This lovely video, produced by Everynone for Radiolab, has been doing the rounds on Twitter, so you may already have seen it. It bears repeat viewing, I think. It’s about words and also about our common humanity. I find it moving. Serendipity is a lovely word and a lovely concept. Shortly after watching the Words …
Category archives: Life and work and everything else
Taking care of dem bones
My last post was triggered by my husband Vito being diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis. Since then (last Friday, to be exact), my lovely Mum has fallen and fractured the neck of her femur. She’s had an operation and is now going through painful physiotherapy and rehabilitation. My mum’s 85 and has become very frail …
Keeping healthy at your desk
My husband’s just been diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and has come home from the outpatient’s department with a well-designed, simply-written care and information pack. Flicking through the Patient Information Booklet, I found the following DVT-prevention exercises, similar to the ones recommended for airline passengers. I thought they might be useful for all of …
Bangles, jangles… and keyboards?
I love my job. BUT – I also love bangles. And therein lies a problem – I can’t type while wearing bangles, they interfere with the position of my wrist and hand. So I get ready in the morning, carefully select the bangles (always plural!) I’m going to wear, sit down to work… And after …
Africa… or the Great British Summer?
I’m becoming addicted to Perpetuum Jazzile. Here’s a seasonal offering from them. Don’t adjust your volume, by the way – it starts quietly. By Marian Dougan
Planning a new website? Communicate! (with your translator too)
One of my clients told me recently that their company is re-doing its website. They’re working with web-designers and -developers, copy-writers, graphic designers and search-engine optimisation (SEO) specialists based in Spain, the US and various Italian cities. The client, a company based in north-east Italy, already works with designers and suppliers based in Spain, Denmark, …
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What’s missing…
… in this and in so many other film posters? By Marian Dougan
Blowing the nation’s trumpet: languages and public diplomacy (1)
I recently spent 2 days interpreting in Birmingham for an Italian delegation from Italia Lavoro and Regione Marche. They were here to find out more about the work being done by Sue Veszpremi’s Employer Engagement team at Jobcentre Plus to help the long-term unemployed back into employment. Wonderful work, in my opinion – Mr. Osborne, please don’t …
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TGIF, courtesy of Perpetuum Jazzile
At 5.45 yesterday evening I was at DHL sending a package to Italy containing my bid for a translation contract. The timing was tight and stress levels were sky-high. But according to the DHL tracking service the package arrived at its destination on time – phew! The whole bidding process was difficult and demanding, and …
Spreading the language love (2) – Careers Days
For any of you thinking of taking part in language learning initiatives at your local schools, I thought it might be useful to describe in more detail some of the events I’ve attended. So that you know what you’re letting yourselves in for! Careers Day The Careers Day I attended was for 2nd year pupils …
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