Jueves, 13/4/2017: Winter kills 27, Lasso wants total recount but others say no, Arts and food fairs, Inca civil engineering, Art exhibits

Hola, Todos –

Pagina cultural –

Header event –

Conference – There was a conference about “La Danza en el Ecuador” this morning at the U. of Cuenca.

Articles about –

Book relaunch – “Zhamán, el tesoro escondido de Atgahualpa” by Marco Chango Siguenza will be launched in Cuenca at 19:30 in the Sala de Conciertos at the CCE. The adventure novel is about Aurelio and his search for Atahualpa’s treasure, which he finds in the Amazonian jungle, but it’s not exactly gold and coins. <If you want a copy, your best bet is go to the book launch since these featured books don’t always wind up in the stores.>

Exposición – 5 artists are showing their work in an exhibit called “Ideas sobre papel” (Ideas on paper) at the galería Yuyay (calle Luis Moscoso – vía a Misicata – y Manuel Ignacio Ochoa).  The artists are teachers, graduates and students in the School of Arts at the U. of Cuenca.

CCE – With the resignation of Iván Petroff, the CCE Nucleo de Azuay, will be going through the process of getting a new president.  <Surprise me – someone tell me that this is something you want to learn a lot more about.>

República Sur – The Cultural Center (Pres. Córdova 5-55) is 2 years old and new services were presented el pasado martes. These included a photo lab classroom, a classroom for design and a co-working office.  Their library has also been enlarged and they have launched a web page www.republicasur.com which will have a monthly agenda of activities.

Otras cosas – 

Titular – Jóvenes deleitan a Cuenca.  (Young people delight Cuenca) – 1000 students from 13 schools paraded on the theme of “Cuenca, desde la época cañari hasta la cuencanidad” (Cuenca, from the Cañari epoch to the cuencanidad).  The Rafael Borja High School had one of the “mas llamativas” (most attention calling) presentations with a float with a half dozen kids in cañari or inca garb standing on a lawn <yes, real grass> with “stone” walls on the sides of the flatbed.

Onions – The price of red onions “está por la nubes”(is by the clouds – sky high).  No one really knows why the prices have gone up so fast – whether growers are charging more or if wholesalers and distributors are charging more.  Others blame the rains, crop damage, and a small harvest.  Onions come from Santa Isabel and Ibarra in Ecuador and from Peru.

Intercultural – The article is about Inca civil engineering projects which include temples, monastaries, palaces, forts, warehouses, dairies, streets, bridges, canals and aqueducts.

Invierno (winter – your word for the day) – 27 people were killed this rainy season, and 127,466 affected.  2,217 people were evacuated with 928 in shelters.  Also reported were 164 houses “destruidas” (destroyed) and and other 28,886 affected. Yesterday, a huge slide occurred at km. 14 on the vía Guanujo-Echeandía in Bolívar Province while workers were removing debris from an earlier, smaller slide.  A “pala mecánica” (mechanical shovel which seems to apply to anything from a backhoe up to a heavy excavator) was swept away by the slide. The operator escaped before the machine “sea arrasada” (I’m choosing “obliterated” out of the list of definitions.). <There is a UTube video of the slide if you Google derrumbe vía Guanujo-Echeandía.  It’s impressive and will make you want to stay in Cuenca when it’s raining.)

Elections – Lasso wants a total recount since the elections were fraudulent and he’s the real winner.  Nebot and Viteri want to open various voting boxes at random, and count the votes – all transmitted live with the participation of the candidates, unions, academia, etc.  This would be a demonstration of the transparency of the process and not affect any other challenges. On Friday, President Correa said he is open to such a “spot” recount, but with some conditions.  <It it’s not being done to put an end to the whole issue, why waste the time and effort?  Sounds like Lasso would be free to challenge the accuracy of that as well and still insist on a total recount.  I’m beginning to think the only difference between him and the one up north is Lasso has skin colored skin and better hair.>

Moreno – The president elect met with 60 representatives of 12 indigenous, afro and montubian nationalities.  Moreno ratified his call for a social dialogue and his promise to advance a development agenda for the original peoples.  <So the loser is acting like a spoiled child and the winner is acting presidential.  I think the right guy won.>

Días santos – The Artesanía y Gastronomía con Identidad fair opened today at 10:00 in the gardens of CIDAP with traditional Holy Week foods such as fanesca.  Inside there is an sale/show of Cuencanan jewelry.  The fair will run to sábado with hours 10-18:00.  In the iglesia San Alfonso (Bolívar y Borrero) there was a Misa Crismal at 9:30, a eucharist at 17:00, a mass with foot washing at 19:00 and an Adoración al Santísimo at 21:00.  The Virgen de Fátima and Virgen de Bronce will have masses at 19:00.

Tomorrow there will be the Vía Crucis Infantil at 8:30 starting at Loja and 10 de Agosto; a Vía Crucis in the Virgen de Fátima at 10:00; and the Vía Crucis of the Archdiocese at 19:00 from the New Cathedral.  <If you want to go, I don’t think anyone’s going to kick you out of the procession for not being a Catholic.>

Jornada de Salud – The Universidad del Adulto Mayor  <Geezer U.>  will have a Health Day this coming lunes from 9:00 at their campus (Estévez de Toral 9-53 y Bolívar).

San Francisco Plaza – Mayor Cabrera signed a contract for $1,372,000 plus IVA with Pablo Larriva of Consorcio Plazoleta Asociados with a construction period of 10 months.  Work should start this month.

Amenidades –

“La Historia del Rock and Roll” – Documentaries about The Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd will be shown tonight at 19:00 in the Museo de la Ciudad.  There will also be a live performance by Cuencan band Super Star Band.

Movies – as usual, go to www.multicines.com.ec for show times and locations.  The following movies open this week.  <Usually this comes out on viernes, but since it’s in today’s paper, I’ll take it when it’s available.  Who knows if it will be in the paper tomorrow since today is when the weekend starts.  Like groceries – if you see Peter Pan peanut butter, better buy it even if you still have a jar.>

3D & 2D Rápicos y furiosos 8 – Esp.
2D Rápidos y furiosos 8 – Sub.

The following movies are continuing.  All are in 2D and all are in <you know what’s coming> ….Spanish.
Los Pitufos 3
Jefe en pañales
La bella y la bestia
Vigilante del futuro

Internacional –

Venezuela – Two people were killed in protests in the State of Lara and the city of Barquisimeto.  In Guarenas, close to Caracas, looters entered a shopping center by force and ransacked stores as they passed.  <Is there even anything left in the stores to steal?  The shelving?>  One owner said he couldn’t tell if the looters were protesters or people who just took advantage of the situation.  Pres. Maduro was booed and had things thrown at him after a parade in San Felix.  <There’s where Gilbert’s grudge eggs would have come in handy.  A friend in the US put away groceries and forgot he put the eggs on top of the top cabinets.  He found them a long time later and played with the idea of throwing them at someone he had a grudge against.>

Brasil – Marcelo Odebrecht admitted to opening an account with $13 million to finance expenses such as the land for the headquarters of the Instituto Lula for ex-Pres. Lula da Silva.  The high court has authorized investigations into the 5 living ex-presidents from 1985 to 2016; 8 ministers, 3 governors, 24 senators and 37 representatives who are alleged beneficiaries of the Petrobras corruption network. <We in the US are so far ahead of developing and 3d world nations.  All those contributions would be legal.  That’s why we have no political corruption.>

Deportes –

Muscles – The Miss and Míster Cuenca contest will be el próximo sábado in the theater at the CCE.  The contestants will be weighed in at 9:00 with the program starting at 16:00.  Cost for contestants to enter: $15.00.  Cost for the public to watch: $5:00. <Heck, I have no idea what sports you’re all interested in.  I’m just throwing the spaghetti against the wall to see if it sticks.>

“Jueves de motos” – There will be a motorcycle stunt event today from 19-22:00 in the parking lot of the Mall del Río with “pilotos” (pilots – but also used for race car and motorcycle competition drivers.)  <It seems to imply a level of skill ordinary drivers or choferes don’t have.> from Ecuador, Colombia and India.  <I wonder how the Indian got into this exhibition.>

Discuentos y compras –

RM – 15% off sale on clothing – 12-14/4 – conditions apply.

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne