Had another chat with my friend who is going for the same two jobs as me. Actually it seems he’s much more interested in working with the new commissioner from his mother’s native country per se, rather than (as I am) going for the new commissioner with particular responsibility for the Balkans. Latest gossip (which I had picked up over a very interesting breakfast yesterday) is that his target commissioner will not be getting the Balkan job.

So anyway, I’ve finished doing up my application form for NATO, and since I’ve had to cancel my trip to Rome on Monday to finish the Kosovo paper, I’ll try and hand it in in person. As Anne reassured me, he can’t get both of the jobs that I’m chasing.

One thing that worries me is this: the reason my friend got in touch in the first place was to ask me to write something in my professional capacity for the magazine he edits. The same day, someone else solicited an article from me for his sf zine. I found the latter request much more attractive than the former.