The blogging adventure will continue again once I have moved to Hereford, end September 2022: November 1. A quiet week.

A quiet week.

The week started with a lovely tea-time with Paula one of my excellent students, it was great to hear how well here voice has developed.

And then .............

After all the drama of the last few weeks if was so good to have quiet week. Each day I received an excuse as to why the Director of Culture could not see me and each day I taught some of my old students so there was some balance, and just as 3 years ago each evening Nick and I met up to go out for something to eat and to talk about our day.

Bureaucracy rears it's very ugly head.

On Thursday, I was given my long awaited appointment, one final wait of 45 minutes whilst all the staff took time off from real work in order to celebrate the Birthday of the Director, I was ushered into her office. I was presented with my “execution panel” of five managers, The Director had invited the entire selection panel plus one other manager (no idea who he was), basically I was told that the first part of the selection process was based on a pro-forma application form and all other supporting evidence was not allowed to be consulted and yes, whilst it was obvious that I had much more than the minimum requirements for the post applied for, on the form I had failed to establish 8 years of experience as one section was discounted. I was given 7 years and 5 months “credit” but owing to the limitations of the form I had to put some six posts in the space allotted for one, so I gave this section a generic title and then listed the various posts including up to 20 years association with various orchestras mainly in India. Conservatively I had 8 -9 years concrete experience plus the 7 years 5 months, so maybe 16 years! (rather more than the 8 required)

I had written “Independent Professional Musician" in the job-title box and then listed each post as “Director of orchestra of x” and “Organist of”, “Accompanist to” and “Visiting Professor at” etc all with the number of years BUT as I had failed to use the term “Director” IN the box everything subsequently written was worthless! So I was rejected for three misplaced words!

Yes, you read that correctly ........ I lost an opportunity for THREE WORDS!

If it wasn't so pathetic it would be funny.

The Director said to me that she was sorry, but the system was the system, [all hail the system] and the committee had to follow the rules, it was “lamentable” to use her exact word, but she hoped I would apply again in January as, she was now very desperate to fill the post. I hope the requirements would not change, but she could not guarantee this and I would simply have to wait and see what was required in January.

I shall be ready for them!

Many of my Peruvian friends here so embarrassed by the crazy world of government bureaucracy. To them ......"Thanks for the kind words."

And I am now going to move on and forget this nonsense!

And Peru wonders why it is not advancing as it should.

Another example has occurred this week.

Passport to travel without let or hindrance.

From December 4 Peruvians will no longer need a Schengen Visa to visit Europe (not the UK) – this has been negotiated for over 2 years - but this is concession is subject to having a biometric passport and, yes, you have guessed it, 99% of passports issued are not biometric! And the process to obtain one has not been clarified.

The three police in the background spent more than an hour texting rather than working!

Had two lovely reunions with friends this week, Wednesday with Gerrardo and a visit to the much missed Metropolitan Pizza and Crepes Cafe and then last night with Lucio and Marco at Lucio's “pied a terre” in town.

Lucio, Michael, Nick, Marco

Nick and I starting to think about what we do next January on my more permanent return to Peru. So a very interesting two months ahead for both of us.