YES! That's the relaxing part. You know every bit by name.
YES! That's the relaxing part. You know every bit by name.
, but I continue the interpreting. but am not interested in changing my career anymore.
How do we interpret that for your next phase of life with the Grenadier?...I graduated as an electronic engineer, and then, more or less:
Yes, I have also a LinkedIn profile
- two years research on semiconductors at University in Ghent, Belgium
- two years sabbatical leave in South America (backpacking). Came back with my first wife (Brazilian)
- two years Quality Management consultant in Belgium (1st son born)
- four years Quality Management manager in a wire drawing factory in Ecuador (occasional electronic repairs and maintenance in the factory) (+ two more sons)
- four years Maintenance Management consultant in Tunisia
- two years Maintenance Management consultant for the same company in Belgium and a lot of short assignments on all continents except Oceania and Antartica.
- two years "internal" Quality Management consultant for the main Gas company in Belgium
- since 2000 till 2020 independent (own business, one man company) Quality and Maintenance Management consultant with assignments mainly in Belgium, but also quite some short missions abroad
- since 2020 only "sworn interpreter" for Belgian authorities in mainly Portuguese and French (I live in the Dutch speaking part of the country) and sometimes Spanish and English, but I already did that occasionally since 2009.
- retired since April 1st 2022
The next step will be to stop interpreting, but I enjoy it: no stress, no preparation, no afterwork besides the invoicing! And I get my pension from the Government, and the interpreting money also from the Government
You’re one of the reasons so many young men and women survived previously unsurvivable injuries then, and came home to their families.. Thank you for your service.
I was about to say the same
Not me
Civil (complex and commercial) litigator over here. No fancy hobbies by night, only dad and DIYer
Not me
Thank you for the nice words. It is definitely a team game!
I t stops us going completely mad.
I could have used you this morning. I currently have three holes in me, and a number of frozen bits, courtesy of a visit to my dermatologist. Irish skin in the tropics huh - who'd have thought.I’m an anatomical pathologist , anatomical pathology being the gold standard of diagnosis when it comes to the need to take a biopsy to confirm or investigate a diagnosis.
A bit like an OBD tool – microscopy takes guessing out of the equation!
A fair proportion of my work concerns cancer diagnosis , often a highly complex and time consuming task of which the patient is generally unaware.
I don’t do the job for likes , thanks or joy – there is none!
But I enjoy being a contributor to a team that keeps people in the best state of health possible so they can get on with their lives.
That said , like a pilot there is no room for error and a constant stream of work under time pressure conditions. I have no control over the workload and am salaried – not paid/case.
After 26 years of FT work , for my sanity I decided to step back to a 7 day fortnight, which gives me mental circuit breakers. After all , each day requires the mental effort you would recall from 2x3 hour exams in high school/uni.
How did I get here?
At school I enjoyed science , esp physics , and was an amateur astronomer. Just before the end of matric I applied for medicine as I figured 6 years study – which I was good at – and no rush to enter the workforce.
Accepted onto a surgical training program but after 2 years of ICU , A&E , plastics , orthopaedics and the like had had enough of the afterhours and wanted to see my wife more often (she is a GP).
So I switched ; 6 years more study and at 32 fully minted as a pathologist.
The Port Arthur massacre (’96) was a “highlight” and being involved in the mortuary at the time was a sobering experience.
My job uses hands (dexterity in performing surgical cut ups of biopsies ranging from small to large.
(I performed >1000 autopsies in training , but none since ’97) and eyes/brain. It’s an evolving and complex field ,especially nowadays with molecular pathology and complex targeted treatments for various cancers. Keeping up with the latest and greatest is necessary - and monitored by the “authorities”.
Regrets? Yes maybe – perhaps should have done Ag science or geology, because I love getting out in the wild and bringing back stuff to study – it’s a hobby now, and should keep me active in my dotage.
I work hard on fitness to counteract stress and the ergonomics of a day job, and allow trips in the wild as well as a helluva lot of gardening on our acreage.
I enjoy the classic car hobby as it is a paradigm for keeping ageing things “on the road.” Plus the physical and mental challenges involved.
As the next few years pass I intend to gradually drop working days to increase my leisure time , to a large part guided by my Grenadier!
My often black humour is standard fare for those who work in health , emergency services etc.
Yes the Celtic skin type is helping pay for my Grenadier! One slight advantage of a desk job is I'm less sun exposed than if I had an outdoorsy job. That said , I've exposed myself without protection on many occasions . That could be my signature
