Lunes, 11/4/2016: Tranvía testing, Hydro plant goes on-line, English tutors needed, Music & cinema at the Planetarium

Hola, Todos – 

Pagina cultural – 

Música y Cine – at the Planetarium in Parque de la Madre at 19:00 to Thu, 14/4.

(I have a feeling all the events are listed in the schedule of festivies which I haven’t got.)

Articles about –

El Avispero Collective – has become an official Foundation after a 4 month process.  It is located on calle Larga near the Mercado 10 de Agosto.  It has affiliates in several other cities with Cuenca focusing on theater and film.

The “Antonio Loret Bastidas” Library – will become a regional model for consultation and documentation through its open stacks, electronic files, and connections to virtual libraries and electronic files in other institutions.

The Diablada de Píllaro – represents a Biblical and colonial character and has patrimonial symbolic value.  It was a way to provide relief, express desire for freedom and represent historical trauma.  There will be a demonstration on Tue, 12/4 at 19:00m in the Plazoleta del Herrero (in front of the Casa de Chaguarchimbana). (It’s interesting that it represents a biblical and colonial character, but if you were an Inca here in the late 1500’s, the priests and conquistadores certainly acted more like devils than anything holy or benevolent.)

BZRT II – is a a Fair of independent Ecuadorian designers held in conjunction with Rotofest on Sat, 23/4.  The fair will showcase and sell the work done by clothing, accessories, graphics, packaging, and industrial designers.  The cost of a space is $50. Register at info@rotofest.com.

“Cronicas del Agua” (Water Chronicles) – will be installed and performed on 27, 28 & 29/4 at 20:00 in the chapel of the Museo de Historia de la Medicina (av. 12 de Abril).  When the Río Tomebamba rose in 1950, it created a moment where people experienced the force of nature despite man’s attempts to dominate it. (Don’t try to fight Mother Nature.  I think she may lose battles, but will win the war.)

Otras cosas –

Titular – Calles de Baños estan llenas de huecos grandes (Streets of Baños are full of big holes)  (They’re also deep, so be careful about driving into a puddle.  Might be an axle breaker.)

The unemployment insurance system – will start operating at the end of this month for workers who lost their jobs in Jan. and comply with other legal requirements.   (I don’t want to even think about the paperwork needed to make a claim.  Might make getting a permanent visa seem easy.)

3 Ecuadorians – with 497 kilos of cocaine were detained in the waters off El Salvador.  The drugs were hidden in 12 plastic containers.  (Wonder if they got them at a Tupperware party?)

4 turbines – at the Coca Codo hydroelectric plant are connected to the national electrical system for testing and will be put into service at a ceremony this Wed.  The project which is located between the Napo and Sucumbíos provinces will supply 30% of the national electrical demand and serve 5.6 million families.  (I wonder how climate change is going to affect the rivers driving those turbines?  Are those rivers fed by glaciers?)

A historic house – will receive a mention for the Fray José María Vargas award.  The house, at the corner of Padre Aguirre y Mariscal Sucre, is built of the same brick as the Catedral La Inmaculada.  It was started in 1932, finished 9 years later and almost destroyed in a fire in 2008.  The house underwent a 3 year restoration process and now houses the San Ezequiel Hotel with 22 rooms.

The parque Don Bosco – at Don Bosco y Felipe II should be finished and delivered to the City this week.  (Good – maybe the pile of dirt that makes that weird intersection a one lane road will finally go away.)

Tranvia testing – will continue on av. de las Américas from av. México to the transfer station at Feria Libre.  The rains caused changes in the schedule.

The campaign – “Solo un Ratito, También está Prohibido” (Just a little while, is also prohibited.  Un rato is a moment so un ratito is a little moment. Note the typical Cuencano “ito.”)  The campaign is to get drivers to respect pedestrian spaces, and not double park, stop on sidewalks or in bus stops. (Oakland had the same problem in Chinatown – triple parking was common as were pedestrian-vehicle encounters of the worst kind.)

Internacional – 

Peru – Keiko Fujimori won in the first round of voting, and polls show her party won a comfortable majority in the Congress.  She is now waiting to see who the other run-off candidate will be and hopes the second round of campaigning will be one “con ideas, propuestas.” (with ideas, proposals – your words for the day.) Depending on polling company, she won from 37.8 to 39.9% of the vote with the 2nd and 3d place candidates getting around 20% each.

Discuentos y compras –

Kia – Sportage Activa from $27,990 and Sportage R from $34,990. (Seems like most of the recent ads have been for cars – does Cuenca have a car buying season?)

Want ad – 

For English tutors – a multinational company “is seeking for English tutors” with requirements being a resume and “dominant English language at 95%.” (I think they need a copy writer, too.)  “Come since Monday 11 with all your documents to the following address: Florencia Astudillo 1-28 and 12 de Abril.” The company offers “an excellent working environment, excellent incomes, law benefits, training and stable job.”

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne