Ever wonder about translating? When you listen to someone, take in their information, make sense of it, and then try to figure out how to relay that information to others so they actually understand not only what you are saying, but the meaning and intention behind it?
I am a translator of technology speak...kind of. I suddenly realized this week that on a daily basis I bridge the world between those that are just learning the language, and those that are native to it. In a bizarre twist of fate, however, I am also a translator of education lingo. My background and formal education are in education....and I sit juxtaposed between two worlds, every day.
Every day I must translate back and forth so that the Technology Native Speakers and the Educators can communicate with each other. No easy task. Imagine you are native to a foreign country, and you have cooking skills- and a recent immigrant asks you to prepare their favorite meal- New England Lobster- for a dinner party. In your native country, Lobster is a bottom feeder in the ocean- a scavenger akin to crow or buzzard or a raccoon and you cannot for the life of you imagine anyone wanting to eat its flesh. You know where to buy it, how to cook it, but you have no understanding of why anyone would want to eat it, nor do you understand all of its many secret and delectable culinary uses. I as the translator, have to listen to both sides of the story and convince you that it is a worthy endeavor.
I could be a world renowned negotiator. The negotiation skills I am honing are incredible, but my brain hurts. Every day it is something new.
"What does an ipod touch have to do with teaching-what can you do with it besides shop on ebay and play beer pong?" Point.
"The ipod touch will not connect to Google-it keeps asking me to sign into the wireless network. How come I can access ebay, but not Google?"
"How come teachers cannot have administrator privileges on their own machines? They cannot even run Adobe and Flash updates."
"The only time we ever get viruses is on machines where teachers are administrators."
And back and forth it goes. Point, counter point. The one thing neither side counted on is my tenaciousness and persistence. I do not give up. If something is useful and important I will bring it back to the table again, and again, trying not to offend either party. Negotiation and translation skills necessary.
Today I am back to the Teacher side of the table early in the morning, then to the Technology side of the table later on. Then back to my office to assess what was gained and lost for either side. If I make no headway, it probably means my translation for either side was not as good as it could have been.
It is an interesting psychology experiment, and fun to watch the second language develop on either side of the continental divide. The language comes easiest to those who admit they are still in the learning stages. Development is slower in those that think they have enough understanding to get by. There are both kinds in either group. I am learning to use my resources wisely, and use peer teaching whenever possible.
I am hoping today will go well. I am also hoping that soonr, rather than later, the language skills on both sides of the table will meet somewhere in the middle.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Stop Complaining
Spring is really here, and we are on our way to summer. The lilacs are blooming, the grass is growing, and the water is being sucked from the top of the pool cover. This weekend is Memorial Day weekend. With any change of season, there comes reminiscing-looking back at the last year and the past-remembering the good times and the bad times and moving forward.
I fondly remember time spent with friends and family: graduations, birthday parties, cookouts or barbecues, the Mother's Day Flood, and trips to New york and New Jersey. Reflecting on my last post, I shouldn't have complained about my trip to Myrtle Beach, but rather accepted it for what it was. Two weeks later I can look back and say to myself, the courses were absolutely beautiful, there were some amazing golf shots, there was a lot of laughter, and I was able to golf relatively pain free and live to tell about it. No, it was not as much fun as it could have been, but it was warm and sunny and good to get away.
You see, I really don't have much to complain about these days, really. my very good friend lost her husband two weeks ago-suddenly, and now she is alone. Just like that. "It sucks," she tells me every day. She is moving on-she isn't complaining or feeling sorry for herself. The most she says is, "This sucks-no really, it just sucks." So how can I complain about anything?
All around me friends have parents who are aging and losing their ability to think, reason, and be independent.They are in hospitals, nursing homes, or need constant care. How can I complain about my feisty, chatty mother who is starting to tell me the same stories over and over again, but her ailments consist of an achy joint here or there and she is still going to work every day and getting ready to set up her first laptop?
I certainly cannot complain about my job- I love my job! All of my past experiences have led me to this point in work, and in life. The people I connect with now are directly or indirectly related to my past. It's that karma thing again.
So I cannot complain-really, about anything. If I have a sore back from golfing last night it's because I did not follow the very good advice of my personal trainer-and I did not warm up first. I will pay for that later today at the gym. So stop complaining. Enjoy the lilacs, and the bees, and the growing grass while you reach for your box of Kleenex. Fire up the grill, put on the sunscreen, and sunglasses, and laugh. Remember your friends and family and how lucky you are.
I fondly remember time spent with friends and family: graduations, birthday parties, cookouts or barbecues, the Mother's Day Flood, and trips to New york and New Jersey. Reflecting on my last post, I shouldn't have complained about my trip to Myrtle Beach, but rather accepted it for what it was. Two weeks later I can look back and say to myself, the courses were absolutely beautiful, there were some amazing golf shots, there was a lot of laughter, and I was able to golf relatively pain free and live to tell about it. No, it was not as much fun as it could have been, but it was warm and sunny and good to get away.
You see, I really don't have much to complain about these days, really. my very good friend lost her husband two weeks ago-suddenly, and now she is alone. Just like that. "It sucks," she tells me every day. She is moving on-she isn't complaining or feeling sorry for herself. The most she says is, "This sucks-no really, it just sucks." So how can I complain about anything?
All around me friends have parents who are aging and losing their ability to think, reason, and be independent.They are in hospitals, nursing homes, or need constant care. How can I complain about my feisty, chatty mother who is starting to tell me the same stories over and over again, but her ailments consist of an achy joint here or there and she is still going to work every day and getting ready to set up her first laptop?
I certainly cannot complain about my job- I love my job! All of my past experiences have led me to this point in work, and in life. The people I connect with now are directly or indirectly related to my past. It's that karma thing again.
So I cannot complain-really, about anything. If I have a sore back from golfing last night it's because I did not follow the very good advice of my personal trainer-and I did not warm up first. I will pay for that later today at the gym. So stop complaining. Enjoy the lilacs, and the bees, and the growing grass while you reach for your box of Kleenex. Fire up the grill, put on the sunscreen, and sunglasses, and laugh. Remember your friends and family and how lucky you are.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
On Looking for Fun and Adventure
I recently returned from my annual golf vacation to Myrtle Beach. I am thinking it might be time to change things up a bit. The typical formula for Myrtle Beach fun had been strayed away from the last 2 years. There is a reason why the recipe for fun must be adhered to, otherwise, the whole experience falls flat.
After last year's escapade with family friends, I thought to myself, "This wasn't as much fun without my husband and his friends- they are way more fun.....next year I will go with them." So, heading into 2009, with a new job and different responsibilities and a more flexible schedule, I firmly decided I would go whenever my husband and his friends went.
Up until 2 weeks before the trip we had 8 golfers...and then 2 dropped out...and then 1 more dropped out.."Have fun golfing with your wife all week," my husband's friend commented to him.
Should I drop out? Not fair...I was in from the beginning! But, I was the "fifth" golfer. And a wife. I tried to convince myself it would be fine; my husband told me it would be fine; I knew it would be less than fine. It is easier to be one of the boys when there are more than 6 golfers. It is impossible to be one of the boys when you are the fifth wheel.
I love my husband's friends-they are funny, kind, and down to earth. But they are his friends.
We went to a birthday party for another of his friends the night before we left for Myrtle Beach."So, what do you do? Do you go to lay by the pool and hang out while they golf?" one of the wives asked me...
Another sign. I had neon, glaring signs all the way, and I stubbornly stuck to my decision to go because I wanted to have fun. Let me just say-you cannot go looking for fun and adventure- it must find you. There were moments that were fun-like the ferry ride over to Bald Head Island-but the greens had been aerated and we were all really tired. Like playing World Tour International and getting to Amen Corner and the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass- but it was a cheap imitation- no where near the real experience-you can not re-create fun.
And then there was listening to the boys tell stories about their day together-we had no stories to share. Who wants to hear about how annoying my husband is? I couldn't rag on their friend. "It's okay if we make fun of each other," he said,"but they don't know how to take it if you make fun of me, it just sounds like you're complaining." Great. Do not try to pretend to be having fun-it just comes off as complaining, I guess.
There were things that happened that I thought were fun and funny, and no one agreed with me. That was awkward. Some holes I outplayed the guys....that was fun for me, but I couldn't show it..they were sulking. When I hit a bad shot, I couldn't smash my club and swear, like them. They didn't thinkthat was fun. They smoked cigars and drank Coors Light. I was thankful for my occasional Bloody Mary. I hit from T boxes that were too far back and barely made it over the crap- and let me tell you there was nothing but crap, sand, and water. More golf lessons from my husband. Not fun.
And so it went. We played a lot of golf. The boys all had fun. It was a smashing success. They have very low expectations and their fun involves swinging a golf club, ending the day with a too large serving of beef and sweet tea, and soaking in the hot tub-followed by watching the Celtics, th Bruins and the Sox. No American Idol, Dancing with the Stars and Grays?
So, I am rethinking the whole Myrtle Beach golf experience with the boys. I had more fun last year with a mixed group. Maybe I am an annoying golfer. Maybe it is no fun to play with a wife. Next year I will not try to plan my fun with high hopes and great expectations. I will let fun find me and see what happens. There is fun and adventure out there waiting for me, I know it.
After last year's escapade with family friends, I thought to myself, "This wasn't as much fun without my husband and his friends- they are way more fun.....next year I will go with them." So, heading into 2009, with a new job and different responsibilities and a more flexible schedule, I firmly decided I would go whenever my husband and his friends went.
Up until 2 weeks before the trip we had 8 golfers...and then 2 dropped out...and then 1 more dropped out.."Have fun golfing with your wife all week," my husband's friend commented to him.
Should I drop out? Not fair...I was in from the beginning! But, I was the "fifth" golfer. And a wife. I tried to convince myself it would be fine; my husband told me it would be fine; I knew it would be less than fine. It is easier to be one of the boys when there are more than 6 golfers. It is impossible to be one of the boys when you are the fifth wheel.
I love my husband's friends-they are funny, kind, and down to earth. But they are his friends.
We went to a birthday party for another of his friends the night before we left for Myrtle Beach."So, what do you do? Do you go to lay by the pool and hang out while they golf?" one of the wives asked me...
Another sign. I had neon, glaring signs all the way, and I stubbornly stuck to my decision to go because I wanted to have fun. Let me just say-you cannot go looking for fun and adventure- it must find you. There were moments that were fun-like the ferry ride over to Bald Head Island-but the greens had been aerated and we were all really tired. Like playing World Tour International and getting to Amen Corner and the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass- but it was a cheap imitation- no where near the real experience-you can not re-create fun.
And then there was listening to the boys tell stories about their day together-we had no stories to share. Who wants to hear about how annoying my husband is? I couldn't rag on their friend. "It's okay if we make fun of each other," he said,"but they don't know how to take it if you make fun of me, it just sounds like you're complaining." Great. Do not try to pretend to be having fun-it just comes off as complaining, I guess.
There were things that happened that I thought were fun and funny, and no one agreed with me. That was awkward. Some holes I outplayed the guys....that was fun for me, but I couldn't show it..they were sulking. When I hit a bad shot, I couldn't smash my club and swear, like them. They didn't thinkthat was fun. They smoked cigars and drank Coors Light. I was thankful for my occasional Bloody Mary. I hit from T boxes that were too far back and barely made it over the crap- and let me tell you there was nothing but crap, sand, and water. More golf lessons from my husband. Not fun.
And so it went. We played a lot of golf. The boys all had fun. It was a smashing success. They have very low expectations and their fun involves swinging a golf club, ending the day with a too large serving of beef and sweet tea, and soaking in the hot tub-followed by watching the Celtics, th Bruins and the Sox. No American Idol, Dancing with the Stars and Grays?
So, I am rethinking the whole Myrtle Beach golf experience with the boys. I had more fun last year with a mixed group. Maybe I am an annoying golfer. Maybe it is no fun to play with a wife. Next year I will not try to plan my fun with high hopes and great expectations. I will let fun find me and see what happens. There is fun and adventure out there waiting for me, I know it.
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