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Susie and I are headed to a Peruvian jazz festival.  This week.

It came about rather suddenly, through a series of friends and coincidences.  Basically, our good friends Robin and Amy have these other two friends who are music students studying (as they are wont) at USC.

They are also participating in and helping to organize the large annual Pervian jazz festival, “Festival Jazz en Lima.”

They put together a group of students and jazz enthusiasts from USC that we were not originally part of.  But a sudden cancellation of another member led to a latenight phone call from Robin, who said basically that if we could come up with some money in, oh, 7 hours, we could get in on a group rate and a great trip. That way, the group could keep their “group” status.  We’ll be leaving, arriving in Lima, in about a week.

Our plans from that point are rather loose. We know the hotel we’re staying at.  At night, we’ll be attending performances, which start about 5 p.m. each day and run until 2:30 a.m.  It won’t be so hard for us, because Peru is on East Coast time, and we normally stay up super late with our night owl genes.

The rest of the day is ours to wander Lima, or perhaps even take day trips along the coast—Lima is right on the pacific ocean, much to the equator than Florida.  (Side note: Peru borders on Ecuador, the country that makes equators, and will be the closest to the middle of the planet that I’ve been.) And we’ll also visit Machu Pichu, some thing that apparently is pretty cool like ruins or a waterfall or something.  I obviously need to do some more research.

The jazz festival, back to it, has been around since 1991.  For the fourteenth edition, (and the third-ever international Jazz Conference), the Asociaci?n Internacional Jazz Per? and the Peruvian American Cultural Institute (ICPNA) have chosen the theme “Music Changing Lives.”

If you have any advice or tips, or want us to bring a Peruvian treat back for you, please pass them along or ask, thanks!

Overheard

“The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil.”

...who said it?

“Almost every American I know does trade large portions of his life for entertainment, hour by weeknight hour, binge by Saturday binge, Facebook check by Facebook check. I’m one of them. In the course of writing this I’ve watched all 13 episodes of House of Cards and who knows how many more West Wing episodes, and I’ve spent any number of blurred hours falling down internet rabbit holes. All instead of reading, or writing, or working, or spending real time with people I love.”

...who said it?

“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”

...who said it?

“I play with variables constantly.”

...who said it?

“Only the person who has learned Continual Love coming from a heart of Gratitude/Worship can effectively deal with the problem of loneliness.”

...who said it?

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