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.
La Guaira is located in the Vargas municipality of the Federal District, 20 km from Caracas.Its history is full of people interested on owning the entrance to the territory known today as the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. At first is was the Arauacos natives who some 500 years before Cristóbal Colón were removed from their lands by the Caribes. Next, The nation Tarma took over the stretch of coast between Puerto Maya and Tuy Valley until a guaqueri named Francisco Fajardo arrived in 1555 and established a villa called "Villa del Rosario." According to some historians, La Guaira (in those days Huaria) was officialy founded in 1589 by Diego de Osorio who called it San Pedro de la Guaira. Then and now, La Guaira has been the most important port of Venezuela.
La Guaira has gone trough many occupations thoughout its history in addition to earthquakes (1810) and floods (1999). It was originally created as a protection for the capital and an important harbor. Because of these activities, a road was built between Caracas and it's port known as "El Camino de los Españoles". This road would become of a strategic and economic value throughout the years.
There is no real foundation of the city, but the settings of warehouses and cellars on the bankside of the river would finally lead to the construction of residential areas.
La Guaira has been the capital's main port since before 1580. It was where merchant ships arrived bringing goods to Caracas. Its urban structure was slowly defined throughout the XVII century. It obtains its fortified aspect in defence of pirates and privateers at the end of the XVIII century.
The topography where La Guaira is situated (a thin piece of land between the mountains and the sea) was the less indicated to apply the usual colonial urban layout. This doesn't mean that the city's structure was accidental. The city centre of La Guaira is historically and morphologically related with the port activities. The urban pattern is dense and homogeneous, where low-rise and traditional buildings are organised around “patios" or internal gardens.
Along with the city planning, urban guidelines defined two parallel roads east west, which repeat the urban criterion seen since the creation of mercantile cities in Europe in the Middle Ages.
The design is based on an urban centre situated around the main streets (longitudinally) and other secondary streets for transversal communication. The most important public and religious buildings conditioned the location of the urban squares.
La Guaira’s urban tissue has been conserved until today. The 1812 earthquake affected the city and some of the houses were rebuilt in an architectural typology similar to the colonial. It has also lost many of its representative monuments throughout it's historical evolution. Many of the fortresses disappeared during the harbour's communication expansion. What's left of the city's urban structure is separate from any possible future development.
The examples of the XIX century colonial civil architecture cannot be analysed separately in La Guaira. The city itself is its architecture. If the buildings are observed separately, it is difficult to find architectural values, but they are essential to complete the whole perception.
The house's distributive and formal typology is practically the same, although the dimensions determine a hierarchy between the bigger ones in the lower part of the city and the smaller ones in the upper part.
Some of these were conceived as residential on both floors and others as commercial on the lower floors and residential on the higher ones. Although it is in Puerto Cabello where the most interesting examples are found, there are still some of them here.
There are important buildings and spaces of heritage value in La Guaira such as :
La Guaira’s San Pedro Apostle cathedral (National Heritage)
El Carmen hermitage (National Heritage)
Guipuzcoana Company building (National Heritage)
House of the painter Emilio Boggio (National Heritage)
Fort of El Vigia (National Heritage)
Castle of San Carlos (National Heritage)
Fort of San Agustin (National Heritage)
Fort Mapunte (National Heritage)
The fortresses on the Camino de los Españoles (National Heritage):
Fort El Salto (National Heritage)
Castle of San Joaquin de la Cumbre (National Heritage)
The Kerepakupai merú is also known as "Angel's Falls" (Salto Angel). Kerepakupai merú is the pemon tribe's name to this beautiful falls.
Kerepakupai merú is the highest in the world, with a height of 979 m of which 807 m is uninterrupted.This falls is generated by the waters of Churún river from the Auyantepuy. It is located in the National Park Canaima in Bolivar State, Venezuela. On June 12, 1962, the National was established and declared World Heritage Site in 1994 by the UNESCO. The Canaima National Park covers a great territory extending to the borders with Guyana and Brazil.
The name given by the Pemon Kerepakupai-merú means "The fall to the deepest place" («caída de agua hasta el sitio más profundo»). It's discovery is a matter of disagreement since some historian attribute the first discovery to Ernesto Sánchez, an explorer in 1910 who notified his discovery to the Ministery of Mines and Petroleum in Caracas. Other historians attribute the "discovery" to an Armada captain Félix Cardona Puig, who in 1927, together with Mundó Freixas, mapped the area all the way to the Auyantepui. Cardona's articles and Maps made Jimmy Angel curious. So curious indeed that Jimmy Angel got in contact with Cardona to make various visits to the Falls in 1937. On the 21st of May,1937, Cardona accompany Jimmy Angel to a fly over the falls. In September of that same year, Jimmy Angel insisted on landing at the top of the Auyantepuy. In doing so, he caused the plane to get stuck. Because the plane landed safely without any of its passengers getting hurt, the locals decided to name the falls after Angel. As a result, the name better known today is that of Angel's Falls. To the pemons, Kerep is the name of the river and Kerepakupai merú the name of the falls.
For many years people were in the mistaken impression that the Falls name wrongly Churún-merú, but this name belongs to a smaller falls of approximately 400 meters height located at the end Devil's Canyon (Cañón del Diablo). Nowadays, the fourth highest falls in the world.
In the mid 1700's the Venezuelan peasants refered to social gatherings and family reunions as joropo instead of using the word "fandango"used in Spain to refer to the flamenco songs and dances. Borrowing from the fandango dance and song and mixing it with the turns and holding hands of the waltz, the joropo was born. Joropo like the Venezuelan people represents many cultures by using elements of europe,africa and native. From europe, the way words are used to tell a story based on the life of its people. String instruments like the harp and cuatro accompany the words bring european elements. Then, the rhythms from africa come to play in the presence of drums of many musical colors. Last but not least, the native part of the Venezuelan culture is represented by the maracas.
Joropo is not only music but also a dance and a way of life. In festivities, people dance to the rhythm of joropo from different regions. Different regions use different dancing styles reflected by the instruments used and the way the joropo is danced. The joropo hasthree main steps used: el joropo valseado (Waltzing Joropo), El joropo escobillado and the joropo zapatiado. El Joropo valseado is at the beginning when the couple embrace each other and do waltz turns in a rapid manner. Next, the couple face each other and moving their feet making short avances while the partner moves backwards making what appears to be sweeping moves. The third one, el zapatiado, is done mainly by the male figure while the female continues with el escobillado.
There are several joropos depending on the the regions such as el joropo llanero, el joropo central,el joropo oriental, el joropo centro-occidental and the joropo from the andes region.
So, how can we tell the different joropos? well, for so people who do not know anything about this style of music it might sound all the same. To the Spanish speakers there are differnces such as the instruments use to play the joropo in their respectiv regions. One such example is the joropo from the flat lands-Joropo Llanero. This joropo is played with harps with nylon strings or a bandola llanera, cuatro and maracas.
El Joropo Central is played using harp with metal strings,maracas, buche (voice) and no cuatro is used.
In el Joropo Oriental you can hear the guitar, bandolin (mandolin) and sometimes the accordion of many sizes are used. This type of joropo is also known as el golpe.
Around the Spanish speaking countries there are many festivals that take place in July. In Spain there is the annual feria. It is said by many of my friends that this festival lasts a whole week. There are two fairs a day fair and a night fair. During the fairs people can enjoy the paella and lots of Spanish music.
I have been told that that on the evening of July 16th the residents of Estepona celebrate la Virgen del Carmen. Her statue is carried through the town and then placed on a boat that has been decorated with flowers and lanterns. Then all those present pray for the fishermen lost at sea and for for still going out to sea to fish everyday.
Masses are give every evening from the 13th of July until the 16th with offerings. Once the blessing finish, la Virgen Del Carmen statue is carried back to the church.
In Mexico there many festivals in July like the Guelaguetza in 2007. The Guelaguetza is a presentation of dances, music and folklore by delegations from each of the seven traditional regions of the state of Oaxaca, presented in the open air amphitheater on the Cerro del Fortin (Hill of the fortress) overlooking the city of Oaxaca. It takes place on two Mondays in July from about 09:00 to 1:00 am and the weather is always perfect on those mornings. The exact date of the two Mondays is based on the ancient calendar for the feast of the goddess of tender corn, modified by the catholic spanish to the feast of our lady of carmen which is July 16. Thus it is the two Mondays AFTER July 16, except when July 18 (anniversary of the death of Benito Juarez) falls on Monday and then the first Lunes del Cerro or Guelaguetza would be on July 21 and the second on July 28. The festivities begin on the feast of Carmen (July 16) and continue until after the second monday.
On July 5th, the Declaration of Independence Day was just celebrated In Venezuela. On the 24th, Venezuela will celebrate Bolivar's birth. Although, in a letter to his cousin Fanny du Villars, Bolivar reassured her that he was born on July 25th but because that day was the day of San Santiago his birthday was moved to the 24th. This photo is Bolivar's birthplace in the Plaza of San Jacinto in Caracas, Venezuela. Others state that Bolivar was born in San Mateo and was registered in Caracas. If you think that spanish speakers have long names look at Bolivar's name as given to him at birth: Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar de la Concepción y Ponte Palacios y Blanco. What about that! I would like to see how many computers deal with this name.
According to tradition, a presbyter called Honesto arrived in Roman Pamplona in the 3rd century. He had been sent by San Saturnino, who was also known as San Cernín,to evangelise the city. While in Pamplona, he converted a senator named Firmo and his family to the Christian faith. Firmo's son named Fermín was christened by San Saturnino at the place now known as the pocico (the little well) de San Cernin and was ordained into the priesthood in Toulouse (France).
At the age of thirty one, Fermin went to preach in Galia at first and nex to Aquitania, Auvernia and Anjou; much later, in Amiens,where he baptised more than 3,000 people and ended in carcerated, tortured and decapitated on September 25th.
Fermin's body was buried in secret by some christians until it was discovered on January 13th of the year 615, in San Salvio . His remains were transported to a nearby city with beautiful gothic architecture of the 15th century.
According to tradition, San Fermín was the first Bishop of Pamplona, although his veneration is not recorded until the 12th century thanks to litanies from Amiens, in which he appeared from the 8th century onwards. San Fermín is now co-patron saint of Navarre with St Francis Xavier, and is also the patron of boot makers, wine traders and bakers.
Every year from July 6th through the 14th, the San Fermin festivities take place in Pamplona. It is a festival known for the Enclosure-bull run through the old part of the city among other things. At noon on the 6th, the Chupinazo begins the festivities of San Fermin. The inauguration begins with the mayor standing at the City Council balcony calling out: "¡Pamploneses! ¡Viva San Fermin! ¡Gora San Fermin!. Next, the fuse of the rocket is lit up and at the moment when the explosion sounds thousands of people holding red handkerchieves cheer, sing, dance,drink and spray Champagne celebrating the occasion.
Everyday the enclosure will take place with bulls from different ranches. On the 7th the enclosure will start with the bulls from Conde de la Corte Ranch and will end with bulls from the Núñez del Cuvillo Ranch . As in years past PETA and AnimaNaturis will protest by representing bull skins and wearing stabbed with the banderillas used in bullfights at the doors of Plaza de Toros. On saturday the 13th at 1 p.m. they will remain on the floor representing the death of 50 bulls this year wearing the banderillas on their backs and smeared with artificial blood.
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.
