Martes, 3/5/2016: Earthquake update, Buses again taking fares by hand, Tattoo convention

Hola, Todos – 

Sorry about the non-issue yesterday, but the warnings I’ve been getting from MailChimp about GMail not delivering stuff originating from MailChimp seem to have come true.  I thought they’d just not deliver at all.  What they did was deliver my template but none of the two hours of translations. So I’m using a hotmail address for now. Hope it works – at least the message has gone away.

Pagina cultural – 

Upcoming events –

El Coro Internacional de Cuenca – this chorus composed of Cuencanos and foreigners will present a recital, “Clásicos de la ópera y a Broadway (Classics from opera and Broadway) Tue. and Wed. night at 19:30 at the Teatro Sucre.  Cost:  An economic donation for the earthquake victims. (That means cash and not that 4 year old can of tuna you’re afraid to open.)

Finished events –

A talk – on “Cómo producir un largometraje en Ecjuador y no morir en el intento” (How to produce a feature length film in Ecuador and not die in the attempt) was at the U of Azuay Tues. (Is the talk about how not to strangle in red tape?)

Cine de Francia – “Respire” (Breathe) was shown at the Alianza Francesa Tues. as part of the “Martes de Cine Francés.”  (If you’re interested in French films, just show up on Tues. nights at 19:00.)

Articles about –

El mes mariano (Mary month) – In the Catholic calendar, the faithful celebrate the Virgen Mary in May along with her other invocations such as the Virgen de Rosario, Guadalupe, Inmaculada, and Auxiliadora.  (So did Mary have multiple personality disorder?)  There will be perigrinations, days of reflection, and serenades.  On 22/5 there will be the traditional “Marcha de la Fe” starting at 15:00 at the intersection of Loja y Los Conquistadores and ending at Don Bosco y Felipe Segundo with a mass at the Salesiana school.  This Fri. is a serenade at 18:00 at a Salesian high school on Benigno Malo y Sangurima.

Films – Two films about Simón Bolívar and Manuela Sáenz, Los Libertadores, will be shown at the Centro Cultural Quinta Bolívar to high school students throughout this month.  (You should all know who Bolívar was, but maybe not Manuela Sáenz.  She was Bolívar’s “right hand man” as well as his mistress and achieved a rank of Coronel in the revolutionary army.)

Tattoo convention – the El Prohibido Centro Cultural will host a tattoo event on 27 & 28/5.  If you are interested in participating, there are 10 booths available at $100. There will be tattoo artists and supplies, music, demonstrations, and workshops. (Maybe you can finally get that rose or cobra (AC or snake) inked on your butt.)

Exhibit – A show of 50 cartoons by Ecuador’s only woman cartoonist will open on Wed. at 19:00 in the Salón del Pueblo de la Casa de la Cultura.

Otras cosas –

Titular – Ante evasión regresan ayudantes a los buses (Assistants return to buses against (fare) evasion) (If Maduro gets booted from his current job, maybe he can apply for a job on a bus in Cuenca – part of his pre-presidential resume.)  Assistants will be on buses to collect fares. People have been putting washers and bottle caps into the collection slots resulting in losses of $120,000 per month.  (No wonder there’s the push for card payments.)

Airplane – Two cranes, excavators and tractors, big platform trucks and a host of technical experts arrived from Quito to extract the plane that slid off the runway last week.  The plane is sitting in the grass on its belly up to the nacelles.  The company, Equigrúas has removed downed helicopters, transported railway locomotives and large structures such as bridge parts and electrical transformers.

Tranvía director quits – Gerard Fernández resigned yesterday after claims from neighbors intensified and the contractors wanted more time.  (Must have got too hot in the kitchen.)

Line of credit – The International Monetary Fund confirmed that Ecuador asked for a $400 million line of credit from a special fund for rapid assistance to countries following a natural disaster. Pres. Correa has estimated that reconstruction will cost $2-3 billion.

The National Institute of Statistics and the Census (INEC) started an investigation on the impact of the quake including damage, losses and additional costs.  Phase 1 will be collecting information about formal businesses in 4 sectors:  1. Agriculture, ranching, fishing and acuaculture  2.  Commerce 3. Manufacturing and 4. Hotels and restaurants.  Phase 2 will evaluate the effects of the quake on the population considered most vulnerable and the damage to their lives – loss of housing, belongings, employment and income. They will survey 6,748 families in the 97 shelters.

Recognition – This Thu., the National Assembly will recognize firefighters, rescuers and volunteers, both national and international, who worked after the quake.  About 50 fire departments and 40 countries responded.

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne