Almost a year ago, the Venezuelan government released the new currency to be used starting this year named "Bolivar Fuerte" or Strong Bolivar versus the currently used (weak?) Bolivar. With the introduction of the new currency it was only fitting for the old and current Bolivar to hit a new low on the black market exchange of $6000 Bs. per $1 US or $6 Bolivar Fuerte per $1 US.
In January of 2007 the black market exchange was around $3,800 per $1 US, in other words the Bolivar has lost ~63% of its value in 10 months. Now I'm not totally opposed to the removal of zeros from the currency since for years people have unofficially been removing them. For example if you go to a store and the item costs $1000 they will often just say one bolivar. What is wrong is that the government is advertising the "new Bolivar Fuerte" as more stable when in fact the only thing that will have changed is the number of zeros and the pictures. Whether the Bs per US $ goes from 3,800 to $6,000 or 3.8 to 6 the currency still loses 63% of it's value, so in reality nothing changes.
1899 Jorge Luis Borges is born in Buenos Aires on August 24.
1899 - 1914 Borges is primarily educated at home by his parents and English grandmother.
1914-1921 The Borges family travels around Europe, evading the war. Most of the time is spent in Geneva, where Borges attends school from 1914 - 1919, moving to Spain for the next year and a half.
1921 Family returns to Argentina
1923 Publishes Fervor de Buenos Aires, his first book of poems.
1925 Publishes Luna de Enfrente, his second book of poems.
1929 Publishes Cauderno San Martín, his third book of poems. Wins Second Municipal Prize of 3000 pesos for a book of essays.
1930 Publishes the book Evaristo Carriego.
1932 Publishes Discusión, the earliest of his essay collections to survive.
1933 - 1934 Publishes A Universal History of Infamy.
1936 Publishes A History of Eternity, a collection of essays.
1937 Gets job as First Assistant in the Miguel Cané branch of the Municipal Library, a position he would hold for nine years.
1938 His father dies On Christmas Eve, he injures his head and falls ill.
1939 Struggles with septicemia for one month. Writes "Pierre Menard, Author of Don Quixote," generally considered to be the first real "Borgesian" story.
1942 Publishes The Garden of Forking Paths, a collection of short stories.
1942 Publishes Six Problems for Don Isidro Parodi, co-written with Adolfo Bioy-Casares under the joint pen-name of "Bustos Domecq."
1944 Publishes Artifices, a second collection of stories which is added to The Garden of Forking Paths and retitled as Ficciones.
1946 Publishes Two Memorable Fantasies, co-written with Adolfo Bioy-Casares under the joint pen-name of "Bustos Domecq." Resigns from Library position when Perón gains power. Starts teaching English and American literature.
1949 Publishes The Aleph, his second major collection of stories.
1950 Elected President of the Sociedad Argentina de Ecritores
1952 Publishes Other Inquisitions, his principal collection of essays.
1955 Appointed Director of the National Library after Perón falls.
1956 Named to the professorship of English and American Literature at the University of Buenos Aires, a position he would hold for twelve years.
1960 Publishes El hacedor or "The Maker," which was retitled later in English as Dreamtigers.
1961 Shares the Formentor Prize with Samuel Beckett, bringing him international recognition. Invited to the University of Texas as Visiting Professor.
1964 Publishes El Otro, el mismo, his forth book of poems.
1967 Marries Elsa Astete Millán Publishes The Chronicles of Bustos Domecq, co-written with Adolfo Bioy-Casares under the joint pen-name of "Bustos Domecq."
1969 Publishes Elogio de la sombra, his fifth book of poems. Publishes The Book of Imaginary Beings, co-written with Margarita Guerrero.
1970 Publishes Dr. Brodie's Report, his third collection of stories.
Divorces Elsa. 1971 Receives an honorary degree from Oxford.
1972 Publishes El oro de los tigres, his sixth book of poems.
1973 Resigns as Director of the National Library.
1975 Publishes The Book of Sand, his forth collection of stories. Mother dies at age 99. Publishes La rosa profunda, his seventh book of poems.
1977 Publishes Historia de la noche, his eighth book of poems.
1983 Awarded the Légion d'Honneur.
1985 Publishes Los conjurados, his ninth book of poetry and prose.
1986 Marries María Kodama. Dies in Geneva at age 86.
Hello;
In this blog I wish to teach my first language Castellano or as many know it Spanish. We all speak Spanish, but use different words to refer to certain things. I find the same thing happening in the English Language. In the USA, we say the trunk of a car while in England is the boot. Hope you enjoy and learn at your own pace.
