Martes, 16/2/2016: San Francisco Plaza ideas compiled, Colombian film festival, China week

Hola, Todos –

Pagina cultural –

Singing classes – at the Centro Cultural Imay (El Batán y El Oro) started Tues (16/2) at 15:00 and are on Tue & Fri. The second set of classes starts 27/2. Call 0995253958 for more info. (I think I wouldn’t want to live next door to that center.)

Colombian film series – the Ciclo de Cine Pacífico Sur Colombia will open with “La tierra y la sombra” (The land and the shadow) at the Lakomuna Collective (Coronel Tálbot y Pres. Córdova) Wed (17/2) at 19:00.

Art exhibit – a 7 artist exhibit, “Entornos. Percibo, interpreto, siento y hago” (Environments. I perceive, interpret, feel and do) (At least this title is straightforward Spanish.) will open this Thu at 19:00 at MMAM and run to 27/3.

Articles about –

People in the arts and culture are meeting to analyze the draft of the Ordenanza Cantonal de Cultura en Cuenca (Cantonal Ordinance on Culture in Cuenca).

Childrens’ art workshops at the Centro Cultural Independiente Sono (Borrero 6-83 y Pres. Córdova) started yesterday. For more information go to Sono or call 2850859.

The Festival Cervantino (Cervantes?) at the Alianza Francesa with 6 “espectáculos” (your word for the day – show, entertainment, spectacle – you get the idea – something rilly, rilly big). The festival theme is “La ciencia del arte. El arte de la ciencia” (The science of art. The art of science.) and it will start on 22/2 with a two piano recital at 18:00.

El Avispero (Calle Larga 10-41 y Padre Aguirre – under the Museo del Sombrero) is holding a workshop on poetry and creative writing which starts tomorrow at 16:30. No previous experience needed. (However, unless they have an English version, Spanish will be needed.) The workshop will run for 2 months with 4 hours of class each week. Call 0992023651 or go to iristrigal18@hotmail.com for more info.

Otras Cosas –

Titular – Facilismo conspira para bajas notas de los estudiantes (Facilismo (I think it’s the culture of pushing the “easy button”) contributes to low grades by students) Teachers say students have an attitude of postponing responsibilities, disinterest, distractions, using things like cellphones during class (and teachers are not allowed to confiscate them), and lack of support from parents. (I think this should be today’s sliver of life article – you could be reading it in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the Minneapolis Tribune or the San Jose Mercury except for the Spanish.)

Solmáforos (A play on words – sol=sun and semáforos=stoplight) – were installed in parques De La Madre and El Paraíso to measure levels of ultraviolet radiation. They have 5 colors ranging from green (lowest levels), yellow, tomato, red and violet (extreme levels – days for all of you who are pale of skin to stay indoors until dark. Think like a vampire.)

Students protest – in Quito. Students from Montúfar High School protested the sudden reassignment of 16 teachers. The blocked avenida Napo with logs, brush and other stuff.

San Francisco Plaza – the HIstoric and Patrimony Commission will make recommendations based on the input received from the public meetings. After that the U of Cuenca has 45 days to incorporate the input into final plans. (So how many of you think that this is going to result in actual construction within our lifetimes?

The 1st International Week – will be dedicated to China. The activities will be from 2-5/3. On 2/3 there will be documentaries about Confucian philosophy from 9-11:00 in the Museo de la Ciudad and a show of traditional art and clothing at Quinta Bolívar at 19:00. On 3/3 from 15-18:00 will be workshops on caligraphy and lamps and a showing of Mulán at 18:30 at the Instituto Confucio. On 4/3 from 15-18:00 there will be more art workshops at the Museo de la Ciudad and a traditional music at the Mall del Rio from 18-19:00. On 5/3 there will be lantern festival and taichi classes in the Santo Domingo plaza. (What? No food? What is a Chinese festival doing without food? Probably no one wanted to do the work to make it.)

Traffic – the 12 de Abril underpass with the Jose Peralta roundabout above will reopen on Mon. The westbound lane is closed for work associated with the “Desde hoy, Cuenca sin ruido” (From today (Tues 16/2), Cuenca without noise. All I can say is be careful what you wish for.) They are replacing metal drain grates with something quieter – no more clank, clank when you drive over them.

Inmates at Turi – who took a folkdance workshop 6 months ago, have formed their own dance troupe. (This blows all of our North American ideas about 3d World jails completely out of the water, doesn’t it?)

Mall del Rio – seasonal activities include a Fashion Parade on Thu, 25/2 a 18:00 in the Food Court with 21 Miss Ecuador candidates modeling. On 28/2 there’s a raffle for furniture (sounds like enough to fill a one BR apt).

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne