Need a break? Watch this…, July 17, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff, Random musings.4 comments
I’ve been unbelievably busy this week. I translated a 6,800 word batch of medical reports on Monday and Tuesday and am now working on an 8,000 word computer game on horoscopes and love signs. I’m approaching burnout, so I took a break this afternoon to finally watch Act One of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog starring Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day and Nathan Fillion, which was released on Tuesday and almost immediately crashed the web site server and is now the No. 1 download on iTunes. Act Two is being released today and Act Three goes live on Saturday. They will only stay up until Sunday, July 20th. After that you can download it from iTunes and it will probably be released on DVD soon.
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog is the latest project by Joss Whedon (the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly as well as the feature movie Serenity). It is the first-ever superhero musical, featuring shy, wannabe mad scientist Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris), his archnemesis Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion) and the damsel in the middle (Felicia Day). Whedon wrote it during the writer’s strike in 2008 and filmed it in 6 days on a minimal budget. Joss’ work is known for its tight, witty dialog, and he can also write a catchy tune. And man, does Neil Patrick Harris have some fantastic pipes! I got chills listening to him.
I’ve been a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel for years now, since I first watched them in Germany (they translated surprisingly well, although they usually aired at 2 in the morning). If you haven’t seen his work, I highly recommend it. You’ll love the dialog and will stay for the gripping, enjoyable storylines.
“Coffee to go” July 16, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in German culture, Random musings.4 comments
There’s a very disturbing article about how European cafés are disappearing as Europeans are adapting to American trends in this week’s edition of the Expatica Germany newsletter. For those who are unfamiliar with it, Expatica is Europe’s leading lifestyle portal for internationals living abroad and they break the site down into the various countries with lots of country-specific tips about living abroad, numerous resources, information on expat life, etc.
“Coffee to go” the cry as Europe adapts to American trends reports that “the times when people would spend hours reading newspapers or indulge in deep conservation in Berlin while sipping endless coffees is somewhat seldom nowadays, partly due to faster-paced life trends, and soaring cafe rents.” It then goes on to discuss how Starbucks and coffee bars are replacing older, more relaxed coffee houses in many European capitals.
I find this trend sad, because I enjoyed many hours drinking coffee (ah, the simple pleasure of a Milchkaffee…) and enjoying homemade Kuchen or a nice brunch at cafés like Café Sacher in Vienna, Café Tomaselli in Salzburg, and my favorite café in Bonn – Bonngout. I’m sure cafés won’t totally disappear, but I find it very sad that Europeans are giving in to the American fast-paced life. That was one of the things I enjoyed most about living in Europe – things were more relaxed and slow-paced.
Choosing the right bank account for you July 14, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings.add a comment
I recently sent a check to a fellow translator to whom I had subcontracted a legal contract. She hadn’t cashed the check yet, so I wrote her today to ensure she had received it. Since it was a very large check I wanted to make sure it hadn’t gotten lost in the mail. She replied that she had received it, but hadn’t had a chance to go to the bank to deposit it.
This made me all the more appreciative of my bank, which allows me to deposit my checks from home using my scanner. I find this service to be invaluable, because it allows me immediate access to the money and saves me gas and driving time. When I receive a check in the mail, I endorse the check and add my account number. I then turn on my scanner, log on to my bank’s web portal, click on Deposit@Home, and scan the front and back of the check in the deposit interface. Once the check has been accepted, I am given a confirmation number and can print out the confirmation page (but I generally just enter the confirmation number in the Memo: field in my accounting program). I am then instructed to write “Void” on the check and destroy it. I simply pop it in my cross-cut shredder and continue translating, answering e-mail, surfing the Net, reading blogs, etc. The whole process takes less than three minutes.
In case you are wondering, I bank with USAA Federal Savings Bank, which caters to the U.S. military (both active duty and retired military personnel, the National Guard and Reserve personnel, officer candidates in commissioning programs such as ROTC) and children of USAA members (which is how I can bank with them). I have insured my car with them since I was sixteen years old, and since there are U.S. military bases all over the world I was also able to insure my car through USAA when I was living in Germany.
When was the last time you analyzed the services your bank is offering? If you get a chance, you may discover it is time to switch banks. Does your bank charge you an annual or monthly fee? Does it offer you a free credit card or do you have to pay an annual fee for it? Does it charge you a fee for incoming electronic deposits or deposits from foreign accounts? Does your bank reimburse you for ATM fees at third party banks? Does your bank have an agreement with your overseas bank that allows you to withdraw money from your foreign bank account for free or a low fee? USAA isn’t the only bank that offers perks like ATM fee reimbursement, no-fee foreign deposits, and Deposit@home. National City Bank just started advertising ATM fee reimbursement. When you are negotiating with your bank it helps to know which banks offer which services. Maybe you can convince them to offer you similar services. Switching to a bank that doesn’t charge you fees or getting your bank to stop charging you fees can save you hundreds of dollars a year. It’s definitely worth looking into.
[July 16, 2008: In light of the IndyMac bank failure, you should also make sure your bank is FDIC-insured. Expatica also has a very good article comparing six of Germany’s largest banks on its portal]
Twitter saga ends in jailed translator going free July 10, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings, Translation Sites.2 comments
According to CNN.com, a one-word blog post from a cell phone to the social networking site Twitter helped to free an American student from an Egyptian jail, but it took the signatures and support of “thousands of activists” — and three additional months! — to get his translator out. James Karl Buck, 29, a graduate student from the University of California in Berkeley, was working on a photography project for his master’s thesis by photographing anti-government protests over low wages and rising food prices in April. “His translator, Mohammed Maree,” (I think they mean interpreter 🙂 ) is a 23-year-old Egyptian veterinary student in Mahalla, Egypt. The two met, and Maree “offered to help Buck.” That seems a little strange to me. Did they meet in a bar and Maree offered to help him out of the goodness of his heart? Most likely he was expecting to be compensated for his work, but that is never mentioned in the article. Or was he also a fellow civil activist working with him who felt just as strongly about the protests?
Anyway, they were detained during one of the demonstrations. En route to the police station, Buck sent a message via Twitter, and his school hired an attorney and was able to get him released within a day. But Maree remained in jail for nearly three months. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time! “Maree’s family was worried about when, if ever, he would be freed. After reports of alleged torture in prison, relatives feared for his life.”
The Americans were — and still are, apparently — outraged. Shades of the kid who got caned in Shanghai all over again. Sorry, but if you are in a foreign country you need to abide by its rules – this includes not taking photographs of or participating in anti-government demonstrations.
CNN quotes Buck as saying “he hopes to visit his translator in Egypt as soon as possible and meet his family so he can apologize to them and tell them about the impact Maree has made.” He should apologize, but it was also Maree’s choice to help him. If I were Buck, I’d pay him for the three months the poor kid was in jail and stay home before he makes things worse. Foreign governments do not, nor should they, abide by American laws. I hope he learned that very valuable lesson. Too bad no one else seems to think of that aspect.
“Quick question” July 9, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings.add a comment
I had three e-mails named “Quick question” in my inbox this morning. I’m just as guilty of this as the next person, since I often fire off a “quick question” to a colleague if I need some help – generally through the Skype chat interface. But receiving three e-mails from three different people (one a client, one a colleague with a German handwriting question, and one a colleague in a different language pair asking a question about PayPal) has really made me think about how we formulate subject lines. I’ve already complained about clients who don’t even use a subject line, but “Quick question” doesn’t offer much insight about the subject matter of the e-mail either. I’m certainly going to think twice the next time I want to send someone a “quick question.”
Favorite tools: WorkPace July 8, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings, Tools.1 comment so far
If you are anything like me, you are passionate about translation and can become fixated on what is displayed on your computer screen, forgetting everything around you. I can work for several hours without taking a break and have been known to forget to eat or even move. I first heard about WorkPace® (or a program very similar to it) when I lived in Germany in the late 1990s. I kept telling myself I should download it, but never got around to it. I have always been concerned about ergonomics (as demonstrated by my ergonomic German keyboard with integrated touchpad, which no one but me enjoys working on. I love it so much I moved both keyboards—work and home—with me when I relocated back to the U.S. in 2001), so I eventually got around to downloading the 1-month trial version. I bought a license before the trial was even up.
WorkPace® is a breaks and exercise software tool proven to help prevent, and aid recovery from, Repetitive Strain Injury (also known as RSI, OOS and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome). The software provides an integrated health and safety solution for computer users, with break, stretch and exercise reminders, ergonomic training, monitoring of discomfort levels, and statistics on computer use. In short, it is a holistic tool that rocks.
WorkPace® monitors your keystrokes and offers break reminders that include stretches and exercises you can do in front of your computer to “reinvigorate your body and mind.” The more intensely you work, the more “microbreaks” (8-second pauses in your typing) will be displayed. However, you can change the settings to fit your needs. For example, you can turn it off if you decide you need to concentrate. It took a while to adjust to these microbreaks and especially the breaks. I eventually turned the microbreaks off completely, but still try to adhere to the breaks. Otherwise the program will chastise me and display a “frownie face” in the toolbar.
The first day I used the program I was under a lot of stress to get a legal translation of the German Cosmetics Ordinance finished, but I complied with most of the breaks and found my stress level wasn’t as high as it could have been. I never realized how badly I need to stretch and am reminded each time I perform a stretch and hear my back crack or feel the muscle stretch and loosen.
It is available in two editions, Personal and Professional. WorkPace Personal is designed for individual users, so it is perfect for the translator sitting in his or her home office. WorkPace currently supports English, Dutch, Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian and Portuguese (Note: All languages supported are automatically included with each software product. When you download and install the product, all languages are then available. Each user can choose their own language preferences from the Preferences / Language menu in WorkPace). The license for WorkPace Personal costs $49.00.
Summer’s bliss July 6, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings.add a comment
The July Fourth weekend is always the highlight of the summer. Summer is reaching its peak, and the days become more languid. It is the payoff for living through months of winter’s snow, sleet and gray skies here in Northeast Ohio.
I have worked through several holiday weekends, and I swore I would not do it this past weekend. Unfortunately, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry… My favorite customer, who I only say no to if I am completely overwhelmed, contacted me at 5 PM on Friday with a 10,000 word marketing survey job due Wednesday at 2 PM. As a freelance translator, the most important skill you need to develop is time management, so I budgeted how much I needed to get done over the weekend to make the deadline and then threw myself into enjoying the holiday.
I took Thursday afternoon and all day Friday off to spend with my family and my nieces. Celebrating the holidays through the eyes of a three- and (almost) five-year-old made it all the more special. After my afternoon massage on Thursday to work out the tension from the quality management job, I drove to Medina to attend their July 4th Festival and watch the fireworks. I also treated my nieces to their first taste of cotton candy. The next day my parents joined us to play in the backyard, blow bubbles, and enjoy a cook-out.
I translated about 10 pages out of 47 pages throughout the day on Saturday, in addition to preparing a summer picnic at Blossom Music Center to enjoy the Cleveland Orchestra performing Orff’s Carmina Burana, Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor, and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture with my German Meetup group. The evening was capped off with breathtaking fireworks, including three encore finales. The men blowing off the fireworks certainly had a sense of humor.
Today I am doing some much-needed housecleaning and plan to translate another 10 pages. However, I also plan on sitting under the umbrella on my balcony with a cool drink and a good book. I hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend as well.
E-mail subject lines June 30, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Fun stuff, Random musings.1 comment so far
I was forwarded a job inquiry last week from a local temp agency looking for a German translator. The first thing I noticed was that the employee who wrote the e-mail hadn’t bothered to include a subject line (the subject line of the forwarded e-mail was: “Fwd: “). The e-mail also didn’t specify what kind of text it was, which didn’t exactly inspire me with confidence or the desire to respond to the e-mail.
In keeping with this topic, today’s Pearls Before Swine comic strip deals with e-mail subject lines. It’s definitely worth a read 🙂 . I’m going to employ this technique the next time I respond to a request that I don’t want to do. Don’t be offended if it’s you 🙂 .
A fun interview with a language lover June 30, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff, Random musings.add a comment
Today’s Cleveland Plain Dealer features a short interview with Heba El-Attar, an assistant professor at Cleveland State University. The interview was featured in the PDQ section, which has a light take on arts & life, so the interview isn’t exactly “intellectual,” but it’s a fun read all the same. Ms. El-Attar speaks Arabic, French, English, Spanish and some Italian and has lived in Germany, Spain, Milwaukee and Cleveland. I particularly like her explanations of Arabic culture and the misconceptions most Americans have of Arabic.
Going the way of the dodo bird: the fax machine June 29, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings, Tools.3 comments
I bought a plain paper fax machine this weekend at a garage sale for $3. I had bought a thermal paper fax at a garage sale when I moved back to the U.S. in 2001 for $20, so I definitely felt like I got a real bargain. But then I got to thinking about how many faxes I get a month and wondered if I could have spent the $3 on something useful — like a latte. However, my free eFax number is limited to receive 20 pages a month and an attorney had sent me 11 pages on Thursday, so it was on my mind. I hadn’t received a fax for several months before that.
I basically just used the thermal paper fax machine to occasionally send faxes that required my signature (to my bank, non-disclosure agreements to agencies, etc.). Since I receive so few faxes, paying for eFax service simply doesn’t make sense. I never used my fax machine to receive faxes, because the thermal paper fades so quickly and so thoroughly. Faxes from five or six years ago are completely illegible now (I just went through some old binders and ended up shredding/recycling a lot of old translations, paperwork, bank statements, correspondence, etc.).
We should always maintain the tools of the trade, but is a fax machine really necessary anymore? With scanners and eFax and PDFs, fax machines are slowly going the way of the dodo bird. I keep mine unplugged to save electricity and only plug it in when I need to send something (I find the process of scanning a document to be too slow sometimes). Any thoughts? Do you have tools that you use to send/receive faxes?
Musings from an overworked translator 