Posts tagged ‘New York Times’

Jun 26

Surreal Cows

I was trying to solve my Cuban bread problem when I came across this article in The New York Times. Published in 1899, it’s a fascinating account by Dorothy Stanhope of turn-of-the-century Havana, a city finding it’s bearings after a long fought war of independence. Not surprisingly, she finds herself in a very different world:

In going to a strange country one does not as a rule think before-hand what he will eat while there. He assumes as a matter of course that he will live much as he does at home. To rid one’s mind of any idea of this kind, it is only necessary to visit Havana. Read more

May 5

Is Cinco de Mayo the Mexican Chanukah?

I must admit that when my uncle told me that Cinco de Mayo was just an excuse for Corona to sell more beer, I thought he was kidding until I found this editorial in the New York Times. Apparently it’s a minor regional holiday hardly observed in Mexico outside of Puebla, which celebrates the defeat of the French army there in 1862. Still, it does offer an all too brief day of recognition for Mexicans remaking their lives north of the border. Besides, as the article points out, what holiday isn’t tainted by commerce? I’m sure even ancient pagans would have harsh words about what Nestle’s done to the Easter Bunny. Read more