Oh Hey Winter, I Wasn't Expecting You...

After having a week of perfect weather, much to my disappointment, I walked outside today to find it cold and wet and windy.  I forgot that it is nearly December. Hope you all had a warmer day than I did!

1,000 Pages Views!!!

Wow! In just under two months, The Daily Terp has been viewed just over 1,000 times! I'm so glad that everyone enjoys my blog. Keep the views coming!
-Gina

A Day in The Life of aSign Language Interpreter: The Lawyer

Good Times;)

Thanksgiving: A Terp Story

             
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought it would be a good idea to reflect upon this interpreter from history. Squanto was a Native American man who befriended the pilgrims and was the interpreter and liaison between The Pilgrims and The Wampanoag Confederation. Looking back, he is probably the most important and influential interpreter in American history. If not for Squanto, The Pilgrims probably would not have survived that first winter.

Squanto was an unlikely interpreter. Around the year 1614, Squanto and 23 other Native Americans were kidnapped by an Englishman named John Hunt. Hunt brought the Native Americans back to England and sold them. Here, Squanto learned English. Although Squanto was mistreated, his abduction would prove to be both a blessing and a curse. In 1619, The Native Americans were wiped out by an unknown disease (probably small pox or tuberculosis). Because Squanto had been kidnapped, he was the only survivor of this plague. That year, Squanto met up with Captain Thomas Dermer, a man interested in trading beaver with the Natives in Massachusetts. He asked Squanto to accompany him back to America to try and reestablish a good report with the natives, who were still quite pissed off that their people had been kidnapped by John Hunt. Squanto agreed and went with Dermer, only to find that most of his people had been killed by this plague.

That November, in 1620, The Mayflower pulled ashore into Provincetown Harbor. From November through the winter the Pilgrims struggled. They had been met with hostility from the Native Americans and the spend most of their time on the Mayflower. On March 22, Squanto appeared to them, offering to make a peace treaty. From then on, Squanto became the interpreter for the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. Because of Squanto, a peace treaty was made, and the first Thanksgiving happened in the fall of 1621; all because of an interpreter.

Happy Thanksgiving Terps!!!!

Terp Story: I WONT PAY YOU lolololololo

Friends Don't Let Friends Hire Bad Translators!

Worm up or shut up!  In this cause, the translator should have shut up hahahah. Thanks www.engrish.com!!

Its Monday! Time to Study For The NIC!

I can't believe the semester is almost over, and the NIC is just 22 weeks away!!! If anyone else out there is getting ready for the NIC, here is a great study source NIC Study Cards courtesy of Miss. Kristen Sharpless, who found them online (author unknown). Thanks Kristen!!! Study well everyone!

Book of The Month: The Interpreter By Suzanne Glass

This month I read The Interpreter By: Suzanne Glass.  The story takes place in Manhattan and it details the life of Dominique Green, an interpreter from England. The other main character is Nicolas Manzini, an Italian scientist.  I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. It has everything you could want in a novel. There is action, suspense and romance.  From an interpreter's standpoint, I think that author did a really great job portraying the life of an interpreter (the author is an interpreter by the way). I like the way its told in the first person, so we can hear all of Dominique's interpersonal demands as well as her other demands of the job. I felt like I could really relate to her.  She goes through all the same feelings and experiences that we do, so it was nice to read a novel with a character that I could relate to. I think its a great read for interpreters or anyone who wants to understand our world a little more.

For next month's book, I am hoping to get my hands on The Interpreter By: Suki Kim , another novel featuring guess who? An Interpreter:) If not, I am going to choose another book from my amazon list down below. 

Happy Reading!!!!

-Gina

A Few Minutes in the Life Of A Sign Language Interpreter: Job Interview

This was such a good one.  Laugh and enjoy!

Three Interpreters Go Camping...

THAT IS SCARY! Thanks Terp Toons!!!

Recent Terp Fail: No idea why I did this lol

Just a note: This was an in class exercise, so no one's privacy is being invaded.  While working on my project analysis, my friends and I burst out laughing at this segment of my interpreting.  Hope you get a good laugh from it. We certainly did!!!

My Liiiiiiiiiiiife

hahahahaha sometimes I say to myself "I'm just going to interpret without my glasses." I never seem to learn my lesson. Thanks Terp Toons!!!!

Friends Don't Let Friends Hire Bad Translators, Or in This Case: 4????

This is a video my brother sent my way. From what I understand these kids got their hands on a boot-legged copy of Pokemon Crystal, which was translated from Japanese to Chinese to Vietnamese to English. Talk about a ridiculous idea. Get ready for a serious translation FAIL!!! Thanks little bro;)

The Versatile Blogger Award

On November 2nd, "The Daily Terp" was nominated by "Boots in the Booth"(http://bootsinthebooth.blogspot.com) for The Versatile Blogger Award.  I was so flattered and excited when I read this! Nothing makes me happier than when people tell me that they enjoy my blog. So here's a bit about the Versatile Blogger Award...

The Rules

Life is full of rules and regulations, and the Versatile Blogger Award is no different. So let’s get that out of the way first:
1. Thank the award-giver and link back to them in your post.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass this award along to 15 recently discovered blogs you enjoy reading.
4. Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know about the award.

So, I would like to thank Mamba from "Boots in the Booth" http://bootsinthebooth.blogspot.com for the nomination. If you like "The Daily Terp" you will like Boots for sure.

7 Things About Myself:
1. ummmm, I'm trying to think of things that are unique here.  Ok. I love indie music. my favorite bands are Fun., Coeur de Pirate, Communist Daughter, Cloud Cult, MUSE, Florence & The Machine, Iron & Wine...I could seriously go on forever.
2. I have been signing since I was 13 years old.
3. I'm dyslexic but I recently discovered that I can enjoy reading if its a book that I choose. Not like one of those sad books they forced you to read in high school with some sad, depressing character to go along with it.
4. I have a 17 year old brother whom I adore  completely.
5. My best friend is a translator for the FBI. She speaks Arabic, Spanish and American Sign Language. She is brilliant but I fear that one day she is going to start taking hostages on the Long Island Rail Road. My other best friend is a senior psychology major at RIT, and one day he is going to change the way the work place sees deaf people. One person at a time.
6. I secretly wish that I could be Nicole Kidman in her role as "The Interpreter". If I could be an interpreter at The U.N my life would seriously be complete.
7. If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life...it would be Nutella<3

Ok, now that thats done. Time to nominate some seriously sweet blogs!!

The Interpreter Diaries
The Booth Inhabitant
The Liason Interpreter
In My Words
Terp Topics
Translator's Cafe
Engrish
Terp Toons
The Court Interpreter
The Translation and Interpretation Blog
Interpret America
Translation Times
Words Matter


Thats all folks!

A Day in The Life Of A Sign Language Interpreter: Medical Setting

Good times;)

Carol Patrie and The Terp Students: A Love Story

Any interpreting (ASL/English) major from the east coast to the west coast, knows the name Carol Patrie. She is the one who creates the bulk of our interpreting curriculum, and most of our lovely homework assignments come from her workbooks.  Such workbooks are comprised of interpreting exercises that would probably make any seasoned interpreter run for hills. From complicated and sometimes ambiguous directions, to obscure topics like sailing and installing a roof...Carol Patrie covers it all.  Everyone of us has a love/ hate relationship with this woman, whose face we only know from the back our books. I first became acquainted with Carol Patrie my sophomore year, during our cognitive processing skills set. Little did I know that this woman would be responsible for the blood, sweat and lots of tears that would make up my interpreter training.  But before you get the wrong impression, Carol Patrie is also largely responsible for our success and triumph in the interpreting program. Even though we spend most of our time complaining about our Patrie assignments, we all know deep down that were are better because of her; which brings me to a story my friend Jim told me our junior year.
                    Jim is the only guy in our graduating class of 15 interpreting majors. He is also very talented, and devoted to the interpreting field. (I'm not just saying it because he's my friend and he drove me to the emergency room yesterday.) Last year he attended a conference for interpreter trainers, where he in fact met Carol Patrie in the flesh; the woman behind our work books.  He told me later that his first thought was to say, "hey thanks for making our lives so difficult and frustrating" but before the words cam out, Carol said to him how happy she was that we were benefiting from her books and how proud we make her and so on.  Jim was so touched by this completely kind and adorable woman he couldn't bring himself to tell her that her challenging exercises made us crazy.
                   So the moral of this story is this. The path of least resistance is not the path that's going to make you the best interpreter.  The path of Carol Patrie is.  So the next time you're trying for figure out "How to Get to Deep Creek" or "Sailing" and you want to cry, remember the adorable woman who just wants us to be the best interpreters we can be. One day you will look back on your interpreter training and realize that you're a better interpreter because of Carol Patrie. Food for Thought!