Sunday 22nd July

Last week I was chatting with a friend…at the pub…yes, my spiritual home…

We talked about jobs, and how so many jobs in the modern world are totally obscure in their meaning to us.  When we were on our sailing adventure we met lots of people who sail around endlessly, and seem quite prosperous and well-fed in spite of having no visible source of income.  “Oh,” they say, airily.  “I work two or three hours a day on my computer.  I am a Sociothumpian Data Program Analyst.  It pays very well.  Sociothumpian Data Program Analysts are in high demand nowadays.” 

Oh good.  I would train to become one of those…if I had any idea what it means!

In New Caledonia we met a very nice Canadian man, sailing for a year with his wife and teenage children.  I did understand what his job was – translating official documents from French-English or English-French for the Olympics.  That did make sense!  He also had another string to his bow and I had NO idea what he was talking about…but it did sound lucrative!