"Do you like your work?"

When I visited my aunt in Berlin recently, this was a question she asked a few times: "Do you like your work?" ("Magst du deine Arbeit?") I thought it was strange that she asked it more than once. It was as though she couldn't believe that anyone could actually like what they do for a living. Her dream job was kindergarten teacher, but she decided to go for the security of being a 'Beamte', a civil servant. It's a position that is almost impossible to be fired from and you end up with a good pension.

Anyway, I reassured her that translation was something I had dreamed of doing since my first French lesson at the age of 11 and I realised that translation was a thing. I also like teaching English. 

"Is there anything else you would like to have done?" she asked.

Here's the list of jobs I have thought of doing since childhood onwards:

- farmer

- zoo keeper

- following in Gerald Durrell's footsteps

- bare-back rider in the circus (thanks to Enid Blyton's Galliano's Circus books)

- explorer

- jewel thief (after seeing Cary Grant play one - only the thought of women's prisons prevented me from starting a life of crime)

- cancer researcher

- pathologist (I watched a lot of Quincy)

- saviour of the world (I knew all the answers at the age of 14)

- detective (I like finding things out)

- teacher of German (I teach English instead)

- translator

- working for a publishing company

- working for the secret services (I like finding things out)

- gardener/landscaper

- restaurant owner/cook

- information broker (I like finding things out)

- nutritionist

- textile restorer (6 years at Cologne university!!)

- doing the props for films

- radio actor (the BBC used to have their own acting company for the radio)

- doing the make-up and special effects for films

- having my own radio show on BBC Radio 2

- children's author...

I think that's it.

The nearest I get to being a detective is tracking down the right word and spelling for the texts I translate. 

The nearest I get to writing is translating. 

The nearest I get to being a children's author is reading stories on the first Saturday of the month for the toddlers at the English Library. 

The nearest I get to being an explorer is leading walks for my walking group. 

The nearest I shall get to having my own radio show is the singalong that I hope to hold on the second Tuesday of every month. The first session will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday 8 February. I'm scared but excited.