| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | You Know a Flood of Work is Coming When.... Thread poster: Juliana Brown
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Juliana Brown 
Israel
Local time: 00:17
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
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1. The husband (bless 'im) is in South Africa for two weeks, thus traumatizing the children who decide to cry for him every bedtime and wake up at 4 a.m. to look for him.
2. Said children decide to take turns getting fevers on and off, thus rendering them incapable of going to nursery/kindergarden. This means (in my nannyless home), that I am on duty 24/7 and sitting at the computer can only be done with a small, overheated body on my lap, saying "can I type too?".
3. T... See more 1. The husband (bless 'im) is in South Africa for two weeks, thus traumatizing the children who decide to cry for him every bedtime and wake up at 4 a.m. to look for him.
2. Said children decide to take turns getting fevers on and off, thus rendering them incapable of going to nursery/kindergarden. This means (in my nannyless home), that I am on duty 24/7 and sitting at the computer can only be done with a small, overheated body on my lap, saying "can I type too?".
3. The usual emergency babysitters are either sick themselves or otherwise occupied.
4. The kindergarden has declared it will be closed next week for two days for secret coven meetings...:)
So, of course, what has been an absolute dearth of work for the past 3 weeks has suddenly become a flood of gorgeous, big, interesting, but tight=deadlined offers.
I must enjoy this in some sick way; really.
What was your worst "flood" situation? Oh...and if anyone has time to babysit.....? ▲ Collapse
| | | | PRen (X)
Canada
Local time: 01:17
French to English
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| Hang in there | May 23, 2008 |
Hang in there Juliana - the kids eventually grow up and leave home!!
I've been there, and it ain't pretty. Take on what you can, and remember, they're only little for such a short time. Soon they'll be surly and uncommunicative teenagers and you'll have lots of time to translate.
Courage!
| | | | megane_wang
Spain
Local time: 06:17
Member (2007)
English to Spanish
+ ...
You know a flood of work is coming when...
1. You are adopting a child from Mali. He/she should come next year. A week ago someone tells you (me!!) that he(??)/she is coming by the end of june... next month
2. The future big brother (Haitian, by the way), decides to get the worst cold ever, just when you try to vaccinate him for the travel.
3. Your office mate (who helps with phone calls, admin, ...) is 8 months pregnant... ah! W... See more You know a flood of work is coming when...
1. You are adopting a child from Mali. He/she should come next year. A week ago someone tells you (me!!) that he(??)/she is coming by the end of june... next month
2. The future big brother (Haitian, by the way), decides to get the worst cold ever, just when you try to vaccinate him for the travel.
3. Your office mate (who helps with phone calls, admin, ...) is 8 months pregnant... ah! Well, not exactly; she was pregnant: the baby was born just yesterday.
This IS currently the situation... aye, Juliana, as you can already figure out, there are no vacant babysitters on this side !!
Ruth - From behind a small curly-haired head... no... don't touch ... this! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Parrot
Spain
Local time: 06:17
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Over here, when... | May 23, 2008 |
1. A long weekend comes up.
2. You've packed your bags and have a foot out the door.
3. You're going near the place where your client is and ... guess what! He has an associate who is visiting your city and will need interpretation.
I'm sure there are worse out there. But, hey! Your kids are only young once
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| Nothing so drastic.... | May 23, 2008 |
just when I've decided to take advantage of the slack and slip off to the beach for the afternoon - I know I'll get a desperate phone call from a desperate client...
(Actually, this happened in reverse once - I had TONS of work to do and at the last minute the end client cancelled, the agency was cravenly apologetic and I just looked out of the window at the blazing sunshine and thought "yippee!")
| | | | Claire Cox
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:17
French to English
+ ...
| Enjoy it while you can..... | May 23, 2008 |
PRen wrote:
Soon they'll be surly and uncommunicative teenagers and you'll have lots of time to translate.
Hmmm, I don't know about having lots of time when they're teenagers - that's when you're a permanent chauffeur driving them from one friend's house to another, or to yet another sporting fixture or party.... that's if you're not shopping/cooking to refill the larder/fridge as fast as it's emptied by the ravening hordes, or cleaning up the mess created by two huge teenagers and all their friends. Somehow, when you are that now rare species, a mum at home (albeit working full-time), your house becomes the place to be! Still, at least you know where they are and what they're up to, even if it is loud and messy and right under your nose when you're desperately trying to finish in time for that urgent deadline....
Actually, my two teenagers aren't surly and uncommunicative (most of the time, anyway!) and I still think working at home has paid off because they are (usually) a delight to be with, so it's definitely worth hanging on in there. I've burned many a gallon of midnight oil trying to catch up when my days haven't gone as planned, but at least we can - and be there when they're ill or for sports days or concerts or whatever.
Best of luck!
Claire
| | | | | My experience is similar to Claire's | May 24, 2008 |
My two teenagers are not that surly and can communicate very well especially when trying to convince me that our house is the only place where a party can be held or that friends can't go home now because it's midnight.
Yes, being at home as a mum has paid off here too. I am glad I could do it.
I tend to go to bed at 10 and get up early (4 or 5): no teenagers around at that time (and no phone calls either!).
| | | | Vito Smolej
Germany
Local time: 06:17
Member (2004)
English to Slovenian
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SITE LOCALIZER | Translation mother | May 24, 2008 |
... as the international/localized/localizeable variant the football mother?
The worst flood situation? So far ... two horror weeks with a 400 GB lemon of a hard drive. But then, absolutely NO comparison.
My respect, and unfortunately no, I cant babysit - my grandchildren are coming in right now -.
Regards
Vito
[Edited at 2008-05-24 09:14]
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Sara Mullin
France
Local time: 06:17
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Add a 2am first-time asthma attack to the list... | May 24, 2008 |
Right now, it's a little similar to Juliana's situation
1) My husband's been gone for two weeks in Canada, but (yea) will return tomorrow
2) I took on a lot of work Thursday and Friday, assuming my son would be at the creche, thus giving me time to work.
3) On Thursday, my son starting waking up in the middle of the night with a cold/cough/mild fever, so he stayed home from the creche all day Friday. And then, last night at 2:30am, he had his first-ever ast... See more Right now, it's a little similar to Juliana's situation
1) My husband's been gone for two weeks in Canada, but (yea) will return tomorrow
2) I took on a lot of work Thursday and Friday, assuming my son would be at the creche, thus giving me time to work.
3) On Thursday, my son starting waking up in the middle of the night with a cold/cough/mild fever, so he stayed home from the creche all day Friday. And then, last night at 2:30am, he had his first-ever asthma attack.
All I can say is that he's better today, my husband's home tomorrow and at least my deadlines are somewhat loose.
Sending good wishes/vibes your way Juliana & Megane!
Sara ▲ Collapse
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This weekend I have plenty of free time to spend.
I love children. I am ready to babysit.
The unfortunate thing is I am not living in Canada!
I feel sorry for Juliana.
| | | | Juliana Brown
Israel
Local time: 00:17
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | I appreciate all the good vibes and good stories | May 24, 2008 |
and on a more positive note, as someone said, at least I have a bit of flexibility (well, not this week), and can be home to dole out the hugs and medicine when necessary.
And a flood of work is always better than NO work, right??
As I suggested before, we all must have a little masochistic streak...
| | | | theda
Vietnam
Local time: 11:17
German to French
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| About the masochistic streak... | May 24, 2008 |
Yes, I guess we do have one but on the other side it is the price of freedom. Cheers to all the translating mums ou there, I admire their multi-tasking abilities!
My worst situation so far: moving from one continent to another, the client I have been chasing for months already (paying well, on time, polite and in the field I love) send me my first real contract with a killer dead-line over 2 time zones ending when I am on an 11 hours flight ...I gave up the actual translation and t... See more Yes, I guess we do have one but on the other side it is the price of freedom. Cheers to all the translating mums ou there, I admire their multi-tasking abilities!
My worst situation so far: moving from one continent to another, the client I have been chasing for months already (paying well, on time, polite and in the field I love) send me my first real contract with a killer dead-line over 2 time zones ending when I am on an 11 hours flight ...I gave up the actual translation and took the proofreading, with a dead-line 5 hours after landing.
Sometimes I think clients do have a 6 sense about when you make any plans that are not involving work
Good luck Juliana! ▲ Collapse
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| Same situation here! | May 24, 2008 |
[/quote]
Hmmm, I don't know about having lots of time when they're teenagers - that's when you're a permanent chauffeur driving them from one friend's house to another, or to yet another sporting fixture or party.... that's if you're not shopping/cooking to refill the larder/fridge as fast as it's emptied by the ravening hordes, or cleaning up the mess created by two huge teenagers and all their friends. Somehow, when you are that now rare species, a mum at home (albeit working full... See more [/quote]
Hmmm, I don't know about having lots of time when they're teenagers - that's when you're a permanent chauffeur driving them from one friend's house to another, or to yet another sporting fixture or party.... that's if you're not shopping/cooking to refill the larder/fridge as fast as it's emptied by the ravening hordes, or cleaning up the mess created by two huge teenagers and all their friends. Somehow, when you are that now rare species, a mum at home (albeit working full-time), your house becomes the place to be! Still, at least you know where they are and what they're up to, even if it is loud and messy and right under your nose when you're desperately trying to finish in time for that urgent deadline....
[/quote]
I have two teenagers and a 8 years olds who still doesn't understand that I can answer her when I'm on the phone with an important client!!!! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Juliana Brown
Israel
Local time: 00:17
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Oy, the phone! | May 24, 2008 |
I love doing phone interpreting for Immigration, locked in the bedroom with children banging on the door and shrieking "Ima, are you there? Ima, I'm coming in!! Ima, I don't want Papi to put my shoes on!! YOU put my shoes on!!"
Is it any wonder I generally refuse the jobs?
| | | | | What can a guy to do when... | May 25, 2008 |
a. Your move from one continent to another is scheduled for next week, and you still have to visit family and friends to say goodbye.
b. Your best customer calls you in desperation because he has a 50,000 words project that needs to be finished in three weeks.
c. Your maid just started her finals, so she will be cramming the whole week and you don't have the heart to give her more work.
d. You asked the phone company to disconnect your ADSL and phone line <... See more a. Your move from one continent to another is scheduled for next week, and you still have to visit family and friends to say goodbye.
b. Your best customer calls you in desperation because he has a 50,000 words project that needs to be finished in three weeks.
c. Your maid just started her finals, so she will be cramming the whole week and you don't have the heart to give her more work.
d. You asked the phone company to disconnect your ADSL and phone line next week... and, in an unusual display of efficiency, they disconnect it that same afternoon, so leaving you incommunicado except by your mobile phone, and without internet access, so having to beg my neighbor to share his ADSL, installing my wireless router in his home (and I had no time to ask for it back before leaving).
So your last week in Peru, instead of visiting people and relaxing, is spent working the whole time.
And your first week in Sevilla, instead of knowing the city and doing the tourist thing, is spent working, despite the jet lag.
Actually I'm already four months in Sevilla, and my sightseeing days can be counted with the fingers in one hand -and that's counting the day I spent in Granada for the powwow.
But next week I'll get some free time. That's what I'm telling myself for several weeks now.
[Editado a las 2008-05-25 01:29] ▲ Collapse
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