I used to work as A TEFL teacher which was extremely enjoyable and I got to meet lots of interesting people ranging from German Burns surgeons to umpteen Japanese students to Italian Colonels. I also spent three years teaching in the Middle East years ago when the greatest danger seemed to be getting chained to a radiator with Terry Waite.
Murder on the Green
I am a truly terrible singer, stupendously bad. At funerals and weddings heads turn in my direction (not in a good way) when hymns are sung. I live in fear of enforced karaoke.
I love dogs & have an old field spaniel, Oscar, from a Dog Rescue. He not only tolerates my singing but loves it.
I became a trained chef in my late thirties while I was a house husband so I could work locally part-time. I didn’t realise how hard it would be.
My hobbies are languages and I study German and Italian at a low level (my French is ok). As I spend most of my time in South Bucks, I only ever speak English, so it’s not terribly useful and on holiday Germans usually answer me in English too. The Italian does come in handy in Italy though.
I’m a good cook (I should be, I did it professionally) and a keen baker. This is disastrous for my waistline. To counter-act the cakes, bread, mousse, choux pastry that I make, I do a lot of exercise.
Anything mechanical/technical baffles me. Strangely, my best friends are mainly engineers and mechanics.
I like boxing. I boxed (badly) at uni and have recently taken it up again. I counter-balance it with Qi-Gong and Tai Chi which I find very relaxing.
I drink an enormous amount of tea, in excess of twenty cups a day. Weak, black, no milk, no sugar. And not very interesting tea, PG Tips. I love tea.
I really enjoy looking at art. I have an art pass and when possible like to go up to London and visit a gallery (particularly Tate Britain, my favourite).