Domingo, 13/3/2016: Labor reforms please no one, Smart phone for $69.90, Bingo

Hola, Todos –

I am going to take a week’s vacation and will be back next Sunday.

Pagina cultural –

Upcoming events –

Pelicula (film or movie) – “To Kill a Mockingbird” will show at the República Sur (Pres. Córdova 5.55 y Hermano Miguel) on Wed, 15/3 at 19:30.

Convocatoria – a call for craftspeople in different areas for the XIV Festival de Artesanías de América, CIDP 2016 which will be on 2-5/11.

Recital de danza – a dance and traditional music recital will be Sat, 26/3 at 19:00 in the Teatro Pumapungo with music by Takwan Música Folklor. (Finally, a word in Spanish that uses a “k” besides metric measures.)

Articles about –

Free workshops at the city’s Centros Culturales. The city will hold workshops in “Alfabetización Digital” (Digital ABC’s) from 15-16:30 in the areas of computers, smart phones and tablets. Following is a workshop schedule –
El Angel de Chagurachimbana – Tablets – 14-23/3 – Seniors
El Rosal – Computers – 14-23/3 – Adults.
Tomebamba – Computers – 14-23/3 – Youth
Eucaliptos – Computers – 21/3-1/4 – Adults.
There are also clay and ceramics workshops at Casa de Chaguarchimbana and El Centro Cultural El Angel. (I think these might be close to each other.)
Clay – until 18/3 – Children 6-9 years.
Ancestral ceramics – 28/3-8/4 – children 10-13
Ceramics y creativity – 18-29/4 – teens 14-17.
Ceramics – 9-20/5 – adults 18-64
Memories with clay – 30/5-10/6 – adultos mayores (seniors)
To register you need a copy of your cedula. (So if you’re a new arrival and still on your tourist visa, sorry. I bet you could get in with a passport if you asked really nicely – in Spanish.) The workshops are taught by professors and students from the U of Cuenca.

A concert organized by Radio Visión Cristiana – 1330 AM – (Christian Vision Radio) will be Sat., 19/3 at 17:00 in the Iglesia Capilla Calvario (at the No. 22 bus stop in the sector Control Sur.)

A show by Zamba y Karamba on the 26 & 27/3 at 10:00 and at 16:00 (two shows each day) in the Museo Pumapungo. The two Argentinean performers will present circus arts with payasadas, música en vivo, y malabares. (Clowning, live music and jugglers – your words for the day. Música en vivo might be useful.)

Otras cosas –

Titular – Filippetto marca el empate Rojo en el minuto 93 (Filipetto scores a tie for the Red in the 93d minute.) (The Red refers to the Deportiva Cuenca shirts – like The Silver and Black are the Raiders.)

Deslave tapa vía y conexiones (Mudslide covers road and connections) A slide on Wed. left the road to Bella Rica under tons of dirt. They estimated at least 4 days to clear it. The slide destroyed connections and “cajas de rompe presión” (break pressure boxes – part of a potable water treatment system to reduce water pressure) at the plant that serves 11,000 homes.

Labor reforms – neither businesses nor unions like it. It provides for a reduction of the work day from 8 to 6 hours with a 25% decrease in salary when a business loses 25% of its income or has losses. There will be an unemployment insurance program that will pay a percentage of the worker’s average income for the previous 12 months for 5 months, starting after 2 months of unemployment. It will be paid for with a 2% contribution from the employee and 1% from the employer. An employee can take a voluntary 12 month maternal or paternal leave without pay after the birth of a child. There are also provisions for young workers from 18-26 including internships and el Estado (this was a previous word for the day so I’m not translating it. Didn’t know there’d be a test down the road, did you?) will contribute the IESS payments up to 2 basic salaries.

Road work – this time in front of the Salesiano High School on Don Bosco to build a plazoleta in honor of Don Bosco (whose picture is on a big sign at the entrance to the school).

A health fair – was held yesterday in parque De La Madre. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s over and therefore “worthless info,” but maybe some of you who passed through the park are curious as to what it was.)

Actualidades –

Articles about – these are basically “heads up” headlines of articles in case any of you is interested in further research. Go to www.elmercurio.com.ec.

Luis Chimbo, accordionist and an icon of a dying art.

Iglesias, alma de los pueblos (churches, soul of the village) with photos and descriptions of churches in Manguarco, Paletillas (both near Loja), Zapotillo near the Peruvian border, Pindal, Quinara, Catacocha, Malacatos, Girón and El Cisne. The ones in Malacatos and Zapotillo are especially ornate.

Exotic species, human irresponsibility and the assault on wild life.

Ecuadorian clothing. The article is basically a list of groups and a description of the clothing, including the traditional clothing still worn by many indigenous groups.

Amenidades –

One more movie opens this week.
3D Kung Fu Panda – Esp.

Bingo – to benefit the activities of the Rotary Club on Tues, 15/3 at 15:00 in the Hotel Oro Verde. (This will be a good occasion to practice numbers in Spanish.) $10.00.

“Ecuador Goumet” is an event to learn to cook at Sukasa. It will run from 21/3 to 11/12 at different stores (this is a national chain) and teach you how to make Ají de carne, Carne colorada, Mote Sucio (that’s got my attention!), Ceviches, and more. Spaces are limited so if you’re interested, take yourself to Sukasa and find out more about it.

Discuentos y compras –

From La Tarde and El Mercurio – a smart phone for all – for only $69.90 – available Wed, 16/3 – at all La Tarde and El Mercurio locations. (So if you’re one of those folks glued to your “All I need to do is make calls” phone, here’s a chance to try a smart phone cheaply.)

And that´s all for today so Hasta la proxima Domingo –

Jeanne