Guess what? I’m back!

So, it’s been a while… two years and a half to be precise. Why? No idea. I suppose sometimes life gets in the way and you simply forget that you had a blog. Then this happened… The dog was shocked too.

That’s right, now I’m a working mummy. You know, one of those pyjama-clad zombies that haven’t seen a comb in months and work on a laptop covered in apple puree. Same old deadlines, just a tad more stressed-out.

I went back to work when my son was six weeks old. Hubby begged me to take more time off, but I kept insisting that babies that age are very easy to handle – or so I thought. Obviously the moment I decided to jump back in, the little fella became way more active. Sleeping? It took him over a year to figure that one out, and to this day, he often goes a whole day without napping. He’s just shy of fourteen months. Please tell me he’s not the only one that stays awake until he literally drops. Last week he fell asleep in his highchair with a piece of chicken on his chin. Yesterday evening we witnessed the exact same scene, this time with fish on his cheek.

I have to admit I admire mums who work outside the home. I’m incredibly lucky. Very tired, but lucky. I survive on a maximum of five hours of sleep a night, because when munchkin’s day ends, mine begins. Most days I translate till 1 a.m. Of course, I can take a break whenever I please. I can go to the playground. I can cuddle up to him if he gets sick in the middle of the day. No need for major guilt trips if I take a few days off. The joys of freelancing. There are downsides too of course, but we’ll discuss those some other time. My return to the world of blogging should be a positive one!

I don’t know how often I’ll manage to update this page, but the intention is there. The following topics are on my to-do list, but feel free to share your suggestions:

- Money matters – how low can you go? The rates debate.

- Conference calls and the noisy baby

- Copywriting, it’s not for everyone

Off to bed now. Fingers crossed that munchkin sleeps through the night.

Translator’s OCD

I have a confession: I have a serious form of OCD – Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Before I leave my house I check that the iron is switched off three times, despite knowing fully well I haven’t used it in a fortnight. I also feel the desperate need to triple-check that the water heater is off. I have good reason to do so, considering it has exploded twice in the past five years, flooding the entire corridor and damaging everything from expensive shoes to valuable books.

Unfortunately my obsessive behaviour doesn’t end there. You guessed it, my OCD shows its ugly head in my little office corner as well, forcing me to strategically place my mug twenty centimetres from my Mac, on the right side of my desk, never on the left. But there’s more… Translator’s OCD is also:

1.     Checking a translation not twice, but three to four times to make sure you haven’t forgotten any paragraphs. Or commas. Commas are always a struggle.

2.     Opening your text just one more time after you’ve attached it to your e-mail only to realise you didn’t like that word in the title after all. Time to start all over again!

3.     Going back to the original e-mail from the client five minutes before the deadline to make sure you’ve translated the text into the right language. Usually a waste of time. Usually, not always.

4.     Fretting over capital letters in titles. I don’t like them. But sometimes I do like them. No, no, I really dislike them. You get the picture.

5.     Worrying about having typed gibberish. That Lady Gaga song is so addictive. Help, did I accidentally include any of the lyrics in my text?!

The list goes on and on. The OCD messes with your head. You feel you need a break. So you decide to go for a walk to clear your mind, only to find yourself hurrying upstairs after two minutes to stare at your iron. It’s a vicious circle.

Vlog italiano - AIUTO, mi si è rotta la Bialetti!

Off-topic: where to eat in New York City and Toronto.

          

Sorry for my sudden disappearance over the past month or so. As many of you know I took a little break to get married and go on honeymoon. So from now on “hubby-to-be” shall be referred to as “hubby”.

Coming back from the longest break I’ve ever had (almost a month) hit me quite hard. I didn’t realise that throwing myself back into work after a fourteen-hour trip (accompanied by the dreaded jetlag) would be this difficult. It took me a while to adjust to my normal routine, but here I am, ready to take on the blogosphere like never before!

Over the next month or so, I’ll occasionally upload a post with tips for anyone who’s interested in exploring New York City and Toronto (yes, we opted for quite an unusual honeymoon, but then again, we love culture, art, food and big cities).

Let’s start with our biggest passion: FOOD!

Best meals in New York City: Wolfgang’s Steakhouse (juiciest porterhouse steak ever) and Spice Market (delicious fusion food, tasty cocktails and a magical atmosphere right by the High Line Park in the Meatpacking District)

Best meals in Toronto: Bannock (trendy, loungy restaurant in the shopping area, try the poutine and the chicken pot pie!) and The Boiler House (trendy restaurant in the Distillery District; the food is good, but not spectacular, but the atmosphere and service make up for that)

Best burgers in New York City: strangely enough we had the best burgers on Ellis Island (at the Immigration Museum)

Best burgers in Toronto: for a quick, casual meal head to Casey’s (don’t forget to try one of the yummy cocktails)

Biggest letdowns in New York City: Katz Delicatessen (bland food, seriously overpriced) and The Burger Joint at the Parker Méridien (Anthony Bourdain considers this the best burger joint in NYC; how much did he get paid to say that?! The atmosphere is nice though, very unusual)

Biggest letdown in Toronto: Ethiopiques (I was really eager to try Ethiopian food, but this place was filthy (there was a fly in my water and hair on my plate, and the walls hadn’t been painted in years), the service was slow (there were only about ten customers so we don’t really understand why it took the waitress - we think she doubles as a “wannabe chef” - half an hour to get us our drinks (oh and she even got our order wrong); the food was really, really bland (isn’t Ethiopian food supposed to be extremely tasty?) and overall it was a disappointing experience.

How to save on food in New York City: splurge as much as you can, because New York City has so much to offer, but if you’re looking to save a few “bucks” try cart food. It’s tasty and cheap! Another alternative is to buy a salad and drinks at a 24-hour pharmacy and/or grocery store (try Duane Reade and the Food Emporium). Avoid places like TGIF (we tried the one in Times Square and I must say it was the most disgusting food ever, not to mention expensive) and Wendy’s (unless you like greasy, soggy burgers).

How to save on food in Toronto: we recommend Urban Eatery, the food court at the Eaton Centre, where you’ll find dozens of self-service restaurants – sandwiches, pizza, poutine, burgers, salads, Thai, Chinese, vegetarian… and of course coffee!

Something very peculiar in New York City and Toronto is the fact that restaurants charge a small fortune for bottled water (it took us a few days to understand why no one was drinking bottled water, and why we were paying 8 to 12 dollars a bottle). Restaurants serve free “ice water”, which is basically tap water with ice cubes. You get as many refills as you like and it doesn’t taste all that bad. We used to drink wine and/or cocktails with some ice water on the side.

Best rooftop bar in New York City: 230 Fifth has it all: amazing views, delicious drinks and beautiful people

Nice beer pub in Toronto: enjoy a casual evening (playing board games or pool) with a pint of beer at C’est What

Maltese food in Toronto: yes, MALTESE pastizzi, Kinnie and other delicacies… at Malta Bake Shop. Worth a visit if you’re in the area!

That’s it for now. Bon appétit!

A few little extras below...

The best espresso in NYC @ Eataly

No comment @ some random Canadian supermarket

Junk food with a view @ the Niagara Falls

A translator’s personality shining through.

Personality. An intriguing word, isn’t it? Does it refer to an innate set of characteristics and values? Is it the result of education, culture and surroundings? In other words, is it nature or nurture, or maybe a combination of both?

One thing is certain. Personality – regardless of how you see it – shines through in what you do – work, hobbies, family life, they’re all influenced by the way you act and interact. By your natural flair, your attitude, your world view.

I’ve realised something very important, something that you should always keep in mind when copywriting, translating and proofreading. A translator’s personality influences his work. You leave your mark on your texts, whether you like it or not. Many of you will disagree, but I’ve come to this conclusion by experiencing it first-hand. Let me illustrate my opinion with an example…

I worked with several translators for four or five years before meeting them in person. We had no contact other than brief e-mail exchanges – no Facebook, no Twitter, not even a photo of each other. The few e-mails we sent were strictly professional and to the point (as in “Here you go. If you have any questions, shoot!”). There was no mention of personal matters whatsoever. That came at a later stage, after we had met in person. We proofread each other’s texts. That was it. I formed an opinion of these people. I imagined how they would be in real life: some bubbly, others arrogant. After a while, I could instantly determine who had translated a text, without the translation agency telling me. I became familiar with their style, with the words and expressions they used, with those little details that made them stand out. The wording of their texts gave away part of their personality, regardless of the subject matter. I’m often told I’m “over the top” and (too) optimistic. A former university professor once said she’ll never forget my smile. Yes, I’m generally a very happy person and I’m sure my texts reflect that. And naturally my style clashes with that of certain translators and vice versa.

When I first met these translators, I was surprised to see that I was mostly right: the translators who came across as arrogant (maybe through the use of pompous expressions?) turned out to be exactly what I had expected them to be. Not because that was the way I had imagined them to be, but when comparing my opinion with that of others, that was my conclusion. Likewise, those who seemed bubbly truly made me smile in real life.

Maybe these are just tricks of the mind. Maybe my subconscious did influence me to a certain extent. Anyhow, I believe that every one of my translations contains some of my DNA and "bubbliness". Beware!

Random Dutch (Flemish) VLOG!

Telefoneren, ik heb het er moeilijk mee. Jullie ook?
Laat gerust een berichtje achter!

Screen shots

Bear with me this month. My entire house is filled with petal cones, party poppers, place cards, menus and other props for my upcoming wedding. As soon as I’ve sorted out this mess, I’ll get back to my normal blogging routine (including videos, promise... just need to work on my editing skills!). After all, a messy house equals a messy mind.

Speaking of messy stuff, you should see my desktop. I have this weird hobby. I love reading the Daily Mail Online, especially the entertainment pages. No, I’m not a celebrity stalker (well, maybe just a little), but I do love spotting typos and saving them as screen shots. On my desktop. You’d think they have proofreaders at a major tabloid like this one. If they do, they need to invest in a good espresso machine and a dictionary. Check for yourself!

Am I the only one who does this? Maybe that's a superfluous question.