Lunes, 18/1/2016: City may open line of credit, Unemployment rate grows, Internet on buses, Cañari celebration, Academic architecture

Hola, Todos – 

Pagina cultural – 

Bienal de Arquitectura – the School of Architecture at the U of Cuenca is organizing the II Bienal Iberoamericana de Arquitectura Académica (2nd Iberoamerican Biennial of Academic Architecture) for April 2016.  (I think academic architecture are projects that haven’t been built or are unbuildable.) Go to arqa.ucuenca.edu.ec for more info.

Exposición – “Montañas y Ríos sin fin” is showing at the MMAM until 5/2.

Gastronomía – a workshop on French food will be at the Alianza Francesa on 23/1 from 9-12:00.  Cost: $15 and $10 for members and students of the organization.  (So what is it for the rest of us – the great unwashed masses?)

Articles about –

The history of the U. of Cuenca which was created by legislative decree on 10/15/1867 and named Corporación Universitaria del Azuay.  The first rector was Benigno Malo Valdivieso.  (I’m not interested enough in the dates that the schools of accounting or visual arts, etc were formed to bother reading the rest.)

Control de bienes etnográficos (inventory(?) of ethnographic collection) which is taken at the start of every year.  The Reserva Etnográfica Nacional has 10,794 items that need to be maintained and preserved.

Folkloric groups which are traveling to Panama City for an international folkdance festival from 20-31/1.  The dance troupe Wayrapamushca and the music group Ayllullacta, representing the U of Cuenca will also tour other cities in Panama.

Visits to the ex Escuela Central (Gran Colombia y Benigno Malo) by students where they can tour the building and see an old cemetery and bones as well as a channel that provided water to the old city.  The hours are 8-13:00 and 15-18:00.

Otras cosas –

Titular – Arqueros nacionales predominan en 2016 (National, as in Ecuadorian) goalies predominate in 2016.  (I think they’re talking about the draft which is signing more Ecuadorian than foreign goalies.)

Municipality – is thinking about opening a line of credit since the Federal Government has not transferred money for the Tranvía or IVA refunds.  (So if you’re not getting your IVA refund, that’s why.)

3 Ecuadorians were shot and killed – in Venezuela after a heated argument in the Caracas bus terminal.

Unemployment has gotten worse.  (This is for you statistics junkies)  As of 15/9, unemployment was at 4.28%, “empleo inadecuado” (inadequate employment – your words for the day), was at 49.21%, and adequate employment was at 46%.  (So half the working population has less work than they want and/or need.  (I wonder what the percentage of empleo inadecuado is in the US.  I don’t think they even count that – probably so the powers that be don’t have to tell us exactly how crappy things are.)

Internet – service will be available on the 475 urban buses in Cuenca this year as part of the Ciudad Digital (Digital City) project.  (Remember installing and activating the equipment will be done on Ecuadorian time.)  The city already has 31 public Wi Fi zones and wants to have 50 public access points in the first quarter of the year and then add another 50 by the end of the year. (Don’t get too involved in your phone – you might find yourself at the end of the line from not paying attention to your stop.  At least you’d get to explore a little more of the city.)

No blue crab – from 15/1 to 15/2 due to its reproductive cycle. (Gotta do it if you want crab next year.)

Jail – wood products made by inmates are available to purchase. Write zeac@minjusticia.gov.ec.

Intercultural –

The cañari celebration – of El Taita Sisa, a tribute to San Antonio (I didn’t know St. Anthony was cañari.) is an 8 day event in Quilloac in Cañar.  The celebration today used basil which was brought from the old world, but digging into ancestral traditions, the original plant is more likely romerillo (It’s a wild plant – and not rosemary which is romero.) which has medicinal properties.

Internacional –

Perú – Keiko Fujimori is leading in the polls.  The competitive race is for the second place because a run-off election is likely.

Venezuela – after Pres Maduro´s declaration of a state of economic emergency, the Consejo Nacional de Economía Productiva met to talk about solutions.  The Council is compose of gov’t and business members.  The 2015 inflation rate was 270% and the scarcity of basic necessities was at 70% – both the highest in the world.

Colombia – 15 abductees including minors, were rescued from the Ejército de Liberación Nacional, a guerilla group.  200 special forces soldiers mounted an air operation against 12 captors.

Descuentos – 

RM – 10% off everything and up to 70% on selected merchandise.

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne