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That Morthos Stare writes:

I'm not really here; I'm on week three of my EU trip (tomorrow I may well be meeting the Pope. Well, the other Pope). Travelling alone is interesting; travelling solo in a nation of foreign language users is, well, just strange. This fact is compounded when they become inordinately insistent that you buy their cheap umbrellas despite the fact it is hardly raining.

Obviously Italian men haven't wintered in Auckland.

Anyway, all this travelling has meant meeting normal and fairly uninteresting people, all of which want to know what I do and where I come from (obviously answers to the last question to be sent to Apathy Jack's posts). The latter question I let people guess at; I'm apparently American-cum-French-cum-Norwegian-cum-Londoner (never English; always 'You sound like a Londoner'). The former question... Well, I've stopped saying 'I'm a PA' and gone back to saying 'I'm a lecturer.' It's not strictly true at this point in time but it feels much more me than 'PA.' I just don't find the exploits of rich people interesting. I certainly don't enjoy explaining that I am their glorified courier or cut-price accountant. So 'Academic' it is.

There is no doubt in my mind that I will return to being a teacher. I'm already working up adult education course teaching plans and the details of my next research project is already before the University for its consideration. So, for the time being, I may not be a teacher and thus I may well be lying to complete strangers, but at least its more fun than being asked to describe what you do and having to sound even more pretentious than usual by saying 'I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to actually say...'