Sábado, 1/4/2017: University buys old IESS hospital, ‘Friendship’ requirement for foreign residents, Megapark to have amphitheater

Hola, Todos –

Feliz día de los tontos.  <Apart from the translations – I went to the football game today.  Muddiest game I ever saw, but it was fun.  Maybe 100 spectators – everyone standing just outside the sidelines.

Pagina cultural –

Today’s header –

This week’s book recommendations are Memorias del XII Encuentra de Literatura, collection published by the U. of Cuenca;  La Orilla Memoriosa by Luis Carlos Mussó, published by the CCE; and El IESS Hacia un Cambio Seguro by Henry LLanes, published by RG Grafistas.

Articles about –

Children’s theater – The 3 and 4 year olds from 21 child care centers will perform today and tomorrow in the teatro at the CCE. Today’s plays were at 9:00 and 16:00.

Elections – CCE will have its elections on 5/5. <I’m so happy none of you is interested in the CCE elections, because neither am I.>

Festival de Cine de Cuenca – The film festival, originally scheduled for 3-8/4, will be postponed to maybe junio.

Teatro – “Espectros” (Ghosts) by Ibsen will be presented from jueves a sábado until 13/5 in a house on Juan Bautista Vázquez 4-131 y Ricardo Muñoz across the street from the Colegio Miguel Merchán.  There is seating for only 20 at each performance. Reserve seats at 2815-119 and 099 371 2136.  Cost, $15 per person or 2 for $25.

Guagua Huayra (Baby Wind/Breeze) – This children’s dance group has joined the folk dance group “Huayrapamushcas” in the cultural unit at the U. of Cuenca.  The children’s group grew out of summer camp which gave a public performance after 2 months of work.  The parents asked to make the group permanent and is looking for more participants.

Peomario –  Makinaria Publishers presented the poetry book “De un solo tajo” (One shot) by Santiago Vizcaíno in Quito.

Otras cosas – 

Titular – Voto en casa, antesala del día trascendental (Vote at home, preview of the transcendental day)

Voting results – The Corporación Participación Ciudadana (CPC) is the non-profit which is counting and announcing the votes. The results will be announced at 21:00 if there is not a technical tie which is a difference of 0.70% between the candidates.

Economy – After 2 years of recession, Latin America and the Caribbean should see economic growth in 2017, according to the Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID – International Development Bank).  The region should grow between 1.4% and 1.7% with a 3 year (2017-1019) average growth of 2.0% under normal conditions.

The high level of uncertainty is a result of the changes in the US.  BID ran different scenarios including higher growth rates from economic powerhouses Brazil and Argentina, and the implementation of protectionist trade policies in the US.  In the second case, Latin America and the Caribbean will lose 0.4% in growth and México, 0.8%.  If the US imposes duties on products from the 6 economies with which it has the greatest trade deficit, the impact will be global.  Through China, there will be a negative effect on Latin American commodities exporters which includes Ecuador.  In this scenario, economic growth would be reduced 30%.

Old hospital – The old IESS Hospital on Huayna Cápac officially passed into the hands of the U. of Cuenca yesterday.

Friends – The debate and planning for how to integrate and assimilate foreign residents is continuing.  The latest proposal is based on the idea that making friends interculturally is a good way to gauge whether an extranjero has settled into the culture. So you need to go out and make local friends – one per year of residence starting after 2 years of permanent residency.  (And no, your cleaning lady won’t count.)  There will be an on-line form to be filled out by the Cuencano describing the nature of the friendship and if there is a monetary relationship, which if it is too significant to the local, will mean that’s an employee and not a friend.  Locals can’t fill out forms for more than 10 extranjeros.  <I’m sure you will be able to buy some friends if you don’t have any.>*

Tranvía – The city has restarted drilling piles for the retaining wall in Milchichig. There was a minga at 8:00 today on calles Mariscal La Mar y Miguel Heredia to clean the streets and sidewalks.  Neighbors, the Tranvía project, ETAPA and EMAC aprticipated.

New megapark – The ecomegaparque La Música in the El Plateado sector will be part of the 4 megaparks that Mayor Cabrera promised during his campaign.  It will be 42-45 hectares and contain an amphitheater with a capacity of 5,000, with the possibility of enlarging that to 10,000.   There are still private land owners on the area with whom the city has to negotiate sales.  The hope is that construction can start at the end of the 2017 and finish in 2018.  < The key word is hope.>

Patio de comidas (food court – your word for the day) – The new food court with 18 trailers is open at the corner of 27 de Febrero y Francisco Cuesta in the 3 Puentes sector.  Most of the owners are foreign and include a Colombiana and an Argentino. Reported food prices were from $3.50-6.00.  The highest item was an Argentine BBQ plate for 2 for $11.00.  There is some seating, and the parking will be finished in a few weeks.  Hours are from 11-23:00 martes a sábado, and 12-16:00 domingo.  It is closed to the public on lunes.  <Might be the vendors need lunes to clean the trailers. I think I know where I’m going to look for lunch tomorrow.>

Intercultural – León Fidel Andi is a taita, shamán, and sanador (healer) in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Internacional –

Venezuela – The OAS will hold a special session on Mon. about recent events in Venezuela.  It voted a resolution that the decision of the Supreme Court to assume the duties of the National Assembly is an “alteración del orden constitutional” (Alteration of constitutional order).  <Seems like a rather mild way of putting it.>  20 nations signed the declaration.  <Ecuador was not among them, nor were Cuba, some undecided Caribbean states, and Bolivia which expressed support to Venezuela.>

Paraguay – Protesters in front of the Congress were dispersed with water tanks after 25 senators approved a project for a constitutional amendment that would allow presidents and vice-presidents to seek another term, whether consecutive or not.

Discuentos y compras –

Ad for MegaKids Live show – with Masha y el Oso, Doctora Juguetes, and Frozen Una Aventura Congelada – in the teatro Pumapungo – Sat, 8/4 at 16, 18, & 20:00 – Sun. at 14, 16, & 18:00; and on Wed, 12/4 at 14, 16, & 18:00.

And that´s all for today so Hasta lunes –

Jeanne