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