Miércoles, 26/10/2016: Holiday events, Road work budget comes up short, Menopause update

Hola, Todos –

Pagina cultural –

Today´s agenda events –

Libro – “Geografía del Azuay, fisica y humana” (Geography of Azuay, physical and human) will be launched at 19:00 today in the Unidad de Cultura (Cultural Unit) of the U. of Cuenca (the old Medical School, diagonal from the Puente del Centenario – east (downstream for the directionally challenged) of the Banco de Pichincha on Solano for those of you who don’t know the name of that bridge.)

Revista – The magazine “El aporte y desarrollo de carácter institucional para fortalecer la atención gerontológica” (Institutional contribution and development to strengthen gerontological attention) will be presented today at 18:00 in the
ex Escuela Central.  (To me, the only thing attractive about that title is the probability of my needing gerontological attention sooner rather than later.)

Artes -Youth from Catholic schools will offer a music, dance and theater show today at 19:00 at the Puente Roto.  (So if you see kids dressed up, that’s why.  It’s not a quinceañero or wedding.)

Congreso – A medical Congress on mineral metabolism and an update on menopause.  (Google translated “concurso de actualización sobre menopausa” as a contest update about menopause.  Does that in any way make any sense to any of you?  Longest hot flash in the world?  The most loads of laundry gone through in one night due to night sweats?  You women out there either already know or will find out what I’m talking about.)

Articles about –

Mural – “El jardin de las mujeres” (The Womens’ Garden) was unveiled yesterday at the Casa de la Provincia.  The large scale relief sculpture exalts women and Azuay’s Cañari heritage.

Libro – “Aguajes y sequías” (Tides and droughts) by Silvia Pérez Loose will be presented today at 19:00 in the Biblioteca in the Casa de la Cultura (CCE – Luis Cordero y Pres. Córdova, 2nd floor).  It’s a collection of 17 short stories written in every day language (Spanish of course) about daily situations.

Concierto – A concert presented by the OSC and the Youth Chorus of the Conservatory will be tomorrow and viernes at 20:00 in the teatro Carlos Cueva Tamariz.  Tickets are available from the Dirección de Cultural del Municipio (Museo de la Ciudad at Gran Colombia y Benigno Malo) and the offices of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Cuenca (Calle Larga y av. Huayna Cápac, behind the Museo Pumapungo).  Free.  (Hurry up if you want tickets – there will be high demand.)

Special Fiestas de Cuenca agenda supplement – I don’t think this is an all inclusive listing of the agenda events.  I will try list the events two days ahead.

jueves, 27/10 –
Juventud, Arte y Cultura (Youth, Art and Culture) – Plazoleta de San Roque – 19:00
Concierto de Flamenco (Flamenco Concert) – Teatro Sucre – 20:00
Los Maestros Cantan a Cuenca (Teachers Sing to Cuenca) – Teatro Pumapungo – 20:00
Concierto aniversario 30 años Coro Juvenil del Conservatorio (30th Anniversary Concert for the Conservatory Youth Chorus) – teatro Carlos Cueva – 20:00

viernes, 28/10 –
Festival de la Cancion la Vieja Guardia (Old Guard Festival of Song) – Teatro Pumapungo – i15:00
Juventud Arte y Cultura (The translation is the same as it was for the jueves event) – Plazoleta del Vado – 19:00
Festival Estudiantil de Musica National (Student Festival of National Music) – Teatro Pumapungo – 19:00
Elección de la Reina de los Barrios de Cuenca (Election of the Queen of the Barrios) – Teatro Casa de la Cultura – 20:00
Concierto aniversario 30 años Coro Juvenil del Conservatorio (30th Anniversary Concert for the Conservatory Youth Chorus) – teatro Carlos Cueva – 20:00

Otras cosas –  

Titular – Concejo discierne preseas (Council decides on medals) – At a special session yesterday, the cantonal council decided to whom to award various medals in the solemn session on 3/11 for the 196 years of Cuenca’s independence.

Orphans – Kenneth & Lisa Weaver, “una pareja extranjera” (a foreign couple)have taken on the care of 15 children ages 6-16, who were at the former “Antonio Valdivieso” orphanage.  The couple has converted a house into a shelter according to applicable standards and with operating permits.  They have hired 3 tutors and their income allows them to self fund the shelter.  The children are in the process of being adopted.  (And if they’re like almost 100% of the kids I’ve seen here, they’re not nasty spoiled, don’t have temper tantrums in the middle of the Supermaxi over not getting a candy bar, and would be joy for any prospective parent.)

Private Investments – The “Cumbre de Inversiones Ecuador 2016” (The 2016 Investments in Ecuador Summit) started yesterday with 200 Ecuadorian investors and another 140 foreign investors from 26 countries.  The government introduced 180 projects in 8 sectors with an investment volume of $40 billion which could create 251,000 jobs.

Cocaína – Police detained 4 men and 616 kilos of cocaine in 15 bundles in a container belonging to Chiquita (Bananas with an extra jolt?) which was going to Belgium.  Those arrested were 3 port officials and a crane operator.  (Note:  this is not the sort of private investment the previous item was talking about.)

Red Cross – The Federación International and la Cruz Roja Ecuatoriana did a 6 month evaluation of the aid given to the earthquake victims.  It announced new actions for sustainable aid and the delivery of housing in which $13 million was invested.  The organization is focusing on 7 cities in Esmeraldas and Manabí.

TV’s – A restriction on bringing TVs and printers into Ecuador by land went into effect yesterday.  (So if you thought you’d save some money by driving into Perú or Colombia and buying a TV, forget about it.)   This does not apply to merchants along the border.  (I think it’s more complicated than that, but too finicky to translate.)

Elections – Paúl Carrasco, Prefect of Azuay, and leader of the Juntos Podemos (Together we can) movement threw his suppport to Guilllermo Lasso, presidential candidate for CREO. The 36 page agreement included a no mining clause and support to finish the Tranvía.

Road opening – General Torres was reopened yesterday at Gran Colombia and La Mar.  The next intersections to be reopened are Juan Montalvo and Padre Aguirre as soon as the concrete has cured sufficiently.

Road work – The calle Luis Moscoso or vía a Misicata is getting repaved between De Las Amèricas and the Misicata church.  The work of grinding down the existing asphalt and replacing it with 2″ of high traffic paving should last 20 days.  The paving work in Ricaurte to the El Arenal sector should be finished this week.  The repaving of 24 de Mayo should be done by the end of the month.  (I wonder if that includes the entrance to El Valle?)

The prefectura of Azuay says there isn’t enough money to do all the roadwork needed in the province.  The federal government has sent $29 million for everything while just roads alone need $46 million.  (Do as is done in the US – pass a law saying that roads have to meet certain standards and make the funding the responsibility of the state/province.  Does Ecuador need to find out about unfunded mandates?)

Chocolate – Pacari, which was started in Ecuador 14 years ago has won 10 awards in the “Mundial del International Chocolate Awards 2016 in London.  The name Pacari means nature in quechua and their products are organic and free of soy, dairy, gluten, chemicals and transgenics.

Internacional –

Venezuela – The National Assembly approved initiating a process to determine Pres. Maduro’s political responsibility for the rupture of constitutional order.  There will be another meeting on 1/11.  (The accompanying photo is a sign of the times – it shows a group of 15 legislators, 12 of whom have their hands raised.  Three of those are holding cell phones and they look like they’re taking selfies.)

Discuentos y compras –

Claro – Plan sin límite (Unlimited plan) – Unlimited calls to all providers, 1,000 megs, free Facebook and Whatsapp, National Fútbol Championships (just in case you run out and buy it thinking you’d get the post season NFL games – wrong country, dude) –  $20.” or “$22.80 after taxes – for $5/mo. more, you can get a Samsung J1 MINI – offer valid until 31/10/2016 – voice rate plan (Does that mean you can place the calls for free, but start getting charged the second you start talking?) – and more fine print.  Go to www.claro.com.ec for more info.

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne