Pretend and be

There's a book I got ages ago about becoming a translator, that basically concludes that you get to be a translator by pretending to be one. Not the best bootstrapping strategy.

And that's in a nutshell what I've been feeling until now... but I have had a stroke of luck that is making it feel a little more real! Someone on the translation mailing list posted a long-term in-house contract that I asked for more details on, and despite it being for a company I'd applied to the year before unsuccessfully, I asked to be considered if that wasn't a problem. I wasn't expecting much.

They contacted me last Thursday to ask if I could do a test translation, which I agreed to do on Friday between 9 and 1. Pretty much everything that could have happened did - the vegetable box arrived, the guy arrived to pick up the old bedframe, and locked himself out 3 times while taking it out. I sent it back on time and waited to hear.

On Monday afternoon, after Ree had left and I'd spent the day cleaning as I had no work on, they emailed me back. When could I start? As I said, I had nothing on - I'd had one piece of work all month so far, mainly my problem as I wasn't looking for new clients - so there was nothing stopping me taking off. Himself would have preferred the following Monday, but after the word "desperate" was mentioned it ended up being next Monday. I fly tomorrow.

Spent Wednesday and Thursday feeling like I was either going to wake up, or someone was going to contact me saying there had been a mistake and they thought they had been talking to someone else. Friday and today - with packing and letting people know I'll be out of the country - it has felt more real. I've even had time to get a bit nervous about it.

The contract is initially for 3 months, with a possibility of 6 months, which they have already suggested to me. Fine, so long as I get to pop back between projects and can be in the UK for the MA seminar and mock exam week in July and the craft fair I've signed up to do with Himself's mother.

Pay is good, furnished apartment is provided, it's great experience and a good name for the CV, plus some guaranteed income for a few months. Too good to turn down, and feeling much to good to be true.

どうしようかな。。。

いくら暖房を付けてもまだ寒いです。寒さに弱い人間ですが、ほどはあるでしょう。けれど、震えるほど寒いです。。。

今週金曜日次の日英翻訳の締め切りですが、前のとちょっと違います。今回は自分の選んだテキストを先生に送り、それはメモ付きの翻訳にふさわしいものかどうかを判断されるということなんです。

実は、この二年間ぐらい漫画以外何も読んでいないので、困ります。。。多分興味のある人物、例えば宮崎駿、のエッセとかを選んでそれにするか、そういう人とのインタービュー。

とりあえず、明日は駄目です。ものすごく久しぶりに高校生時代の友達と会いに行きます。朝家から出て、町の図書館と郵便局へ行ってから電車でロンドンへ行き、大学の図書館で翻訳の材料を探し、昼は友達とのランチです。私の大好きなロンドンでの和食レストラン「てんてんてい」へ行くつもりです。

今日翻訳の仕事はなかったので、手紙を書いたり写真をスキャンしたりしました。色々できたという感じはありませんが、した方がいいことはとりあえずしました。私の手書きの字、本当に恥ずかしいです。。。まだ小学生っぽいなんです。

お久しぶり

Well, I didn't think it had been that long. I got back from Japan, got over jet lag and actually got some paid translation work in between a miserable cold and an obscure Japanese-English translation piece for my MA that unfortunately is the assessed one. Then went to Dublin for Christmas, Engelberg for New Year and got the first part of my patent course work in. Then back to the UK and some more paid work...

I'm finally actually translating! Not making enough to support myself by a long way, but hopefully if I get my speed up and improve it may get there.

Playing the system

Airline Staff and British Tourist

AS - Is this your bag for the cabin?

BT - Yes, both of them.

AS - Is one a laptop?

BT - No, that's just books.

AS - I'm sorry, you can only take one p4ece into the cabin. Unless it's a laptop. So, again - is it a laptop?

BT (bemused but happy) - Oh. Yes. Thank you.

Got to put this mobile in the post. Later...

Sulk

I don't want to go!

Can't I bring everything I'm going home for here?

You can sell anything with anything

James Dean wool, anyone?

Awe

I wish the Japanese would come and take over English trains. Dad and I were in hysterics over live apologies for 30 second delays. Now at Shibuya killing time before my train - there's one to Yokohama every 4 minutes, and an express every 15.

Lazy day

Spent yesterday in the National Museum (didn't get to see it all) and an hour or so in Akihabara. Today I've posted my books and calendar - there is a special post office window open 24hrs even on a bank holiday - and am about to head for Yokohama to see an old friend.

Can't believe I'm off tomorrow. At least my case closes.

This is the shot

Mt. Fuji!

This is the shot

Mt. Fuji!

What more could you ask for?

It's the back end of November, the sun is warm, there's a gentle wind off Lake Ashi and my Spanish galleon cruise ship is about to depart.

I've only been here a few hours and I want to come back already.

Up, up and up!

Heading up into the mountains northwest of Tokyo to Hakone. It's cold but clear so should get some good shots as soon as I'm not standing on a train... I can get a seat, but keep giving them to mountain-loving old ladies. Amazing views!

This is the funicular to the top of Mt. Souzan, which is followed by a 30 minute cable car ride over the mountain to the lake on the other side, via sulfer pits!

Time travel

Here's one for Ada - you can go back to the Heian Period by going to Tochigi?!

First time for everything

First time I've been on a shinkansen other than the Tokaido line going north on the Tohoku line to get to Nikko.

Made an important discovery yesterday - finally located some Japanese-English technical dictionaries. Not in the dictionary section, but in with guides on technical writing in English in the sciences section. Now I just have to get over the price...

After the picnic

Teddy bear wedding and kids at JR Towers Nagoya.

Sayonara Dad

Dad has hopefully just taken off, and I'm waiting for my train from the airport to leave for Nagoya.

I was going to try to do Hakone on the way to Tokyo, but I don't think I'll have time. Plus I don't think I slept too well last night and feel very fuzzy, so I think I'll go around my old haunts in Nagoya and have a more relaxed trip to Tokyo.

バカ。っていうか、超バカ。

Ready for a Japanese lesson? 'Baka' means 'idiot'. Like when you get lost on the way to a hotel after dark, with all your luggage, while guiding your Dad.

'Chou' is a prefix meaning 'very/extra/super'. Like when you follow that up by accidentally choosing a Korean restaurant on your Dad's last night in Japan when he specifically said he wanted tn eat Japanese. That's chou-baka.

Nagoya Sunroute Hotel wins the prize for most bijou room so far, but good view of the Nagoya skyline if you ignore the car parks.

Down from the holy mountain

After an excellent night's sleep (not sure if we owe it to the cold mountain air or the meditation) and a morning in the enormous cemetary and retracing our steps arond the giant pagoda where my camera batteries died yesterday, followed by a delicious curry in a dilapidated restaurant by the tourist office, buying a few cakes as souvenirs and then killing time in a tiny cafe with a larger than life owner, we decided we had seen what we wanted to see on Mt. Koya and the drizzle and 4.5 degrees didn't inspire us to hang around. We managed to change our tickets at the very last minute and get an earlier train down to Osaka. There will be a lot more to do in 2 hours there than on the mountain.

We stay in Nagoya tonight and Dad flies from there tomorrow morning. I'll head for Tokyo and try to fit in Hakone, Nikko and shopping before it's time for me to go.

Cake!

Raining and cold - coffee and cake time!

Rengejo-in

Staying in a temple tonight!