An amazing Holocaust love story October 13, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in German culture, Random musings.add a comment
This has got to be one of the most romantic love stories I have ever heard. It is about a couple who met on two sides of a Nazi death camp fence. She would throw apples or bread to the “cute boy.” They met years later on a blind date in the U.S. According to the article, there are plans to make a movie based on this story. I am not at all surprised. Stories from World War II never cease to amaze me, but I got chills and tears came to my eyes when I read about this one.
Freelancing is not for slackers October 13, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings.4 comments
As one of my favorite writing blogs, The Urban Muse, wrote this morning, “freelancers tend to be highly driven and hard-working.” This is not a job for slackers. You have to have the drive to succeed in order to be a successful freelancer. The downside to this is our tendency to work all the time. The Urban Muse suggested reading Steph Auteri at Freelancedom’s great post about balancing life with work, and I don’t think I could do a better job explaining it. Go ahead and read it, I’ll still be here when you get back…
I think all of us can relate to this common problem. Steph lists her four top priorities that should always be on the top of her to-do list: eating, sleeping, breathing and bonding. I think these are needs that every one of us has. I personally have no problem getting enough sleep (I need at least 8 hours to be on top of things), but I also stay up until all hours of the night. Not having anyone press me to go to bed and no kids to wake up in the morning helps a lot… When I have a pressing deadline I let the refrigerator go bare (and I also forget to eat balanced meals or eat at all) and the dirty dishes and clothes pile up. I also notice that the most common complaint among my colleagues is the growing waistline. I try to schedule in exercise, but sometimes it too falls by the wayside. I have also been trying much harder to have a social life, which my friend Jane is constantly commenting on. I try to make it a priority to have lunch with a friend, go out to dinner with friends, or attend a Meetup.com get-together. That said, I’m still single and happily so. I don’t know if anyone could understand the crazy hours involved with translating.
What about you? How do you balance your personal needs with your professional drive?
No politics here October 12, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings.2 comments
Well, I have officially voted in this year’s election. I will be in Orlando getting ready for the ATA conference on Election Day, so I voted by absentee ballot. I have purposely kept any and all political views out of this blog for a variety of reasons. First of all, this is a blog for the translation industry. Politics have no place here. As translators and interpreters we should strive to remain neutral when we translate or interpret, and I have a similar view on blogging for the T&I industry. Secondly, we get bombarded enough with political ads and rhetoric out there in the real world and elsewhere online. I don’t need to add to that here. And last but not least, no one is going to change how I feel about a politician or issue, so I would never try to should shove my views down your throats either. That said, I believe very strongly in the importance of this election, so no matter who you are voting for, just be sure you get out and vote! If you need help deciding on who to vote for and see the issues explained impartially, I recommend checking out Project Vote Smart and The League of Women Voters web sites. I also found the Cleveland.com’s Voter Guide very helpful, particularly when deciding which judges I should elect.
New name for the blog October 11, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings.3 comments
No, I’m not renaming the blog because of Corinne’s suggestion yesterday. I am merely shelling out some money to have a better domain name than jillsommer.wordpress.com. So from now on you can find this blog at http://translationmusings.com. The old domain will also work, but I think this looks more professional and my name isn’t out there for all to see. Feel free to change your links accordingly – or not. Whatever you want to do is fine with me. Have a great weekend 🙂
Oh, and if you haven’t seen it, be sure to check out Ryan’s latest post about the virus scam targeting translators. It never hurts to be skeptical about new inquiries, but don’t be too skeptical. The thing that would have set off my warning bells would have been “I have deposited $150 to your credit card account that you gave me the last time.” I don’t accept credit cards as payment…
TGIF: No Twitter for Hitler October 9, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Uncategorized.3 comments
Whether some of you will find this funny may be debatable. I actually found this to be pretty funny myself. I suspect some of the more staid Germans and German speakers might not appreciate it as much. Do yourselves a favor and don’t listen to the German, just read the subtitles.
This clip is from a German movie about Hitler’s last days called “Der Untergang” (Downfall). In German, he is finding out that Berlin is surrounded, SS Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner (who was supposed to lead a counter attack against the northern pincer of the Soviet assault on Berlin) refused to launch the attack, and the war is basically over (“Der Krieg ist aus“). He then lays into his generals and becomes resigned to his fate.
Not the funniest topic, but on the Internet nothing is sacred. The whole point is that it’s funny because the subtitles match up so well. The fact that most of you won’t understand the actual dialogue makes the subtitles work that much better. I myself am still trying to figure out how Twitter works, so some of this goes over my head. But those of you who are experienced Twitterers (Amybeth) will love it.
TGIF: Maggi Buchstabensuppe October 9, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Fun stuff.add a comment
And now for something a little lighter… this video seems to be making the rounds among German translators at the moment. Man, I just realized that I haven’t had alphabet soup in a long, long time. Do they even make it anymore?
I don’t think something like this would ever be allowed to air in the U.S., because all kinds of “concerned mothers” would come out of the woodwork to mount a protest (come on, you know they would!).
Even if you don’t speak German you can appreciate it with the help of the following key: Kuh=cow (as in “you stupid cow”), Depp=dork, dweeb or moron, Zicke=bitch, Idiot (should be self-explanatory). Then Hure=whore and Ruhe=Be Quiet! Enjoy.
Shady agencies and scam artists October 8, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Translation Sites.add a comment
I received the following e-mail yesterday. It sounded fishy to me, so I checked the company on Payment Practices and then forwarded a warning to my NOTA members. After all, what are the chances that this meeting would just happen to be held not 5 minutes from my house? Not too likely…
The contact info has been deleted to avoid any accusations of libel.
Hi, my name is [deleted] from Minnesota and I was conducting a search on the internet for professionals that live in the Cleveland Ohio area. I run a Wellness Technology company here in Minneapolis and I have expanded my operations into Cleveland and I am looking for people that need additional income. This can be done part-time or full-time from home.
Anytime, I move into a new area; I personally talent scout top notch professionals for my business. I have a very simple question for you. Do you keep your options open in terms of another revenue stream outside of what you are currently doing in translation?
To be respectful of both of our times, there are two ways to hear about our company. 1) I could send you a link which outlines the company in detail or 2) If you are serious about earning additional income, join us this Thursday at the Solon Country Club to get a complete company overview (information only) and get your questions answered. If there is mutual interest at that point; we will schedule a time to meet again.
If you are doing great! Then congratulations! However, if you know someone that is less fortunate than you and might need more income, please forward this to them and have them contact me.
Event Date:
October 9Event Time:
6:30 pm – 9 pmEvent Type:
Special Events / Company OverviewEvent Language:
Special Guest:
[deleted]City:
ClevelandState:
OHEvent Address:
39000 Signature Drive, Solon Ohio 44139Local Contact Name:
[deleted]Phone Number:
[deleted]Contact Email:
[deleted]Special Notes & Instructions:
Signature of Solon Country Club will host this Special Company Overview with [deleted].Kindest regards,
[deleted]
Founder, [deleted] Translations, Inc.
Current markets:
Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bermuda, Brunei, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Guam, Hungary, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Isla Baleares, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Vietnam, Virgin Islands
Now this in and of itself set my warning bells off. Several of my members wrote back to tell me that this woman had been discussed on ProZ.com as well by several of her “victims,” so she apparently works internationally as well.
One of my members, who I consider to be quite business-savvy, sent me the following e-mail this morning:
I wanted to tell you about [deleted], who is supposedly the Administrative Manager at [deleted].
[company contact info deleted]
[deleted] contacted me via e-mail telling me she was urgently looking for a translator for an on-going large translation project. She was willing to pay $0.14 per word and give me up to 2,500 words per day 5 days a week for a year. She was going to pay via Paypal and/or Western Union and she wanted me to start ASAP. The only stipulation was to use Systran software, which, she mentioned, she had several copies of, and she was willing to sell one to me at a discounted price.
I asked her is she would guarantee she would keep me busy full-time for a year if I was to buy the software, and she gave me a 100% guarantee.
I responded telling her I was very eager to start, I wanted to see the contract, and I knew someone who was willing to sell me his copy of the software.
Needless to say she dropped off the radar never to be heard from again. I do not know what the deal was, but I think she was looking to sell me the software.
Just wanted to give a heads up.
The variety of ways people try to scam other people never ceases to amaze me. If it isn’t the Prince of Ghana looking for an interpreter for his wife, it’s someone trying to sell software using really shady practices. If a job sounds too good to be true, it most likely is! Keep your guard up and get everything in writing. And never, ever accept a job from the Prince of Ghana or anyone who offers to pay you up front and then wants you to wire money back to them. The check will be a forgery and you will be out the money.
Fall is Coming (In Memorium: Berta Kirchhoff) October 8, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings.1 comment so far
One of NOTA’s founding members died a month ago today. She was a Spanish translator and teacher as well as a poet. She left behind a grieving husband and two grieving sons. In honor of her passing, I would like to share her poem ‘Fall is Coming,’ which was read at her funeral and printed along with three other poems as a handout. She was a really sweet woman and always tried to attend our events despite her failing health. She had recently written to tell me she was retiring from the group to devote her time to her family. Berta, you will be missed.
- Photo from the Wikipedia Commons
Fall is Coming
Early this morning while walking to church
I found myself stepping
like a child on the few dry
leaves on the ground and making them crack.
Of all seasons fall is my favorite;
the sky is the bluest,
the air the clearest,
and the clouds have
not a silver but a gold lining.
The acorns are falling
on my neighbor’s roof
I can hear in the early morning
the singing of the birds, the chickadee calling
her mate for breakfast,
the tapping of the woodpeckers,
and the rispid cry of some big black birds.
The trees are changing, it will be an early Indian
summer, say the experts.
I don’t know if it was El Niño or La Niña
or the Holy Family, but one thing I know for sure is that
fall is coming.
This is a politics-free zone, but… October 7, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings.add a comment
I received this link to MatchOMatic from a friend today, and I think it might be very helpful while deciding who to vote for in the upcoming election. I know I found it to be very helpful and it reinforced my choice, but you could also surprise yourself!
New Gmail feature prevents drunk e-mailing October 7, 2008
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings, Tools.add a comment
Google released a useful new Gmail feature yesterday in its labs, which could help prevent intoxicated people from sending embarrassing late-night e-mails they might regret in the morning. When activated, the program will force a user to solve a series of math problems before allowing any message to be sent.
My question is, what if you are a total math loser and became a translator to avoid math 😉 ? Too bad they didn’t invent a feature that recognized and automatically fixed terrible typing. I think that would be more useful – and effective – than doing math problems, and it would be welcomed by terrible typists or those of us whose fingers get away from us. And it wouldn’t have to just be limited to weekend nights, which is the default setting – although you can change the settings. Back when I was in college (eight million years ago) Thursday was the big night out…
