Image copyright: Demetri Martin
(This post will be mostly about interpreting. I’m not traveling much now but I’m always tripping!).
It’s all ups, downs, ups, downs, downers, meltdowns, letdowns, OMG-I’m not going to make-it-out-of-this-hole’s, and ups again and hopefully I’ll end up with an up. For now, turns out I don’t suck too much at interpreting and that it seems I’m one of the best at the new type of interpreting we’ve started in class. (See, don’t give up!).
But first, let’s talk about moping and meltdowns. It’s tough to fail (or feel you did badly) at something, especially something you really want to do. It can be heart-breaking and some people have the luxury of sitting around and moping. Some cry, others drink till they pass out. Now that I’ve the luxury of moping, I found the following worked pretty well in flushing out my mopiness:
-tub of ice cream, chocolate
-beer, cheap
-pajamas, old
-sweater, raggedy
-socks, with holes
-Bon Jovi, 80′s videos (I’ll be there for you too!!! Call me, baby!)
-George Carlin, Louis CK, Ricky Gervais, standup
In the end the damage wasn’t bad: I only failed the Spanish test. But by the time I got my test results I was already focused on the new type of interpreting we’re doing, simultaneous. This is when the interpreter listens to one person speaking in one language while interpreting what’s being said into another language while sitting in a sound-proof booth speaking into a microphone. It’s hard. In case you didn’t get that: it’s HARD.*
The work is very, very draining but it’s one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done! I LOVE IT!!! Getting behind the microphone in a booth, with your audience relying on you to understand what’s going on, is like getting behind the wheel of a Ferrari with a passenger in the back seat** then hitting the German Autobahn at 300 an hour. A-freaking-drenaline!!! But if you want your passenger to trust you you’ll have to keep your cool and focus on the road. If you let your Ferrari suddenly start wandering on to another lane your passenger is going to lose trust in you. That’s freaking bad news.
The good news is that if you’re a good driver with enough hours behind the wheel, you get to drive some pretty powerful people. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll get to drive George Clooney on a humanitarian conference. Oh, I would drive him…
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*In simultaneous interpreting you listen, analyze and understand what’s being said, translate, speak, listen to yourself, read the speaker’s body language, operate the equipment and look at the people listening to you to ensure they’re getting you. That’s if everything is going fine and I’ll leave it at that.
**No idea if Ferrari’s have back seats but my imaginary one does!
wow, wow, WOW — this is excellent!! i’m so inspired and impressed by you for following your passion in this intense field of work. yes, it sounds hard!!! good work! and, i’m with you on driving George Clooney. :)