More government resignations, Civil Registry online, Christmas concert, Photo exhibit of old Cuenca

Miércoles, 13/12/2017

Hola, Todos –

Pagina cultural –

Today’s agenda events –

Teatro – “Lluvia” will play from hoy until el viernes a las 20:00 in the sala “Alfonso Carrasco”. The play is a fusion of works by Tennessee Williams and Uruguayo Ecuardo Galeano.

Concierto Navideño (Christmas concert) – The Filarmónica Atenas Orquesta y Coro (Athens Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir) <The Athens refers to Cuenca which is known as the Athens of Ecuador for its rich cultural scene. This orchestra and choir is not from Greece.> performed Thurs. en la Catedral Vieja under the baton of Rafael Saula.

Upcoming and ongoing agenda events –

Danza – “Vanishing act” will be performed Thurs. y el viernes in the Unidad de Cultura of the U. of Cenca. This work came from the Laboratorio Permananete de Danza Contemporánea (Permanent Laboratory of Contemporary Dance), directed by Ernesto Ortiz.

Articles about –

Book launch – A book about the sápara language by Ruth Moya was presented Wed. in the Museo Pumapungo. “La selva y la nacionalidad sápara: espiritualidad, conocimientos y biodiversidad” (The jungle and the Sápara nationality: spirituality, knowledge and biodiversity) follows earlier works on this nationality which include “Sápara: Pana Sápara Atumapa,” a trilingual dictionary with Spanish, kichwa and sápara and “Esbozo gramatical de la lengua sápara” (Outline of the grammar of the sápara language.). There were only 3 “ancianos” (very elderly – your word for the day) who still spoke the original sápara language, and now there are only 2. Other elderly people have memories of the language through songs, myths and legends, but don’t speak the language regularly. Kichwa has replaced sápara due to intermarriage, expecially with the Sarayaku.

Manari Ushigua, a sápara shaman and father to a generation of new leaders, is fighting to preserve the culture and language. In his view, to save the language and culture, the territory must also be preserved. The members of the nationality have succeeded in legalizing their patrimonial territory which they want to leave undisturbed. They believe that if the original jungle comes to an end, so will their people.

Their farming practice has 3 qualities – roaming <changing fields?>, planting 2-8 crops in the same field, and rotating crops. Each of their 4 methods of feeding themselves; the roaming fields, harvesting fruit, hunting, and fishing, has its own calendar. <I wonder if climate change has screwed up their calendar. I think it has in the Sierra.>

Foto exhibit – “Cuenca entre el siglo XIX y XX” (Cuenca between the 19th and 20th centuries) opened Wed. in the Casa de las Posadas. The photos are in black and white and capture people, social groups and families, architecture, and bucolic scenes in the city. Free.

Guitarra – Bolívar Ávila Vanegas will play “20 años de Guitarra” (20 years of Guitar) Thurs. a las 19:30 en el Auditorio del Centro Ecuatoriano Norteamericano Abraham Lincoln. The first part of the program will be classical guitar and the second will be Ecuadorian music trancribed by Vanegas and others for guitar.

Ad – a performance by 4 choirs – “Navidad es Nuestra y Misa Criolla” (Christmas is Ours and Creole Mass) – viernes, 15/12 a las 20:00 – Catedral Vieja – Free until the space is full. <After which you can buy standing room tickets?>

Otras cosas –

Titular – Árbol de 35 m. ilumina Cuenca por la Navidad (35 m. tree lights Cuenca for Christmas) – A large crowd attended the tree lighting and religious and civic ceremonies. Other lights include a large Nativity scene in PRAC, and street and park lights in El centro. <Can you get battery run LED blankets to wear as clothing? Not practical, but very showy. Even less practical if you could only go as far as the end of your extension cord.>

Resignations – In addition to Mangas, the presidential secretary, Iván Espinel resigned from MIESS, and Richard Espinoza resigned as President of the Board of Directors of IESS. Espinoza has been questioned for trying to ignore a a debt owed by the State for $2.527 billion. This money was taken from the accounting records of IESS during Correa’s term. <When does accountability start for those who have been taking money out of the US Social Security system to fund government expenses? And then saying Social Security’s broke.>

Sexual abuse investigations – The Prosecutor’s office is investigating 4,854 charges of sexual abuse against minors since 2015 with 714 of the cases originating in the education field. 90% of the school cases involved girls and 57% occurred in schools. There are not enough personnel to attend to these abuse cases. 132 psychologists are needed, and there are only 48. For doctors, there are 68 of the 100 needed, and for social workers, 42 of 67.

Registro Civil – You can do paperwork such as birth certificates, marriages, civil unions, and ID documents on line with the Agencia Virtual de la Dirección General del Registro Civil (Virtual Agency of the General Directorate of the Civil Registry). Go to www.registrocivil.gob.ec, click on the Agencia Virtual icon, ask for the service, pay the fee, and download the document in PDF format. You can pay with electronic money, with a Visa or Mastercharge credit card, or a debit card from the Banco del Pacífico. The Agency is planning to add more banks that will take payments.

Unfunded projects for 2018 – Major projects that are not in the 2018 budget include a new ring road, a new wholesale market and two megaparks. All of them were part of Mayor Cabrera’s campaign promises.

Business page –

Christmas commerce – New habits have changed Christmas commerce. One merchant bought Christmas cards which are not selling. In the past businesses, families, friends and sweethearts would exchange cards but this is now being done on the internet. Another change is the growth in Christmas dinners at restaurants, many of which will be open on 24/12 to cater to families that don’t want to cook. Christmas “stuff” commonly comes from Perú and China. A merchant at the 9 de Octubre showed inexpensive Chinese toys. <Cheap, too. I wonder if they’ll last until NY.> Another merchant sells nativities, little animals, wreaths, and boots from Paute, Quinta Chica and Huaquillas and makes her own Christmas tree ornaments from “tela de gamuza” (suede cloth – our word for the day).

Amenidades –

Concierto – Michell Guzmán will debut in a concert with her album “Desplazamiento al rojo” (Shift to red) Thurs. a las 20:00 en el teatro Pumapungo.

Internacional –

Venezuela – A rice growing community west of Caracas has issued its own currency, the xEL PANALx which is equivalent to 5,000 bolívares – a little more than $1.00 at the official exchange rate. Somehow they are using it to commercialize rice and contain inflation. <I suppose if a community didn’t need too much from outside it could trade internally with its own currency. Like Ithaca dollars.> <Does the rise of private currencies indicate a failed State?>

Descuentos y compras –

Colineal – up to 40% off on furniture and accessories – hoy y mañana, 10-20:00.

El Tucumán – Christmas dinners delivered to your house – $200 for 25 people, and $120 for 12 – facebook: HosteriaDuran, 099 234 0985 or (07) 289 2485 – menu includes turkey, cherry and mushroom sauces, Russian salad, au gratin potatoes, Christmas rice and a bouche Noel. <So now you know how Cuencanos do Christmas – in large groups.>

Nissan – yapas like insurance for a year and the first year’s matricula with your purchase of X-Trails from $39,990, Qashqai from $36,350, Kicks from $27,990, and Versa from $22,700 – 14-16/12 jueves y viernes until 21:00 and sábado until 18:00.

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne