Jueves, 5/11/15: Music, pottery, photo contest, taxis & mining forum

Hola, Todos – 

Pagina cultural –

Recorrido (journey) – the theater of the Casa de la Cultura will be the venue for a symbolic journey by a group of activists.  At each stop the participants will make music, dance, theater.  Tomorrow (at some unspecified time).

Música – a program of Arabian, Andalucian, and Indian (east) music Sat. at 18:30 in San Sebas Cafe (calle San Sebastián 1-94 y Sucre).  (Now who here would admit to not knowing where San Sebas is?  Someone who just got off the plane?)

Taller – this coming Mon. at 9:00 and running until 20/11, a workshop on cultural management and marketing by the itinerant school, Pakari Paccha.

Articles about –

Alfarería, un oficio que va en extinción (Pottery, a trade on its way to extinction) (Remember, if I can give a colloquial translation rather than a literal one, I do.)  An exhibit opens today at 19:00 in the Museo Pumapungo with contemporary pottery, patrimonial pieces and archeological pieces.

The movie ” Los Viejos no deben enamorarse,” (The aged shouldn´t fall in love) was made by adultos mayores (your words for the day – “older adults,” to go along with the words you already know – “tercera edad”.)  It will show tomorrow and Sat in the sala “Alfonso Carrasco Vintimilla” in the Casa de la Cultura and is about 3 geezers who fall for younger women.  It´s kind of a comedy (when it´s not a farce, but what would you expect for guys who´ve lost the brain between their ears and start trying to function with the other one?)  $5.00.

“Plenitud,” a book of poetry by Hernán Avendaño, will be presented today at 18:30 in the auditorium of the Gobierno Provincial del Azuay.

Nabón is calling for on-line entries to its photo contest, “Patrimonio Intangible Nabón,” as part of its patrimonial fiestas. Winning works will be displayed in the Terminal Terrestre and corridors of City Hall from 4-6/11.  (No address given, so please don´t ask.)

Otras cosas – 

Titular – FF-AA y el pueblo festejan a Azogues (Armed Forces and the people celebrate Azogues.) (FF-AA is Fuerzas Armadas and you get the double letters because it´s plural (I think – ask your Spanish teacher.  And you should have a Spanish teacher if you don´t speak Spanish.).  Like EE-UU for Estados Unidos.) Azogues is also celebrating 195 years of independence and did so with parades and the usual stuff.

Taxi meters (and you thought we were done with that issue?) – will be recalibrated starting today to take into account the extra 7 cents per km on trips longer than 7 km. Current rates are as follows:
Minimum daytime fare $1.39
Minimum night fare     $1.67
(These minimums apply even if you only go two blocks – which I understand people have done, not knowing where their destination is relative to their hotel.)
Starting rate                $0.55 (this will be on the meter the minute you get into the cab)
Waiting rates per min.  $0.06  (Remember being stopped in traffic still burns gas and the driver´s time)
Day rates per km         $0.29
Night rates per km       $0.39

A forum about mining – starts today at the U of Cuenca.  The forum, “Kimsakocha, entre el Agua y el Oro: 13 años de resistencia al extractivismo” (Kimsakocha, between the water and the gold: 13 years of resistance to extractionism (to coin an equivalent Enlish word)) is organized by Ecuarunari and FOA, both indigenous organizations.  There are 2 mines in Cuenca´s jurisdiction  – Loma Larga in Victoria del Portete and Río Blanco in Molleturo and Chaucha.  Río Blanco has presented definitive studies (would that be like an EIR report?) and is only waiting for government approval for exploitation.

UN biosphere reserves – have their day today.  In May of 2013, UNESCO declared a Biosphere Reserve that includes parts of Azuay, Cañar, El Oro and Guayas Provinces and is centered on the Parque Nacional Cajas.  There will be a Solemn Session today at 17:00 with the meeting organized by ETAPA (Empresa de Telecomunicaciones, Agua Potable y Alcantarillado (Telecommunications, Potable Water and Sewer Company) which is the entity than manages the park.  Makes sense to have the water company manage the water source.  I think that´s why commercial carriers who truck toxic substances aren´t allowed to go to Guayaquil through the park – bad things happen when they have accidents, and we´d be drinking chemicals here in Cuenca.)

Red meat has 5 substitutes – (like chicken, catfish, pork, those white German sausages, and cheese?) and according to a national health and nutrition survey, the principal source of protein for Ecuadorians is vegetal – from rice.  (So the next time you see 3 “starches” on your plate, and two of them are rice and beans, consider that protein.  And the banana is a fruit so all you have to worry about is the potato.)

Garbage grills – that are self retracting are supposed to be on all the houses in the city. 15 owners have been sanctioned for not having the special grills. It´s estimated that 60% of the houses have installed them. If a pedestrian is injured by a grill (and how many of you have or almost have smacked your head against one of those things?) the house owner is responsible.

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne