Viernes, 15/7/2016: Venezuelans are newest wave of Cuenca expats, Jazz gala next week, Water service interruption, Van support

Viernes, 15/7/2016

Hola, Todos –

Pagina cultural –

Today’s events –

Noche de tango – Musicians María Quevedo on piano, and Pedro Arízaga on bandoneón voice will perform tonight at 20:00 in the Teatro Sucre (Luis Cordero – Centro Histórico).  Cost: $5.00.

Artistas jóvenes – Young artists will present the project “Editorial Tomada” (“Editorial Taken”- they teach them Artspeak at a tender age, don’t they) and the magazine “Fulano y mengano” (So and so – or at least that’s what Google says – I wouldn’t know.) tonight at 19:00 in the library of the CCE.

Articles about –

Jazz Gala and an International Festival – German pianist Andreas Reuter will play a piano jazz concert this coming Wed. (no time reported) in the teatro Pumapungo.

This concert will open a jazz season with events in Sept. and Nov. and culminate in the Festival Internacional en Cuenca next April.  To hear Reuter, go to https://www.facebook.com/cuencajazz/videos/1609410139350648.  Cost for the concert: $10.00.  Cost for a music clinic on 22/7: $5.00.

Escultura religiosa – (I’m going to make you figure out the translation from the context in the item.  I’ve had to work hard for what Spanish I’ve got and I’m going to share the pain.) The 3d National Religious Sculpture Salón opens this Thur. at 17:00 in the Centro de Arte Luis Reyes in San Antonio de Ibarra.

Bienal – The Bienal de Cuenca is currently printing a book about the old movie houses.  Young artists researched newspapers and magazines to learn about these old theaters.  They visited the sites, interviewed neighbors and organized the findings.  The Bienal is asking for photos of the theaters, now gone due to the theater chains and DVDs for home viewing.  Theaters such as the Alhambra, Cuenca, Sucre, España, Nueve de Octubre, Lux, Candilejas, Cas de la Cultura, and Teatro Salesiano closed mostly in the mid 80’s although some hung on until the late 90´s. The 9 de Octubre which was on La Mar y Mariano Cueva is now a parking lot.

Otras cosas – 

Titular – Independiente, finalista de la Copa (Independiente, Cup finalist)  The cup referred to is the Copa Libertadores de América. The Ecuadorian team upset highly favored the Boca Juniors in Buenos Aries 3-2.

Public announcement – Water service will be cut-off due to Tranvía work on Sat., 16/7 from 7-22:00 in parts of El Centro.  Service will be intermittent from 22-24:00 and be restored in the “madrugada” (early morning hours – your word for the day.) of Sunday.  The limits of the work are Rafael María Arízaga/ Coronel Talbot/ Vega Muñoz to the north, the Río Tomebamba to the south, Av. Huayna Cápac to the east, and Miguel Heredia/Gran Colombia/León XIII to the west.  (Hopefully, you all know where you live and if you’re within those boundaries.  If you don’t, you’ll find out when you turn on the tap. My sympathies are with the hoteliers who have to explain to non-Spanish speaking guests with a sense of entitlement why the showers aren’t working.)

Airport – The director of Corpac asked the Comptroller to intervene and issue a legal pronouncement to contract the new work at the airport planned for 6/8.  He also asked for a special examination of 3 contracts – the studies, recapping the runway, and an audit of the $518 million cost.  He has also asked the Procuraduría (probably a public legal office) to issue an decision on the legality of contracting other work and has asked the Directors of Corpac to declare a state of emergency.  (That ought to be a no-brainer.)

Oil – VP Jorge Glas reported that Block 43 in Orellana Province has reserves of 1,670 barrels, 82% more than previously thought.  National oil reserves are approaching 4,000 barrels.

Gasoline sales – Ecuador is selling gas to Colombia in Nariño y Cauca where a 38 day old truckers’ strike has blocked roads.  38 tanker trucks brought 374,000 gallons to Nariño and 70,000 more will go to Tumaco by barge.

Venezuelans – The Venezuelans are coming, the Venezuelans are coming!  And they are looking for peace, tranquility, safety and work.  One student who abandoned his studies in Venezuela because of lack of teaching materials and because his professors weren’t being paid, said about Cuenca, “Ustedes viven aquí en un paraíso” (You live here in a paradise.  How true!)  A teacher said she was tired of standing in a line for 9 hours to buy food.  Both are in the process of getting permanent visas, the cost of which exceeds $2,500.00.  (And these immigrants aren’t going to be screaming “Why don’t “those people” learn English!”)

Pablo Abad, director of Municipal Planning said Cuenca is on the road to becoming a cosmopolitan city due to the number of foreigners (and I use foreigner because if you aren’t a citizen, you are a foreigner) of different nationalities who are arriving. The city has contracted with the U of Cuenca to find out which nationalities are on the increase and with this data, to project the demographic growth and services needed.  (And as far as I’m concerned, the services needed are not services in English, but Spanish classes for those who need them.)

University elections – Students in the Federación de Estudiantes Universitarios del Ecuador (You got that by yourself, right?) voted, and non-voters won with 4,000, followed by “votos nulos” (spoiled ballots and/or maybe blank votes) with 3,700.  The candidates for the Unidad Independiente movement came in 3d with 2,046.  (I bet that the Nov. elections in the US will mirror this.  Non-voters will outnumber people who actually vote, and if there were a “none of the above choice,” it would probably get the most votes.  It might be different if we actually had a democracy instead of a corporatocracy.)
 
Busetas/furgonetas (vans) – The National Convention of Executive Transport met in Cuenca to support the LOTTTSV, a new law that would legalizey6yhu interprovincial passenger vans.  They picked Cuenca because just in Azuay, the vans transport 900-1000 passengers daily to Guayaquil, Machala and Loja.  It is also the area where the vans have had the most problems with traffic controls especially on the Cuenca-Molleturo-Puerto Inca route to Guayaquil.  One delegate also pointed out that their passengers aren’t travelers who go to the terminal terrestres and take buses.

Amenidades –

Movies – as usual, go to www.multicines.com.ec for show times and locations.  The following movies open this week.
3D Leyenda de Tarzán – Esp y Sub.
2D Leyenda de Tarzán – Esp.
2D 12 horas para sobrevivir – Esp.
The following movies are continuing.  All are in Spanish (so your only choice this weekend if you don’t speak Spanish is Tarzan.).
3D & 2D La era de hielo
2D Yo antes de ti
2D El conjuro 2
2D Sed
2D Día de la independencia 2

“Summer Fashion Show” (You got that by yourself, right?) – There will be a fashion show tonight at 17:00 in the food court at the Milenium Plaza with 25 models from the “Modelar Ecuador” modeling school showing work from 3 Cuencana designers.

Discuentos –

El Español – 2 for 1 traditional sandwich – every day – Mall del Río y Monay.  (The picture shows a sandwich with lettuce, tomato, meat (ham?), something that looks like a thin yellow kitchen sponge, cheese, and more meat (salami?) on a Hoagie roll. If you get one, let me know what that sponge layer actually is.)

New spa – Agapantos – with termas-spa-baños de cajón (thermal pools, hot, medium and cold; spa; and steam boxes.) – in Baños, 8km from Cuenca – Wed. to Sun. – call 289 2015 for reservations.

Sukasa – 30th anniversary sale – up to 60% off selected merchandise – 9-17/7.

Vatex – clothing – 54th anniversary sale – 20% off in all its stores and 60% off selected merchandise – 8-18/7 – Mall del Río and locations in El Centro.

ETAFASHION – clothing (womens’?) – summer sale – up to 50% off selected merchandise – 1/7 to 14/8 – or buy at ETAFASHION.com

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana (I’m going to take my day off on Sun. to work a clinic so I will translate tomorrow’s paper instead.) –

Jeanne