On 22/06/2010 9:16 AM, Omelet wrote:
> In m.au>,
> > wrote:
>
>>> Why thwarted? :-)
>>> There is a reason that "Smith" is a very common last name.
>>> Take it up as a hobby.
>>
>> I did, after a fashion. Used to build hot rods from the ground up in the
>> fifties and sixties. I still have four of them that I built back in that
>> era.
>>
>> My parents and many members of my extended family were farmers. They
>> would do a lot of their own blacksmithing from necessity and, on visits
>> to relatives farms in my youth, became fascinated with the process. My
>> parents saw the writing on the wall for the future of farming in this
>> country and sold the farm before I was born. They refused to allow me to
>> take that path and, in hindsight, I see that they had great vision. The
>> farms of today aren't the same as they were when I was young. They are
>> now mostly mechanised and employ contractors to do various seasonal
>> tasks such as shearing, planting, harvesting and the like. Very few
>> people live and work on farms these days.
>>
>> I instead grew up in the city and undertook a career as a public
>> servant. Now, 57 years later, I still operate as a consultant.
>>
>> Krypsis
>
> What do you do?

I now provide consultancy for the federal department where I was
employed for 55 years. That department is the Department of Immigration
and Ethnic Affairs (now Immigration and Citizenship).
http://www.immi.gov.au/

Krypsis