What do you guys do for living?

[Maty]

I do ancient history. Teach it, write about it. I won't get rich that way, but it's a reasonable living. And as someone once said - the secret of happiness is to find what you like, and figure out how to get paid for doing it.

[Northern Neil]

I am a psychiatric nurse. A considerable second income comes from guitar and double bass playing - mainly Jazz, but occasionally Rock n' Roll / Rockabilly.

[Faustus]

I

[docoflove1974]

I do ancient history. Teach it, write about it. I won't get rich that way, but it's a reasonable living. And as someone once said - the secret of happiness is to find what you like, and figure out how to get paid for doing it.

 

As a professor of mine once wrote: One doesn't get into academia to get rich...it's all about the passion to learn!

[Kosmo]

I feel stupid!

 

I do know that Bucharest is the capital of Romania (who could forget Caecescu's ((sp?)) final mussellini impression). For some reason I thought kosmo was bulgarian.

 

Romania and Bulgaria are being discriminated against in UK. Over the last four years hundreds of thousands of polish and baltic workers have come to my country but the government has decided to impose strict restrictions against romanian and bulgarian citizens.

 

That was Ceausescu.

For romanian workers it's easier to go to other neolatin countries because they can learn italian or spanish in weeks (and the weather it's better). So many people had left that they started bringing chinese and turks to work here. Unemployment it's in some cities 0,5%.

The british ban affects more the educated people and it's more of a political move (look we are fighting rampant emigration!!!) because the UK was never an important destination for romanian emigrants.

[Sertorious]

Business Director for a sales training consultancy!!! Got talked into sciences at college - all I wanted to do was History but they said it would be a waste of time!!!! Consequently I have history as an all consuming hobby. I do a lot of historical interpretation on the Western Front and currently am heavily into the Republic and becoming more interested in the 'Classical' era.

Guido

[Primus Pilus]

I count beans. For anyone who keeps track of such things... refried beans are infinitely more difficult to count than most other kinds of beans.

 

Seriously, I'm a corporate controller who, if not for my moderate level paycheck, would absolutely regret the path that took me so far away from full time historical pursuits. Then again, knowing my personality and my desire to separate work from personal interests, full time occupation in the historical field might have possibly deadened the passion that I maintain as an "amateur".

[Gaius Octavius]

P.P., get any back dated options?

 

 

(I'm !)

[cornelius_sulla]

Woah. Some of you guys is professional. I'm a labourer in New Zealand. It's backbreaking hard work but it is rewarding (definitely not in a monetary sense, more in the knowing that you did the job in front of you, and you did it well) Most people I know feel embarassed for me when I proudly state what I do. I don't get that. Somebody has to do the spadework-might as well be me. The job's a no brainer, and you can leave work at work so that when you get home you can geek out on Roman history. I moonlight as a musician - I play guitar with my friends in a fun band (metal!), drums in a band that is a better earner, and fill in on bass at the local blues club here in Auckland.

Y'know, when you write it all down, you aren't as boring as you thought you were!

[Kosmo]

Y'know, when you write it all down, you aren't as boring as you thought you were!

 

Errr, thanks...!?!

[Gaius Octavius]

Y'know, when you write it all down, you aren't as boring as you thought you were!

 

Errr, thanks...!?!

 

Kosmic:

 

Methinks that C Sulla was referring to himself.

 

[Faustus]

Woah. Some of you guys is professional. I'm a labourer in New Zealand. It's backbreaking hard work but it is rewarding (definitely not in a monetary sense, more in the knowing that you did the job in front of you, and you did it well) Most people I know feel embarassed for me when I proudly state what I do. I don't get that. Somebody has to do the spadework-might as well be me. The job's a no brainer

I'm with you on that. As a builder, I would give up the 'clean' inside work, giving it to a junior man to be in a ditch, even when it was only to "muck-it-out". Most people have no idea of the strategies involved with a laborer's work: How to 'pitch' a shovel load most effectively, even where to throw it, the leverage involved without snapping off a handle, how to chip out a rock, and how to do all that without extreme fatigue, and damaging body parts. And then there's the strategy of putting pipe together in the grimy tight quarters of a ditch; not quite the no brainer you called it, though.

[cornelius_sulla]

I'm with you on that. As a builder, I would give up the 'clean' inside work, giving it to a junior man to be in a ditch, even when it was only to "muck-it-out". Most people have no idea of the strategies involved with a laborer's work: How to 'pitch' a shovel load most effectively, even where to throw it, the leverage involved without snapping off a handle, how to chip out a rock, and how to do all that without extreme fatigue, and damaging body parts. And then there's the strategy of putting pipe together in the grimy tight quarters of a ditch; not quite the no brainer you called it, though.

I retract the 'no brainer' statement. You're right, mate. There is a lot more to it than just digging holes. I'm much like you, Faustus; I don't like the easy jobs, or even the clean ones. Give me dirt and graft and I'm happy as. Can't seem to get the hang of a desk, and I've tried. I much prefer, like you, the challenge of being at the bottom of a ditch, up to my knees in mud and water, space limited and a pipe to fit by yesterday.

The thing that irks me is the look of astonishment when strangers realise that I can read.