Domingo, 18/12/2016: Youth orchestra and chorus perform, Police page, River park concerns, Arrests in mining protests

Hola, Todos –

Pagina cultural –

Today’s (Sun.) agenda events –

Novena para hoy – The novena for today was at 17:00 in the Catedral Vieja.

Articles about –

Conciertos – The Childrens’ and Youth Chorus and Orchestra will perform two concerts.  Tomorrow’s (lunes, 19/12) will be at 19:30 in the Teatro Carlos Cueva Tamariz.  The second will be on martes at 19:30 in the parque De La Madre.  The chorus and orchestra are composed of at risk youth who have joined because they learned of the program through their school or on the radio or TV.  The performers are between 8 and 17.

Capacitación Artesanal (Artisan Training) – A program called “Atención a las mujeres del cantón Cuenca” offers workshops and training to vulnerable women and especially to victims of violence.  There are about 30 workshops over the year and around 400 women have benefitted.  Along with learning to make crafts to sell, which gives women their own source of income (nothing better for a woman than to have her own money), the women also learn about human rights for women, they receive psychological help, and support for husbands with addictions. Register at the Casa de la Mujer (General Torres 7.45 y Pres. Córdova) with a copy of your cedula.

Pase del Niño Viajero – A technical team is submitting a proposal to UNESCO to make the Pase del Niño Viajero parade a World Intangible Cultural Heritage.  Because of this, there needs to be a plan to preserve the traditional activities.  There will be workshops on the “baile del Tucumán” (like a Maypole -winding ribbons around a pole), making the Pan del Niño, and making a “carro alegórico” (alegorical car – those car based floats).  Each of these arts had one or two “mantenadoras” (maintainers).  (I wonder if those people suddenly retired, if there would be no one who knew the craft?)  The workshops will be from 20-23/12. Register at the Dirección de Áreas Históricas del GAD Municipal del cantón Cuenca (Pres. Córdova 10-79 y General Torres) between 8-13:00 and 15-18:00.  (I wonder if a couple of 6′ tall blondes would throw the baile del Tucumán off?  Dancers have to duck under each other’s ribbons.)

CIDAP – There was a Feria Artesanal de Excelencia, Navidad Multicolor which ended today.  The exhibit “La obra de Julio Segovia Andrade 1910-1969” (The work of Julio Segovia Andrade 1910-1959), is currently showing from lunes-viernes, from 9-17:00 and on sábados from 9-16:00.   On miércoles, 21/12 at 17:00, CIDAP will welcome the Novena Navideña organized by the Tourism for Cuenca Municipal Foundation.

Otras cosas – 

Titular – En Morona detienen a 6 personas (6 people detained in Morona) in connection to violence at a Chinese copper mine.

Diez de Agosto – The mercado will be getting roof improvements in enero próximo (next Jan. – did you forget that lesson?) caused by the manyness (or is it muchness) of pidgeons.  Vendors worry about pigeon poop.  (Is that why the 2nd floor food vendors have umbrellas over their spaces?  To catch the pigeon poop before it hits the menestra?09  So did that put the last nail in the coffin for shopping at the mercado?  Back to SuperMaxi where if there is a pigeon poop problem we never have to see it.)

“La Lengua Morlaca” (The Morlaca Language) – This book about the local language (like achachai or yapa) will be available in enero próximo.

Your sliver of life article today – (It’s a glimpse of what you might expect in a naval emergency) – A Panamanian merchant ship and an Ecuadorian fishing boat collided at the marine border between Ecuador and Perú.  The emergency call activated The Binational Search and Rescue Plan between Perú and Ecuador. Coast Guard launches and planes and civilian craft assisted in the search.  The ship Siempre Mary rescued 12 living and retrieved 5 dead.

Police page – (You knew that eventually there’d be a police article that would catch my eye.)  Operation “Relámpago III” was a surprise police action at the 27 de Febrero market on Sat. am. Police were investigating 2 locations on the outside of the market which were suspected of selling “objectos de dudosa procedencia” (objects of doubtful origin – those will be your words for the day).  They also inspected 30 other locations (there’s like a flea market there on weekends – used clothing, “used” electronics, household stuff).

Actualidades –

Articles about –

“La Lengua Morlaca” – The article started with about 10 sentences in a conversation and I couldn’t understand a thing. I’ll have to show it to a native, 100% Cuencano who is supposed to know what it all meant.

Interview – Pablo Padrón, an entomologist who teaches at UDA, was interviewed.

Parques marginales (Marginal parks – Riverside parks) – The parks along the rivers need attention.  And buildings built on the rivers like the fire station and ETAPA yard need to go away to keep the riverside parkland.

Gaspar Sangurima – He is an historical figure who was an artisan working in carpentry or woodworking, sculpture and metal.

Sports and health – Physical activity for seniors.  There are lots of benefits.  (If you’re interested, go to www.elmercurio.com.ec.)

Internacional –

Venezuela – Hundreds of Venezuelans broke through a “cerca militar” (military fence/cordon?) to cross into Colombia to buy food and medicines.  This followed the chaos of people who could neither use nor exchange 100 bolívares notes, the most circulated bill.  (That would be like recalling yuppie food stamps.)

Discuentos y compras –

Feng Shui – Powerful Taoist Rituals “Siembra en La Tierra de la Prosperidad” (Sow in the Land or Soil of Prosperity) – lunes, 19/12 – 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm – Cost: $15.00 including materials and coffee break – Urbanización “La Prensa”, sector Empresa Eléctrica, with guarded parking – call 099 878 2874 or 07 419 9468 for more info.

Workshop “Siembrar en copas para lograr matrimonio” (Sow in glasses to get married) – 30/12 at 3:00 – Cost: $10.00 – wear clothing with something white and/or pink – bring 2 cups from a friend or family member who is in a long, happy marriage, a cheap engagement ring for a symbol, a red ribbon 18 cm long, a handful of raw rice and a little stone of rose quartz.  (Easier than a handful of cooked rice.) – same phone and location as above.

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne