Viernes, 1/7/2016: Weekend festivals, Brexit impact on Ecuador, School’s out!! (but not forever), Magic hands at CIDAP

Hola, Todos –

Pagina cultural –

Continuing and upcoming events –

CIDAP – The crafts exhibit “Manos mágicas” (Magic hands – note that mano is an exception to the rule that words ending in “o” are masculine.  That’s why the feminine form of magic is used.) is at CIDAP with hours from M-F, 9-17:00 and on Sat, 9-16:00.

Theater – “Historias para ser contadas” (Stories to be told) will be presented today at 20:00 and tomorrow at 16:00 in the theater of the Centro Cultural Sono (Borrero 6-83).  Cost: $5.00.

II Caminata de Arte – (2nd Art Walk) – The art walk is being planned for October and being expanded beyond visual arts to include painting, weaving, ceramics, dance, photography, theater, music, poetry, improvisation and more.  Those interested can register at CuencaArtWalk@gmail.com until 19/7.  (I think they mean exhibitors rather than viewers.)

Articles about –

“La casa encantada” (The enchanted house) – A reading and theater program to motivate children to read started yesterday in the Pedro Páramo bookstore with a play about a grandma who didn’t know where she left her socks. (Substitute just about any other item and that’s the story of my life.  The only thing I keep really good track of is my glasses because without them, I couldn’t find the car in a one car garage.)

Awards – Prizes of a cellphone, bluetooth speaker and a kit of books and novels were given to high school students who had the best comics on the theme of “Tómalo en serio 911” (Take 911 seriously.)

Jewelry workshop – Master jeweler Milfrido Pazmiño will hold a jewelry workshop for children.  Register until this coming Tue by calling 2870-681 or 099 125 7784.  The hours are from 8-11:00 and 9-12:00 for kids from 6-12 and from14-17:00 for kids from 13-17.  (If you call, you can ask them where and what day the workshop is.  See the things you can’t do if you don’t speak Spanish?  Wouldn’t it just be easier to learn some Spanish than to learn to live without being able to talk to 99% of Cuencanos?))

Otras cosas – 

Titular – Terminan clases e inician vacaciones  (Classes end and vacations start)  (“e” (and) isn’t a typo – you use “e” instead of “y” when the next word starts with “i” to avoid the verbal clumsiness of two “i” sounds together.)  The school year is ending in mingas at many schools where parents, students and teachers are cleaning and painting classrooms, equipment and furniture to get them ready for classes in Sept. One parent said that how the classrooms are left is how the kids will receive them next year. We need to teach the kids how to care for things and that involvement in these activities is a good thing.  (So maybe the comments I’ve heard about Ecuadorians not taking care of their property is just a different placement of priorities. Instead of fixing their house, they fix the school their child goes to; investing not for their own personal wealth, but in their kids.)

Ley Solidaria – The application of this law started yesterday.  One day’s salary (3.33%) will be deducted from the 413,000 public and private employees who earn more than $1,000 per month.  For salaries from $1-2,000 the deduction will be for only one month and apply to 297,000 workers.  For salaries from 2-3,000 the deduction will be for 2 months and apply to 75,765 people, and so on, so higher income workers pay a larger amount for a longer period of time.  This money will be used for reconstruction of earthquake zones and the amount collected is expected to be over $1 billion in a year.  (Can you imagine what kind of response there would have been if any politician had suggested this after Katrina?  How many upper middle income Americans would have wanted to have even one hour’s salary deducted from their checks aside from those relatively few people who actually did give time or money or goods.)

Recycling – When you put recyclable containers such as milk cartons, jam jars or juice bottles into the blue recycling bags, you need to wash them out so no organic waste is included.

Tranvia – The city has terminated the contract with the Spanish firm Tranportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona to determine the amount of the fare for the Tranvía. For more details see the CHL article of 1/7.

Nabón – The canton is celebrating its 29th anniversary with activities this weekend. Today’s activities started with a Civic moment, a mass of thankfulness, a student gymkhana, the inauguration of a potable water system for the Cochapata parish, and a bicycle ride.  There will be karaoke at 20:00.  Tomorrow’s schedule includes ecuavoley at 9:30, a 10k pedestrian circuit at 10:00, an indoor match (fútbol) at 11:00, an inauguration of a Feria at 14:00, a noche nobonense at 20:00 with music, castillos at 22:30, and a dance at 23:00 with the orquesta Los Fabulosos (I wonder how late that runs if it doesn’t even start until 11:00 pm.)  Sunday starts with a parade at 9:00 followed by a sesión solemne and the closure of the feria with La Toquilla from Manabí at 17:00.

Brexit – Economic effects of Britain’s exit from the EU on Ecuador will be minimal since the United Kingdom is not a large trading partner. Regionally, sales of Panama hats might be affected. From the UK,  Ecuador imports refined petroleum products, oils, some machinery and pharmaceuticals, but none in large quantities.

Amenidades –

El Vergel – The Parish of El Vergel will celebrate its saint, la Virgen “Santa María de El Vergel” this weekend with a full schedule of activities.
Friday – 19:00 – Last day of the novena
20:00 – Gran Tómbola – Plazoleta El Vergel
Finals for the Neighborhood Championship
21:30 – Election of the Reina del Barrio El Vergel – Plazoleta El Vergel
23:00 – Quema del Castillo (Tower of fireworks), the Vaca Loca (Crazy Cow), el Indio Lorenzo y la Chola Cuencana, and a light show
Sat. – 2/7-9:00 – Indoor (fútbol)
10:00 – mass in honor of the sick and ancient
11:00 – a shared lunch
14:00 – closure of the catechesis (?) year – parque de Chaguarchimbana
15:00 – dance and folk music – parque de Chaguarchimbana
19:00 – mass, procession and serenade to the virgen
20:00 – a dance with orchestra – parque de Chaguarchimbana
23:00 – Encendido del Dios Vulcano with light show
Sun-3/7 – Main day of the festival
9:00 – Mass and presentation of the Guardia Ciudadana band
10:00 – Childrens’ games (Plazoleta de El Vergel)
12:00 – Tradicional torneo de cintas en vehiculos (Traditional tournament of belts in vehicles – here’s where translation breaks down if you don’t have the cultural knowledge.  Is it like a tractor pull?)
15:00 – Gran Show Artistico
(And El Vergel is closer than Nabón.)

Movies – as usual, go to www.multicines.com.ec for show times and locations.  The following movie opens this week.
2D SED – Esp
The following movies are continuing.
2 & 3D Día de la Independencia 2 – Esp y Sub.
2D Día de la Independencia 2 – Esp
2 & 3D Buscando a Dory – Esp
2D El Conjuro 2 – Esp
2D Yo antes de ti – Esp y Sub.
2D La ultima óla – Esp.
2d Warcraft – Esp.

Photo contest – “Una Mirada al Campo” (A look at the countryside) is a contest open to all countries in the Americas.  The subject is agriculture, forestry, and the environment.  It’s open to photographers over 18 with entries received until 5/8/2016 at http://www.simbioti-k.com/concurso-fotografia/.  Entrants can submit up to 5 unpublished photos. First prize is $1,000 and 2nd prize is $300.

Deportes –

10K and 5K Biblián – The race(s) celebrating Biblián’s 72 years as a canton will be on 21/8 at 8:00 starting at the Estadio Municipal de Biblián.  Register in Cuenca at the offices of the Coopera de Ahorro y Crédito CACPE on 12 de Abril.

Discuentos y compras y anuncios –  
 
Banco Boliviariano – public announcement – The “Cuenca Centro” branch at Borrero 824 between Sucre y Bolívar will stop providing service on Sat.  The “Remigio Crespo Toral” branch on Remigio Crespo Toral y Esmeraldas will provide Sat. service from 9-13:00.

Plaza de las Américas – announcement – the shopping center published a map on how to get in and out of the center if you’re driving.  Enter from calle Del Tejar and exit onto De Las Américas.  (If I’m reading the map correctly, and if I’m remembering the street closure correctly, the southbound exit looks like it takes you right into those closed off lanes.  See for yourself at www.elmercurio.com.ec.  Or rely on your taxista or your feet to take you where ever you want to go.)

And that´s all for today so Hasta Domingo –

Jeanne