Domingo, 17/1/2016: French film festival, Construction employment down 30%, World’s oldest profession — almost

Hola, Todos – 

Pagina cultural – 

Taller para niños – was held at the Museo Pumapungo (they didn’t even say when it happened so I’m guessing it’s a slow cultural news day.).

Rueda de prensa – (Press conference – a good phrase for the day.  A literal translation would be wheel of press.  So, it’s a phrase for the day.)  The Alianza Francesa will announce the FESTIVAL DEL FILME FRANCÉS 2016 at a press conference on Tues, 19/1 at 9:30. (The caps are theirs, not mine.)

Organizadores – El FESTIVAL DEL FILME FRANCÉS 2016 is being promoted by the Alianza Francesa with the City of Cuenca, the French Embassy and other organizations.  (So this is an item about the previous item. One way to fill a page.)

Articles about –

Federico Guerrero Sojos, a pioneer in Cuencan photography, started making pictures in 1865.  The accompanying photo of the Plaza Mayor or Parque Calderón in 1875 shows the Old Cathedral and the park which consists of the fountain with a fence around it y nada más (and nothing more.)

The 28 edition of Anales Magazine will come out this month.  It sounds boringly academic, but it’s free.

A pilgrimage to León Viejo, Nicaragua to commemorate poet Rubén Darío who died 100 years ago.  (Didn’t I predict a slow culture day?  This sounds like stuff out of some real old archives, except for the magazine which seems like something of limited appeal.)

Otras cosas –

Titular – Por el tranvía, comerciantes temen pérdidas (Because of the tranvia, merchants fear losses).  Merchants in the Mercado Tres de Noviembre are worried about the imminent closure of its block of Lamar for the tranvía. Wholesale grain sellers are inside the market and want to be relocated to the surrounding area. They receive deliveries from suppliers and sell to retailers in other areas of the province. (Can you imagine trying to get a delivery truck through all that tranvía work? Or carry 100 pound bags of stuff from the market to your vehicle?)  Small vendors are worried about decreased sales.

Cuenca´s “burbuja inmobiliaria” (real estate bubble) – is deflating.  The economic crisis has hit construction hard and a union said 30% of the workers have been “despedidos” (dismissed).

Your sliver of life article today – is about Expo Terneras 2016 (a livestock fair selling calves of various breeds.).  Last year’s expo attracted not only large ranchers, but country women in their polleras looking to improve their herds. The fair will be on 30/1 at the colegio Agronómico Salesiano in Uzhupuc parish  from 8-18:00.

Actualidades – 

Articles about –

Prehispanic canals (aqueducts) – still supply Lima, Peru.  They were built by the Lima culture and extended by the Wari, Ichma and Inca.

Bolivia and Perú – will invest $500 million to clean up Lake Titicaca, the biggest lake in S. America.

A history of notarias in Azuay.  The first notarial act is in the Bible in Genesis.  (It’s still not the world’s oldest profession, though.) (This would be an interesting article for the right person – interests in history and law maybe?)

Bryan Heredia, a Ecuadorian painter who grew up in Spain will have a show call “Ex Malo Bonum” (Good from Evil – don’t bother with your Spanish dictionary – it’s Latin.) with support form the Ministerio de Cultura.

Natural remedies obtained from ancestral knowledge were used in the author’s family.  An example is tea from manzanilla (chamomile) without sugar will help indigestion, nervousness and insomnia.  (There’s more, but too much to translate so go to www.elmercurio.com.ec if you’re curious.)

Las Mascaradas and Carnaval have religious roots, the same as the celebration of the coming of the Magi.  (Old and new photos of people in costume and men in drag.)

Amenidades – 

Movies – as usual go to www.multicines.com.ec for show times and locations. Sorry I forgot to include these on Fri.  The following movies are opening:
2D Alvin 4 – Esp  (That chipmunk is in the movies?)
2D Legend – Sub.
2D Transporter Refueled – Esp & Sub.
The following movies are continuing:
2 & 3D Star Wars 7 – Esp.
2D Snoopy la Película – Esp
2D Juegos Demonicos – Sub.

Andrés Cepeda  – will be in Cuenca on 20/2 at 20:00 in the Coliseo Jefferson Pérez as part of his “Mil Ciudades” (1000 cities) world tour.  Tickets will be $30, 45, 60 & 80.

Internacional –

Venezuela – The opposition to the government says that since Madura admitted the “catástrofe económica” (economic catastrophe – didn’t really need me to tell you that, did you?), he should resign.  The Constitution allows for a recall referendum, as well.

Argentina – returned 439 archeological pieces to Ecuador which were kept after anti-smuggling operations from 2000-2007. Policiá Aeronáutia Nacional found an original precolumbian artifact on a foreign tourist who’d bought it on a Miami street as a souvenir.  (Do you really think smuggled, museum quality precolombian artifacts just show up on the street in Miami?)

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne