Cry my beloved country – Questions asked to expatriates

 

On my frequent visits to Los Angeles in the past to visit my parents, I used to grab a coffee at the nearby Peet’s Coffee shop. As a bonus to the rocket fuel disguised in the form of expresso, I enjoyed watching and listening to a group of Israeli men, who apparently met every morning and had done so for decades. They also discussed their families and their work, local prices, but mainly Israel. Their conversation was just like any “parliament” (as we call a group of people meeting and chatting every morning) in Israel except that it was a recurring event in Tarzana, California, rather far from the holy land.

This memory came up as we watched an episode of an Israeli program, סליחה על השאלה [slicha al ha shayala], which means “Excuse the question”. The format of the series is to interview several individuals from a given sensitive group, e.g., blind, mixed marriages and unmarried, posing identical questions regarding matters about which the general public is interested in knowing about but often too embarrassed to ask. This specific episode was filmed before October 7, 2023, i.e., before the recent war. The participants were Israelis that had lived abroad for more than 2 years. All had flown to Israel to take part in the program. The questions related to the circumstances for them leaving Israel, their feelings about living in another country and their future plans. Most of the responses would apply to the millions of expatriates worldwide. Yet, some of their answers were typically Israeli, in my view. Interestingly, if I were to answer those same questions on my experience, my response would be similar but not identical.

All of those interviewed fundamentally had the same reason for leaving, albeit under different circumstances. The reason why the idea of living abroad was attractive (and remains so) was their discomfort with the rough-edged fishbowl that is Israeli society. They sought privacy, politeness and convenience. Interestingly, none of them stated that making money was their prime motivation, which probably was the truth when they left. The initial exit was either for studies or travel. As in “A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum”, a two-year study program or two-week trip kept and keeps on getting extended, with a spouse and children added to the package. I personally know many Israeli students that never came home. The junction of a fundamental desire for change with the circumstances that allow its realization is a powerful force.

Even more interesting was their rather mixed feelings toward their country of birth. On the one hand, they could no longer (or still) deal with the Israeli style of life, emotionally or financially. They enjoyed their relatively tranquil lifestyle abroad. On the other hand, they were still deeply connected to events in Israel and their family that lived there. One of the most painful questions was in regard to their guilt towards their aging parents. Many had experienced rather traumatic partings, including last-minute flights and arriving at the last breath. They also still identified themselves as Israelis and, quite interestingly, had few non-Israeli friends, despite their many years in their new homes. They expressed a serious internal conflict in their relationship with their country of birth.

As for the future, they all expressed some vague feeling that they would ultimately like to age or die in Israel. One couple said that they would return when their children reached first grade. To be fair, the wife was not very fond of where she lived, Greece, and had no clear picture of her future. In any case, it did not sound very probable that any would be returning in the foreseeable future.

To be fair, Israel has some unique features that shaded the answers of the respondents. First, it is a small country, not even eight million people. Every person that leaves is a perceptible loss. For that reason, the term in the past used for a person that leaves Israel wasיורד  [yured], someone that goes down, instead of עולה [oleh], a person that “goes up” to Israel. It is an emotional term that these people rejected. Another issue was army service. Most of the female participants feared that their children would feel so Israeli that they would want to serve in the IDF, which many actually did. This dread colors their identity and its transference to their children. Finally, all of them viewed Israel as their true home because Israel is the only country with a Jewish majority. Everywhere else, Jews are a minority and often live in fear. These factors are probably unique to Israeli expatriates.

My answers to these questions are similar. I left the United States to live in Israel. I spent one year as a volunteer in Ashkelon and felt at home for the first time in my life, at the age of 26. I immigrated at the age of 28 because the fishbowl lifestyle rather strangely suited me. Also, apparently, the fact that I could be Jewish without “exaggerating” my lifestyle certainly played a part. As I worked a teacher, it was clear that I would be equally non-rich both in the US and Israel. I made a living, which was all I cared about at the time. My father and mother lived to the ages of 94 and 96, respectively, which meant many long telephone conversations and flights to Los Angeles, a city I cannot stand, as well as not a little guilt about not being there to help them and a difficult parting. I did make it to the hospital before my mother died but had to “participate” in my father’s funeral via Zoom because there were no flights due to Corona. As for my identity, I am American and a bit French (my mother) in my attitude but have become Israeli in identity after some 37 years of living in Israel. The America I grew up in no longer exists. I have changed too. It is now a foreign country to me, albeit one that I understand the spoken and physical language. As Edith Piaf sang and I put on my mother’s gravestone, “Je ne regrette rien”.

In summary, the program about expatriates, despite its brevity, explored many issues that we who have left behind our countries of birth have struggled with. The participants’ answers express the experience of many people from many countries and certainly those from Israel and mine. To mix the thoughts of Thomas Wolfe and Alan Paton, you cannot come home again even if you cry over your beloved country.

Agency in translation – then and now

 

Yesterday’s business models no longer work. Once-great retail companies have given way to even bigger newcomers applying modern ways of doing business. On the other side of the equation, customers, once content to go to the local store, now search online. The translation business is no different. Two decades ago, the dominant model for connecting translation purchasers with translators was through agencies of all different sizes. Today, paradoxically, agencies have become global, but numerous customers are increasingly going direct to the translators. The effect on both the service providers and purchasers is significant.

When I began translating in 2004, the business approach for both linguists and the purchasers of their products was quite clear and defined the production chain. Translation agencies of varying sizes, from small local one-person offices to regional or national companies, built up a pool of translators to allow them to provide a specific language-combination solution for their standard job requests. Each agency sought the best translator willing to work at their rate level according to the market rates and chosen business strategy, e.g., boutique and low-cost. Few translators had the skill or even felt the need to market services directly to their potential clients, trusting that the agencies would handle the marketing. For the translator, it meant that finding customers involved contacting as many agencies as possible with the hope of receiving the first job, which would prove their skill and reliability and lead to steady work. For the customer, it was a matter of a simple Google search for an appropriate agency and some price comparison. Life was simple and somehow satisfactory.

Since then, both translation agencies and customers have changed. Global LSPs (language service providers) have purchased countless local and regional agencies and created a market of relatively few worldwide companies, some of them publicly owned, e.g., RWS and TransPerfect. For the most part, these huge corporations apply a high-volume, low-margin business model, driving rates down for both the translator and customer, with the expected effect on quality. The global translation business has become similar to Walmart, i.e., low prices for the customers and low profit margins for the suppliers. On the other side, the new generation of translator purchasers, both general and business, feels comfortable directly searching for their providers, increasingly with the help of AI. They are able to locate an appropriate translator properly situated on the Internet. Contacting an agency is not a default choice.

This change has dramatically impacted both translators and their customers. For translators, it creates two distinct paths for financial success. They can either work with the large agencies at low rates and be efficient enough to make a living. Alternatively, they can opt to invest in marketing and attain direct, higher-paying customers. Admittedly, it is not an all-or-nothing situation. Most professional translator shave clients of both types, but one type dominates. As for the purchasers, those customers with specific quality or certification requirements now invest their time in finding qualified providers. They seek those that choose to bypass the agencies, i.e., they prefer direct sales. The two business dialogues differ greatly.

To be clear, change is never total. Older business models continue to exist and sometimes even thrive long after a new one has supposedly superseded it. In translation, given that the quantity of paid translation continues to increase (despite AI), working with agencies remains a viable option on condition that the translator can produce sufficient volume at the demanded quality. On the other hand, the search for deep-pocketed customers is relentless and challenging in terms of the effort required to find and retain them as they demand value, quite justifiably. Translators choosing this path must legitimately believe in themselves. In the meantime, these are the two major options for linguists and their companies. Of course, for complicated multi-language projects, agencies will remain the best option. Still, how many agencies will exist in twenty years is an open question.

Food labeling – Ringing in the old

 

As every marketing expert knows, names count. They hide deficiencies and create impressions of a better reality. Furthermore, as it used to be (and still is to a lesser degree), many people believe that it is a crime to throw out food even if it is not freshly prepared. Thus, cooks have learned to relabel leftovers and turn them into delicacies of their own with little or no effort.

Some foods are old by definition to the extent that, like wine, they improve over time. The classic example is kimchi, Korean fermented cabbage. The processing period lasts for years in order to reach the perfect taste. Similarly, no one would want to eat olives straight from the tree, at least most varieties. They are awfully bitter au natural. However, after a period of curing, they become the perfect complementary ingredient or a dish in themselves. The word fresh is illogical in these cases.

A few dishes can appear on the table the next day without any change besides their texture and name. Yesterday’s fresh pasta becomes today’s dry pasta while an Italian lunch may include cold grilled vegetables, such as zucchini or sweet potato, with a dash of olive oil, carrying the name antipasto. There is no mention of last night’s dinner there.

Many people reprocess yesterday’s fowl leftovers, only adding a moistening agent, usually mustard or mayonnaise. Generations of Americans went to school on the Monday after Thanksgiving with Turkey sandwiches whose prime ingredient dated from Thursday, four days previously. A turkey sandwich psychologically has no connection with the big bird cooking in the oven on Thursday morning and certainly was no cause for shame in the schoolyard. As for chicken, the slightly dry chicken remains become a part of a delightful lunch when it takes center stage in a chicken salad. That the bird was not freshly roasted does not bother anybody.

Frying is another way of renovating a leftover. Restaurants serve refried rice, mixed with vegetables and soy sauce, without any shame. Many lovers of Mexican food cannot get enough refried beans, made from legumes that had been boiled long before they entered the frying pan. The Brits consider fried triple-cooked chips a treat, which is best when the potatoes were boiled and then sautéed the previous day. The old can even be better tasting than the new.

Some recipes use milk to repackage leftovers. The stalest of bread becomes the perfect basis for French toast (pain perdu in French) merely by adding milk (Some Canadian maple syrup does not hurt it also). As for yesterday’s peas or spuds, a mashing with the addition of some milk or cream turns them into a tasty side dish, with an identity of its own.

For those with higher culinary ambitions, those chicken bits mixed with potatoes and thrown in the oven often become a restaurant dish, known as chicken Parmentier. As for leftover beef or pork, make a ragu sauce and pour it over the dried pasta mentioned above. You will have a perfect dinner. That is also true when you integrate the remains of last night’s fish into fresh fish cakes. Nobody will complain

Waste not, want not, but don’t call it leftovers. “Precooked” dishes can be as tasty as those straight from the oven or range and even sometimes better. Thus, calling them leftovers seems to insult them and even prevent these variations from getting the respect they deserve. Thus, it is a good policy to give them a name worthy of the pleasure they create in your mouth. Reused foods deserve to have their virtues sung.

A stranger in a strange land – vacationing in your own country

 

It is amazing how much life changes after a two-hour train or plane trip. One moment, you are in harmony with the world around you. In a (long) blink of an eye, you are in an alien landscape. Even if the language and signs are the same, you feel in a foreign land.

It is easy, convenient and relatively inexpensive to experience this transformation. A 45-minute commuter flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco drops you into the other California, one that lives to a different drummer than the Angelinos, with a far more European beat. An equally short but far more up-and-down flight from Paris to Nice seems to drop you in the slow zone, where time is to be enjoyed, not merely exploited. In Israel, a two-hour train ride takes you from Karmiel, some 20 kilometers from the Lebanese border and the constant noise of planes, helicopters and birds, to Tel Aviv, where the pace of life is frenetic and the density of people and cars seems overwhelming. Yet, in all three cases, the country and language are the same and are about the only common denominators.

The differences are both physical and psychological. Every region has its dominant topography and layout. A location may be rural and spread out or urban and compact. Nature and water may divide areas in some places while cement and roads fulfill the same tasks in others. More subtly, the pace of life in some places is slow and leisurely, even in some big cities, whereas in many metropolitan areas everybody seems in a hurry and anxious to show achievement. This difference of pace creates an internal dissonance in the confused visitor, who asks, “How can people live like this?”. This difference in rhythm is as disconcerting and maybe even as exciting at the same time as the experience of a baseball hitter trying to hit a 98-mph fastball after an 82-mph breaking bitch (or the equivalent in cricket). The shock goes beyond the physical effect and calls into question our ability to read the situation.

Despite the moments of feeling overwhelmed, it is rather entertaining to visit the alternative worlds so close to us. First of all, it is not necessary to suffer the inconvenience and unpleasantness of long international air travel, which has lost most of its charm in the last 20 years. Second, these other places provide opportunities for experiences unavailable where we live. For example, some cities provide a plethora of shopping possibilities while other locations allow a person to literally do nothing. Third, seeing how “those” people live reminds you how happy you are where you live and helps you appreciate what you have, or maybe not. In any case, it clarifies one’s perspective. Thus, the benefits of traveling close to home are both short- and long-term.

Therefore, when time, money and energy are short, there is much to recommend for a vacation to a place physically close by but so distant in vibes. These places can be as foreign as a distant country but without the high financial and physical cost of getting there and back. They also help us define what aspects of life are truly important. It is possible to be a stranger and then again a native within two hours, while never crossing an international border.

Far more than a day – holidays and non-business days

 

Translators not only translate words but also cultures. To demonstrate, I recently translated a purchase agreement of a flat (an apartment to Americans) from Hebrew to English in which it was explicitly stated that payments cannot be executed on the "holiday and chol hamoed”. Of course, translating this clause involved not only some understanding and thought but also discussion with the translation agency and a short translator’s explanation of the second term in square brackets. It was clear that a non-Jew or even many non-religious Jews would not understand this supplement to the holiday. However, to be fair, Americans also enjoy some implied extended holidays as do Europeans and even many Asians. When it comes to vacation time, the more, the merrier.

First, to explain to the perplexed (to borrow from Maimonides), among the numerous holidays in Judaism, two holidays add several  “good days” during which a person doesn’t have to work and may travel (as compared to the holiday itself when observant Jews do not travel). Specifically, after Sukkot, which occurs in less than two weeks, there is a “chol hamoed” of six days during which families can travel. Likewise, Pesach (Passover in English), generally in April, has a “chol hamoed” of five days in Israel and four days abroad during which many businesses are closed. As you can imagine, during this period, hotel prices are as high as Ben Gurion Airport is crowded. As for doing business with banks, the government or just about anybody, the answer is “after the holiday”. In other words, if you can’t beat it, join it. Getting annoyed won’t help. It seems that almost nobody is working. Thus, the contract specifically exempted these days from the payment schedule. If you are wondering, my solution was to transcribe the Hebrew word and add a brief explanation.

The Americans are not immune to this vacation inflation. Most foreigners are aware that Thanksgiving is a holiday, on the last Thursday of November by law, but foreigners may not be aware that is actually a four-day vacation. The additional off-Friday and weekend provide sufficient time for people to order their Christmas gifts online, creating “Black Friday”, but at the price of traffic jams, crowded airports and high prices, just as in Israel. Speaking of Noel, Christmas is far longer than 24 hours, magically extending to three days or more, depending on which day of the week the holiday falls. In any case, if you require any service provided by an office, wait until after the holiday.

The Europeans are not exactly sluggards in this department. For example, in France, August vacation is not a few days or even a week; it is the whole month, at least those that receive a salary. The government even has to take steps to ensure there are open bakeries that month. If that is not enough, Christmas vacation begins around December 20 and ends January 4 or later. Apparently, Jesus’ birth was a very long process. Easter is not much better, lasting a full week. Once again, the business world hibernates during the holidays.

Even the Chinese Communist government, usually quite demanding, has given in. The Chinese New Year official period is seven whole days, with some taking another week for the pleasure. Japan has the week-long “Golden Holiday”. By contrast and not surprisingly, North Koreans never celebrate more than two days. Yet another example, grantedly quite minor, of the oppression they suffer.

As you can see, although the word “day” appears in the word “holiday”, it does not limit the actual length of the event. This is important not only for tourists but also for locals, requiring a certain willingness to flow with the occasion. As for translators, it is their job to transmit, in the clearest possible way, the local texture of the generic word as it affects business relations. By the way, next week, there will be no post as I am going on vacation for a few days of course, for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.  Shana Tova to everyone.

Piano recital

                                        Piano Recital

 

I, a concert piano at the Juilliard School of Music, hereby declare through my appointed representative that:

a.       I am a Model L Steinway piano, manufactured in 1989 (hereinafter: “the  Piano”);

b.       I am situated in the concert hall of the Juilliard School of Music, 155 W. 65th Street, in New York, NY;

c.       I have the complete set of parts standard for an 88- key piano;

d.       A professional tuner examined me and found me properly aligned and tuned;

e.       My wish is for a proficient pianist to play me;

f.        I waive my right to refuse cooperation with to a person playing “Chopsticks” on me.

                                               End of Recital

[no applause or encore]

Translating certificates – distinguishing marks

 

No translation of a novel is the same. The style, language and sensitivity of the translator render each translation unique to itself. That situation applies to legal translation, albeit to a lesser degree. The same cannot be said of official document translation. As the quantity and variability of words is so limited, it is quite probable that different translators will produce essentially identical documents, as it should be. Yet, in this niche, it is possible to “stand out” from the field and be more successful mainly through the “soft skills” required to attain and retain customers. These skills include ensuring findability, professional communication, careful listening, deadline setting and accountability. Together, they create a personal brand in a rather generic niche.

The a priori of developing a client base is making it easy for translation buyers to find you. As private customers represent a significant percentage of one’s clientele, it is the translator’s task to create high visibility and convenient contact. Specifically, the customer searching for a translator of an official document from one language to another phrases the search in a certain manner and directs the search to certain tracks, including AI, LinkedIn, Facebook and professional association search engines. The greater the exposure, the higher the chance of being noticed. However, too many translators forget to make their email address and phone number clearly visible or even include them. The average translator buyer simply chooses another name when faced with a challenge. Thus, official document translators must have a presence where customers search in a manner that allows for effortless follow-up.

Once contact is made, whether by email, telephone or WhatsApp, the potential buyer, generally lacking any ability to discern the potential quality of the translation, places great importance on the tone of the communication. A customer is neither a friend nor an enemy. The market creates business relations, which value ease and comfort. True, a few words of friendly conversation may be beneficial, depending on the individual culture. However, the messages must be clear and complete and create a minimum of follow-up. In other words, the translator must provide the required information in the most accessible and efficient manner possible. This approach creates the impression, sometimes accurate in practice, that the translator is a professional, regardless of how many years of experience that person may or may not have. On the other hand, inappropriate, inefficient or simply excessive words annoy, which may lead to the buyer choosing someone else. The translator sets the tone of the communication.

In order to provide that information and reinforce the “professional” impression, it is first necessary to listen and ask questions. First, many buyers enjoy talking. It is important to have some kind of human communication here. More importantly, it is vital to ask questions regarding information that is necessary for fully defining the service, such as the receiving agency and need for notarization. These queries both save time for everybody and create the impression that the translator is an expert. Listening and clarifying solidify the business relationship and ensure smooth processing.

One of the key elements of that information is setting a mutually acceptable deadline. For the client, the amount of flexibility varies in regard to the actual required date of delivery. It is important to ascertain the actual deadline. For the translator, each document requires a certain period of time, including sufficient time for proper quality control. It is one of the reasons I do not provide same-day service. Ultimately, it is counterproductive to produce inferior or flawed work or, in the worst case, miss the deadline. Allowing extra time and delivering earlier is a far more successful strategy, like a merchant adding product to a hand-weighed service, such as selling loose candies, as compared to taking some away to attain the desired amount. If customers receive their translation early, it is a bonus for them. It is vital to find the deadline that meets both needs.

To turn a one-time order into a long-term relationship and receive referrals, it is necessary to take responsibility for one’s errors when they occur. Many documents are quite complicated in terms of names, numbers and formatting. No craftsperson (including translators) is perfect; mistakes happen. Fortunately, most buyers understand this to a certain extent. To retain customers, especially when it is necessary to make a correction, requires humility and strength. Prompt and effective handling of any issues smooths over most ill feelings. Whatever anger and frustration a translator feels inwardly and outwardly is not relevant to the matter in hand. In fact, it is best to accept, regret and fix the error with as little emotion as possible. Beating oneself up or the customer is not a good recipe for long-term success.

Thus, while official document translators produce rather “vanilla” documents, they can act to become more or less effective. The most successful translators, including those of official documents, actively market, communicate professionally, listen, set proper deadlines and stand behind their work. All of these soft skills are a matter of approach and habit. They are an essential part of running a translation or, for that matter, any business. They lead to customers coming back and giving you good marks.