A professor of Spanish at UNC Charlotte, Maria H. Vidal was born in Cuba, but her and her family moved to Puerto Rico when she was a child to escape the Revolution. As an adult, she moved to the United States but remains dedicated to educating people about Spanish and other cultures from around the world.
1) Film: “My favorite movie is Dr. Zhvago; it is based on a Russian novel about a poet/doctor who endures the Russian Revolution.”
2) Music: “I love old boleros music. They are classic (Latin Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador) ballads (love songs) from the ’50s mostly sang by women. I love reggaeton music (Daddy Yankee) as well, my kids get so embarrassed when I put it on in the car or at home!”
3) Books: “My favorite books are Love in the Time of Cholera and Lovesick by Garcia Marquez (from Colombia) and Angeles Mastretta (from Italy) respectively.”
4) Fashion: “I miss that ‘hippie chic’ look from the ’70s. Not the disco look and don’t mistake hippie chic for the dirty hippie — the showering is what makes it ‘chic!'”
5) Her culture: “I am proud to bring my culture with me to the U.S. I think Americans feel the need to plan too much. Where I’m from, we enjoy taking our time to enjoy good food and good conversation.”
This article appears in Nov 29 – Dec 5, 2006.
