WHAT I WANT TO

BE WHEN I GROW UP

Doctor, lawyer, teacher, actress, nurse, dancer, singer, policeman, firefighter,

economist, farmer, astronaut, bartender, driver, housekeeper, painter, craftsman,
terrorist, journalist, writer, cook, designer, architect, programmer, engineer…

PART 1

Gabriela: When I was six I wanted to be a teacher for kids in kindergarten. I was
fascinated by that job! I was thinking all the time what it would be like to work with kids,
to teach them, to play with them and to discover new things together! That’s why my
dolls have been tortured for many years! I used to read to them: O-n-c-e upon a time… I
taught them to do math: 2 plus 2 equals 5. I told them off and gave them grades: this
isn’t right, 2 plus 2 doesn’t equal 5, it equals 7! You get a 3! My parents used to laugh at
me, but not in a very unpleasant way. They were rather thinking that I had a rich
imagination.
Runa: Gabriela, you can’t really be a teacher. You are not patient, and you need a lot of
patience to work with kids…
Gabi: Fiiiineeee, let’s go, Carmen, you are my favorite doll!
Everyone: Me too, me too, me too…

Runa: When I was 5 years old I wanted to become a cashier in a supermarket.

The one person that I told was my brother, Bogdan.
Runa: Bogdan, when I grow up I want to become a cashier!
Alexander-Costi: Yeah, yeah, you’ll see when you’ll grow up… You’ll thing otherwise. I
for example wanted to have my one little shop when I was your age.
Runa: I thought it was awesome to scan products and didn’t understand why most
cashiers were bored or upset. For me it would have been a pleasure to just sit there all
day and do the same thing again and again and again….
Iulia: Runa, honey? What are you doing there?
Runa: Playing, mommy.
Iulia: Oh, ok then, keep playing.
Runa: That’s why, at home, I made my own supermarket. There, I was the cashier, I
supplied the shop and I made clean…I was the cleaning lady. Again and again and
again and again…..

Carmen: when we were in the last year of kindergarten, the teacher asked us to make
a drawing about what we want to ne when we grow up. Back then, I had no idea, so my

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friends tried to help me.
Iulia: mermaid!
Carmen: no.
Runa: princess!
Carmen: nooo
Gabriela: ballerina!
Carmen: no!
Nicholas: she elf!
Carmen: no...
Costi: pirate!
Everyone: ewwww!
Carmen: my mother also tried to help me with this matter.
Ana: (entering) hey, kids! What are you doing?
Ana-maria: Carmen was thinking about what she wants to be when she grows up...
Ana: oh, easy, dearie! Doctor, lawyer, engineer...
Carmen: nonono, I don't want to be any of those jobs!
Ana: farewell, we'll have a little talk when the kids leave... (Leaves)
Carmen: one day, I became so bored of that subject that I simply drew on the paper a
big stage, on which there was a blonde girls dressed in pink. I had decided to become a
gymnast. (Jumps, falls, cries)
Ana: (entering) you are you good for nothing... Stop crying and get up!

Costi: When I was 5… I loved watching action movies. I wanted to become an action
movie star…just like Brad Pitt. I was certain that my mother would support my dream…
because she told me that I could become whatever I wanted. Mom! I want to become an
actor!
Alexander: But…You’re way too shy to be an actor…
Costi: No, I’m not! You’ll see…
Ana-maria: Oh yeah? Well look who’s here! The girl next door! She wants to play with
you.
Costi: B-but… I have homework to do MOOOOOOOOOOOMYYYY!!!!!
Alexander: Oh, my…
Gabi: Bye, Mrs. Costi’s Mother!

Ana: My parents had a dog before they had me, but this has always counterbalanced
the lack of a sibling. When I was 7, I wanted to become a veterinary. I had the illusion
that animals were the only beings that no one was willing to help, but I would have done
it anytime. I knew I was going to grow up one day and build a shelter for all the
abandoned animals. I could even visualize the building itself: it had 2 floors, the upper
one for cats and the first floor for dogs. I am sure that my parents would have
encouraged me had it not been for my fear of blood. What do you want to be?

Everyone: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Ana-maria: This question has been bugging me since I was 5 years old. Back then I
wanted to be a nurse. Because I was fascinated by the way they were doing lots of
paper work and stamping. One day my mother asked why I did not want to become a

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doctor. I told her that doctors don’t have such a beautiful job as nurses do. They stamp
all day.

Alexandra: Nicholas, baby, tell me which job do you want to have when you grow up.
Nicholas: I want to have all jobs!
Alexandra: Sweetie, you can’t have all jobs in the world!
Nicholas: I can! I will show you!
Gabi: What a cute nephew I have! Let me give you a kiss! What did you have for lunch?
Alexandra: Mom… not again…
Gabi: Why do you say that? You think I don’t know you take the kid to McDonald’s?
Iulia: Mom, please…
Nicholas: I want to be a monster!
Gabi: Why don’t you buy fresh vegetables from the market?
Alexandra: We buy from the market!
Nicholas: I want to be a pig!
Iulia: Mom, why do you always have to start an argument about food?
Gabi: Because I know that I throw away the good food I send you and take the kid to
fast food restaurants! Is this how you want to raise your child?
Alexandra: Mom…
Nicholas: I want to be a fairy!
Alexandra: WHAT?!
Nicholas: Puff!
Iulia: Ok, let’s go to the park!
Alexandra: How can you want to be a fairy? That’s not even a job! And even if it were a
job, it wouldn’t be a job for boys, Nicholas! You can’t be a fairy!
Nicholas: Ok, mommy, I’m sorry. I don’t want to be a fairy anymore. I want to be a she
elf!

Alexandra: Since I was a child, I wanted to become a “guest”. I liked to be served with
all kind of cakes, biscuits and juice. When we were paying visits was the best thing in
the world and I was thinking that this has to be my job. My goal was to go to a party
every single day… to give mom a break from cooking.

Iulia: it was 2003, a time of great restlessness in my family. My little sister had just been
born and everyone's mood was swinging from tiredness to enthusiasm. My mom
decides there's no better time to discuss my future career than then, during the
Christmas dinner.
Gabi: so, Iulia, what do you want to be when you grow up?
Iulia: feeling extremely determined, with a mouth full of meat and cabbage, I answer: I
want to be a dancer!
Gabi: haha, listen to this little one, darling. She wants to be a dancer… What about
medicine? Don't you want to become a doctor, like your grandfather, when you grow
up?
Iulia: No.
Gabi: and why not?
Iulia: because I don't want to! I told you, I want to be a dancer, so i can wear pink tutus
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and dance on stage and you'll see how much fun we'll have, when I let you braid my
hair!
Gabi: ...oh, little one, I'm sure you'll keep thinking about this and you’ll find a better
job… Darling, can you bring the cake? And you, come and help me change your sister’s
clothes.
Iulia: but…
Gabi: Shh, I said come!

PART 2

*pupils enter singing Christmas carols*

Alexander: well, we may be singing now, but have you learned at biology?
Everyone: ohhh..
Alexander: but did you write that essay about which job we like...
Costi: oh, I forgot.
Ana: isn't it a little too early to be thinking of this?
Nicholas: guys, the teacher's coming!
Gabi: good evening!
Kids: good evening!
Gabi: let's see what we'll study today...
Iulia: umm, excuse me for being late...
Gabi: mhm, have a sit. You should stop seeing those kids from the 8th grade, miss.
(Laughing)
Gabi: ha, your classmates' reaction should say something... Biceps, triceps,
sternocleidomastoid... Nicholas, repeat.
Nicholas: ummm...
Runa (whisper): biceps
Nicholas: biceps
Runa(whisper): triceps
Nicholas: triceps… mastoid…cleido…
Gabi: enough! Pay attention from now on. Stern, diaphragm, humerus, radius, pubis...
*laughs*
Gabi: Runa, why are.you laughing? Come here and show me where radius is.
Runa: I wasn't laughing, miss...
Gabi: doesn't matter, come here!
*runa goes and shows the radius*
Gabi: that is... correct.. Go to your seat! And now I will ask you a question which can
bring you a ten...
: yaaay
Gabi: or a two if you don't know the answer
Everyone: ahhh
Gabi: how are the first two vertebrae called, Wyneken?
Runa: Wyneken?
Gabi: no, but you have a two. Nicholas?
Nicholas: certainly not Nicholas.
Gabi: of course not, but you got a two in the register. Alexandra?

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Alexandra (smiling): ummm
Gabi: you have a nice smile... And a two in the register. Iulia?
Iulia: I don't know, miss... I think we'll have problems this year, too...
Gabi: I am also expecting that. Two. And your father should come to school and have a
talk with me. Costi?
Costi: I don't know, I suppose I'll get a three
Gabi: nice try, but you get a two. Ana?
Alexander: umm, I know, the first two vertebrae are the first two vertebrae, I mean,
those vertebrae that you taught to us last time... And I know, because I paid attention,
just let me think what the first two vertebrae were called...
Gabi: enough, ana! You don't know. Let me tell you: the two vertebrae form a two in the
register.
Ana-maria: teacher, can I go to the bathroom?
Gabi: of course, but after you answer the question!
Ana: ohhh, I don't know...
Gabi: OK, you have a two. You can go to the bathroom now.
Ana-maria: I don't want to anymore...
Gabi: Carmen?
Carmen: pfff, easy! They're called atlas and axis.
Gabi: excellent! Ten!
Ana-maria: dork!
Gabi: Darling, if you were a dork, you'd also have a ten.
Carmen: as you can see, when I was in 7th grade I simply loved anatomy. I wanted to
study medicine and become a doctor. But being a doctor implies too much responsibility
and I wasn't sure I was willing to take the risk. Anyway, back then I wanted to be a
medical examiner, so I won't have to worry whether my patient dies on the table.
Gabi: OK, before the bell rings, I want to check your homework...
Carmen: mine, mine, teacher, meeee!
Gabi: Carmen, I know you did your homework, let me check someone else's.
Carmen OK... But, teacher, pleaseeeee, please, please, please, mineeee!
Gabi: Carmen, I don't want to check your homework...
Carmen: but please, teacher, pleaseeee, I'm begging you, I have a beautiful and neat
handwriting, pleaseeee!
Gabi: Carmen, I will give you another ten, if you just shut up!
Carmen: yay!
Costi: teacher, please, please, check my homework, please!
Gabi: Costi, be quiet!
Costi: but, teacher, pleaseee, pleaseee!
Gabi: OK, show me.
Costi: ooh, I took the wrong notebook...
Gabi: get out! Get out right away and tell your parents to come and have a talk with me,
ok? Get out! I want to check... Nicholas' homework!
Nicholas: teacher, wait... You see...
Gabi: what am I supposed to see? I can't see. I can't see anything! Two!
Nicholas: another two?
Gabi: yes, and there will be three twos if you don't shut up.

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*The bell rings*
Gabi: the class is dismissed, have a nice day!

Alexandra: By sixth grade I wanted to become a model. My mom was supporting me.
So I started taking some classes and so began my journey in modeling. *dance*

Iulia: when I was a student in the 6th grade, we moved for the first time from the place
where we used to live in ever since I was a little kid. That's when my folks hired two
architects to help us out. They were a very charming couple: she had this mysterious
aura surrounding her all the time and a bright smile that lightened up our place instantly
and he was tall and super charismatic!
Ana-maria: we have to paint that corner in a bright red.
Costi: and then smash it!
Ana-Maria: and smash there!
Costi: we have to put a beam there, so it will support 20 netwons from that angle of 45
degrees.
Ana-Maria: I love the way the lighting falls there!
Costi: We smash that wall.
Ana-Maria: And that one…
Costi: we crack that corner!
Ana-maria: And there.
Both: we smash everything!
Iulia: I was taken aback instantly!! well, I admit, at first I wasn't quite sure what they
were trying to express, but soon enough, it hit me, and that's when I had the first clear
idea about what I wanted to be when I grew up: I wanted to be an architect. I kept
drawing and drawing and was very enthusiastic. Every time when an occasion arose, I
was questioning the two: please, tell me more!
Both: Draw, draw, draw!

Ana-Maria: I am 13 years old now and I am passionate about theatre. That's why I want
to be an actress. One day our form teacher asked us what we wanted to be when we
grew up.
Iulia: What do you want to be when you grow up, kids?
Costi: Bus driver!
Iulia: This isn’t surprising at all, taking into consideration your marks at math…
Ana-maria: I want to be an actress!
Iulia: whoa! What kind of job is that? Don’t you want to be a doctor, a lawyer, an
engineer?
Ana-maria: no…
*the bell rings*
Iulia: As homework, you have the tests number 26, 27 and 29.
Carmen: Without 28?
Iulia: solve 28 as well.
Everyone: Carmen, are you stupid?! Why didn’t you shut up?
Iulia: I can’t foresee a good future for you, Ana-Maria…

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Nicholas: When I was 12, I wanted to be a famous fashion designer. I liked sewing,
cutting and creating new clothes. That’s why I used my sister, Runa, as my model.
Runa: Nicholas, I can’t see anything! Nicholas, it hurts!
Nicholas: Mommy, what do you think of this?
Alexandra: Nicholas, leave your sister alone! Poor kid, come here, let me help you!
Nicholas, what have you done?
Nicholas: It is very fashionable, mommy! Look, this draws attention to her tight waist,
this color really suits her eyes, and if you pull this up, it looks like Taira Banks! Oh, you
wear it like this if it’s summer and like this if it’s autumn and you can also add…
Alexandra: Nicholas, please stop. You don’t have talent to be a fashion designer.
Please, leave your sister alone.
Nicholas: Waaa, you never support me!

Gabi: Leave the kid alone; when you were his age, you wanted to be a wood cutter! Oh,
kids these days… when I was young, I wanted to be a star. I wanted to sing, to dance
and to appear on TV. My parents had lots of fun watching me. I was encouraged, but…
Ana-Maria: Why do you want to be famous and get into all sorts of troubles? Oh my,
kids these days…
Nicholas: Gabi, think about this: if you become a star, you have to act like a role-model.
You have to be perfect in the eyes of the others and you will end up doing the same
thing over and over again.
Gabi: I didn’t like the idea of making the same thing over and over again… so I gave up
the idea of becoming a star. But soon I wanted to become a doctor! Until one day, at
school, a friend of mine …
Carmen: AAAAAAAAAAAAAA, it hurts, there’s so much blood!
Gabi: Go away, Carmen! Aaa! Go to the nurse!

Costi: At 12 I discovered a new passion: music. I started playing the piano and… I got
an acoustic guitar for Christmas. It was nice, but… It was missing something, so I saved
up some money… and got an electric guitar! I used to sing all day! That’s why my
neighbors either started loving rock music
Carmen: Whoohooo, keep on, Costi! This is great! I don’t even mind paying a big rent
when I listen to such beautiful music!
Costi: Or either hate it.
Runa: Oh my God, my cat leaves when you start singing!
Gabi: Stop that awful song!
Alexander: I have to study for my exams, please, keep the volume down!

Ana: You know how they always ask you „WHO is your role model”? I
never liked this. Why be like somebody? Each and every one of us is
offered a gift and it only depends on oneself whether he develops or
stagnates. Throughout the 7th-8th grades, I discovered that I enjoyed,
more than anything, to paint and I was seriously taking into
consideration this path. Unfortunately, I did not know what studies
would have been necessary and, even though there might have been

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that 1% talent, the rest of 99% still remained. I had begun with fashion
design, fine arts and sketches; yet, what attracted me most was
human survey. Thus, I continued with portraits, sculpture, so as to
eventually discover the beauty of modern art. Whatsoever, people
always say „you can’t do anything with art”- I think you can as long as
you are passionate about it. At that time, though, I suppose I did not
give my best, so my idea of a pathway towards art stopped there.

Runa: When I was 10, I was determined. I wanted to become a dancer.

I think the whole idea started from the show “Dancing with the Stars”. We would all sit
down and watch the whole show until the end. Mom would always fall asleep first. I
wasn’t interested in the drama, I just adored the dancing. I always danced along with
the pair and even if I wasn’t able to dance properly, I still had fun. I found it fascinating
that there were so many dance styles and so different music. But what I liked most was
when the choreography had a story; when the pair showed so many emotions and a
whole story in just 2 minutes. But eventually this dream just faded slowly.
Everyone: Runa, why did you give up dancing? You were so talented, that’s a shame!