJOhXnHV14K5mcu5mZAIdi2hZGTDj08bniIOE_CZObbZTjP1prI4lcjdpEoFVp-/s1600/The+Ritz+in+Paris+the+new+facade+march2016+opening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-nL3x1LVagtF8BAct4AHXcFTAN4dGg3GIWf6q3ZxVqRImP8aNNzCQRvsvbGSajd4VzJgqHLk14drSNJOhXnHV14K5mcu5mZAIdi2hZGTDj08bniIOE_CZObbZTjP1prI4lcjdpEoFVp-/s640/The+Ritz+in+Paris+the+new+facade+march2016+opening.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Por Mari Rodríguez Ichaso<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¡El mundo de los
viajes está de fiesta porque el hotel Ritz de Paris, toda <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">una leyenda</i> extraordinaria, reabre sus puertas! Una leyenda donde
se practica el muy francés <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘art de vivre’
</i>– y un histórico hotel palacio, donde los personajes más famosos del mundo
han vivido y se han hospedado desde el siglo 19. Y por eso su reapertura es un
verdadero <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘happening’</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>del que todos hablan, y después de 2 años
cerrado, abre más bello y elegante que nunca, después de una restauración de
200 millones de dólares.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Cocó Chanel estaría
celebrando la ocasión, porque allí vivió allí 34 años, igual que lo hicieran Ernest
Hemingway, los duques de Windsor, el rey Eduardo VII, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>la reina María de Rumania, y muchos más reyes
y reinas del mundo entero, además de Salvador Dali, Maria Callas, Oscar de la
Renta, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson y hasta Madonna. El Ritz ha sido el
hotel donde todos deseaban quedarse en Paris –y aunque fuera tan solo para
visitarlo, pocos son los viajeros que no conocen sus salones, restaurantes,
bares y su Escuela de Cocina Escoffier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¡Y es el hotel que
más ha aparecido en el mundo de la literatura y el <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cine, en libros como Tender Is The Night de
Scott Fitzgerald, The Sun Also Rises de Hemingway, el play Semi Monde de Noël
Coward y películas como Amor en la Tarde con Audrey Hepburn, Funny Face y How
to Steal a Million! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Una anécdota cuenta
que cuando la esposa de Hemingway le pidió el divorcio el enfurecido escritor
tiró al toilette de su habitación su foto ¡y le entró a tiros a la foto y a
medio baño! Otra cuenta que en una ocasión el alto y grueso rey Eduardo VII se
quedó trabado en la bañera del hotel con una amante -y 4 empleados del hotel
tuvieron que rescatarlo- y de ese momento en adelante se instalaron bañeras mucho
más grandes en el Ritz!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Comenzado en 1705 -y
terminado en 1898- con diseño del arquitecto de Mansart, el arquitecto de los
‘royals’ franceses, fue fundado por el famoso ‘hotelier’ César Ritz -en
colaboración con el chef Auguste Escoffier, padre de la alta gastronomía -fue
el primer hotel europeo en ofrecer habitaciones con electricidad, baños
privados, y teléfono. ¡Y pronto se llenaba de huéspedes famosos, royals,
políticos, escritores, cantantes y estrellas de teatro y cine! Durante la
Segunda Guerra Mundial fue ocupado por los nazis, que lo hicieron centro de
operaciones de su fuerza aérea Luftwaffe. Y en 1976 al morir el ultimo heredero
Ritz lo compró Mohamed Al-Fayed –padre de Dodi, quien como recordamos cenó allí
en el Imperial Suite con la princesa Diana el 31 de Agosto de 1997, poco antes
de partir del hotel (por la puerta de servicio de la rue Cambon, en el fondo
del hotel)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>en el auto que les causó la
muerte a ambos. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES;">El ‘nuevo’ Ritz (¡por
suerte!) no ha cambiado en su estilo, sino en la modernización de sus
servicios.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Su famoso diseñador Thierry
W Despont no ha permitido que el hotel cambie, sino que reabra más elegante que
nunca. Con 71 habitaciones y 71 suites, sigue ofreciendo sus famosas suites de
prestigio –como las que honran a Marcel Proust, F. Scott Fitzgerald y al Duque
of Windsor (decorada en un gris-azul llamado "Wallis blue", favorito
de Wallis Simpson, duquesa de Windsor) - además de la legendaria Suite Imperial
(Patrimonio Nacional de Francia) ---y la Suite Coco Chanel-que permanece con su
vista única a la columna de la Place Vendôme --igual que sigue el divino
restaurante L’Espadon (además de otros 2), a cargo del chef Nicolas Sale (4
estrellas Michelin), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>la
terraza-restaurante (¡donde almorcé en varias ocasiones con Oscar de la Renta!)
y que ahora, con un techo movible de cristal, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>permite comer ‘al fresco’ todo el año –igual
que el famoso Bar Hemingway (¡toda una experiencia, con su famoso ‘barman’
Colin Peter Field y donde se creó el Bloody Mary en honor de Hemingway y su
esposa Mary )- además del nuevo The Ritz Bar, un bistró casual donde degustar
vinos por copas y del Salon Proust, donde tomar el té –o la ampliada zona de la
escuela de alta cocina École Ritz Escoffier, donde es posible tomar clases tan
solo por 1 dia –o todo un curso diplomado si así lo deseamos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Por supuesto, su famosa Galerie seguirá
teniendo a la venta las joyas y los objetos más lujosos de Paris, además de
productos del hotel y de L’Ecole Escoffier, donde siempre he comprado los
delantales de la famosa escuela para regalos muy especiales.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Una de las adiciones
que tienen a todos hablando es la apertura del primer Club ‘Spa’ de Chanel en
el mundo, (¡con una entrada privadísima por un túnel, desde el parqueo
adyacente, para las celebridades que lo frecuenten!) el que tiene la famosa
piscina neoclásica del Ritz, saunas, baños turcos, las facilidades más modernas
¡y los tratamientos exclusivos de Chanel para la piel! ¿Y la enorme Suite Cocó
Chanel? Pues mantiene su elegancia con 2 grandes dormitorios, vestidor, salones
con los famosos ‘paravents’ de laca Coromandel de la diseñadora, y el colorido
blanco y negro que era su favorito –además de balcón a la Place Vendôme. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">¡Una
divinidad!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfy9drfzQOKOS-09EnWjfRSQWPDghYCr0r8HGCC4TDtu5WEkP6KxPEfFo_mjQS4EqX7RjvI3Z9c-ITcir2EsSmchn6RqLt9TZbFo2MBL0lnfHza5c_YnFXSWdDzlEE6ZDozFj2g74ZSTSu/s1600/ERNEST+HEMINGWAY+EN+EL+RITZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfy9drfzQOKOS-09EnWjfRSQWPDghYCr0r8HGCC4TDtu5WEkP6KxPEfFo_mjQS4EqX7RjvI3Z9c-ITcir2EsSmchn6RqLt9TZbFo2MBL0lnfHza5c_YnFXSWdDzlEE6ZDozFj2g74ZSTSu/s640/ERNEST+HEMINGWAY+EN+EL+RITZ.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hemingway en el Ritz</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6_XmQbXZqjd9D_9UDDjIa_ths7dWbBSOdzLyNh2zh6SSiSLyx8CPNZBgg0VoMBVLBXWEh9Rj2ip_3pUgpauAQrE0FHrGjNjhH2JUU_RQD_ODRy-tNb-SVRhJeUlPN0jSYhQW_h0GPNCS/s1600/Coco+Chanel+en+la+terraza+de+su+suite+que+da+al+monumento+de+la+Place+Vendome%252C+donde+vivio+34+a%25C3%25B1os.+Foto+cortesia+del+Hotel+Ritz%252C+Paris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6_XmQbXZqjd9D_9UDDjIa_ths7dWbBSOdzLyNh2zh6SSiSLyx8CPNZBgg0VoMBVLBXWEh9Rj2ip_3pUgpauAQrE0FHrGjNjhH2JUU_RQD_ODRy-tNb-SVRhJeUlPN0jSYhQW_h0GPNCS/s640/Coco+Chanel+en+la+terraza+de+su+suite+que+da+al+monumento+de+la+Place+Vendome%252C+donde+vivio+34+a%25C3%25B1os.+Foto+cortesia+del+Hotel+Ritz%252C+Paris.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coco Chanel en el balcón de su famosa suite</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-7313550240568594592016-01-10T10:15:00.000-05:002016-01-10T10:15:32.533-05:00Anderson Cooper to tell his mother's life on HBO<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.9999990463257px; line-height: 14.9676418304443px;">This will be a fascinating documentary! When I started as a journalist in the 70´s I interviewed Gloria Vanderbilt, who was designing jeans --and remember she was so nice and friendly. She invited me to lunch at her showroom on Seventh Ave, where she had a personal chef & 2 waiters serving us! I was barely around 20 and she treated me like a mom! -Another socialite I interviewed at the same time was Charlotte Ford, who was also designing clothes. She also tried to be nice --but was so 'sin gracia' & dry - and her plastic surgery made her mouth go sideways when she spoke. This was sad to see, since I remember her being so beautiful & glamorous in the late 60´s. Yes, she also had a private chef & dining room in her showroom! (I must look for those pictures taken in black and white by my brother)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.9999990463257px; line-height: 14.9676418304443px;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3389797/Anderson-Cooper-helps-tell-story-mother-HBO-film.html</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.9999990463257px; line-height: 14.9676418304443px;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-91175374547093740332015-07-12T09:14:00.001-04:002015-07-12T09:14:50.734-04:00Una reflexion sobre la 'ropa de andar'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Una vez Carolina Herrera me dijo que no entendia que las mujeres tuvieran 'ropa para andar por casa', refiriendose a esa ropa a la que no le damos demasiada importancia y usamos para ir al supermercado, o cuando tenemos que caminar por el barrio a comprar algo o llevar la ropa a la tintorería.</div>
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Segun ella "toda la ropa es importante y todos los momentos merecen ir bien vestidas, lo mejor posible"-.Carolina es una mujer tan perfecta y tan pulida que comp<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">rendo lo que dice y de esto hemos conversado mucho...Aunque yo realmente no sigo ese consejo porque soy muy haragana, y SÍ tengo 'ropa para andar', que en NYC es ir a la esquina a comprar algo, llegarme al CVS o darme una vuelta al Whole Foods. No lo puedo remediar...¿O es una costumbre cubana eso de tener ´ropa de andar'?</span></div>
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Siempre pienso que NYC es perfecta para ser anonimos y ponernos esos leggings viejitos, o esa blusa tan suavecita que hemos lavado tres mil veces. Bianca Jagger me dijo en una ocasion --mientras la entrevistaba sentada sobre la tapa del inodoro del baño de un hotel mientras ella envuelta en un albornoz blanco se maquillaba en el espejo del lavamanos-- que ella comprobaba si un hombre realmente la queria "cuando aceptaba mis viejitos ropones de dormir,esos casi raidos"..Y recuerdo que aquello me gusto!</div>
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En aquellos dias Bianca estaba quedandose en aquel hotel neoyorquino con el millonario Olivier Chandon, que murio en un accidente de coche poco despues -- y esa mañana andaba por el cuarto -¡terminando de vestirse!- mientras aquella rara entrevista tenia lugar. </div>
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Mari Rodriguez Ichaso, Nueva York, June 2015</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-42631899552722461672015-01-12T18:01:00.001-05:002015-01-12T18:01:35.701-05:00My Cuba in a near future? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;">After reading so many articles on Cuba´s future great wealth (famous real estate entrepreneurs are already buying half of Havana!) -and foreigners ready to travel & invest their many $$$ -- I will find very difficult & expensive to even visit Cuba <b>one time</b>!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"> Probably will find myself saying "Please, can you spare a hotel room for 3 days...I am Cuban!" --and be looked at with a ´eye-rolling expression´ by a new hotel manager, who will say...</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;">"Oh, she is one of those older exiles, retired, not wealthy nor relevant.Tell her we are fully booked". </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;">Yes....I am positive it will be cruel and we -the older and uber 'dignified' and proud exiles- will be at the end of the line! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;">Even now many non-Cubans (inc. journalists) -or very 'casual' Cubans, who never thought twice about the island -think they know about Cuba more than this dedicated & patriotic 'cubanita'. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;">Yes, it will be SURREAL! Sad, cruel and very surreal. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-82731028086083929462015-01-05T09:15:00.001-05:002015-01-05T09:15:08.551-05:00My first home in NYC!<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.910717964172363px; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;">What a surprise to find this article in The New York Times about The Whitby! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.910717964172363px; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.910717964172363px; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;">When we moved to NYC in 1969 we lived in this historical building 7 years, thru the crazy NYC's 70's. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.910717964172363px; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.910717964172363px; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;">By chance. not knowing its History nor the kind of 'show biz' wild neighborhood it was in -mami found this large furnished apartment walking distance to our jobs (papi and Leon 2 blocks away) and 4 blocks to my job as Ticket Agent for Iberia Airlines. It was only $300 a month -and she took it instantly! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.910717964172363px; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.910717964172363px; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;">And it was quite an esperience!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.910717964172363px; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.910717964172363px; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;">Prostitutes in hot pants and super-pimps & flashy pimp-mobiles shared the streets with dancers from the Rockettes and artists! Mami would go to work skipping drunkards sleeping next to the Broadway theatres & in her naive way asked them "please dont drink so much". It was such a surreal time, but we always felt safe. And now I realize we were in the midst of an amazing time in New York.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.910717964172363px; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.910717964172363px; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;">Since I was single my 'dates' would always be surprised that such a nice family lived in such a 'hot' area of NYC. And in that apt 114, sitting on a black sofa while visiitng my father, I met my future husband Orlando Jimenez Leal!..Many friends & family used that living-room sofa bed when visiting NYC -and my brother even brought his French girlfriend Francoise (and her 9 months old son Papoose!) to live with us. When she left to Paris for good we all cried at the baby´s departure! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.910717964172363px; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.910717964172363px; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;">What a grand NYC beginning for all of us!</span>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.910717964172363px; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.910717964172363px; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;">This is the NY Times article</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.533333778381348px;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;">http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/30/nyregion/for-90-years-the-whitby-has-been-a-bastion-for-broadway-performers.html?smid=fb-share</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.533333778381348px;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<h1 class="story-heading" id="story-heading" itemprop="headline" style="color: black; font-size: 2.125rem; font-style: italic; line-height: 2.375rem; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">
At 90, Still a Haven for Broadway Performers</h1>
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<time class="dateline" datetime="2014-12-29" style="color: black; font-family: nyt-cheltenham-sh, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 0.75rem;">DEC. 29, 2014</time></div>
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<img alt="" class="media-viewer-candidate" data-mediaviewer-caption="The Whitby, on West 45th Street in Manhattan, before the year-end Christmas party for residents." data-mediaviewer-credit="Nicole Craine for The New York Times" data-mediaviewer-src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb1/29APPRAISALweb1-superJumbo.jpg" itemid="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb1/29APPRAISALweb1-articleLarge.jpg" itemprop="url" src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb1/29APPRAISALweb1-articleLarge.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 540px;" /><div class="media-action-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in; border-bottom-left-radius: 6px; border-bottom-right-radius: 6px; border-top-left-radius: 6px; border-top-right-radius: 6px; border: 1px solid rgba(200, 200, 200, 0.796875); bottom: 15px; cursor: pointer; left: 15px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; z-index: 5;">
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<figcaption class="caption" itemprop="caption description" style="bottom: 23px; color: #666666; font-family: nyt-cheltenham-sh, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 0.8125rem; line-height: 1.0625rem; position: static; right: 0px; width: auto;"><span class="caption-text">The Whitby, on West 45th Street in Manhattan, before the year-end Christmas party for residents.</span> <span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder" style="color: #999999; display: inline-block; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 1.125rem;"><span class="visually-hidden" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Credit</span>Nicole Craine for The New York Times</span></figcaption></figure></div>
<br /><div aria-label="tools" class="sharetools theme-classic sharetools-story " data-description="The former residential hotel the Whitby, which was developed especially for theater workers, was converted to co-ops and still attracts creative types." data-media="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb1/29APPRAISALweb1-jumbo.jpg" data-publish-date="December 29, 2014" data-share-tools-initialized="1" data-shares="email,facebook|Share,twitter|Tweet,save,show-all|more,ad" data-title="At 90, Still a Haven for Broadway Performers" data-url="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/30/nyregion/for-90-years-the-whitby-has-been-a-bastion-for-broadway-performers.html" id="sharetools-story" role="group" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 15px; width: 91px;">
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On a ceaselessly rainy day this month, the residents of the Whitby gathered inside the lobby of the grand old building in Manhattan for its annual Christmas party. Children crawled and darted around the legs of clustered parents. Plastic folding tables were laden with nuts, cold cuts and pizza. Soda and wine sloshed in disposable cups while the lights and ornaments twinkled on a small artificial Christmas tree.</div>
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Conversation turned predictably to children and work, as well as to the shows people had seen. More often than not, these were one and the same.</div>
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“I’ll be out on a job and see someone I think I recognize from a past gig,” said Paul Ford, a rehearsal pianist and frequent Stephen Sondheim collaborator who has lived at the Whitby since 1983. “We’ll get to talking, and it turns out I know them from the elevator.”</div>
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Since it opened in 1924, the Whitby, a stout beige building with 217 units on 45th Street just west of Eighth Avenue, has attracted artists, performers, writers and stagehands. In fact, it was the first residential building in the city created especially for them, not least because performers were often shunned for their odd hours, odd lifestyles and, most of all, odd bank accounts. A “No Theatricals” sign from the era hangs in the management office as a joke.</div>
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<img alt="" class="media-viewer-candidate" data-mediaviewer-caption="Paul Ford, a rehearsal pianist, in his apartment at the Whitby, where he has lived since 1983." data-mediaviewer-credit="Nicole Craine for The New York Times" data-mediaviewer-src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb2/29APPRAISALweb2-superJumbo.jpg" itemid="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb2/29APPRAISALweb2-articleLarge.jpg" itemprop="url" src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb2/29APPRAISALweb2-articleLarge.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 540px;" /><div class="media-action-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in; border-bottom-left-radius: 6px; border-bottom-right-radius: 6px; border-top-left-radius: 6px; border-top-right-radius: 6px; border: 1px solid rgba(200, 200, 200, 0.796875); bottom: 15px; cursor: pointer; left: 15px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; z-index: 5;">
<i class="icon" style="background-image: url(http://a1.nyt.com/assets/article/20141217-093208/images/sprite/sprite-no-repeat.png); background-position: -198px -64px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: inline-block; font-style: normal; height: 38px; line-height: 0; vertical-align: middle; width: 38px;"></i></div>
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<figcaption class="caption" itemprop="caption description" style="bottom: 23px; color: #666666; font-family: nyt-cheltenham-sh, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 0.8125rem; line-height: 1.0625rem; position: static; right: 0px; width: auto;"><span class="caption-text">Paul Ford, a rehearsal pianist, in his apartment at the Whitby, where he has lived since 1983.</span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder" style="color: #999999; display: inline-block; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 1.125rem;"><span class="visually-hidden" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Credit</span>Nicole Craine for The New York Times</span></figcaption></figure><div class="story-body-text story-content" data-para-count="503" data-total-count="1807" itemprop="articleBody" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.4375rem; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 135px; max-width: 540px; width: 540px;">
“Most actors were considered deadbeats in those days,” said Austin Colyer, who has spent most of his life at the Whitby since moving there in the 1950s. A frequent presence on Broadway until the past decade, this lean 85-year-old was also active in its union, Actors’ Equity, and founded the Whitby’s tenants association to combat a string of nasty landlords in the 1970s and ’80s. His apartment is stuffed with 130 bound collections of Playbills from all the shows he has seen over the years.</div>
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“People used to stop me all the time in the hallways and ask if I could get them into Equity,” Mr. Colyer said, sitting in the lobby where he regularly holds court. “And I’d always say, ‘Sure — just tell me what you’ve been in.’ ”</div>
<div class="story-body-text story-content" data-para-count="102" data-total-count="2158" itemprop="articleBody" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.4375rem; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 135px; max-width: 540px; width: 540px;">
Mr. Colyer may be among the last of his generation at the Whitby, but he is not the last of his breed.</div>
<figure aria-label="media" class="media photo embedded layout-small-horizontal media-100000003421161 ratio-tall" data-media-action="modal" id="media-100000003421161" itemid="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb3/29APPRAISALweb3-master315.jpg" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" role="group" style="clear: left; float: left; margin: 6px 30px 45px 0px; position: relative; width: 315px;"><span class="visually-hidden" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Photo</span><div class="image" style="cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 7px; position: relative;">
<img alt="" class="media-viewer-candidate" data-mediaviewer-caption="An item left behind in the sink of a newly vacated apartment at the Whitby attests to its residents' passions." data-mediaviewer-credit="Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times" data-mediaviewer-src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb3/29APPRAISALweb3-superJumbo.jpg" itemid="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb3/29APPRAISALweb3-master315.jpg" itemprop="url" src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb3/29APPRAISALweb3-master315.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 315px;" /><div class="media-action-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in; border-bottom-left-radius: 6px; border-bottom-right-radius: 6px; border-top-left-radius: 6px; border-top-right-radius: 6px; border: 1px solid rgba(200, 200, 200, 0.796875); bottom: 15px; cursor: pointer; left: 15px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; z-index: 5;">
<i class="icon" style="background-image: url(http://a1.nyt.com/assets/article/20141217-093208/images/sprite/sprite-no-repeat.png); background-position: -198px -64px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: inline-block; font-style: normal; height: 38px; line-height: 0; vertical-align: middle; width: 38px;"></i></div>
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<figcaption class="caption" itemprop="caption description" style="color: #666666; font-family: nyt-cheltenham-sh, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 0.8125rem; line-height: 1.0625rem;"><span class="caption-text">An item left behind in the sink of a newly vacated apartment at the Whitby attests to its residents' passions.</span> <span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder" style="color: #999999; display: inline-block; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 1.125rem;"><span class="visually-hidden" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Credit</span>Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times</span></figcaption></figure><div class="story-body-text story-content" data-para-count="360" data-total-count="2518" id="story-continues-2" itemprop="articleBody" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.4375rem; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 135px; max-width: 540px; width: 540px;">
For all the changes that have come to Broadway, where the only thing more drastic than the astronomical ticket prices are the astronomical rents for apartments in the area, the Whitby has largely remained a bastion for performers and their patrons. But rather than being a haven for struggling artists, the building is now much more a home for successful ones.</div>
<div class="story-body-text story-content" data-para-count="375" data-total-count="2893" itemprop="articleBody" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.4375rem; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 135px; max-width: 540px; width: 540px;">
“Like any New Yorker, I guess I was worried about the changes,” said Micki Frein, president of the co-op board (the building converted from a residential hotel in 1986). “But in spite of everything, the building still attracts artists and creative types. They just love the character of it, since most things in the neighborhood are shiny and new or totally rundown.”</div>
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The property, at 325 West 45th Street, was built by one of the most successful development partnerships of the prewar era, the builders Bing & Bing and the architect Emery Roth. They are responsible for such standouts as 1000 Park Avenue, at 84th Street, and the Southgate, on East 52nd Street. The Whitby was less distinguished though still impressive, with its three sturdy bays and rippling brick cornice. What the actors especially valued, though, was the telephone service, a rarity in the day that kept them apprised of all their callbacks.</div>
<figure aria-label="media" class="media photo embedded has-adjacency layout-large-horizontal media-100000003421163 ratio-tall" data-media-action="modal" id="media-100000003421163" itemid="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb4/29APPRAISALweb4-articleLarge.jpg" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" role="group" style="margin: 45px 0px 45px 135px; position: relative; width: 540px;"><span class="visually-hidden" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Photo</span><div class="image" style="cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 7px; position: relative; width: 540px;">
<img alt="" class="media-viewer-candidate" data-mediaviewer-caption="Michael Apuzzo, a dancer, in his living room-bedroom. He has a Murphy bed that tucks into a cabinet so he can clear enough floor space to practice." data-mediaviewer-credit="Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times" data-mediaviewer-src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb4/29APPRAISALweb4-superJumbo.jpg" itemid="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb4/29APPRAISALweb4-articleLarge.jpg" itemprop="url" src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb4/29APPRAISALweb4-articleLarge.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 540px;" /><div class="media-action-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in; border-bottom-left-radius: 6px; border-bottom-right-radius: 6px; border-top-left-radius: 6px; border-top-right-radius: 6px; border: 1px solid rgba(200, 200, 200, 0.796875); bottom: 15px; cursor: pointer; left: 15px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; z-index: 5;">
<i class="icon" style="background-image: url(http://a1.nyt.com/assets/article/20141217-093208/images/sprite/sprite-no-repeat.png); background-position: -198px -64px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: inline-block; font-style: normal; height: 38px; line-height: 0; vertical-align: middle; width: 38px;"></i></div>
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<figcaption class="caption" itemprop="caption description" style="bottom: 23px; color: #666666; font-family: nyt-cheltenham-sh, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 0.8125rem; line-height: 1.0625rem; position: static; right: 0px; width: auto;"><span class="caption-text">Michael Apuzzo, a dancer, in his living room-bedroom. He has a Murphy bed that tucks into a cabinet so he can clear enough floor space to practice.</span> <span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder" style="color: #999999; display: inline-block; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 1.125rem;"><span class="visually-hidden" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Credit</span>Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times</span></figcaption></figure><div class="ad ad-placeholder nocontent robots-nocontent" style="clear: right; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 40px 7px;">
<a class="visually-hidden skip-to-text-link" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/30/nyregion/for-90-years-the-whitby-has-been-a-bastion-for-broadway-performers.html?smid=fb-share#story-continues-3" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px); color: #326891; height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; width: 1px;">Continue reading the main story</a><a class="visually-hidden skip-to-text-link" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/30/nyregion/for-90-years-the-whitby-has-been-a-bastion-for-broadway-performers.html?smid=fb-share#story-continues-3" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px); color: #326891; height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; width: 1px;">Continue reading the main story</a><iframe frameborder="0" height="280px" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://srv.dynamicyield.com/st?sec=8765344&id=January%203%204%205%202015" style="border-style: none; overflow: hidden;" vspace="0" width="300px"></iframe></div>
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<a class="visually-hidden skip-to-text-link" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/30/nyregion/for-90-years-the-whitby-has-been-a-bastion-for-broadway-performers.html?smid=fb-share#story-continues-3" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px); color: #326891; height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; width: 1px;">Continue reading the main story</a><iframe class="ad-frame frame-for-article" frameborder="0" style="border-style: none; height: 250px; width: 300px;"></iframe></div>
<div class="story-body-text story-content" data-para-count="229" data-total-count="3668" id="story-continues-3" itemprop="articleBody" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.4375rem; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 135px; max-width: 540px; width: 540px;">
Among the stars who came to reside at the Whitby were Doris Day, Betty Grable, Clarence Derwent, Diane Ladd and Wallace Shawn, as well as Al Capone, though legend says it was the showgirls, not the amenities, that drew him there.</div>
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Michael Apuzzo came two years ago for proximity to both Broadway and Lincoln Center, where he regularly performs as a dancer with the Paul Taylor Dance Company. It helps that Broadway Dance Center is across the street.</div>
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Like many units in the building, his first-floor studio is small and spacious, a testament to Roth’s keen use of space. The walls are decorated with mementos from tours with the company to such places as Istanbul (decorative tapestries), San Francisco (photos on the beach) and Spoleto, Italy (a festival poster). Mr. Apuzzo has a Murphy bed precisely so he can keep the center of the room clear to practice.</div>
<figure aria-label="media" class="media photo embedded has-adjacency layout-large-horizontal media-100000003421168 ratio-tall" data-media-action="modal" id="media-100000003421168" itemid="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb5/29APPRAISALweb5-articleLarge.jpg" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" role="group" style="margin: 45px 0px 45px 135px; position: relative; width: 540px;"><span class="visually-hidden" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Photo</span><div class="image" style="cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 7px; position: relative; width: 540px;">
<img alt="" class="media-viewer-candidate" data-mediaviewer-caption="Hayden Wall, an 11-year-old actor, and Austin Colyer, 85, until the past decade a frequent presence on Broadway, are neighbors." data-mediaviewer-credit="Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times" data-mediaviewer-src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb5/29APPRAISALweb5-superJumbo.jpg" itemid="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb5/29APPRAISALweb5-articleLarge.jpg" itemprop="url" src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/12/29/nyregion/29APPRAISALweb5/29APPRAISALweb5-articleLarge.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 540px;" /><div class="media-action-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in; border-bottom-left-radius: 6px; border-bottom-right-radius: 6px; border-top-left-radius: 6px; border-top-right-radius: 6px; border: 1px solid rgba(200, 200, 200, 0.796875); bottom: 15px; cursor: pointer; left: 15px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; z-index: 5;">
<i class="icon" style="background-image: url(http://a1.nyt.com/assets/article/20141217-093208/images/sprite/sprite-no-repeat.png); background-position: -198px -64px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: inline-block; font-style: normal; height: 38px; line-height: 0; vertical-align: middle; width: 38px;"></i></div>
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<figcaption class="caption" itemprop="caption description" style="bottom: 23px; color: #666666; font-family: nyt-cheltenham-sh, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 0.8125rem; line-height: 1.0625rem; position: static; right: 0px; width: auto;"><span class="caption-text">Hayden Wall, an 11-year-old actor, and Austin Colyer, 85, until the past decade a frequent presence on Broadway, are neighbors.</span> <span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder" style="color: #999999; display: inline-block; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 1.125rem;"><span class="visually-hidden" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Credit</span>Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times</span></figcaption></figure><div class="story-body-text story-content" data-para-count="193" data-total-count="4489" itemprop="articleBody" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.4375rem; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 135px; max-width: 540px; width: 540px;">
“It’s so nice to walk through the building and hear people singing or playing the piano,” he said. “It’s inspiring, and you know you won’t bother anyone when you’re rehearsing.”</div>
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One of the youngest thespians in residence, Hayden Wall, 11, feels a connection with the building, as though the spirits of past performers are inspiring him as he makes his Off Broadway debut in “The Soul Doctor.” His parents started renting a one-bedroom apartment from its owner, leaving behind their suburban home in Syracuse, and now the family spends most of its nights in two beds at the Whitby, so their son can chase his dreams.</div>
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“I feel honored to have the torch passed to me,” he said.</div>
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Even those who do not work in the theater tend to have some connection. Ms. Frein, the board president, used to be a theater manager and wanted to stay close to her friends, even though she went into finance decades ago. Emilio Casarez and his partner both work at JPMorgan Chase, but rather than a downtown loft or uptown sprawl, they chose the cozy Whitby so they can visit the theater on the nights they are not working late.</div>
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Douglas Bellitto, a broker at Brown Harris Stevens who once aspired to the stage, handles many sales in the building these days. He is just as likely to sell an apartment — like a recent one-bedroom for $485,000 — to a pediatrician from Philadelphia as he is to a successful playwright.</div>
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“Her daughter is a ballerina, though,” Mr. Belitto said of the pediatrician, “and they come here at least once a month for the shows</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.533333778381348px;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-87026191148821427362014-12-22T10:19:00.002-05:002014-12-22T10:19:13.253-05:00Anxiety revisited...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggD8TAQRvaJQQx5eHqgsQthIgMvO8x9pRL54zQoWb7xHAHtZG4n9uzgPRs3eoHSbb2m9I2E6X59wXBW80L6v2fLI_G8SEbzBK2EYm6CwanQTd6mTUVU4-OBSz92tkj47MjMFc_8zajPh0q/s1600/ph-10029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggD8TAQRvaJQQx5eHqgsQthIgMvO8x9pRL54zQoWb7xHAHtZG4n9uzgPRs3eoHSbb2m9I2E6X59wXBW80L6v2fLI_G8SEbzBK2EYm6CwanQTd6mTUVU4-OBSz92tkj47MjMFc_8zajPh0q/s1600/ph-10029.jpg" height="427" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><b>I am already anxious! Xmas and (especially) New Year's produce these emotions. </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><b>Ever since we left Cuba in the late 60's nothing can 'calm down' feeling overwhelmed at this time of the year. I am so lucky & grateful for everything- but cant shake this feeling of 'unease'! </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><b>'Scars' of the trauma of leaving my home & everything I owned (my books, my Diary!) -since at the time all that was permitted to take with us was "a suitcase with 5 changes of clothing, 2 pairs of shoes and an umbrella" No books, no little memories, no jewelry, not even an old scarf from my deceased grandmother! </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><b>To this departure -were added very hard & painful initial years in exile. </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><b>Thus, every year these scars come back to 'haunt' my usual happy self. And on January 1 a sense of newness makes it all OK -and happiness starts again.</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.547272682189941px;"><br /></span>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-20852195038348495612014-12-21T13:14:00.001-05:002014-12-21T13:14:17.269-05:00Reflexiones sobre las nuevas relaciones entre Cuba y Estados Unidos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXWfFv90vZ7XWTsxIsVH4gEXIuj04sBCC3ytbZDZ_3DwN7RlwrikWEUM5Wvy9rbNp_b0kubnBdH6atigkE1xgMhfazM-JEJPZYjjaRz2Fg_ubNNcgJx5uPKKyZRJVzdqLozUPD-xjkKME/s1600/Escultura+La+Habana+rest..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXWfFv90vZ7XWTsxIsVH4gEXIuj04sBCC3ytbZDZ_3DwN7RlwrikWEUM5Wvy9rbNp_b0kubnBdH6atigkE1xgMhfazM-JEJPZYjjaRz2Fg_ubNNcgJx5uPKKyZRJVzdqLozUPD-xjkKME/s1600/Escultura+La+Habana+rest..jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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El anuncio de que los Estados Unidos -de pronto, de un plumazo y sin ningún cambio en la situación en la isla- ha decidido normalizar relaciones con Cuba -me ha dejado enormemente confundida y con un profundo dolor. Lo que puede llamarse ´dolor en el alma'.<br />
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Siento que se ha ´bendecido´ y se ha dado una recompensa, a los Castro por haberse mantenido 'fuertes' durante 55 años, luchando contra los Estados Unidos y en el camino pisoteando los 'derechos humanos' de los cubanos dentro de la isla. Y el "Premio a la Dictadura más Vieja del Mundo" es reanudar relaciones con ella y comenzar a darle todo tipo de facilidades. No lo entiendo. Buenio, si...realmente si lo entiendo.<br />
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No soy vengativa en lo absoluto, ni 'anticuada', ni intransigente, ni radical, ni nada de eso...pero el dolor de lo que ha sido la tragedia de Cuba -y lo que hemos sufrido los que vimos nuestras vidas cambiadas radicalmente, y a lo largo de 55 años hemos sufrido tantos horrores y tanto dolor, desde que comenzó la Revolución Cubana, no podemos aceptar sin dolor -y estupor- lo que ha anunciado el presidente Obama. <br />
