Thursday, April 19, 2007

Love affairs

Italian media are reporting today the case of a bank worker in Milan - identified only as Gianni L - who has been arrested in relation to a string of bank robberies that have taken place over the past couple of years.

Gianni L, who happens to be 63, apparently fell “madly in love” with a much younger Cuban woman during one of his visits to the island.

The previously upstanding bank worker left his family, sold his house and spent all his money travelling to and from Cuba to be with the girlfriend. As you would, of course.

When the money eventually ran out, he started robbing banks.

By the way, the girlfriend is just 23, which tells you everything you need to know not just about this story but also about Fidel Castro’s island today.

Which reminds me … while on the subject of old foreigners falling in love with younger Cuban women, you should get a copy of a very funny new novel by Cuban-born Teresa Dovalpage, the author of A Girl Like Che Guevara.

It’s called Muerte de un murciano en La Habana and was published in Spain late last year by Anagrama Editorial to well-deserved critical acclaim.


I am not sure if the book is likely to be published in English (I hope so!), but you can find out more about the Spanish original here.

Highly recommended.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I expect the book or movie will soon follow, as if the old lecher were some romantic hero who "did it all for love." How many foreign tourists have gone and continue going to Cuba for cheap and easy sexual escapades with natives (including minors) who are desperate for even basic consumer goods? Very noble and romantic indeed.

1:02 am  

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