A feeling of Barcelona by Simon

Here attached is a feeling of Barcelona gently provided by Simon Tarry. Amazing photographs, that really make us think that thanks God, Marta's bag got stolen rather than Simon's camera,...here there are some photgraphs for it is for any potential guests,...take care! Clickhere to have a feeling of the view

Here and in Lima

These last days have been strange and active. some consultancy work got comission to Joan in Lima for the World Bank just before a weekend in Barcelona. Weekend was busy, we experienced with having six friends of us from London, and was fun. The only incovenient was that Marta's bag with all her things got stolen whilst having a drink in Irati (a restuarant in the city centre , pretty nice). We could repot the crime on the internet, and we managed to replaced every thing ina few hours, the initial shock went off it is just a new story to tell. At the end of the day ,they only steal a replaceable object (although when the bag is Marta's, then the bg is probably more expensive than the content. Finally, the day after, someone discovered Marta's wallet and agenda in a bin nearby carrer del carme at the other sid eof Las ramblas, so the stroy ended up well. Anyhow, that night we were saved by Marta's sister Anna and Javier that went to Marta's parent to get another copy of Marta's car as we were supposed to drive all back home. That night Joan had no sleep as got the flight to Perú at 5 am, a KLM flight Barcelona-Amsterdam-Bonaire ( Dutch Antilles)- Lima, that took about 22 hours . Once in Lima, got cheated by the taxi driver , it is not corruption nor it is smuggling, simply that they don’t give back the right change and you assume people are honest. Food was excellent. Peru as the culinary capital of Latin America, even at the World Bank (WB) offices they eat properly.

WB Work was in group. Four or us headed by Monique Mrazek followed by Jorge Carichio from Chile and Oscar Humar an Argentinean from Slovenian origine. The Peruvian experience demostrates that “free” market means that a both local and international corporations are more free ad less tight to respct human and economic rights. Free means in developing countries lack of order, deregulation, no rules . As a result 20% of drugs are sold in the black market and nothing can be done, that despite the state regulates the market, there is no way to enforce the law, that 70% of pople cannot pay for basic health care needs. Some treatements cost twice the household monthly salary and there is no help whatsoever from the "free state".
In other words, it is a savage civilization despite all its modernity, it shoudl be the shame of US political influence. Shame on all of us for accepting the system like this. The country is in hand of few elites normally white that determine government priorities whilst the vast majority of the population has no real influence (middle classes and the poor). Salaries are really bad ( 70 £ a month in a city like Lima) and prices for certain essential products such as drugs are even higher that those of developed world. Average salary in Lima is approximately the same price as a room in our hotel which belongs to the American chain Marriot. The country's public servants all look totally captured by some interest groups with close links with the industry, they need to make thier life they say, bastards! The same aplied to doctors, with the exception of only few young doctors that still beleive in the hypocratic principles ruling doctors profession. The Pharmacy General director was a women ( such as the Minstry of Health) that we informally called ”la ministra”, a 1.40 m tall lady with corrupt face that cultivates bonsais as a main job actitivty. She is literally queen of the deparment and treated all the rest literally as "sheet". Next was the time to visit some labs and distributors called “doguerias”. The industry is divided into confronted local and foregin companies, but when needed they collude .

Security is not guaranteed by the state and Joan had trouble in a vist to a drugstore. After knocking the main building door , a guy at the other side of a black window asked for the passport ( and kept it for a long while) and inspect the taxi that was driving me (and waiting for me later to dive me back to downtown). Then literally a group a paramilitary carrying weapons escorted him to the operating offices and once there a bunch of gagster-type guys asked in a very strong and rude way: - “what do you want!”. Happyly, nothing happened, just another experience that might come out in the nest nightmare.

Peruvians are interesting, they are overall slim as food despite being excellent. Hardly anyone smokes ( and its clearly a symbol of low social position to smoke), people do not drink that much either. Typical beers are 'cristal' and a sort of pilsner not especially bad, but after the secondthey all look at you as an alcoholic.

We dont have time, not even to write a short note for our blog

Shall we stop the time? shall we change our routines? Are we happy with the current speed of live? Do we control our life? We dont even have time to have a thought about it.

Is money our goal? Is it worth it?

Money is for some a needed good to achieve what some most desire whilst for other is simply a dirty stuff, that is to accumulate money only cannot be the desire of one’s life. This sort of extrinsic goal does not make people happy and it has been demonstrated that does not even make people efficient.

Possibly the problem with money is that all want to have it. Money is what some economists call a “numeraire” for us to keep track of the value of things. For instance, to say that something is expensive, we would all refer to how much money will imply buying it. The problem is that not everything can be that easily translated into money, there are lots of thing we value and that we can even be able to sacrifice and to pay for (both in money and in time) that we value as much as money.

Another problem is that there are far too many things to keep track of what each single coin or note imply and cost. Those that have a salary often we forget the value of money and what can be done with it, until they really need money to meet the essentials. We might psychologically compare amounts of this good with more tangible things such as nice dinners, bright clothes and cozy weekends. In any case it is not easy to have an account of what money buys and, whatever it does it is not possible to have a precise idea of what could have alternatively been bought had we invested our funds in other sources.

Money in any case is or should be important if we are to accept and live, regardless of being or not a capitalistic society ( else we should need another numeraire). It is indeed important for ethical reasons as well as for othermore practical ones, though it is insuficient just to search for money alone. We individuals might have a natural inclination to selfishness, but we do care about our environment, our motivations and in general our meanings. Money has no acceptable meaning, we all need to be something but consumption organisms. We are social animals, and we need to experience individual pleasure and shared goals as members of wider groups and comunities.

Problem is that money is not totally deserved, is not the result of greater effort, and neither it comes form being better person but often from luck, innate talents and intergenerational transfers in addition to some limited effort. Hence, the ethics of money should lead us to be efficient after all, to invest in whatever is worth the effort, to beware of its value and the need to pursuit each individual’s selfish and collective goals.

Tourist are cool, sometimes too much! (notice what is written on the wall)