Domingo, 21/2/2016: Zika, Parking for San Francisco Plaza, Animal ordinance goes to Mayor

Hola, Todos – 

Pagina cultural – 

“Entornos” – with 6 projects including installations, photos, sculpture, etc. is showing at MMAM.  Hours are M-F from 9-17:30 and weekends from 9-13:00.

Taller de yoga – was today at 10:00 in the Gato Alado Project (Pres. Córdova 14-43 y Coronel Tálbot).  Cost: $10.00.  (Another announcement geared for early birds who subscribe to the paper.  No one else would find out about this in time to get there.)

Función de títeres (Puppet events) – “Los animales y el trabajo” and “El Diablito”  (I think I got a couple of those and they have 4 legs attached to a hyper-active digestive system – remember that system starts in the mouth.) is in Girón today and tomorrow at the Museo Casa de los Tratados de Girón. (Even if you were going to go, and I’d eat the article if anyone did go –  they don’t give a time.  You should have gone down with the Cabalgata and stuck around until show time.)

The Alianza Francesa has a workshop in creating and animating radio programs from Tue, 23/2 to thu, 25/2.  And it won’t be in French – it’ll be in …….Spanish.  For more info call 282-5298.

Articles about –

Italian writer, Umberto Eco, died last Fri.  He wrote “The Name of the Rose” which was made into a movie starring Sean Connery.  His last book, “Número cero,” are reflections and criticism about journalism, Internet, lying and corruption.  (Plenty of the last three around where ever you look.)

National Librarians’ Day is today.

It’s also Día del Medico(a) Ecuatoriano (And medico = doctor is your word for the day.  Isn’t English easier since “doctor” will do for a medico (male) or a medica (female)?  Remember, nouns in Spanish have a gender. Just be glad you’re not studying German where there’s male, female and neuter words.)

Otras cosas –  

Titular – Cabalgata en recuerdo de héroes del Portete (Horse ride in memory of the heros of Portete) commemorated the Battle of Tarqui with a ride (on horseback, bike, ATV or on foot) from Cuenca to Tarqui along the same route taken by General Sucre on 27/2/1829.

Renovations on calle Miguel Ulluari – next to the Diez de Agosto market. Two properties will be rehabbed into an 80 car parking lot and a crafts area with a service center including offices and a child care center for 10 de Agosto workers.  Before it can go into contract, the San Francisco Plaza plans have to be approved. (With that track record of approving designs – SF Plaza’s first attempt at remodeling was in 1956 – these buildings may fall down first.)

Universidad del Adulto Mayor – is taking registrations for its next cycle of classes. Bring 3 passport sized photos, a CV, and color copy of your cedula to Estévez de Toral 9-53 y Gran Colombia.

Scouts (I see boys and girls in the picture) – honored founder, Robert Baden-Powell, with a parade.  19 groups marched.

Zika – Ecuador has 53 confirmed cases and 136 suspected cases in Manabí, Guayas, Santo Domingo, Los Ríos, Esmeraldas, Azuay (1 case), El Oro, the Galápagos, Pichincha, Zamora Chinchipe and Cotopaxi.

Howler monkey deaths – are being investigated.  Researchers have ruled out the parasite “Angiostrongylus cantonensi” which causes meningitis and are testing to see if the mosquito that transmits zika, dengue and chikungunya (which is the one that’s hard to remember and easily confused the the Casa de Chiguarchimbana (?) on las Herrerías) can be ruled out along with yellow fever.

Your sliver of life article today – is about road safety training which will be given in various neighborhood and cover basic laws of the road, indicatores de accidentalidad (accident indicators?), and rights and obligations of road users – “peatón, ciclista, pasajero, conductor” (pedestrian, cyclist, passenger, driver – more words for the day).  February’s trainings will be in Sidcay, Barrial Blanco, Primeras Villas de Maestros and others.

Actualidades – 

Articles about –

The OSC – has recorded its 3d CD “Música Ecuatoriana”  which has traditional music interpreted symphonically.  The CD is available at their offices on calle Larga and Huayna Cápac (the old Borja High School) for $5.00.

Tourism – in San Fernando.  (In a lot fewer words than the writer used,) it’s a stunningly beautiful drive to get there.  It’s 62 km from Cuenca at 2600 m. Take the vía Cuenca-Machala to the entrance to Girón and from there take the road up (as in increasing elevation) to San Fernando – maybe 25 min. While you’re there, get some smoked cheese, and visit the church. You have the right to sample the cheese before you buy it.  (I wonder if it’s too strong tasting for a lot of Ecuadorians?)

Intercultural – Religious festivals for el Señor de la Buena Esperanza (Lord of Good Hope) on 2-3/5, Señora de los Milagros (Lady of Miracles) and the Virgen del Socorro (Virgin of Succor) are celebrated with dance such as the contradanza (kind of like a square dance only in a different shape) and the baile de las cintas (a ribbon dance sort of like a Maypole dance.).

Internacional – 

Bolivia – Bolivians are voting today on a referendum which would allow Evo Morales and García Linera to run for Pres. and VP again in 2019.  They both entered office in 2006.

Venezuela – the increase in the price of high octane gas has been accepted with resignation.  Even with the price increase, gas is comparatively low – a tank costs about a much as a coffee with milk.  (Say at the most expensive – $3.00 for a coffee or a tank of gas?  I used to fill up the Sunbeam for about $3.50 – 10 gallons of hi octane.  So how many of you remember those prices?)

From Saturday –

Phone service interruptions – by ETAPA from midnight between 27&28/2 through 28/2 on fixed phone lines served by the Zhucay exchange.  It will be for phone numbers:
07 248 5000 to 07 248 5799
07 406 4000 to 07 406 4699
07 412 3730 to 07 412 3985

The Domestic Animal Protection Ordinance – has gone to Mayor Cabrera for the second time after some changes were made including lowering fines and allowing cock fighting but with no hardware on the birds or drugging.

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne