Merry Christmas to you and very best wishes for a healthy, peaceful and happy new year!
As a minimalist, I have made a donation to UNICEF UK in lieu of sending Christmas cards this year. More information is available on the UNICEF website.
Friday, 18 December 2015
Christmas 2015
Dear blog readers,
Merry Christmas to you and very best wishes for a healthy, peaceful and happy new year!
As a minimalist, I have made a donation to UNICEF UK in lieu of sending Christmas cards this year. More information is available on the UNICEF website.
Merry Christmas to you and very best wishes for a healthy, peaceful and happy new year!
As a minimalist, I have made a donation to UNICEF UK in lieu of sending Christmas cards this year. More information is available on the UNICEF website.
Monday, 30 November 2015
ITI German network Christmas party 2015
With the festive season fast approaching, around 25 members of the ITI’s German network gathered at the Kipferl Kneipe and Kitchen in London on 28th November 2015 for Gernet's annual Christmas get-together. The Kipferl is an Austrian coffeehouse in North Kensington, slightly tucked away in a side street off Portobello Road. It has gained a fine reputation for its excellent food and Viennese coffee varieties, served in a contemporary Austrian setting.
 |
| Kipferl Kneipe and Kitchen in North Kensington, London |
It had been decided, after many years of meeting at the Barley Mow pub on Horseferry Road for this occasion, to try a new venue for this year’s event. Personally, I think the Kipferl was a great choice: the (German-speaking) staff were welcoming and friendly; the food was delicious; and the surroundings were both comfortable and stylish. Good company and conversations made for an enjoyable afternoon, with conversation topics ranging from the challenges involved in translating a novel via cycling in London to the availability of real Advent wreaths in the UK. And since we had the whole restaurant to ourselves, it was (relatively) easy to mingle and circulate around the room.
 |
| Vanillekipferl |
Given that most of
us work in isolation, this get-together provided another wonderful opportunity
to connect with fellow professionals in person and exchange work-related or
other experiences. There was ample time to share tips on working habits,
compare notes and talk in a relaxed social atmosphere. And I even met a couple
of translators whom I had previously only known as Twitter names!
It’s true that quite
a lot of us translators – due to our natural temperaments – tend to prefer
smaller “doses” of socialising; so events of this kind can be energy-sapping.
I, for one, am certainly not used to chatting for many hours. However, I
definitely think it was worthwhile making my way into the capital for this
meeting: it was a convivial afternoon that offered a chance to spend quality
time with like-minded people.
Sadly, the afternoon
drew to a close quite quickly, and at around 5 o’clock it was time for us to
leave – after the 5 hours had just flown by. I love walking through London and
enjoyed my walk back to Paddington Station afterwards to catch the train back home
to Bristol. The experience of meeting at the Kipferl was enhanced by Twitter interaction as it allowed us to
stay in communication for a while longer even as we were making our way back
home.
 |
| Walking back to Paddington Station |
By the way, you can
keep up to date with the latest news and stories from the ITI’s German network
by following @ITIGerNet on
Twitter or by liking GerNet on Facebook. Do join us there!
Saturday, 6 June 2015
ITI WRG IT & CAT Tools Day
I've just returned from the ITI WRG's IT & CAT Tools Day, which was held at the Watershed on the harbourside in Bristol. I would like to take this opportunity to extend a huge thank you to Sandra Mouton for organising this workshop with such superb efficiency and good humour!
In the morning, Kevin Flanagan gave a presentation on sub-segment recall in translation memories, the theme of his PhD research. Based on this research, Kevin has developed a new functionality called "Lift", which will be incorporated into SDL products in the future. For more information check out the demo video here.
In the afternoon, five WRG members (including myself) demonstrated specific translation tools that they find useful in their work. These tools included MemoQ, Dragon Naturally Speaking, CafeTran, Trados, OmegaT with LibreOffice and LF Aligner. My demo was about IntelliWebSearch. There was also ample opportunity to share software-related ideas and best practices in a relaxed social setting.
As announced in my demonstration, here is the video on IntelliWebSearch that I found on YouTube this week. It is presented by Michael Farrell, who developed the application.
In the morning, Kevin Flanagan gave a presentation on sub-segment recall in translation memories, the theme of his PhD research. Based on this research, Kevin has developed a new functionality called "Lift", which will be incorporated into SDL products in the future. For more information check out the demo video here.
 |
| Four of the presenters: Elisabeth Hippe-Heisler, Mark Elliott, Sandra Mouton, Will Helton (from left to right) |
In the afternoon, five WRG members (including myself) demonstrated specific translation tools that they find useful in their work. These tools included MemoQ, Dragon Naturally Speaking, CafeTran, Trados, OmegaT with LibreOffice and LF Aligner. My demo was about IntelliWebSearch. There was also ample opportunity to share software-related ideas and best practices in a relaxed social setting.
As announced in my demonstration, here is the video on IntelliWebSearch that I found on YouTube this week. It is presented by Michael Farrell, who developed the application.
Monday, 27 April 2015
ITI Conference 2015
The biennial ITI Conference, the biggest translation and interpreting event in the UK, was held at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead from 23 to 25 April 2015. Once again, it attracted translation and interpreting professionals from all over the UK and beyond.
The buzz around this year’s event was enormous. Not only was it declared a complete sell-out weeks in advance, but the conference hashtag #iticonf15 on Twitter immediately became the no. 10 trending hashtag in the UK on Friday, the first day of the conference.
I had booked for Saturday only, but arrived on Friday just in time to join the impromptu ensemble, coordinated by Ben Jones. Thank you to local cellist Penny Callow for lending her cello to Kari Koonin and thanks, too, to Louisa Fox for collecting at such short notice the keyboard from Anne Greaves for me to use.
I should point out that we had never played together before, although we had had the opportunity to practise a little at home. Everyone who was involved in the music-making enjoyed it, and the people listening evidently enjoyed it too. Parts of our music experiment were actually not too bad!
I was especially interested in William Cassemiro’s talk on how a machine translation tool – he uses ProMT – can be integrated into CAT tools. I agree with William, who doesn’t view machine translation as an enemy, as many translators do, but rather as a mere tool.
The enthusiasm over his session was still palpable during our fringe dinner at Panis Café in the evening. I am always on the lookout for new ways of bringing more efficiency to my workflow, so I have made a mental note to definitely check out ProMT.
I would like to express a huge and heartfelt thank you to the conference organisers – and Anne de Freyman in particular – for making the ITI Conference 2015 such an efficiently organised, successful and memorable event!
 |
| View from the Gateshead Millenium Bridge in Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
The buzz around this year’s event was enormous. Not only was it declared a complete sell-out weeks in advance, but the conference hashtag #iticonf15 on Twitter immediately became the no. 10 trending hashtag in the UK on Friday, the first day of the conference.
I had booked for Saturday only, but arrived on Friday just in time to join the impromptu ensemble, coordinated by Ben Jones. Thank you to local cellist Penny Callow for lending her cello to Kari Koonin and thanks, too, to Louisa Fox for collecting at such short notice the keyboard from Anne Greaves for me to use.
I should point out that we had never played together before, although we had had the opportunity to practise a little at home. Everyone who was involved in the music-making enjoyed it, and the people listening evidently enjoyed it too. Parts of our music experiment were actually not too bad!
 |
| The impromptu ensemble |
Making music together ex tempore in the hotel lobby was certainly far less daunting than the thought of my upcoming appointment with photographer Jules Selmes for a professional photo shoot the next morning…
Jules Selmes was on site to take professional portraits of attendees for their online profiles. I am glad to report that this, in the end, was far easier than expected as Jules really put me at my ease. If you’re looking for a professional photographer, I highly recommend his services!
Conferences are a wonderful platform for the exchange of profession- and industry-related tips, experiences and knowledge, and the Hilton was the perfect venue. As always, I’ve tremendously enjoyed the company of other translators and interpreters, both new and familiar.
The event was marked by a relaxed social atmosphere, but at the same time had the usual polished, professional feel to it, which is typical of ITI conferences. Talks by high-profile speakers and encounters with other professionals made for a worthwhile and enjoyable event.
Jules Selmes was on site to take professional portraits of attendees for their online profiles. I am glad to report that this, in the end, was far easier than expected as Jules really put me at my ease. If you’re looking for a professional photographer, I highly recommend his services!
Conferences are a wonderful platform for the exchange of profession- and industry-related tips, experiences and knowledge, and the Hilton was the perfect venue. As always, I’ve tremendously enjoyed the company of other translators and interpreters, both new and familiar.
The event was marked by a relaxed social atmosphere, but at the same time had the usual polished, professional feel to it, which is typical of ITI conferences. Talks by high-profile speakers and encounters with other professionals made for a worthwhile and enjoyable event.
 |
| Photos in conference tweets |
I was especially interested in William Cassemiro’s talk on how a machine translation tool – he uses ProMT – can be integrated into CAT tools. I agree with William, who doesn’t view machine translation as an enemy, as many translators do, but rather as a mere tool.
The enthusiasm over his session was still palpable during our fringe dinner at Panis Café in the evening. I am always on the lookout for new ways of bringing more efficiency to my workflow, so I have made a mental note to definitely check out ProMT.
I would like to express a huge and heartfelt thank you to the conference organisers – and Anne de Freyman in particular – for making the ITI Conference 2015 such an efficiently organised, successful and memorable event!
Sunday, 15 February 2015
5 common misconceptions about minimalists
Think back over the last 48 hours, and if you’re anything like me, the best things you’ve experienced have had nothing to do with physical objects: a really good conversation with a friend; feeling the warm sun on your back after some bitterly cold days; watching your child’s excitement about acting the part of the Minotaur in the upcoming school assembly play. And these are just a few examples!
This is what minimalism essentially is all about: less stuff and more experiences. Many people have embraced a minimalistic lifestyle because they want to get more out of life and don’t see much point in modern society’s passion for possessions. Joshua Becker, who has written popular books on minimalism, encourages us to concern ourselves less with possessions, but more with living.
A few misconceptions about minimalism are common, and I want to set the record straight:
Misconception #1:
Minimalists own just 100 things.
The reality:
Some minimalists in fact own just 100 things. However, minimalism means different things to different people. It is a rational, flexible lifestyle concept that can be tailored to anyone’s individual circumstances.
Misconception #2:
Minimalists do not like things.
The reality:
Minimalists do like things and in particular value the things that they own, while removing from their homes anything that is neither functional nor beautiful. What minimalists, on the other hand, do not like is clutter in all its guises.
Misconception #3:
Minimalists have turned to this lifestyle because of a lack of money.
The reality:
The maths behind it is really easy: spending less money on unnecessary stuff means more money is left over for the things that you truly need or desire. In fact, minimalists often even opt for the more expensive, high-quality products when buying new things, which have to “deserve” a place in their homes.
Misconception #4:
It is impossible to be a minimalist with children.
The reality:
It is harder to be a minimalist with children, but not impossible. No one denies that kids should own toys as they help develop their intelligence and imagination. As parents we can teach our kids basic minimalistic principles: that less is often better than more; that always returning things to where they belong will eliminate the need for major search operations etc.
Misconception #5:
A minimalistic life is boring and stark.
The reality:
A minimalist’s home that has been stripped of many things does not necessarily lack warmth or personality. Removing all clutter means you can then display the things that you most value. Spending less on things frees up money to spend on experiences like cinema trips, massages or holidays. Cutting down on commitments means being able to focus better on what really excites or matters to you.
Impossible, boring and stark? Not at all!
This is what minimalism essentially is all about: less stuff and more experiences. Many people have embraced a minimalistic lifestyle because they want to get more out of life and don’t see much point in modern society’s passion for possessions. Joshua Becker, who has written popular books on minimalism, encourages us to concern ourselves less with possessions, but more with living.
 |
| Minimalism is about less stuff and more experiences |
A few misconceptions about minimalism are common, and I want to set the record straight:
Misconception #1:
Minimalists own just 100 things.
The reality:
Some minimalists in fact own just 100 things. However, minimalism means different things to different people. It is a rational, flexible lifestyle concept that can be tailored to anyone’s individual circumstances.
Misconception #2:
Minimalists do not like things.
The reality:
Minimalists do like things and in particular value the things that they own, while removing from their homes anything that is neither functional nor beautiful. What minimalists, on the other hand, do not like is clutter in all its guises.
Misconception #3:
Minimalists have turned to this lifestyle because of a lack of money.
The reality:
The maths behind it is really easy: spending less money on unnecessary stuff means more money is left over for the things that you truly need or desire. In fact, minimalists often even opt for the more expensive, high-quality products when buying new things, which have to “deserve” a place in their homes.
Misconception #4:
It is impossible to be a minimalist with children.
The reality:
It is harder to be a minimalist with children, but not impossible. No one denies that kids should own toys as they help develop their intelligence and imagination. As parents we can teach our kids basic minimalistic principles: that less is often better than more; that always returning things to where they belong will eliminate the need for major search operations etc.
Misconception #5:
A minimalistic life is boring and stark.
The reality:
A minimalist’s home that has been stripped of many things does not necessarily lack warmth or personality. Removing all clutter means you can then display the things that you most value. Spending less on things frees up money to spend on experiences like cinema trips, massages or holidays. Cutting down on commitments means being able to focus better on what really excites or matters to you.
Impossible, boring and stark? Not at all!
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