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Por supuesto que nunca he estado a favor del embargo (¡que en realidad solo existe en cuestiones de bancos y finanzas porque con Cuba comercian cientos de países, incluyendo los Estados Unidos, aunque tienen que ser pagados en cash!) --pero pensaba que l<b>a concesion de ciertas libertades tenian que ser parte del 'deal' para que los Estados Unidos abrieran esa puerta</b>. Pero no, no ha sido así. No hay promesa alguna de libertad de expresión, ni de prensa, ni el permitir el Internet, ni nada de nada....<br />
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Y ayer Raul Castro dijo en un discurso al parlamento cubano que seguirían siendo un país comunista y que nada iban a cambiar. Y alli mismo se ovacionó y se recibió como si fueran ´rock stars´, a los espías convictos para dañar a los Estados Unidos, que fueron devueltos a Cuba. ¡Increíble! Un día que se llamó una Celebración del Triunfo Contra la Agresión Americana.<br />
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Todo me parece tan indigno porque basicamente se trata de ´money, money, money´' --y la cantidad de nuevos millonarios que aparecerán en Cuba dentro del propio gobierno, donde ya muchos lo son, al estilo de los oligarcas rusos que han surgido -y en los miles de personas (incluyendo muchos cubanos exilados que ya están salivando pensando en los McDonald´s y los Home Depot que van a abrir en Cuba) que también se harán millonarios .- o más millonarios aún- pensando en lo maravillosa que será esta 'apertura' --aunque el gobierno de Cuba les pida 'participar´ en estos negocios. <br />
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Sí, el puro dinero será lo más importante de esta nueva política....La verdadera razón. Y algo que ni siquiera se ha tratado de 'envolver´ en otras explicaciones. Además de todo esto coincide con una<b> gran conveniencia politica</b> ¡porque este verano ya Vladimir Putin demostró con muchos gestos su enorme interés de que Rusia fuera de nuevo un 'player' importante en la escena política cubana! Y los Estados Unidos no querían que Rusia <b>-¡de nuevo!- l</b>es acaparase Cuba, y todas sus riquezas, a solo 90 millas de sus costas. <b>Asi de sencillo. Dinero, política y poder. </b><br />
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Por lo que el dolor de los que a lo largo de 55 años perdieron familiares en el paredón de fusilamiento, o pudriéndose en las cárceles, o ahogados en el mar --<b>no tiene ya la menor importancia</b>. Es un ´non-issue'. Como lo es el dolor de los que -como me sucedió a mi, a mi madre, a mi familia- vieron sus vidas cortadas, rotas, interrrumpidas, desviadas, convirtiéndonos en exilados en una época en que huir de Cuba -y evitar en muchos casos la cárcel- era la única escapatoria. Ese dolor -¡que fue horrible porque cuando nos fuimos de Cuba me dormi llorando de tristeza muchas noches!- de nada ha valido -- y eso me hace sentir muy impotente y me da mucha rabia. ¡Una posición anti-castrista digna y decente no ha servido de nada! ¡Que estúpido idealismo y decencia política!<br />
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Me imagino que eso ocurre todos los días en este mundo tan corrupto --y mi dolor lo comparten millones de personas que han sido tan solo 'fichas' o 'chivos expiatorios' de un momento político. Y <b>ahora veo que el haber sufrido por Cuba desde los 14 años ha sido una pérdida de tiempo y ´un peso muerto´ que he llevado colgado del cuello, inutilmente, día a día.</b> Y la verdad es que hubiera hecho mucho más facil y feliz mi vida, sino hubiera existido --y mi adolescencia y juventud hubieran sido mucho más ligeras de equipaje, más 'light' y más 'normales' -- como me correspondía como cualquier niña que tenía planes e ilusiones ---¡como me las había imaginado cuando crecía en una Cuba libre! ---sin la guadaña de la Revolución cortándome los sueños. <br />
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Ahora empieza otra etapa. Y aunque me duela el alma, ojalá que traiga -algún día- la libertad que los cubanos de la isla se merecen. Veremos a ver qué puedo añadir a estas reflexiones cuando pase 1 año y en las próximas Navidades tengamos nuevas realidades.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-72541626028691854682014-11-30T10:23:00.000-05:002014-11-30T10:25:24.798-05:00A new little person in our lives<div>
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Miren my grandaughter is almost 3 and already a 'little person' that fascinates all of us. She is becoming a little girl -not a baby at all!- and this transformation is absolutely enchanting!<br />
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I love to see how her mind works, the spontaneous reactions to all that surrounds her, the train-of-thoughts, and her intelligence. Also is wonderful to observe how she talks. In Spanish to her mom, to Yazmin and to me...and switching automatically to English when she talks to her father or anyone that she 'feels' dont speak Spanish! <br />
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I enjoy so much her love and seeing her scream my name "Ita" when I arrive at her house ir when she sees me. It is heaven!<br />
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Yes, there is a new member of the family and a new 'person' created by God's magnificence that has arrived in our lives. So beautiful and healing!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-16688194816575691712014-07-01T16:23:00.005-04:002014-07-02T05:37:55.091-04:00I love my wedding pictures!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have been reading again some of these posts and looking at pictures --and feel truly happy that even the sad memories get better as time goes by, and they stop hurting --and suddenly you see the good side of things and can even laugh at so many funny things that came hand in hand with tears and a deep melancholia. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Thus, since I love my wedding pictures --and have never looked better!- I want to share them with you. I was so young and so in love! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">My brother Leon took these pictures one very early morning of April 1972 up in a park in Westchester County. The 'hippy' white eyelet dress, so 70's and so romantic cost me $19.99 at Alexander's on Lexington Avenue and it was perfect for the times. Mami made the ribbons with tiny flowers and bows for my hair --and the flowers were purchased in a flower shop in the 42 St subway station. And I looked so modern and great!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Fourteen people attended the 6pm wedding on April 29th 1972 because Orlando did not want a 'big' wedding, so we had a almost non/existent crowd of guests at the chapel at the Holy Cross Church on 42 St. which had suffered a devastating fire days befor the wedding --and it was in shambles!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">But I was very happy and loved my brother logging his reel to reel professional tape recorder to the church so I could get married as the Beatles played "She loves you...yeah...yeah...yeah" and "All you need is love...all you need is love"...It was soooo wonderful!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">At the end my father seemed so serious....he later said -as 9 of the 14 guests had dinner at Pier 52, a seafood restaurant on 52 St - "Ah...and I always wanted her to be a nun!"- which was such a melodramatic<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>lie<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>that the tragic remark was laughed at and ignored...The wedding never had printed invitations, no wedding list at stores, no preparations --and a lot of my friends were never told I was getting married....Crazy!....But on the other hand there was no stress whatsoever...Not an ounce of stress!!...And it was such a cheap albeit cute and slightly 'hippiesh' wedding....And at the end of all it was a pretty wedding of 2 people who were very much in love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">The next day we went on an amazing honeymoon to Rome, Capri, Athens, the Greek Islands, Istambul and Madrid...All First Class, a gift from TWA!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">After a difficult marriage and a divorce ---the truth is that I only can remember good things...especially how cute my wedding was...how happy love made me feel... and how pretty I looked! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I wore that wedding dress about 4 years later, when Mari-Claudia was born!</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-90880275640392823982014-06-28T08:30:00.002-04:002014-06-28T08:30:55.846-04:00Miren mi nieta ya es una 'niñita' de 2 años y medio <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4-KrsKrjrzcxuaap4rWitCjG5rFUobm4lX3Ub03x490Yb3aYmdZIy72LxPY7gzLfI-DeEAg9YKAk3SVn1Ao2yFt2TAM9plOGUn4kAd1dK80rPzP0L6ivPmwx405d3M_NXOCsicAHlX86/s1600/MIREN+MAY+3+2014+++7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4-KrsKrjrzcxuaap4rWitCjG5rFUobm4lX3Ub03x490Yb3aYmdZIy72LxPY7gzLfI-DeEAg9YKAk3SVn1Ao2yFt2TAM9plOGUn4kAd1dK80rPzP0L6ivPmwx405d3M_NXOCsicAHlX86/s1600/MIREN+MAY+3+2014+++7.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMUYgPcKd1vxXfQ4QwD7192s9nx1q9ZxuF_PW8K-hAPdMUiIEanCujXCgcW7sQd9hsCBMc8IVdTD9OvXBwROJePLMfkrXZ2UIHzC6zIuBQ6UkjgLt7xrq4K-shWlWpGhsP7uY2pY0cS0N/s1600/MIREN+MAY+3+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMUYgPcKd1vxXfQ4QwD7192s9nx1q9ZxuF_PW8K-hAPdMUiIEanCujXCgcW7sQd9hsCBMc8IVdTD9OvXBwROJePLMfkrXZ2UIHzC6zIuBQ6UkjgLt7xrq4K-shWlWpGhsP7uY2pY0cS0N/s1600/MIREN+MAY+3+2014.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<strong>Es imposible tratar de explicar el amor que siento por mi hija y mi nieta.</strong> <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-61748859745674540862014-06-28T08:11:00.000-04:002014-06-28T08:11:01.523-04:00ALBERTO, CHARLENE, EL HEREDERO…¿Y EL ENFADO DE CAROLINA?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-S1OGYbsUZ9GptY37rLalQ0-795cW78xWQhB-9_dDaIR7C0pEfe6zVZaefg0ixSj1QsITCrvnTzpox1AvpUINbmI_FdCwFGsGzUte20955NKqqO-2YShhUAwoQonabGBov9OxiVnRoOG/s1600/06postcard-monaco-blog480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-S1OGYbsUZ9GptY37rLalQ0-795cW78xWQhB-9_dDaIR7C0pEfe6zVZaefg0ixSj1QsITCrvnTzpox1AvpUINbmI_FdCwFGsGzUte20955NKqqO-2YShhUAwoQonabGBov9OxiVnRoOG/s1600/06postcard-monaco-blog480.jpg" height="260" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span lang="ES" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b> </div>
<span lang="ES" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bye bye Andrea y
Tatiana…¡El puesto está a punto de ser ocupado!...El príncipe reinante Alberto
