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George's mother was worried about him. One evening, when her husband came home, she spoke to him about it.
"Look, dear," she said, "you must talk to George. He left school three months ago. He still hasn't got a job, and he isn't trying to find one. All he does is smoke, eat and play records."
George's father sighed. It had been a very tiring day at the office.
"All right," he said, "I'll talk to him.
"George," said George's mother, knocking at George's door, "your father wants to speak to you."
"Oh!"
"Come into the sitting room, dear."
"Hello, old man," said George's father, when George and his mother joined him in the sitting-room.
"Your father's very worried about you," said George's mother. "It's time you found a job."
"Yes," replied George without enthusiasm.
George's mother looked at her husband.
"Any ideas?" he asked hopefully.
"Not really," said George.
"What about a job in a bank?" suggested George's mother, "or an insurance company perhaps?"
"I don't want an office job," said George.
George's father nodded sympathetically.
"Well, what do you want to do?" asked George's mother.
"I'd like to travel," said George.
"Do you want a job with a travel firm then?"
"The trouble is," said George," I don't really want a job at the moment. I'd just like to travel and see a bit of the world."
George's mother raised her eyes to the ceiling. "I give up," she said.
A manager is talking about the prevention of shoplifting.
Well, I manage a small branch of a large supermarket, and we lose a lot of money through shoplifting. I have to try to prevent it, or else I'll lose all my profits. A lot of shoplifting is done by young people, teenagers in groups. They do it for fun. They're not frightened so we have to make it difficult for them. Obviously a supermarket can't have chains or alarms on the goods, so we have store detectives, who walk around like ordinary shoppers, otherwise they'll be recognized. We have big signs up, saying 'shoplifters will be prosecuted,' but that doesn't help much. We've started putting cash desks at all the exits, we've found we have to do that, or else the shoplifters will walk straight out with things. Of course, that worries the ordinary shopper who hasn't found what he wanted. We also use closed-circuit television, but that's expensive. In fact, all good methods of prevention are quite expensive, and naturally, they make our prices more expensive, but it has to be done, otherwise shoplifting itself will make all the prices much higher, and the public doesn't want that!
Principal: We are very honored to have Tania Matslova here today. It is only ten o'clock and Tania has already done two hours of practice. And she kindly agreed to watch your rehearsal after that. She is very interested in the training of young dancers and wants to ask questions. Don't forget, however, that Miss Matslova has two performances today. She must not get too tired ... Miss Tania Matslova.
Tania: Good morning. We're going to be very informal, aren't we? Why are you standing? Move some chairs. Let's sit in a circle.
(sound of chairs being moved, excited voices and piano music)
Tania: That's better. I can see you now. And I want to congratulate you. Your rehearsal was very professional. I was impressed by your technique and your feeling for the music. I remembered myself twenty years ago. Do you think twenty years is a long time? It all depends. You must look forward to twenty years of practising six hours every day. Twenty years of traveling uncomfortably. Twenty years of going to bed instead of going to parties. Do you look forward to this discipline? I didn't know how difficult my life was going to be, but I wouldn't change it. The important thing is ... I'm still dancing. For me, dancing is living. I'm so sorry. I'm talking too much. Would you like to ask me some questions?
James: I would. I'm really worried about my career, Miss Matslova.
Tania: Please call me Tania. What's your name?
James: James, Tania.
Tania: So, James. Why are you worried?
James: I love dancing but I hate changing in cold dressing rooms. I don't mind practising every day. In fact, I like it, I enjoy exercising. But I'm fed up with going to bed early every night and refusing invitations to parties. I like travelling ... but not if it's uncomfortable. I'm confused. Do you think I should carry on?
Tania: It depends what you want, James. Would you rather go on dancing or would you rather live a normal, ordinary life?
James: I want to do both.
Tania: That, my dear James, is impossible. I'm fed up with getting up early. I'm tired of travelling. I've always hated leaving my family for weeks or months. But ... I'm a dancer and I look forward to dancing as long as I can. What can I say? If you don't want to be a professional dancer more than anything else, you'd better change your plans.
James: Thank you, Miss M ... er, Tania. Your advice was really helpful. I can see now that just being keen on dancing isn't enough for a career.
Principal: I'm quite sure you are all grateful to Miss Matslova for spending so much time with you.
Tania: James, please let me know what you decide to do. I think you are very talented but that isn't enough. It depends what you want. And that applies to all of you. You must make up your minds.
Jacqueling got out of the bus and looked around her. It was typical of the small villages of that part of the country. The houses stood in two long lines on either side of the dusty road which led to the capital. In the square, the paint was peeling off the Town Hall, and some small children were running up and down its steps, laughing. On the other side there were a few old men sitting outside a cafe playing backgammon and smoking their pipes. A lonely donkey was quietly munching the long dry grass at the foot of the statue that stood in the center of the square. Jacqueling sighed.
