There’s no such thing as a selfless act...

This afternoon* hubby-to-be and I joined his colleagues for a volleyball match in aid of Puttinu Cares, a foundation that helps children suffering from cancer and their families. We had a wonderful afternoon laughing with friends and competing against each other (his team won, damn it) and we hope our contribution can make a difference, no matter how small.

Throughout the match I kept thinking about the meaning of charity. We often donate to good causes, mostly locally, as we feel we can have a greater – and more visible – impact by helping those in our own community. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that we don’t care about the victims of tsunamis and hurricanes, but there are so many locals who need help. Doesn’t it make more sense to focus on them first? I don’t mean to write anything controversial, but after all this is our little world. And as much as we’d like to help everyone everywhere, it’s physically and financially impossible. We need to make choices in life.

The big question is: why do we help others, for their benefit or for ours? And why do we feel better about our efforts when we see tangible results? Although I hate to admit it, I must say helping others makes me feel good about myself. Seeing the results of my benevolence gives me a sense of pride. It’s a little ego boost. It’s not the main reason why I like to help, but it does play its part. I’m sure I sound like a horrible person now, but deep down I know many of you agree that there’s no such thing as a selfless act.

I translated a text about the importance of recognition the other day. The bottom line was that the advantages of a little pat on the back are often overlooked. Recognition is something that we don’t merely like to receive, we also enjoy praising ourselves for our kindness and our apparent righteousness. Regardless of the reasons for your support to charitable organisations, never stop giving. Someone somewhere will be grateful.

* I’m not a time traveller… I posted this on Saturday evening.

Social media & friendship.

 Friends can now be divided into ten distinct categories: 

1) The ones you actually meet on a regular basis, who know your profile picture was photoshopped and you never read books – it just sounds intellectual to add it to your hobbies.
2) The ones who like every single one of your photos, but don’t even know what you look like in real life. They are usually the ones who also like their own photos and statuses. Cringeworthy.
3) The ones who buy eggs from your Facebook farm (or something of the sort), but wouldn’t be able to pick them up if they were real, because they have no idea on which continent you live.

4) The ones who offer you a virtual shoulder to cry on when you’ve gone from Engaged to Single, but are secretly googling the ex hoping he’s free tomorrow night.

5) The ones who pretend not to know you when they see you at the supermarket because you’re only good enough to get their follower count up.

6) The ones who tag you in drunken photos, then tweet them to your boss “by mistake”.

7) The ones who add you as a friend because you’re the third cousin of their best friend’s wife.

8) The ones who send you twenty invitations to play Bouncing Balls, but don’t invite you to their birthday bash.

9) The ones who haven’t seen you in ten years, add you as a friend and expect you to invite them to your holiday home.

10) And finally the ones who are total strangers, but thought you looked familiar.

Video: social experiment

Quand’ero piccola mi rifugiavo sotto il fico nel giardino dei nonni e giocavo a mamma casetta. Mi dava un senso di libertà che ho perso strada facendo.

In de kleuterschool hield ik van huppelen en tekende ik regenbogen en zonnestralen. Kon ik maar weer kind zijn.

In London – the big city – I felt like a tiny grown-up. Vulnerable and empowered at the same time.

Three different settings. Three different impressions of one and the same person, who grew up speaking three languages but can’t seem to identify with a single one of them. In a previous post (read it here) I explained my background and my journey through the world of languages. Today I want to start a series of social experiments with my readers. Ready for the challenge?

Below you will find a video of me. It’s a short compilation of spontaneous spoken language. The aim of this first experiment is not to judge the way I look or the way I edited the video (I’m new to this), but to explore how you are perceived based on the language you speak. What if you speak more than one language? Do people see you as one and the same person or do they feel you change according to the language you're speaking at a particular point in time? As a trilingual person, I sometimes feel like three different people moulded into one.

Imagine us meeting in Italy and me speaking Italian. What would be your first impression of me? Would you feel the same way if we met in Malta with me speaking English or in Belgium with me speaking Dutch?

Does my tone change? Do I sound more confident in one of these three languages? Does your perception of me change based on the language I speak?

Leave your comments below. A detailed discussion will follow.

If all else fails, become a translator!

These past few months, with the recession crippling the entire continent, I’ve been asked countless times by friends and acquaintances whether I could “help them find a job as a translator”, since their sector has been hit hard by the recession and I “always seem to be buried in work”.

Let me start off by saying that I’m not one of those people who think you need a university degree to make it in life. I also believe that a degree in translation or languages is not necessarily a must to become a translator. I know of many excellent translators whose studies had nothing to do with languages, but their passion and drive got them where they are today. Nevertheless, personally, I’m sure I did benefit from my translation studies. I was taught all about complex grammatical issues, tricky spelling, syntax and phonetics, but I also discovered how to tackle research, how to easily write structured texts, how to summarise, how to deal with stress, tight deadlines and criticism… the list goes on and on. In a nutshell, I was introduced to the basic principles, and that was the best foundation to build upon. During my first few months “in the real world”, I learned more than during my four years at university, but without the basic concepts, it would’ve taken me much longer to get used to the exhausting pace that has now become my reality.

The thing that annoys me immensely, is that translation is considered an easy way to get rich quickly. Where did that idea come from? Many Maltese flocked to Brussels after the rock joined the EU to “make big money”. None of them had a degree in translation. In fact, I’m not even sure whether the University of Malta even had a translation department when the rock became an EU Member State. I know some of these “translators” personally, and I don’t doubt that over the years, they’ve become good at what they do, but the one thing that distinguishes me from them, is that I am passionate about what I do, and I followed my heart, not the euro banknotes. And I’m quite sure that the institutions know where the real translators are, because most of their publications (magazines, brochures, posters, websites etc.) are outsourced. Why would they do that if their own in-house translators were so brilliant? No, it has nothing to do with volume or lack of resources. It’s a matter of quality. I can vouch for that.

Let’s be realistic for a minute. As a translator, you can make a decent living, but it’s not easy money. It’s late nights, stress and fatigue in a highly competitive sector where one bad day can cost you your entire career. If you’re in it for the money, you’ll fail. And more importantly, if you think that anyone can become a translator – “I know how to read and write, don’t I?” – you couldn’t be more wrong. We’re not human versions of Google Translate. A translation requires an effort that goes beyond typing a word in a search engine or dictionary. You need to know your client and your audience. You need to explore the cultural context behind your assignment. You need to be able to carry out focused research in the limited timeframe you have at your disposal. Translation is a combination of skill, dedication, patience, time management and experience.

The last word of the previous paragraph is key. Experience. Of course, you have to start somewhere. Prove that you have what it takes. Tricky, because many agencies refuse to give graduates a chance. The only advice I can give you, is keep trying if you’re convinced this is what you want to do, and if you have a feeling you might be good at it. Eventually your efforts will pay off. Someone, somewhere will notice your talent. But if you’re just looking for an alternative to unemployment, please look elsewhere. Unfortunately this sector is hardly regulated, so anyone can claim to be a translator, but only the good ones survive.  

Leave translation to the pros! 

Blogging: a little background info.

A friend asked me how I decide what I’m going to blog about. Do I have a set of topics that I want to tackle? Do I write most blog posts in advance? Do I ask my readers for feedback and subsequently base my decisions on their suggestions? Her question inspired me to write this blog post, to give you an idea of what goes on behind the scenes and to give you a glimpse of my new calling: blogging about my life as a stay-at-home translator, proofreader and copywriter.

I’m an impulsive person and I don’t like being told what to do. I decide what I'm going to write about, sometimes a few days in advance, but usually the night before I post it. Of course, I take into account my readers’ tips. I listen to what they have to say about my writing and I appreciate their advice. I like writing about my daily life, but without going into too much detail. The internet has already taken away so much privacy, that there are certain things I’d rather keep to myself. Of course, starting this blog was my choice, so a little loss of privacy is to be expected. But everything within limits.

So far, I’ve posted daily updates. That might change in the future. For now, I can handle it. I don’t see blogging as a chore, but as a way to relax, to de-stress. It’s something I look forward to. The moment I start questioning what I’m doing, I’ll have to reassess this whole blogging thing. The best advice I was ever given, is “do what you love, because if you don’t, people will notice, and they’ll lose interest”. Again, I don’t write for others, but for myself. However, it’s nice to get so many positive comments.

I’ve always liked writing. And I’ve always been a dreamer. When I was in primary school I used to write stories in notepads that I would decorate with stickers and drawings. In secondary school I decided I was going to write a book… about Julius Caesar, that fascinating man whose life I had explored during my Latin lessons. That project never took off, probably because it dawned on me that I had bitten off more than I could chew. Ever since, I’ve been jotting down bits and pieces here and there. I’ve never played any instruments, I’ve never been into sports; writing has always been my passion, my creative outlet.

Blogging allows me to let off some steam after a tough day. That’s why I’m doing it. I really enjoy it and I hope you enjoy it too. If not, no worries; there’s always the little X in the right-hand corner (or the little red circle on the left if you’ve given up on Microsoft).

A day to relax? To celebrate? To think about anything but work?

No, today I encourage you to consider your professional achievements, your development, your goals and aspirations. To be grateful for the opportunities you’ve been given. But in these difficult economic times it’s also essential to find ways to advance your skills, because you never know what’s around the corner.

I started working as a translator about six years ago. Quite unexpectedly, actually, because at university I wasn’t too fond of translation lectures. I used to skive off all the time. I graduated in interpreting, but soon realised that in Malta my language combination wasn’t all that useful. Everyone speaks English here, most people also speak – or at least understand – Italian, and Dutch is totally useless on my tiny rock in the Mediterranean. Passive French can be an asset, but only in combination with active Maltese. And my Maltese is still quite basic. I knew I had to diversify to survive in this tough sector. So I let go of the whole idea of becoming an interpreter (more on that here) and tried to be the best translator I could possibly be.

I was lucky enough to be offered an opportunity to work with probably the best translation agency in the world, Blue Lines Translations. A young, dynamic team that allows me to make mistakes and learn from them, to explore different topics to find out what suits me and what doesn’t, to get a taste of project management and so much more. I’ve discovered that I’m not good at dry financial texts and that lifestyle, fashion and beauty are precisely my cup of tea. That managing translation projects is not challenging enough for me; I prefer working backstage, where the action is. And last but not least, that young people, right out of university, deserve a chance. I’m glad I was given that chance and I’m proud of myself for using it to the full. Of course, I still have tons to learn. I’m a perfectionist, yet sometimes I don’t deliver, particularly when I have to translate French health care texts into Dutch. I don’t mind sharing my weaknesses, because I think it’s important to identify them, to highlight them, otherwise you can’t move forward. No one is invincible. If you think you are, you’re not on the right track.

On this journey, I couldn’t have wished for better colleagues. So today, on Workers’ Day, my heartfelt thanks go out to them. Thank you for believing in me, thank you for your patience, your dedication, your friendship. Work is work, I’ve said that before. It’s not the main reason for being – let’s be honest, we all like weekends and holidays. But if you enjoy doing what you do, and if you’re surrounded by like-minded people, the in-betweens become more bearable, fun even. You maximise your potential and become a happier person. And if you’re lucky, you even make friends along the way!

Workers’ Day is not simply another day off. It’s a time to contemplate and be grateful. Keep that in mind today!

Brand loyalty

Yesterday I was tweeting about coffee and I mentioned my Bialetti coffee maker. Suddenly I realised that whenever I need to buy a new coffee maker (every two to three years), I refuse to buy anything but a Bialetti. When I go to Italy, one of my favourite places to shop is the Bialetti outlet store. Why I wonder? What makes Bialetti the best brand in my little world? Why does my brain refuse to believe that other companies can make equally good coffee makers? And cost-conscious as I am, why pay more for a branded product?

The same goes for cornflakes. I only buy Kellogg’s. Not because they’re a client of the agency I work with, but probably because it’s the brand I grew up with. And having visited the Kellogg’s offices in Belgium has only reinforced my idea that its products best suit my taste buds. Then there’s make up. For me, it’s The Body Shop or nothing, even after having tried €50 Guerlain foundation.

In a way, as a translator, I’m responsible for selling products. I translate and localise press releases, product labels, marketing material, websites etc. On a professional level, I know exactly what goes into a 500-word press release. Months in advance, potential consumers are invited to try the product and give their opinion, which is then reworked into a motto or highlighted in a colourful textbox on the packaging. Translators are often sent internal guidelines and vocabulary lists. Every word is scrutinised by the marketing manager and the legal team. On a more personal level, I let my purchases be influenced by marketing and habit. Or is there more to it? I’m not sure what determines what we buy. Is it the position of the product on the shelf? Is it viral videos, ads, billboards? Or nostalgia maybe?

I’m quite sure in my case certain decisions are based on a nostalgic feeling that takes me back to my happy childhood years. My mum’s coffee (and caffè d’orzo when I was a little chipmunk) was and is to this day brewed with a Bialetti coffee maker. The only difference between mine and hers, is that hers is the traditional silver one and mine is… orange (that comes as no surprise if you read my blog). For breakfast I always had the Kellogg’s Variety packs, and I’d spend my first fifteen minutes of the day playing the games on the back of the packs. And if I remember correctly, my first lip gloss was one of those tiny pots by The Body Shop with raspberry flavour. So there you have it, brand loyalty explained from my personal point of view.

We all have brands we cherish. What are yours?