ha cumplido con su deber ¡y Mónaco tendrá un heredero con todas las de la ley!</span><span lang="ES" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="ES" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span lang="ES" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Después de muchas especulaciones -y lo que
parecía una telenovela que amenazaba con volverse predecible y aburrida -en
Mónaco las cosas han cambiado y no solo la princesa Charlene está embarazada
sino que a la pareja real se le ve más ‘enamorada’, con aire de estar muy contentos
y hasta han afirmado sentirse “muy emocionados”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="ES" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ah, pero mis impecables ‘chismosos’ de siempre me cuentan un cotilleo <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘jugoso’; </i>que la única que <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">no</i> está contenta es
la princesa Carolina porque ya se había ilusionado con la idea de que su hijo
Andrea –tal como había dispuesto en un arreglo a la Constitución el fallecido
príncipe Rainiero en el 2002 - se convirtiese eventualmente en Su Alteza
Serenísima, Príncipe de Mónaco. ¡Y de momento esa posibilidad terminará cuando en
el mes de Diciembre un futuro heredero del trono llegue al principado!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Alberto, de 56 años y
Charlene, de 36, fueron vistos en el nuevo Monaco Yacht Club agarrados de la
mano y a ella –toda muy virginal con un vestido suelto blanco- hasta se le
notaba el comienzo de una ‘panzita’ de embarazo. El príncipe sonreía mucho
¡cosa rara en los últimos años!- y agradecía las felicitaciones de los
asistentes mientras que Charlene –con cara de mujer ‘embelesada’, lo que
últimamente ha perfeccionado <strong>(¿no se han fijado?)</strong> --sin demostrar en su rostro nada
que no sea divino y perfecto en su vida- se agarraba de los deditos de su
marido con gran amor. ¡Su Nirvana!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Mientras tanto, me han dicho
que Carolina su hermana –quien en las últimas semanas ha pasado más tiempo en
Paris, cerca de su hija Carlota y su pequeño nieto Raphael, y parecía haber
dejado <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘desocupado’</i> su territorio en
Mónaco- está furiosa y no puede disimular su enfado porque al ser la mayor de la familia-
siempre sintió “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">que ella era ‘la’ que
debía heredar el trono”.</i> Y como en Mónaco la ley favorece a los hijos
hombres por encima de las hijas mujeres- se consolaba con que fuera su hijo
mayor Andrea (quien incluso se casó por la iglesia y bautizó a su hijo Sasha como
corresponde a un buen católico preparado para reinar) quien ocupara un día el
mando del Principado. ¿Y qué piensan de esta noticia Andrea y Tatiana? Dicen
que “realmente no les afecta mucho porque son felices con la vida privada que
llevan con su hijo y no necesitan para nada llenarse de obligaciones y
protocolo al ser los príncipes de Mónaco”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Pocos saben que a Carolina le
importa <strong>tanto</strong> el mundo de la aristocracia y los títulos -¡y adora tantísimo su
condición de princesa e hija primogénita de Rainiero y Grace!- que ha no se ha
divorciado legalmente del príncipe Ernesto de Hanóver <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-aunque viven separados desde 2009- porque al
hacerlo perdería su rango de Alteza Real, un título que ahora la pone <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">por encima</i> de su hermano Alberto y su
cuñada Charlene, que solo son Altezas Serenísimas. ¿Se imaginan?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Al ser parte de la Casa Real de Hanóver, Carolina
ocupa una posición entre la nobleza <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">muy
superior</i> a la de un Grimaldi, quienes no son muy respetados entre la
realeza europea, que llama Mónaco “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">un
principado de opereta</i>”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Igual que
desea que su hija la princesa Alexandra Hanóver (oficialmente Alexandra
Charlotte Ulrike Maryam Virginia Prinzessin von Hannover) –de 15 años y quien
vive con ella- mantenga todos sus privilegios como hija de un príncipe que es
jefe de una de las casa reales, que aunque no ocupan un trono, más antiguas e
históricas de Europa. Como les hemos comentado en otras ocasiones, si no
hubiera sido por inesperados cambios y giros hereditarios de las dinastías
-¡Ernesto de Hanóver hubiera sido hoy en día rey de Inglaterra y Carolina su
reina! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Desde el matrimonio de Alberto y Charlene en el 2011 el pueblo monaguesco
rezaba por un heredero legítimo, porque los dos hijos <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘fuera de matrimonio’</i> del príncipe Alberto no tienen derecho a heredar.
Y esto que existe Alexandre Coste Grimaldi un varón de 10 años que hubiera
podido ser el ‘heredero’ si Alberto si hubiera casado con su madre la azafata
Nicole Coste -¡aun después de su nacimiento! -y que aparentemente tiene una
buena –aunque discreta- relación con su padre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Tanto él como su media hermana Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, de 22 años, son
ilegítimos ¡pero al haber sido <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">reconocidos
como hijos</i> por el príncipe Alberto tienen pleno derecho a recibir parte de
su vastísima fortuna –¡la que tendrán que compartir con el bebé que llegará! -y
que todos esperan sea un varón porque si es mujer tiene que cambiarse de nuevo la
ley para que pueda gobernar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-35689003152902472452013-07-23T10:09:00.003-04:002013-07-23T10:09:49.408-04:00Thinking about Princess Diana<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZlZQkvEt-N_RZWP5O45R_ukMyBETGxYC1WM3ebLc0GYV6X59UNwFHEH3FPfmDOKl2-LbXWdKiDmJER7ejHYKqI5E-T3i34WZZZ4ZW6qe6h3hyhyphenhyphenjoFoSY0ImTYrKlLQNndHnWFnFVH9x/s1600/tumblr_mle0p3g8jx1s2lwbwo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZlZQkvEt-N_RZWP5O45R_ukMyBETGxYC1WM3ebLc0GYV6X59UNwFHEH3FPfmDOKl2-LbXWdKiDmJER7ejHYKqI5E-T3i34WZZZ4ZW6qe6h3hyhyphenhyphenjoFoSY0ImTYrKlLQNndHnWFnFVH9x/s640/tumblr_mle0p3g8jx1s2lwbwo1_500.jpg" width="449" /></a></div>
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<span class="userContent">Today -as her first grandchild arrived- I am thinking a lot about Princess Diana, whom I met briefly in 1995 at a Lincoln Center awards ceremony. </span><br />
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<span class="userContent">It was such a great entrance the one she made! She had a recent suntan and looked so young and full of life with a navy slim dress and a great pearl and blue saphire choker. At the fashion event she was honoring her friend Liz Tilberis -Harper's Bazaar editor in chief, who later died on ovarian cancer- and her eyes smiled and showed such sincere friendliness. </span><br />
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<span class="userContent">She had the same way of looking at people and connecting with them that </span><span class="userContent">I noticed when I met Audrey Hepburn also in NYC, at a Casita Maria benefit months before her death. (Audrey held my both hands when we met and I told her how much I admired her and how beautiful she was!)</span><br />
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<span class="userContent">This photo is from the day I met Diana. I was invited as a 'guest'</span><span class="userContent"> , yes, very fancy -and was not there as one more journalist on a throng of writers and a huge paparazzi crowd (where I have been many times!) --thus I was able to say hello and exchange a few words..She had done her hair different that night and was SO nice, with a firm handshake and great smile. </span><br />
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<span class="userContent">Thus today, I wish Diana had been here with us. I still feel so sad about her tragic death!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-61562283744135735012013-06-04T09:31:00.002-04:002013-06-04T09:31:23.603-04:00Las Flores: Mensajes de Armonía de la Naturaleza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW25QibARxgq3N8mNWYaZYHqfxOmNHw6X1b3HLDmgiSLKfe_QBLnbBQE6eYwXrvSErYkwQyW3hLE4tfHNkVctInYqkKzX3ID16MOzntbFkOsmoZXzO14DGmZYO4i4S_4yz7qP0_kYvJ6ez/s1600/553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW25QibARxgq3N8mNWYaZYHqfxOmNHw6X1b3HLDmgiSLKfe_QBLnbBQE6eYwXrvSErYkwQyW3hLE4tfHNkVctInYqkKzX3ID16MOzntbFkOsmoZXzO14DGmZYO4i4S_4yz7qP0_kYvJ6ez/s400/553.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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¿Hay algo más lindo que las flores? Son un mensaje de armonía de la Naturaleza y junto con los pájaros y los diseños de sus plumas --y los peces, sus colores 'degradé' y su ritmo al nadar por las aguas, son señales de que -<strong>sin importar para nada las explicaciones científicas de los átomos y el origen de la vida -</strong> nadie ha podido explicar esos milagros de vida y belleza. <br />
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Las peonías blancas de esta foto son una de mis flores favoritas. Son medias salvajes cuando ya van abriendo y van cambiando sus formas. ¡Tal como hacen los tulipanes que se mueven como bailando un divino ballet!<br />
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¡Qué bueno es tener la capacidad de 'ver' estas cosas y disfrutarlas mucho y con absoluto regodeo! <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-83595462388318249312013-04-06T08:17:00.003-04:002013-04-06T08:17:21.034-04:00¿Ir -o no ir- a Cuba?
<span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">En relacion a
Cuba creo que los exilados que nos fuimos de la isla en sus momentos peores de
fusilamientos, racionamientos, Comites de Defensa de puros espias, represion
absoluta, sentencias de carcel a hombres y mujeres de 20 y 30 años, etc. hemos
perdido la batalla en materia de 'que otros nos crean, comprendan la represión
que hay allí, y nos hagan caso'. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Los cubanos que
salieron más tarde y vinieron por otras razones (la miseria) y para quienes las
razones idealistas no importan tanto, con su deseo de volver a ver Cuba y
ligereza al ignorar el pasado, quizás contribuyan a que nuestra 'verdad' nadie
la oiga. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Esos cubanos y
muchos 'viejos' exilados y sus hijos, viajan a Cuba como si nada hubiera
pasado. Y por eso no me extraña -aunque me repugna y me molesta muchisimo- que
extranjeros que ni saben dónde está Cuba en el mapa, vayan a Cuba a divertirse.
