Martes, 10/11/15: Film festival, mud homes, and taximeters

Hola, Todos – 

Pagina cultural –

Exposición – the Alianza Francesa will open “Cuenca,” a photo exhibit by Kurt Ehrmann this Thu. at 19:00.

Máscaras (Masks) – “El Viaje de las Máscaras” (The journey of the masks) will show until 29/11 at “Enfrijolada” with work by Fausto Bravo, Fabián “Chokilla” Durán, Irina Aux and others.  (They must not care if no one shows up since they don´t give an address.)

Taller – a workshop on cultural development and marketing will be given by the school Pakari Paccha until 20/11 from 17:00. (Another article with just enough info to frustrate you if you wanted to participate.)

Articles about –

La Orquídea film festival which promises good content.  The opening ceremony will be Sat. at 20:00 in the teatro Carlos Cueva Tamariz with “El Abrazo de la Serpiente,” (The embrace of the serpent) starring Antonio Bolívar Salvado and Nilbio Torres who are two of the last survivors of the Ocaina Uitoto group who are at risk of disappearing.

Ibarra will open the 5th edition of the Bienal de Escultura on 19/11 at the Daniel Reyes and Luis Reyes cultural centers.

The Municipal Foundation for the Bienal de Cuenca is preparing the exhibit  “Eduardo Solá Franco y el impulso autobiográfico” (Eduaro Solá Franco and the autobiographical impulse) (I think that writers in transition here are probably familiar with that impulse or directive.).

A drumming class – “Batería” (drums – also a battery for a car – a battery for a flashlight is pila.  Your word(s) for the day) tomorrow at 15:30 in the sala “Alfonso Carrasco Vintimilla.”  “Batería, consideraciones de tiempo y espacio: Un manual para aprender a tocar e improvisar en batería” (Drums: considerations of time and space: A manual for learning to play and improvise on a drum” will be given by Andres Caicedo.  (I wonder if he can teach rhythm to someone who ain´t got none?  I´ve met people like that – they had no idea where the beat was (it wasn´t in the same room they were in, though), and they were the ones playing!)

The 15th IberoAmerican Seminar on Architecture and Construction with Raw Earth.  Some of the oldest examples are in Jericho dating to 8,000 BC.  (So an earth house can last a while – as long as it doesn´t rain much or regularly.) Of the 7 billion people on earth, 1 billion live in dirt houses. Lately, earth homes (doesn´t that sound a lot more comfy than “mud hut”?) have been getting a new look as a building material.

Otras cosas –

Titular – Mecanismos para cobrar tasa, estudian (Ways to collect fees studied). A fee to pay for the fire department will be collected with your electric bill starting 15/1/16.  (Cuenca has a volunteer fire department, but there´s still a lot of other expenses.)  This will also apply to garbage collection which is currently billed by EMAC which is the municipal business that also provides the service. (All that alphabet soup starting with “EM” are Empresas Municipales (Municipal Businesses).

Taximeters – the reprogramming of the meters will be postponed after meters altered to run faster were discovered. (Give the drivers some time to remove the “turbos” from their meters.)  A driver can lose his license as well as face criminal charges for altering a meter.

The Minister of Economic Policy forecast an improvement in the economy starting in the middle of 2016.  He said the budget will eliminate subsidies to large industries and businesses ($450 million in energy subsidies) and the refinery in Esmeraldas will start running along with hydroelectric plants which should all help the economy.

“Franeleros” (I think those are the guys who have a patch of curb that they watch.  If you park in their territory, you pay them something.) – I guess some of these guys are starting to think they own the curb and are abusive to drivers who don´t pay them enough.  Complain to the Agentes Civiles de Tránsito and the Guardias Ciudadanos. (I´m always hesitant to provide gringos with another thing to complain about and how to make that complaint, but I feel a little better since most of you don´t have cars to worry about parking next to an abusive franelero.  And you´d probably have to make your complaint in Spanish, maybe with an incensed franelero screaming in the background.)

Internacional – 

Argentina – the runoff elections (I knew it wasn´t a rerun, but couldn´t remember the right word.  Sometimes Google works well.) have uncovered the deep political divisions which deepened during the 12 years of Kirchner governments.  (Do deep political divisions remind you of another country shambling its way through complete disfunctionality?)

Cuba – is studying the “reinserción de anuncios comerciales” (reinsertion of commercial advertising) in Cuban TV which will help it create new programming.  (I hope not leadfooted ballets on uplifting political themes with banners, peasants, and revolutionary music.)

Peru – something about the first lady declares for alleged corruption.  (Declare might have a specific legal meaning that makes more sense.)

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne