Daily routine

On weekdays, I wake up at half past 6. I never get up as soon as I wake up. I need some time
to relax a little bit. After I have had my morning cappuccino, I’m really awaken. My mum
makes it for me. I go to the bathroom to have a shower and to brush my teeth. Then I put on
my clothes and I get my things ready for school, I always make my bed and listen to music.
After it I make some sandwiches for myself. Unfortunately sometimes I oversleep. Being a
heavy sleeper I can hardly hear the alarm clock ringing.

After breakfast – generally a slice of bread with butter, jam or honey – I go to school. I have
to be there by 7:50. I go on foot. Usually I’m at school till 3 or 4 o’clock in the afternoon. I
arrive home about quarter to 5 o’clock. If I have, I make my homework, and then I go for a
walk with my friend and her dog. In winter I go to the National Park to skate 6-7 times a
week. I work there as a hostess, so I don’t have to pay for it.

Sometimes, if my mum asks me, I go to the supermarket and I do the washing up. At the
weekend I help a little bit more, because I have more time. At the weekend I wake up at 9 or
10 o’clock. I go to do the weekly shopping with my mother and my brother. On Saturdays I
don’t learn, I relax, or go for a walk. On Sundays I learn a bit.

At the weekend my cousins and their parents are going away, and I take care of the children.
We play a lot because they are very little. The older is 2 years old, and the younger is 1 year
old. I can tell that I’m happy with the way of life I’m leading. Of course sometimes I have
problems as anybody else, but I think it’s normal in life. I try to live together with them or to
try to find solutions.

WORK AND JOB

 In fact, I need some time till I regain my senses in the morning. Being a heavy sleeper, it is
very difficult for me to get up. I always set the alarm clock and wake up between 6 and
quarter past 6 on weekdays. However, if I go to work in the afternoon I can get up later. I
never have coffee, but I like drinking milk or cocoa, which I make myself. When I get up I go
to the bathroom to wash. I wash my face, neck, ears and hands in cold running water and dry
myself with a towel. Sometimes I take a shower or have a bath. Then I clean my teeth, don’t
comb as I have short hair and I begin to get dressed. I am always in a hurry in the mornings so
I don’t have time to prepare my breakfast therefore I make it in the previous evening.
Anyway, I am never hungry in the morning. As a rule, my father gets up earlier than me and
by the time I awake he has prepared some sandwiches only for himself as he knows I don’t
eat. Sometimes I turn on the radio to listen to the news broadcast and the weather forecast.
However, when I go to work in the morning, five of us travel together by car and the radio is
on. I used to go to work by my bike at my previous workplace.
I have to clock in when I arrive and clock out when I leave my company. I work flexitime, in
two shifts, normally 8 hours and 20 minutes. But we do some overtime every weekday, when
I work in the morning. It enables me to leave work an hour earlier anytime. I have been
working as a measuring technician at Continental since the end of the last year. I’m satisfied
with my job, because I draw a higher salary than before and there are comfortable
surroundings there. My boss is all right in every respect, I can’t say anything against him. My
colleagues are very kind and helpful. I get on well with them. The salary and the conditions
are good and my firm treats me well.

I have my breakfast at about 8 o’clock, which is usually some sandwiches. I always

have lunchwith my colleagues at quarter to noon. In my opinion there are fine meals in the
restaurant where we have lunch. If I work in the afternoon I have lunch with my dad at my
 grandmother. As a general rule I finish work at 4 in the afternoon. We talk a lot on the way
home and get home at around 5. When I arrive I spend about half an hour hanging around
without doing anything particular. I sometimes surf on the net then I start studying for the
next English lesson. Unfortunately, we usually don’t have supper with each other. My father
likes having it meanwhile watching TV. My mother prefers eating in the kitchen. And I like
having the dinner in my room. After supper I help my mother to clear the table and wash up.
Then I go to take a warm bath and go back in front of my pc. Until I fall asleep, I watch TV a
bit.
To work Good points, bad points
-         in factory                                                     – to get on well with boss and colleagues

-         for a company, firm, subsidiary                     – good chance of promotion

-         in agriculture                                                – no backbiting

-         in heavy, light industry                                  – to have kind and helpful mates

-         to run a private practice                                – to draw a high salary

-         to be a guest-worker abroad                        – to work in pleasant and healthy

surroundings

-         to do casual work                                        – to lick one’s boots

-         to do moonlightning                                      – to do a lot of overtime

- to be underpaid; high number of accidents

- no responsibility; no freedom

Jobs can be grouped in several ways as, e.g. manual and non-manual jobs. The workers
doing manual work often referred to as blue-collar workers. The ones doing mainly brainwork
are called white-collar workers. Some jobs need university qualifications, and these are
professions; others don’t and these are skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled. Skilled people are
those who have learnt a trade such as pastry-cook, turner, joiner, plumber, shop assistant, car
mechanic, railwayman, tailor, barber. Unskilled jobs, such as the job of factory hand, do not
require special training.
Other occupations are the followings:
- Professions
Design/electrical engineer, psychiatrist, solicitor/barrister/lawyer, judge, physician(doctor),
vet, interpreter, (chartered) accountant, clerk, model, social worker, university professor,
teacher, architect, surgeon, computer programmer

- Trades and other occupations

caretaker, cashier, dustman, coach, chimney sweep, hotel receptionist, cook, coal miner,
house painter, air pilot, postman, travel agent, technician, salesman, baby sitter, shoemaker,
librarian, speech-therapist, glazier, …

 I am afraid I don’t really know exact figures about how many unemployed inhabitants are
there in Hungary. All I know is that at the moment unemployement is still rising. The
unemployed may feel guilty about being out of work even if it is not their fault. They feel they
are useless and a burden on a state. They join the dole queue and receive just enough money
not to starve. In my opinion some people don’t want to work, because they can get enough aid
from their councils; others haven’t got a suitable trade and some firms claim much more than
they should. You should have 3-5 years training in your trade and you should speak two
languages fluently although they don’t want to get you enough salary.
People begin to save when there is enough money for all that is needed in the family. Most
people save for a flat, a plot of land, a week-end cottage or for holidays abroad. There are
some who save for a car or put money aside to purchase durable consumer goods or new
funiture. Naturally, many people save without any definitive end, just for the sake of the
safety. Others can’t afford to put any money aside because of their income and it is just about
enough to keep body and soul together.
The retirement age in Hungary is 62 for woman and 65 for men, but these age limits are going
to be changed in the near future. There are some occupations from which people can get
pensioned off at an earlier age if they have been in employment for at least 30 years. As far as
I know a few such jobs are that of a miner, a policeman, a fireman and the soldier.