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Es algo muy
complejo. Si tuviera mi madre en Cuba claro que iria a verla y le mandaria todo
lo que pudiera. Pero el 'ir a Cuba´ es el pan de cada día en Miami --siempre me
sorprende eso- y eso ha roto ese ´rigor moral´que tenia el exilio por décadas y
era de cierta forma un tipo de ´honor´: no regresar a Cuba mientras alli
estuvieran gobernando los Castro con la mayor falta de libertad. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Ahora eso no
importa. Y nuevas generaciones que no vivieron lo que vivimos nosotros (incluso
en nuestras propias familias) no consideran lo que les pasó a sus abuelos o a
sus padres, y van a Cuba y la pasan regio. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Asi es la vida.
He tenido que aprender a controlar mi tristeza y mi rabia en todo esto
--especialmente cuando en cosas de trabajo o en viajes, el decir que naci y me
crie en Cuba 'explote´una serie de 'ohs´y ahs' sobre mi maravillosa patria, los
Mojitos, las playas, etc. de montones de extranjeros que la visitan y han
visitado. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Esto lo esribo
como un ´sound off´ porque llevo 3 dias de presentaciones y reuniones de
trabajo rodeada de gente latinoamericana encantadora que cuando les digo que
soy 'exilada´ cubana me miran como si tuviese 3 cabezas...y no se ni que
decirles. Y contarles la Historia es imposible. Y ademas no les interesa.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-36080383585806534552013-03-11T01:35:00.000-04:002013-03-11T01:50:57.384-04:00The luck of some<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv49hCTdVqsDGIkcLcEu_Jvv3_ItiVZYN-2BXlxo2arh8VwHNuDQN-I0WTZ_jT7jh-VA_df-z5c2YWnXZKGiCG9v9LykTzUhqz9BUcuNTtQDdvvfEd6l8V2dAV4NK0IQcREGpPViyjYP2R/s320/mari+y+mc+(2).jpg" width="320" /></div>
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I remember the moment when beautiful Princess Yasmin Aga Khan (whom I had interviewed many times, and happens to be Rita Hayworth's daughter with prince Aly Khan) told me point blank:</div>
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"Being happy in LOVE is just a question of good luck. Nothing else matters...Beauty, money, talent...nothing matters!...Either you are lucky at it...Or you are not. And whatever one does to try to change this is totally useless"<br />
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I thought at the time that she was probably talking out of her own unfortunate personal experiences --and maybe a bit embittered and radical about all that had to do with ...LOVE...But as years have gone by, and as I have met countless horribly unpleasant, dumb and unatractive people who have enjoyed amazing happiness in LOVE --her words have come back to haunt me many, many times.<br />
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How in the world these people reached these peaks of happiness???...They are usually highly unatractive either phisically and/or in character and personality...They are mostly ugly, insensitive, sort of dumb, totally lacking wit, style or any special talents...But LOVE is always at their side!...They must be blessed with amazing good luck for sure, since any other explanation does not fit the bill.<br />
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As the Spanish proverb says: "La suerte de la fea la bonita la desea" and it must be true since most of the pretty women I know are not as lucky in LOVE as one would think they would be. And some horrendous ones, in looks as well as in personality, live in paradise and their men just adore them!<br />
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Case in point: Some years ago, when I was very good friends with many famous celebrities (and for some reason went out with them all the time)I was invited to a high/power brunch at New York's Metropolitan Club, hosted by this well known Manhattan doctor and his wife, in honor of my (then) good friends Placido and Marta Domingo. Since I arrived early at the elegant club, I went into the Ladies Room to check out my makeup, etc., and was surprised to see that the bathroom attendant was a Latin woman who looked quite unkempt and even dirty. How in the world they had hired this woman in such a 'chi-chi' place?...I mention this because that club is a very prestigious and 'aristocratic' one --and as I put on some lipstick my eyes darted to the appalling bathroom attendant, this woman dressed in a stained black dress (the hem was undone and hanging on one side)-and wearing very worn out black heels, which were in need of lifts and a good cleaning. It was quite a sight!...And when I was about to leave, give her a dollar tip, as is the custom...she quickly smiled at me, and left the bathroom.<br />
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Of course this horror of a woman (I am not exagerating at all) turned out to be the wife of the famous doctor (a very handsome tall, white haired man!) and the hostess of the elegant brunch!!...How embarassing would have been if I had given her the dollar tip!...And to top it all, during the dessert toast, to make things even more amazing, the elegant doctor told Placido how lucky they both were of having married such magnificent and great Latin women!<br />
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I almost cracked up --and never forgot that moment. It felt like a joke...The woman being toasted as 'magnificent' even had offensive table manners and at the end of the meal used a toothpick (WHERE did she find it, since there were definitely no toothpicks at the Metropolitan Club?)....I was floored. And to this day that image comes to my mind everytime I wonder about the many mysteries of LOVE and LUCK. <br />
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Yes, this is the way it seems to be. Luck might even be pre/determined...Who knows?...But it definitely works like clockwork when it comes to LOVE...Just look around and check it out! You will see how true it is!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-71139644038386141062013-03-10T23:45:00.000-04:002013-03-11T01:58:02.535-04:00The daughter of my daughter: Miren Antonia Coffey at 13 months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRd8194mw3pTKRLBrwUT90EVJmQes-BGBKkYWDywEmBaJTaR16hbYAxW8DpczkXfUgIhLi-fRzhIaiGi35c0_GMJccDX48bs_24rZIKnZJj-xOXjYTV1irMAbs3m8Z8sctC75iwp665_Ef/s1600/miren+tiene+1+ano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRd8194mw3pTKRLBrwUT90EVJmQes-BGBKkYWDywEmBaJTaR16hbYAxW8DpczkXfUgIhLi-fRzhIaiGi35c0_GMJccDX48bs_24rZIKnZJj-xOXjYTV1irMAbs3m8Z8sctC75iwp665_Ef/s640/miren+tiene+1+ano.jpg" width="547" /></a></div>
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The love one feels for a grandaughter -especially when she is the daughter of my wonderful only child- is absolutely magnificent! This baby is such a blessing. I adore her. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRKbLmRkI5ickE14c4DUysyzw9Ln7BwEoqt9Ga_l3EI9ZsRnB1KaYFKxLGM9JaON1jBO8EDqKCu3A1GcA6-YFrjaVYJ_Vuh9y8pFBJDIkhlYPPsj_tzH56wOixb7aGgYYTG-sQapXbFoN/s1600/521571_4259367435883_1712950425_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRKbLmRkI5ickE14c4DUysyzw9Ln7BwEoqt9Ga_l3EI9ZsRnB1KaYFKxLGM9JaON1jBO8EDqKCu3A1GcA6-YFrjaVYJ_Vuh9y8pFBJDIkhlYPPsj_tzH56wOixb7aGgYYTG-sQapXbFoN/s320/521571_4259367435883_1712950425_n.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-22938250689222305882013-03-10T14:36:00.002-04:002013-03-10T20:27:32.474-04:00Keeping true to the dreams of our youth....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Saturdays -as my friends know- is my 'mommy/daughter' day. <br />
<br />
The day Mari-Claudia and I drive around to different New York and New Jersey neigborhoods and towns --and start discovering places and things. A few hours where we talk, , exchange thoughts, reminisce and fall in love (and out of love sometimes) with peoples and places. <br />
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One of our favorites is the discovery of new ethnic areas filled with churches and temples of different faiths, and rows of identical homes --and supermarkets and bakeries that we duly visit, and all kinds of stores and boutiques. This we love and is very exciting. Other times we justfind new 'malls' and yesterday in Clinton, New Jersey we visited a huge store of fashion accesories called "Charming Charlie" (it must be Koren owned, since only Koreans call stores Happy Store, Nice Boutique or maybe Charming Charlie) --with jewelry, shoes, scarves and purses in every shade of the rainbow...From pastel sherbets to dark and dramatic black hats...And every one of them absolutely horrible! It was amazing we could not buy one single item. And when I picked a bracelet MC deemed it "muy visto... everybody has it" -and immediately was left behind. No way to spend money there!<br />
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Later we had lunch at one of our favorites: "P.F.Chang's" -which we learned of in Miami, since they dont have a Manhattan branch- which was delicious, as usual. And the best was the great message of my fortune cookie: "Keep true to the dreams of your youth"....Wonderful words although not always possible -but still very 'up' and nice to hear. Especially yesterday when thoughts of the past and my very young years were all around my mind! My conclusion is that even though I dont remember very well the many, many, many dreams of my youth --I have been pretty 'true' to myself ever since I can remember. <br />
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The only downside to all this talk about youth? That -no matter how young we feel, how youthful our looks and how youthful and cool our 'outlook' of things are- people start calling us "<strong>Señora"</strong> and use the formal "<strong>Usted"</strong> instead of the youthful "<strong>Tu".</strong> And the worst part of it all is that they do it öut of "respect", like their moms and grandmas told them to do! <br />
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Is there a fortune cookie with a message to dispel this heart breaking myth?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-28685538970747247422013-03-08T14:11:00.002-05:002013-03-08T14:11:13.118-05:00Momento de hablar boberías...¿pero con quién?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2mi2eLhPKOXQStOigt20NXBNm46hT_TXJvxLtiYW588cJAQkDYZN3ZlRE3cwTGKflaCAr0Yu55nJqR5KOUy5aVjnCbWMpJpAQccQh3eE8CqkUq8kXHYs4RgZXkioOyacEtlGWTN5ygjS/s1600/mami+en+mi+mesa+de+noche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2mi2eLhPKOXQStOigt20NXBNm46hT_TXJvxLtiYW588cJAQkDYZN3ZlRE3cwTGKflaCAr0Yu55nJqR5KOUy5aVjnCbWMpJpAQccQh3eE8CqkUq8kXHYs4RgZXkioOyacEtlGWTN5ygjS/s320/mami+en+mi+mesa+de+noche.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0sNW9bnS16ndyYfDbNGBEfAEP6Oc0G56TrsJuTdrbk_lD4oHsN0d16_oLMzPwQI2QgVL0gwySF44b9EPykR9cN49zn3D5isFCc-oamusm7QMMxp03BXwdfh9dBbBnQ_gju9tbl0Tr6L1/s1600/MARI+Y+MANO+DE+E+EN+LOS+VIOLONES+OCT+63.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0sNW9bnS16ndyYfDbNGBEfAEP6Oc0G56TrsJuTdrbk_lD4oHsN0d16_oLMzPwQI2QgVL0gwySF44b9EPykR9cN49zn3D5isFCc-oamusm7QMMxp03BXwdfh9dBbBnQ_gju9tbl0Tr6L1/s400/MARI+Y+MANO+DE+E+EN+LOS+VIOLONES+OCT+63.JPG" width="315" /></a></div>
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Estoy en un 'mood' tan tranquilo, que realmente me da sueño....¿Será que una pierde interés por las cosas de tanto tenerlas? ¿Como esa canción de que "usamos tanto el amor que lo rompemos" o algo asi? ¿O todo se debe a que estamos en medio del invierno ---y el día de hoy -gris, aunque no oscuro, con una suave nieve cayendo muy lentamente'- se siente que transcurre demasiado despacio? No sé...<br />
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Pero hoy, por ejemplo, hubiera caminado 1 cuadra a su casa --y me hubiera encantado poder hablar con mi mamá. Tonterías incluso. Y reirnos y hasta ser un poco ´chismosa´ y comentarle cosas. Porque realmente a las madres les podemos contar todo lo que se nos ocurra --y siempre nos escuchan porque somos sus hijas --y porque nos quieren y porque son pedazos de nosotros. ¡Eso tan cierto eso de ser carne de mi carne y sangre de mi sangre! <br />
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Porque cuando le quieres contar algo a un amigo podemos molestarlos, o tomar tiempo que no tienen, o porque realmente no les interesa lo que -llena de entusiasmo- comienzas a contarle...y de pronto notas que esa persona 'no está ahí' realmente y no está conectando contigo ---y es el momento de cambiar la conversación y terminar el cuento sin el ´punchline´ o sin las reflexiones normales. El interrumpir a alguien con una llamada, o un cuento, me preocupa, porque trato de ser considerada con los demás. Pero ese ´disconnect´ me pasó el otro día con una amiga ---y comprendí que a ella solo puedo hablarle de moda...o de su perrito.<br />
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Pero si mami viviera -o papi, que siempre estaba listo para compartir una cosa divertida, ingeniosa o curiosa- mi cuento de ayer y de anteayer y de mañana, les hubiera encantado y yo me sentiría tan contenta. También esto de 'compartir' tiene que ver con la gente. Porque hay personas que no escuchan. Y otras que no quieren enterarse de nada. Y hay quienes no tienen capacidad para vivir más allá de las 500 palabras que conocen. <br />
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A mami hoy le contaría cosas curiosas, interesantes, y le hablaría del "vestido de raso azúl". que cuando era una casi-teenager en La Habana, era la palabra ´código' entre nosotras- significando de que mi imaginación iba demasiado rápida --y "te preguntas y te contestas tú misma". Y si le contara que de pura casualidad, por un contacto de Lindekin (que jamás uso porque no me gusta) me topé con alguien del pasado, le hubiera parecido súper interesante. Y hubiéramos visto fotos antiguas...y la conversación hubiera vuelto atrás 40 y tantos años...¡Y comentaríamos que esa casualidad me ha permitido cerrar un pequeño círculo de mi vida que siempre quedó un poco abierto y como rodeado de preguntas! Y comentaríamos cosas de aquellos momentos en nuestras vidas recién llegados al exilio...Y de otras personas y de otros momentos, porque esta es una semana muy concurrida y con muchos eventos --y pronto estáríamos hablando de su propia vida y de sus propias casualidades, y de sus propios recuerdos -- y habríamos establecido unos momentos encantadores. ¡Qué pena que mami no está! <br />
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Porque a los hijos 'aunque tengamos con ellos una gran relación- no les podemos comentar estas boberías --- porque ellos nos quieren ver siempre fuertes, inmunes a estas cosas, muy 'mamás' y muy 'papás' ---y listos para hablarnos de ´sus´ cosas, porque una madre -como ya les dije- siempre lo escucha todo. <br />
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Así es la vida. La rueda de la fascinante vida. Aunque en el camino pierda algunos trozos. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-60290324361610350192013-03-04T19:05:00.001-05:002013-03-05T06:56:00.785-05:00The pleasure of a piece of art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLustPCXTQW2E_fHo3-kU9cwiHAdFWypZ8jJts3olLPVrVIm8PZSIusYIriD54Oleo5por1IuYcjlSqbVa1DeNpAv1MzaN-Sh7R7vHhFKFdLCNjkdGqqCsltyVzUTSFoylHZ4CFgQoViw/s1600/Mari+en+Art+Basel+dec+2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLustPCXTQW2E_fHo3-kU9cwiHAdFWypZ8jJts3olLPVrVIm8PZSIusYIriD54Oleo5por1IuYcjlSqbVa1DeNpAv1MzaN-Sh7R7vHhFKFdLCNjkdGqqCsltyVzUTSFoylHZ4CFgQoViw/s320/Mari+en+Art+Basel+dec+2012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yesterday, when I saw Alexandre Arrechea´s sculptures lining up on Park Aveue I felt such joy! <br />
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Joy because they are such wonderful & imaginative pieces of art. A very witty and original concept, that produced in me an exhilarating emotion. That special and unexplainable feeling that great art always brings to my heart and soul. <br />
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And I also felt enormous pride because Alexandre is <strong>Cuban!!! </strong>How wonderful!<br />
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I am not a 'connoiseuse' of art, nor a critic, and my appreciation is really very raw, coming from the way shapes and colors and concepts ´hit´ me. Maybe growing up surrounded by paintings in my home in Cuba and visiting museums with my mother since I was a little girl, created this curiosity and love for art. And as I grow older I find tremendous joy at finding pieces that strike me and make me take more than one look. <br />
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Like I felt in the last Art Basel Fair in Miami, that had amazing things! Or every time I see the beautiful art deco details of London´s Claridge´s! Or the great Picasso that Mari-Claudia was involved in selling in auction!<br />
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Art is something free we can enjoy without spending money, nor going thru big efforts. What a gift! And what a shame that some people do not know how to discover its beauty and intelligence. They miss so, so much!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7803023496302721118.post-79221745759714535632013-02-28T08:20:00.004-05:002013-02-28T08:30:15.061-05:00Reflections as the year starts...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2013 started and my "To Do" list is growing. There are so many things to do! It's overwhelming. <br />
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This sucession of people, places and things line-up and many times repeat itself, making me want to do something radically different. Take a dare step. Taste new experiencies. <br />
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Maybe I should go to India? Or to China? Or to one of those boutique hotels in Bhutan smack in the heart of the Himalayas? Or maybe I should accept those many yearly invitations to tour vodka productions fields in Holland, or vineyards in France -although I dont drink and wonder how I could cope with this fact when I will be given spirits and wine tastings every second! As you can see, the choices are many and quite different. <br />
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Of course, I <strong>do</strong> lead a very exciting life -due to my labor as a journalist- and I love it. But sometimes I wish I was one of those totally relaxed and sort-of-lazy Matisse 'odalisques', lounging around in loose clothes in exquisite rooms filled with amazing printed cloths, flowers and a divine 'laissez faire' ambiance. My image of the perfect solitude!<br />
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The truth is that by nature I am not ambitious at all and have a penchant for lazyness and a life of contemplation and wonderful solitude. But "la lucha por la vida" (the fight for Life- as my father always called our daily need to work and earn a decent living) when I was barely 19 years old forced me to become strong, hard working, respectful of my peers and slightly ambitious. And living in a big city -Havana, Mexico City and New York- boost my energy and helped overcome my tendency for becoming that divine odalisque. <br />
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This is why when I go to Miami -as I just did- the ocean, the beautiful blue skies and the palm trees become one more like the Crystal Slipper of Cinderella. But the one the stepsisters wanted to fit and tried and tried ---to no avail. A friend of mine said this to me -and I have taken this comparison like my own. And the image of 'paradise' I see all around me when I drive over to Key Biscayne and Miami surrounds me with its skyline, sailboats, yachs and gorgeous views -become that Crystal Slipper I want so much to 'fit' ---but it will never be part of my daily life. What a shame that 'paradise' will never be mine -- since I need New York's bustle, wild energy and crazy changes of weather! <br />
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But -at least now, when the year is young and we are still in the planning stages- I hope I will do some 'new' adventureous things. They are much needed for sure. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com