The Rev Gaston

Martin <[email protected]> wrote:

    > On 11 Jan 2006 16:22:49 +0000, Des Small <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    > >[email protected] (David Horne, _the_ chancellor of the
    > >duchy of besses o' th' barn and prestwich tesco 24h offy) writes:
    > >
    > >> Mxsmanic <[email protected]> wrote:
    > >>
    > >> > Markku Gr�nroos writes:
    > >> >
    > >> > > You haven't seen 200 euros in your life.
    > >> >
    > >> > I know it's hard for Europeans to comprehend such large numbers.
    > >> > However, at some times in my life, I've spent more than that on
    > >> > lunch,
    > >>
    > >> What did you eat? Was it a pleasant wine?
    > >
    > >You do realise that this is the secret to Mixi's worldview, isn't it?
    > >
    > >If your standard for well-paid is EUR 200/hour then the difference
    > >between his genuinely wretched pittance and what we think of as
    > >comfortable will strike you as hardly worth the bother. Same for food,
    > >accommodation, etc. If EUR 200 lunches are your benchmark, why
    > >bother caring about the difference between a "decent" bistro and a
    > >McDonald's? Et so very cetera.
    > >
    > >There is no need to tell me that this is an utterly stupid
    > >Weltanschauung ("world-view"), and there is no point telling Mixi
    > >that - self-pity is the only life-raft he's found to cling to since
    > >HMS Interweb capsized, and there is not the slightest chance he's
    > >going to let go.
    >
    > Smashing his fingers with an oar didn't work either.
    > At least he has a mattress and a cooker now.

Well, he's ahead of we Europeans, who all sleep on bare boards. Good
news about the cooker - too bad he has no clue how or what to cook.

G;


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The Rev Gaston

Mxsmanic <[email protected]> wrote:

    > Martin writes:
    >
    > > AFAIR he claimed that CEOs lived in similar squalor to himself.
    >
    > No, I observed that some CEOs live in conditions that would be
    > comparable to those of a simple office worker in the U.S., although
    > they are naturally considered luxurious here in Europe.

'Zounds - some of them even have a mattress to sleep on. Luxury!!

G;


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Martin

On Wed, 11 Jan 2006 20:03:20 +0100, [email protected] (The Rev Gaston)
wrote:

    >Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
    >> On 11 Jan 2006 16:22:49 +0000, Des Small <[email protected]> wrote:
    >>
    >> >[email protected] (David Horne, _the_ chancellor of the
    >> >duchy of besses o' th' barn and prestwich tesco 24h offy) writes:
    >> >
    >> >> Mxsmanic <[email protected]> wrote:
    >> >>
    >> >> > Markku Gr�nroos writes:
    >> >> >
    >> >> > > You haven't seen 200 euros in your life.
    >> >> >
    >> >> > I know it's hard for Europeans to comprehend such large numbers.
    >> >> > However, at some times in my life, I've spent more than that on
    >> >> > lunch,
    >> >>
    >> >> What did you eat? Was it a pleasant wine?
    >> >
    >> >You do realise that this is the secret to Mixi's worldview, isn't it?
    >> >
    >> >If your standard for well-paid is EUR 200/hour then the difference
    >> >between his genuinely wretched pittance and what we think of as
    >> >comfortable will strike you as hardly worth the bother. Same for food,
    >> >accommodation, etc. If EUR 200 lunches are your benchmark, why
    >> >bother caring about the difference between a "decent" bistro and a
    >> >McDonald's? Et so very cetera.
    >> >
    >> >There is no need to tell me that this is an utterly stupid
    >> >Weltanschauung ("world-view"), and there is no point telling Mixi
    >> >that - self-pity is the only life-raft he's found to cling to since
    >> >HMS Interweb capsized, and there is not the slightest chance he's
    >> >going to let go.
    >>
    >> Smashing his fingers with an oar didn't work either.
    >> At least he has a mattress and a cooker now.
    >Well, he's ahead of we Europeans, who all sleep on bare boards. Good
    >news about the cooker - too bad he has no clue how or what to cook.

Will his air conditioning be able to cope with the increase of heat,
when he learns how to turn the thing on.
With a mattress and a cooker he must be living better than many of the
impoverished CEOs he hobnobs with.
--
Martin

Martin

On Wed, 11 Jan 2006 20:03:20 +0100, [email protected] (The Rev Gaston)
wrote:

    >Mxsmanic <[email protected]> wrote:
    >> Martin writes:
    >>
    >> > AFAIR he claimed that CEOs lived in similar squalor to himself.
    >>
    >> No, I observed that some CEOs live in conditions that would be
    >> comparable to those of a simple office worker in the U.S., although
    >> they are naturally considered luxurious here in Europe.
    >'Zounds - some of them even have a mattress to sleep on. Luxury!!

and a mistress to sleep with.
--
Martin

Mxsmanic

DDT Filled Mormons writes:

    > Utter bullshit. The in between times can be used to do other jobs,
    > such as translation. This can be a good combination and result in a
    > reasonable income if you do it right.

Translation usually pays very poorly, too, although that depends a lot
on the language and the translator's subject specialties.

    > If you just rely on teaching, you are just plain useless.

I'll be sure to tell all the teachers I know how useless their lives
have been.

    > Speaking English is a veritable cash cow if you know what you're
    > doing.

What's the magic word, then?

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Mxsmanic

DDT Filled Mormons writes:

    > Perhaps you should have had a burger instead and done something wise
    > with the rest.

Few French restaurants serve hamburgers.

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Mxsmanic

Martin writes:

    > Why do you think French aerospace engineers employed by Boeing and McD
    > Douglas in the USA moved back to France.

I don't know. Perhaps all the prima donna positions were made
redundant.

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Mxsmanic

David Horne, _the_ chancellor of the duchy of besses o' th' barn and
prestwich tesco 24h offy writes:

    > You do realise that you address an audience here of people that live in
    > Europe, live in the US, and have lived in both- and that think you're
    > sounding like a bit of a twat?

I'm completely serious.

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Mxsmanic

Earl Evleth writes:

    > It is a very structured system.

It sounds way too much like Hollywood and professional sports.

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Mxsmanic

DDT Filled Mormons writes:

    > In your parts, how much per hour would you expect to get? Here it's 12
    > - 18 Euro/hr. If you can land 20 hours a week, that's not a miserable
    > income.

That depends on the cost of living. In Paris, �18/hr is �9/hr after
taxes and social security, and at 20 hours a week, that's only �780 a
month net. That's enough to make a rent payment, but it leaves
nothing for anything else.

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Mxsmanic

Padraig Breathnach writes:

    > Twenty hours teaching a week is essentially a full-time job, as you
    > have to allow time for preparation of classes and materials, for
    > correcting students' work, and for bits an pieces of extra involvement
    > with students.

Yes. Unfortunately, you are typically paid only for the time actually
spent in front of students, so you work 40-50 hours a week, and you
are paid for 20 hours.

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Martin

On Wed, 11 Jan 2006 20:34:35 +0100, Mxsmanic <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >DDT Filled Mormons writes:
    >> Utter bullshit. The in between times can be used to do other jobs,
    >> such as translation. This can be a good combination and result in a
    >> reasonable income if you do it right.
    >Translation usually pays very poorly, too, although that depends a lot
    >on the language and the translator's subject specialties.

That's no excuse not to do it in the eight you sit staring at blank
wall every day.

    >> If you just rely on teaching, you are just plain useless.
    >I'll be sure to tell all the teachers I know how useless their lives
    >have been.

I'm sure that will cheer them up no end.

Are you saying that you aren't typical?
--
Martin

Martin

On Wed, 11 Jan 2006 20:35:11 +0100, Mxsmanic <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >DDT Filled Mormons writes:
    >> Perhaps you should have had a burger instead and done something wise
    >> with the rest.
    >Few French restaurants serve hamburgers.

You only need one near to you. Don't McDs serve burgers anymore in
France?
--
Martin

Martin

On Wed, 11 Jan 2006 20:36:17 +0100, Mxsmanic <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >Martin writes:
    >> Why do you think French aerospace engineers employed by Boeing and McD
    >> Douglas in the USA moved back to France.
    >I don't know. Perhaps all the prima donna positions were made
    >redundant.

Perhaps because they got paid a lot more by Airbus Industries and
Alcatel etc. in Toulouse.
--
Martin

Martin

On Wed, 11 Jan 2006 20:40:14 +0100, Mxsmanic <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >DDT Filled Mormons writes:
    >> In your parts, how much per hour would you expect to get? Here it's 12
    >> - 18 Euro/hr. If you can land 20 hours a week, that's not a miserable
    >> income.
    >That depends on the cost of living. In Paris, �18/hr is �9/hr after
    >taxes and social security, and at 20 hours a week, that's only �780 a
    >month net.

I make it only EUR 720

    > That's enough to make a rent payment, but it leaves
    >nothing for anything else.

You need something to occupy you that earns money for the other 20
hours most people work a week.
--
Martin