https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHhTacgSSb4
Finally, after an impeccable post-production, here’s the 30 minute interview: Jenny Mosher, in The Hot Seat With FF Jensen.
(imagine a drum roll here :-))
I would wish to thank Jenny, Ally, Sarah and Josh for the opportunity ‘to burn my arse off’ in The Hot Seat. Mind you, I’d do that again any day!
Get yourselves a glass of red or white, or any other drink of your preference and enjoy. Catcha later, FF 🙂
Here I am, after some writing activity of a different kind: a highly involved translation. I have to admit I’m not a very good multitasker, particularly when it comes to writing projects, translations and sorting out my ‘day job’, the one that pays the bills. Not that I don’t try …
Next week I’ll have to return to my ‘day’ job and I’m dreading it. The mere thought of it has given me a headache and some kind of gastric ‘malfunction’. All the same, my thoughts are still clear enough to separate the wheat from the chaff and I can still put a finger on where the problem lies.
Leaving aside blatant exploitation or slavery, which isn’t the case here, there are two factors that may turn going to work into a nightmarish experience: a) the nature of the work in itself; b) the politics, including interactions between coworkers.
In my case, it’s only b) that gives me the shits; I can’t complain about a) because I actually love what I do. Teaching at one of the most important universities in the Sydney area brings in a lot of positives, for example my students. They are bright, witty and switched on. I do get the odd troublemaker, but with all my experience as a teacher I have learned to deal with those. I can hardly say that my job is a soul-destroying one from that point of view.
When it comes to a nightmarish job, my short story The Clique illustrates a situation that includes mobbing and bullying. Very unfortunately that sort of situation is quite common and damaging.
Sigmund Freud said, Love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness. He wasn’t far off the mark, but I’d like to add that it all depends on who you love and who you work with …
What a headache! I need to lie down. Thanks for reading my rant! FFJ
How wonderful that Les Mills has ‘packaged’ a few good old training principles and created a popular world-wide brand!
How very usual (and terrible) that some envious humans absolutely have to pooh-pooh such brands. Case in point: I’ve started exchanging emails with a PE teacher who has done research on the benefits of physical exercise and bipolar disorder. This gentleman’s work seems pretty interesting, but I’m no expert in the field of physical exercise. I just bust myself doing what I like, which has enormous physical and mental benefits. One of my favourite classes is CXWORX, a half-hour core muscle blaster that leaves me exhausted but happy—not to mention that my core has improved heaps over time.
While exchanging emails today, we discussed the benefits of physical exercise for people who suffer from bipolar disorder, like Lena Foch, the main female character in my novel ‘Bittersweet Symphony’. For some odd reason, we started discussing my fitness routine (poor Lena, we forgot all about her!) and I sent this gentleman a link to a CXWORX video. I normally do that: give people as much information as I possibly can, including links.
This guy’s response astonished me: he said something about there being nothing new in that form of training (he could’ve knocked me down with a feather, really …), that it’s called ‘circuit’ (ohmyGod! FF, you’re such an ignoramus!) and that it was used by Sylvester Stallone (oh! how very, very interesting!—yawn!). Then Mr PE Teacher finished off by saying, ‘Oh, if it’s good for you, go ahead, hahahaha!’
Hahahaha??
It suddenly dawned on me: lots of so-called ‘experts’ in a field will put down whatever others contribute. It’s highly likely this gentleman considers that Les Mills’ commercial success flies in the face of ‘good’ training. I don’t know if I’ll bother replying to that email, but what I do know is that a) CXWORX is good training; b) it’s given by certified instructors who know what they do; c) it’s the sort of training that’s available to me where I live. There are other classes at KSAC (Katoomba Sports and Aquatic Centre) that I also like, which would have probably received the same ‘hahahaha’ treatment had I mentioned them in that email.
Cutting to the chase, the content of this gentleman’s email (‘hahahaha’ included) exudes what I call the Antonio Sallieri complex: oh, someone’s done something better than I have, if the world considers that they’re surely more talented and experienced than I am, it’ll be the end of me! So I’ve got to put them down and expect that the public considers me the really good one, the ‘real deal’. Gah!
I just came back from my CXWORX training, feeling great, but I thought I’d share my insights into what I believe is a sad, sad, sad human reality: belittling someone else (or their work), so that our own appears to be better in our eyes. Weird … Hahahahaha! FFJ 🙂