Big biomed lab planned for Cuenca, New app for ordering LP gas, Security bolstered for Carnaval weekend, Lots of holiday events, Fire in Chile

Miércoles, 19/2/2020

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
De la pagina cultural –

“El Lago de los Cisnes” – The Royal Russian Ballet will perform “Swan Lake” performed Wednesday in the Teatro Carlos Cueva Tamariz.

Muestra – Visual Arts students from the U. of Cuenca have mounted a show “ETHOS” which is at the Museo de Metales. The works reflect on problems in the contemporary world such as how technology has changed life including a satirical approach to things we currently live with such as social networks.

Open mike – The centro cultural Kamaq (Juan Jaramillo 7-34 y Pres. Borrero) was held Wednesday night. There was an open mike for live music and poetry.

Concierto de jazz – The group “Particula Mu” will present their fusion jazz el viernes, 21/2 a las 20:00 in the restaurante La Belga (Gran Colombia 6.97).

Paute holds its annual Carnaval parade on Wednesday.

Conferencia – Architect and researcher Gina Lovato will present a talk about the extinction of interior patios and gardens which are esssential elements of domestic architecture in Cuenca. The talk will be el jueves, 20/2 a las 18:00 in the Museo de las Conceptas (Hermano Miguel 6-33 y Juan Jaramillo).

Del cuerpo del periodico –

Carnavales –

Nulti – The parish will bring back some of the old traditions including the “Carnaval del los Rucos.” Rucos are characters that represent wise but also funny and joker adults in a costume of a long coat and a white cloth mask. There will be a parade el sábado el 22/2 from Allpayacu to the parish center a las 14:00 followed by a dance with the Nulti Band. El domingo, 23/2, the carnavalazo will be in Challuabamba a las 13:00.

San Vicente – This parish in the El Pan canton will hold its Primer Festival de las Frutas (First Fruit Festival) on martes, 25/2 with a parade of comparsas, music with bandas de pueblo, typical dishes and traditional sweets. Fruit growers will show off the best of their crops including pears, apples, saxumas, peaches and capulíes.

El Valle – El Valle will be offering free samples of dulce de higo (figs) and lots of comida tipica. On domingo, 23/2, there will be a Cultural program about Carnaval in the Centro Turístico Izhca Yaku where you can enjoy the biggest pampa mesa in the country. <Meters of white cloth covered with piles of mote and papas? Bring your own hot sauce.>

Paute – Paute’s Carnaval del Río activities for el 23/2 a las 17:00 will feature Sebastián Yatra and Jessi Uribe in the Parque Lineal. El lunes, 24/2 will include shows at 14:00 in the Parque Lineal with the Adolescentes and Jayac; shows in the Plazoleta 10 de Agosto at 21:00 with Los Iracundos and at 23:00 with Don Medardo y sus Players. El martes, 25/2 will have shows at 14:00 in the Parque Lineal with the Diosas del Vallenato and Vatova Internacional. El miércoles, 26/2 will have the Civic Parade a las 10:00 through the main streets.

Guachapala – Guachapala will celebrate its Carnaval de la Unión y la Alegría on domingo, 23/2 a las 13:30 with a parade throught the main streets and with performances by Tropicalisma and Miguel Molly a las 20:00 in the Plaza Central. El lunes, 24/2 a las 20:00 will have shows by Las Chicas Dulces and Zandunga Orquesta in the Plaza Central.

Gualaceo – The Carnaval Internacional del Río Gualaceo will be celebrated from 16 – 24/2. On lunes, 24/2 a las 14:30 there will be a concierto internacional on the esplanade of the Terminal Terrestre with Jorge Celedón and Jessi Uribe.

Otras cosas –

Titular – Seguridad en Carnaval; “llueven” las invitaciones (Carnival Security; “raining” invitations) – Xavier Martínez, governor of Azuay said that there will be 1,173 National Police officers, 81 army soldiers, and 73 officers from the Intendencia de Policía plus the Guardia Ciudadana working to maintain order during Carnaval. There will be 65 technicians from MTOP with 24 hour coverage of the roads with machines to clean the roads. 95 radio operators will be monitoring 307 cameras, and answering 911 calls. There will be 310 Agentes de Tránsito working on national roads, and EMOV officers will be working in Cuenca. ANT (Agencia Nacional de Tránsito) will have 40 officers working in the Terminales Terrestres.

Gas app – Austrogas launched an app, available at Google Play, called AUSTROGAS for customers to order gas delivery to their houses. These are for the white tanks. <Or you can just get the phone number for your usual delivery person and call them. If there’s another strike, you’ll be glad you built that relationship.> To use the app you’ll need to provide your data and mark where you want the deliveries made. When you order, you’ll get a message telling you which vehicle and driver will make your delivery, and another message when the truck has arrived. You can also ask for delivery at another location and the number of tanks you want. The cost will still be $3 per tank.

School schedule – 154,249 primary and high school students are on break from el 15/2 through Carnaval, el 25/2, and return to classes el miércoles, 26/2. The second quarter ends el 3/7. <So in a sense, July 4 is Independence Day for Ecuadorian students in the Sierra.> The upcoming quarter only has 3 holidays – 10/4 for Viernes Santo (Good Friday), 5/1 for the Dpia del Trabajo (Labor Day), and 25/5 for the Batalla del Pichincha (Battle of Pichincha).

Biomedicine lab – VP Otto Sonnenholzner reported that during his visit to Belgium, an agreement was made where Univercells lab will invest $200 million in a project with the U. of Cuenca to build a lab to fabricate biomedicines in Ecuador. The medicines will target breast cancer and a type of rheumatism. A representative from Univercells will come to Cuenca in abril to sign the agreement with the University and construction will start in the middle of the year. The project is part of a government plan called “Centro de Innovación de Salud” which seeks to transfer first world technology to Ecuador. Construction of the lab will be one of the largest projects in Cuenca’s history.

Internacional –

Chile – The fire burning in the area of the Radal Siete Tazas national park, about 250 km. south of Santiago, has covered an area over 5,200 hectares and is one of the largest fires in Chile’s history. More than 500 firefighters are trying to keep the the fire out of the national park, located on the cordillera of the Andes.

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne