Rent controls proposed, Cuenca signs environmental pact, Peruvian chaos, Orchestra plays, Guardian angels

Jueves, 22/3/2018

Hola, Todos –

Pagina cultural –

Today’s agenda events –

Video Experimental <That was Spanish – not reversed word order> – An experimental video work was presented hoy a las 1900 in the Saladentro art space. It explores the effect of trauma in the body of the artist. <So if a two pound rock falls on my shoulder and a two pound rock falls on an artist’s shoulder, there’s a different effect on the artist’s body?>

Book launch – “Por una comunicación del común” (For a communication from the common) was presented Thursdsay in the Sala de Uso Multiple at the U. of Azuay (UDA – you should know that by now unless your memory is much worse than mine.> It’s about a new model of communication. <Whatever that means.>

Ongoing agenda event – There is a discussion Friday en el Museo Pumapungo. Today’s event started at 15:00 and tomorrow’s will be at 14:30. The topic is “Repensando los objetos shuar en museos nacionales y internacionales.” (Rethinking Shuar objects in national and international museums) which is a project of the Programa de Cooperación Interinstitucional con Museos y Centro de Investigación de la Disciplina Etnográfica. <ACAY – if you speak English you should be able to translate that program without knowing a word of Spanish.>

Articles about –

CIDAP – One of the galleries at CIDAP has an exhibit of works by 12 artisans who are involved in the “Treinta cuentos contados desde la artesanía” (Thirty stories told from crafts) which started el lunes and will run until 8/7. There will be several activies associated with this project which brings artisans together with writers, illustrators and designers. The Cuarto de Inspiración (Inspiration Room) will be open until 21/4. From Thursday hasta el viernes, there will be conversations in the CIDAP auditorium. From 26-30/3 there will be a workshop on “Como escribir un cuento corto” (How to write a short story.> <Cut, cut, cut, and then cut some more? But I think you’d need to learn Spanish first to take advantage of this workshop.> The second workshop will be 4/4 on illustrating.

Talk – Colombian artist Leyla Cárdenas, who is participating in the XIV Bienal, gave a talk Thurs. in the Bienal auditorium (Bolívar 13-89 y Estévez de Toral). Her work comes from her interest in exploring architectural ruin which exists with the current demand for progress and development. <Well, there are a lot of falling down adobe houses to look at – some of them in the Centro Historico.>

OSC teaching concerts -7 chamber music groups of the OSC will perform Friday at 8 schools in the city. Each group will give 4 concerts in the two days.

Otras cosas –

Titular – Escándalos dejan a Perú sin presidente (Scandals leave Peru without a president) – The Peruvian congress will debate the resignation that Pres. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski submitted ayer; and viernes, Martín Vizcarra, the VP, will take the oath of office to succeed Kuczynski.

Rent regulation – The Ordenanza que Regula los Contratos de Arriendo para Vivienda (Ordinance that Regulates Lease Agreements for Housing) in Cuenca canton is being worked on by 3 council members. A national rental survey done by the Census Bureau in 2013 showed that in 9 cities including Cuenca, a house cost $164/mo., an apartment $159, a room $68. In reality, rent for a house in Cuenca is between $200-250 and an apartment is over $350.

There is a dichotomy in the City. People come from other cities to find work and they live in overcrowded conditions in “conventillos” (tenements) in areas such as El Vecino and El Batán in the urban center and in parishes such as Chaucha in the rural zone. On the other hand are extranjeros, especially from the US, who live in Cuenca and pay over $500/mo. which generates speculation. The ordinance would require rent contracts to be registered an a property records office. The value of the rent would be calculated on 1/12 of 10% of the valuation on record.

Global Environmental Pact – Cuenca joined the Pacto Global de Alcaldes (Mayors) por el Clima y la Energía en América Latina y el Caribe ayer in Mendoza, Argentina. The cities, 7,100 of them so far, commit to lower emissions and comply with or exceed the Paris Agreement.

Driving license points – A driver who has lost all 30 points on his type A or B license can get more points by going to school. The courses will be offered by the Sindicato de Chóferes and Automóvil Club del Ecuador (ANETA) schools which are the only ones authorized to give “traffic school” classes. Once a driver with 0 points passes the course he gets 20 points, but has to wait 60 days before he can use his license. If you lose all your points a second time, you go back to school and get 15 pts, and a 120 day waiting period. After losing your points a 3d time, you can get 15 points, but your license is suspended for a year. <If you’re in that situation you better read the whole article at www.elmercurio.com.ec to get more details.>

Fanesca – Merchants at the El Arenal, 10 de Agosto, 12 de Abril, 3 de Noviembre and 27 de Febrero markets will be selling fancesca starting el próximo jueves, 29/3.

Contacting angels – There will be workshop on how to contact your Guardian Angel from Friday hasta el domingo a las 9-18:00 in the Casa del Águila (Sucre 13-56 entre Juan Montalvo y Estévez e Toral. For more info call 099 155 3270 or write vchiriboga99@hotmail.com. <And let me know if your guardian angel took your call.>

Día Mundial del Agua – Page 8A has articles about water – providing it, protecting its sources, and long range plans which include how to supply water to a projected 1,400,000 Cuencanos in 2050.

Radar destroyed – On 20/3, a traffic radar was destroyed on the vía Cuenca-Azogues at Gapal. Someone cut the post and the assembly fell into the median. The radar contains a screen, camera, solar panel and other gizmos. <Including a gizmo that can transmit what the camera captures and send a speeding ticket.> The radar cost over $40,000. <Installed or material only?>

Amenidades –

Concierto – The Colombian band Morat will give a concert on 12/5 a las 20:30 in the Teatro Carlos Cueva Tamariz. Ticket sales start el martes. Cost: $35, $55, & $84.

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne