Miércoles, 21/12/2016: Dispute keeps Santa Ana street closed, Concerts, Tortoises, Gov’t wants environmental group disbanded

Hola, Todos –

Feliz Kapac Raymi!

Pagina cultural –

Today’s (Wed.) agenda events –

Concierto festivo – the OSC along with the chorus of the conservatory “José María Rodriguez” performed Wed. night in the teatro Carlos Cueva Tamariz. They play again Thurs. at 20:00 in the Old Cathedral.

“Un Viaje Festivo” – The students of CEDEI presented “A Holiday Trip” Wed. in the teatro Pumapungo.

Upcoming or ongoing agenda events –

Covocatoria a mujeres artistas – The Casa de Cultura, núcleo Guayas is calling for women artists to submit works of art through the modality of applied arts which represent concepts of recycling and memory.  (Can someone translate that into English for me?)  Artists should use one or a group of recycled objects which are related to a personal memory interpreted though a painting, collage or sculpture. (I’m sure there are a lot of gringas out there who could do something like that.  I’m assuming if you’re an artist you know what “la modalidad de Artes aplicados” means.)

Revista – The magazine Historia de Procesos, No. 42, published by rhe Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, is in circulation.

Articles about –

Ivan Petroff – The current president of the CCE Azuay donated the intellectual rights to “Treinta cuentos fantásticos de pactos y encontamientos” (Thirty fantastic tales of covenants and enchantments), a book of stories for children, in order to motivate a new generation of readers.  (I didn’t think intellectual/creative rights were observed here anyway.)

Reabrir la calle Santa Ana, una historia sin final (Reopening Calle Santa Ana, a story with no end)  (Just like the Tranvía) – The opening of the street was supposed to have been at the beginning of this month.  That didn’t happen and there is no definite date for the reopening.  A little house was built in the middle of the street.  (It looks as if a thin person could pass on the right, and there seems to be a little more room on the left.  Either way, muggers’ alley.)

Arte y fe (Art and faith) – Gerardo Pietro has a location in the Curia of Cuenca building, accessed from Padre Aguirre behind the New Cathedral, where he sells religious art including candles, tapers (Is this a case of words meaning the same thing surviving from two languages that contributed to English?), incense and sculptures of the New Cathedral which are very popular.

Orquesta y coro infantil y juvenil de la Municipalidad (Municipal childen’s and youth orchestra and chorus) – 120 kids performed on the “noche del pasado lunes” (I’m adding another word – night – so this is last Monday night.) with a program of villancicos.

Otras cosas –  

Titular –  Ministerio pide juzgar a la ONG Acción Ecológioca (Ministry seeks a judgement on ONG Acción Ecológioca) – The Minister of the Interior has asked the Min. of the Environment to dissolve the legal status of the environmental protection group. Interior says the group is siding with protesters against a big Chinese mining project east of Cuenca.

English teachers – the Ministry of Education has over 2900 English teachers, 312 of whom will teach in the Sierra-Amazon region.  There is a requirement that all schools teach English from the 2nd grade.  (That should cheer up those gringos who feel that Ecuadorians are supposed to speak English.)

Holidays – The holiday for Christmas and New Year which fall on a Sunday, will be on 26/12 and 2/1.  Ecuador has 12 holidays a year – 11 national and 1day for local civic festivals.  Employees of private companies that have to operate on holidays and who work those days get another day off (comp time) or overtime pay.  Kids will be out of school from 24/12 to 2/1/2017.  (Banks will probably be closed.)

Tortugas (tortoises) – The giant tortoise population in the Galapagos is recovering.  A census showed about 6700 animals with a high percentage of young and female tortoises including 152 “recién nacidos” (recently born – hatching is “salir del huevo” – leaving the egg.)

Pase del Niño Viajero – In two years, we will know if the parade will be declared an Immaterial World Heritage.

Internacional –

México – Explosions in a fireworks factory in Tultepec killed 45 people as of the close of the issue.  (All it would take is one idiot who just had to have a cigarette.)

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne