A hard day at the ice cream factory

I've said this before, but I'm very lucky to be doing my job. I have a lot of fun, and there is very little pressure or stress. Sometimes though, just like everyone else, you can get frustrated or annoyed with the daily grind. But then, certain events occur that help you get it all back in to perspective.

Such a thing happened to me this week when I met a lady called Julie. Julie is 70, but still works at a school, teaching English as a second language to refugee children. Most of these kids are no more than 13 or 14, but they've been through some of the most horrifying experiences imaginable.

Julie's job involves not only teaching them English, but also being their companion in a strange new country, and helping them try and get over severe trauma by listening to them and attempting to understand what they've been through.

Today at work, I had to sing an alternative version of 'Michael Row the Boat Ashore', and wrote a spoof rap about being a vegan. You see what I mean about perspective?

Anyway, if you want to, you can hear Julie talking about some of her pupils below. I had to upload it as a video, so I've added a lovely landscape picture taken in the South of France. I'm warning you though, the content of the audio is nowhere near as pleasant, but is in a way just as amazing.

As an antidote to all that heavy stuff, please enjoy this sketch from That Mitchell and Webb Look, which illustrates my point perfectly.