Cad é mar atá sibh? How are yez, pen-pushers, nurses, media people, binmen, SPaDs, sales assistants, taxi drivers and
those of you who are between jobs, welcome to the Bluffer’s Guide to Irish.
An maith leat do chuid oibre? Do you like your job?
An dtaitníonn sé leat? - Do you enjoy it?
Well, job satisfaction probably means different things to different people and a job that might look boring to one person might be heaven to another.
The Bluffer’s first job was working in an obrádlann - an operating theatre in the Royal Victoria Hospital.
This was when our infamous Trioblóidí - Troubles and it was wonderful to contrast the work of the mainlianna - surgeons, na banaltraí - the nurses, na hainéistéisithe - the anaesthetists and all the support staff were doing to save people’s limbs if not their lives against the people who inflicted the horror in the first place.
There were also people involved i dtaismí gluaisteáin - in car accidents down to the more mundane matters such as féithe borrtha - varicose veins.
He saw a couple of teascadh - amputations, which is never a pretty sight and I don’t know how much job satisfaction a surgeon would get from doing it, although of course, it was only done as a last resort, a horrifying case of medical necessity.
Was it hard being at ease at home when you had been witness to not just inflicted wounds but also to the myriad of things that go wrong with the human body over a lifetime, from in-growing toe-nails to cancer.
The Bluffer then went to a coláiste oiliúna training college to become a teacher, but lost the enthusiasm early on, although child psychology is a subject that he likes to this day.
Again, like parenthood, nothing can prepare you for being a teacher. The idea of imparting knowledge about the world to children is vital in any society but teachers also
need to be oibrithe sóisialta - social workers, síceolaithe - psychiatrists, best friends and confidantes to their pupils in all schools be they primary, integrated or grammar.
Is maith liom bheith ag obair le páistí - I like working with children and yes, there is huge satisfaction in it but it is a very challenging profession and teachers never get enough credit for the work they do.
Now if you use is maith liom a bheith ag obair - I like working, you can add le mo lámha - with my hands or le m’intinn - with my mind if you are more of a cerebral type or taobh amuigh if you prefer working outdoors.
The Bluffer also worked in a factory where every shift he made 585 fáinne miotail - metal rings, the kind they use in tyres.
God, was that boring! It was like being a battery hen with headphones that piped BBC Radio 2 (before it became cool) into your consciousness as you worked at your machine.
From there, it was a dream come true as the Bluffer got a job in the Central Library in Belfast – a universe away from working in Michelin.
However, after 17 years there it was time for a change and having done a bit of freelance journalism he found himself with the chance of changing profession - the rest, as they say, is history!
CÚPLA FOCAL
An maith leat do chuid oibre?(un my lat daw khudge ibra) - Do you like your job?
An dtaitníonn sé leat? (un datneean shay lat) - Do you enjoy it?
obrádlann(obraadlaan) - an operating theatre
Trioblóidí(chrubloydgee) - Troubles
mainlianna(maanleeana) - surgeons
na banaltraí(ne banaltree) - the nurses
na hainéistéisithe (ne hanayshtaysheeha) - the anaesthetists
i dtaismí gluaisteáin(i dashmeeha glooishtaan) - in car accidents
féithe borrtha(fayha borha) - varicose veins
teascadh(chascoo) - amputations
coláiste oiliúna (colaashta iloona) - training college
oibrithe sóisialta(ibreeha sosheealta) - social workers
síceolaithe(chascoo) - psychiatrists
Is maith liom bheith ag obair le páistí(is my lum a vay eg ubber le paashtee) - I like working with children
le mo lámha(le maw laowa) - with my hands/le m’intinn (le mintcheen) - with my mind
taobh amuigh(teev amwee) - outdoors
fáinne miotail(chascoo) - metal rings