Inglise keelne intervjuu (0)

When a man and a woman decide on being partners in private life as well as at work , they are bound to run into problems – or such often seems to be the public perception. If that is a rule, however , there certainly are exceptions .
Marc (45) and Catherine (37) Brown have had to cope with that situation for many years now, with Marc being a cow farm manager and Catherine a milkmaid at the same institution. The exact name and location of the farm shall be left undisclosed, but it is certainly one of the most prestigious in England , meaning that stresses and strains are many – meeting high expectations demands intense work.
Marc and Catherine kindly ask me to join them in their cozy little house near the farm. We sit down by the fireplace and Catherine serves her special and at least locally very famous tea – the exact recipe is a well-kept secret , of course .
Was working in a farm something you planned already long ago?
Marc: No, not really . In high school I actually planned to become a chemical engineer. It’s funny how haphazard things in life change and affect so many other things. Practical chemistry lead me first to household chemicals, then I started studying fertilizers and discovered the charms of agriculture. As I’ve grown up in a big city, cows and other farm animals have always symbolised a better world, something more perfect but less accessible to me. Yes, especially cows, I’ve always loved them. So a few years after university it was clear to me that I want to work with cows.
Catherine: To me the profession of a milkmaid was no accident . Unlike Marc, I grew up in the country . We had many animals and my mother taught me to take care of them already when I was a little girl. I learned to milk long before I could do anything else with my hands . (Laughs.) I have always had a special place in my heart for animals. I admire the beauty of horses, the bravery of dogs and the grace of cats, but cows are the most fascinating creatures of all – they produce so much milk. And it’s so unbelievably tasty!
Was this what brought you together?
Catherine: Well...
Marc: Rather yes. Same interests were definitely a conducive factor.
Catherine: Yes, indeed. But we met earlier, I had just moved here and I wasn’t working in this farm yet. It was... I think eight years ago. And Marc was with his ex- wife .
Marc: No, I wasn’t.
Catherine: You were, you definitely were. That h... she was even at this party , don’t you remember ? We first talked at the farm’s Christmas party. I had just arrived and was looking for a job here, I asked Marc if he could help me with that and we ended up chatting for three hours! (Laughs.)
Marc: Yes, yes... Of course I remember. My sunshine girl just walked into my life and suddenly everything was alright.
Catherine: They divorced already five months later.
Marc: Yes, yes, we did...
Isn’t that hard for you to work at the same institution?
Catherine: I’m so occupied with cows most of the time, at work we seldom see each other. I think it makes things a lot easier . We would inevitably get on each others’ nerves if we would have to be noses together all the time. But as we seldom arrive or leave at the same time, it almost seems as if we were normal people, working at different places.
What about taking work home?
Marc: Why, yes, it happens, whether we like it or not. But unlike most of people we don’t have to worry about our issues alone. We share the same experience and my dear wife knows the environment I work in and she is also familiar with all the problems. The lack of need to explain everything saves a lot of time.
Catherine: Marc is always there for me when I need support and motivation . He knows exactly what I’m feeling and he can always help me with my problems, no matter if they’re work-related or not. He is everything: my husband , my friend , my colleague and advisor. It helps a lot.
And one is inclined to believe that. Though it might at first seem a formidable undertaking, there is nothing about having a harmonious private life along with an effective professional relationship which the right people can’t master.