Two down - eight to go ..........

The theme of the fotos this week is Trujillo architecture ......

Tomorrow I start week three of my ten week stint of classes for the holidays. They are going well and apart from a hiccup with attendance, the students are learning to be punctual and too concentrate when in class, neither thing being high up on their list of priorities!

The Conservatorio is a mad house for the holidays – every room is packed out with kids learning, piano, violin, recorder, guitar, dance, …. virtually you name it and we teach it! But it is rather sad to see otherwise serious and sober professors, taking classes of up to 10 or 12 screaming and over enthusiastic children, who for instance are bashing hell out of percussion, or exploring electronic organs full throttle, when the sole motivation is money.  For the summer courses the professors get 70% of the “take” and the conservatoire makes 30%, this results in some professors being able to make the equivalent to their monthly salary in a third of the time! So they all make hay whilst the sun shines, wearing fixed smiles and simply thinking of the dosh!

My room by contrast is a haven of calm where I deliver courses in harmony (traditional and modern), aural training, orchestration, piano accompaniment, conducting, piano accompaniment, piano solo, and have an orchestra and a chamber choir, along with about 10 small chamber groups. It is particulary gratifying that the younger students who are preparing for entry as full-time (superior level) students  increasing in numbers each week. I only hope that their enthusiasm can be maintained both for the next 7 weeks and when they join in April.

I am planning some end of course concerts and along with rehearsals for the opera, I am doing about 60 hours a week teaching / rehearsing, tiring but good fun! And I hope of real benefit to the students.

As a reward for all this effort plans are progressing for my holiday, Nick and I have decided on Colombia!  And we plan to spend 10 days on the Caribbean coast staying in Cartagena and Santa Marta – nice mid-range boutique hotels – plenty of rest and relaxation, food and DRINK!

I still feel completely at home here, a fellow professor commented that I was becoming a real Trujillano, as I seemed to have tried most of the popular restaurants, knew the way to do things, and am adopting Trujilo customs!  So pleased!  So long as I feel that I can make a contribution, that I have the motivation, and yes, feel appreciated, then I think I could make a home here for some time.  I am going to make a serious review in August at the end of the next academic term to decide on 2014 and beyond, but until next December I shall continue to be here and see how life develops. If I had a residential visa then I could do some work here, and there is a lot of potential to earn money teaching and whist I remind myself I am “retired” the ability to boost my income would just mean I could enjoy my time even more.

I am daily thankful for the support shown me by Nick, I knew that when we started to chat on-line back last July he had the potential to be a good friend, and that has proven to be true.  I have made sure that my routine includes plenty of time for us to get to know each other and so, I am strict with myself and I do say "no" to things so that time with him is not reduced or interrupted, but has quality and value. 

He too has a pressurised job working for a huge logistics company in the food sector, he is in charge of insuring all products are correctly labelled and packed according to the rules and regulations of every country where he has clients including, USA, UK and most of Europe. He has excellent English and his skills are appreciated, he too works 12 hour days, but unusually for Peru he does not work on Saturdays. So down time for both of us is precious. 

 We are both probably eating too well, too often, and too much, but the food here is so good, so varied and relatively, so cheap (although we both have a penchant for the delights of parrillada restaurants  (steaks and roasts) which are a bit pricier…. As it is hard to resist a well cooked slab of meet, a mountain of chips and salad and 1.5 litres of sangria!  But we are both trying (not terribly hard) to cut down ready for the splurge in April.  

Monday 21^st marks the completion of three months here in Trujillo, three months in the Conservatorio and three months with Nick – guess what …………. We simply have to celebrate the occasion and as I enjoy, probably another steak, I shall also lift my glass to my dear friend and “bro” Martin, who celebrates his birthday and to my other friends who, through their (your) kindness, emotional support and general care and attention have enabled me to be on this journey of a life time. I feel truly  at the moment – karma?

Last Saturday Nick and I went to Rocky’s a huge, 800 seat restaurant that serves chicken roasted over hot coals, chocker block with families enjoying a night out, with free entertainment (an appalling mariachi band [in comparison to the real McCoy in mexico]) play areas for the hoards of kids, but we found a table outside and I watched agog as tray after tray of roast chickens went whizzing past – but I have been told they water down the beer to make more profit – which is probably true …… the experience was more Albert Square than Downton Abbey! 

It has been really interesting this last few weeks to work with another UK, Otra Cosa, Volunteer, Kathryn, who is a language student at Durham University, here as part of her 3^rd year practical year. She is making a great impact with the students especially as she is coaching the singers in foreign languages. It is her first time outside of Europe and I am enjoying sharing her experiences of being “brought up short” as she confronts the culture shock and realities of life in a developing economy. 

Last night in the main square was packed, as they held the “Miss Turrismo La Libertad” competition, all tiny swimming costumes, pouting lips, breast enhancements and botox-ed bums!  Costume malfunctions could easily have been the order of the day, so little straining to support so much! To me all a bit unedifying; political correctness and the emancipation of women has a long way to go here, but the square was well lit for the occasion and it was fun to watch the men drooling whilst being poked in the ribs by the girlfriends they were supposed to be out with, and paying attention to!   Still trying to work out the connection between tourism and "models".

I have to make time to improve my Spanish! I am subjecting everybody to my erratic skills and simply do not have the time to improve them, I manage to communicate and I prattle on in my lectures and classes but it must be horrible to have to listen to your language being eviscerated even if it is done with bags of enthusiasm ….. one student has politely suggested that I might benefit from some lessons!   Note to self, from April 4 hours lessons a week well definitely 2!

If you are reading this in the UK, wrap up warm!  The very thought of bad weather makes me wince as I remember the condition of the weather when I broke my leg so badly.  Here the temperature rises a little every week and summer will be here full-on in the next two weeks.


More  soon   ............