El ajonjolí de todos los moles*

Jack of All Trades*

Babel Fish translation:
Ajonjoli of All The Masses


The oral portion of the California court interpreting exam is extremely difficult to pass. Last I heard, there is something like a 90% failure rate. When I was first starting out as an interpreter I was told time and time again “no one passes it on the first try”. Since I passed the medical and the administrative exams on the first try, I would think to myself… aw’ c’mon… how hard can it be?

Well I soon found out. That exam was absolutely brutal!!! Needless to say, I didn’t pass it.

That was 5 years ago, and I haven’t tried again. I’ve found consolation in remembering what I was told “no one passes it on the first try”. That is until Eduardo came along...

Eduardo is an actor, a singer, a writer and a waiter... I mean server.
He has come to “Hollywood” to pursue his dream and be discovered. Somewhere along the line, he decided that court interpreting might be a nice little way to fill his spare time between auditions and make some good money as well.

So he went to school, took some interpreting courses and then took the state exam. And guess what? HE PASSED IT ON THE FIRST TRY!!! I know interpreters that have been working forever and a day and have failed that exam 6 times! This guy steps up to the plate for the very first time and hits a homerun! Amazing!

Well I guess I can’t use that lame excuse anymore, apparently it IS possible to pass the thing on the first try.

So now I find myself thinking of all kinds of things. Is it time to try again? Am I ready for the endless hours of study and practice needed to pass? Do I even want to work in court? Do I really care?

Oh… wait a minute! I have another excuse! CPS has stopped administering all interpreter exams indefinitely!

Great! Now I can go back to my comfy procrastinating…

*Contributed by Eduardo, Court Certified Interpreter

Spanglish Word of the Week

El día del triqui-triqui. Well it's not a word really, but it's appropriate for the season.

A man said he had been hurt at work "el mero día del triqui-triqui". I asked permission to inquire... he meant that he had been hurt right on Halloween day.

So if you happen to have little kids dressed up in costumes coming to your door and shouting "triqui-triqui!!!", now you know what that means. :P

Testing 1-2-3

I'm very frustrated. I can't load pictures to this blog anymore...

Oh wait!... it worked!




Ok... um... everybody... meet Link.

Well, hopefully we're back in business.

Now would anyone happen to know why I can't type accents on my laptop?

Eat Your Words!

¡Cómase sus palabras!

Babel Fish translation:
¡Coma sus palabras!

Any interpreter will tell you that one of the more annoying aspects of our job is to be challenged. Especially when the person doing the challenging has no business doing so, which of course is usually the case. It’s almost always going to be that person that “habla español un poquito”. And it will undoubtedly be over something pointless and stupid.

Why is that? Why is it that some attorney that learned some Spanish in High School feels sufficiently qualified to do my job? That’s the same as me thinking I can litigate just because I watch a lot of “Law & Order”.

On Friday, the applicant’s attorney for the depo told me that she would not need me for the prep. She proudly proclaimed “I speak Spanish and I can handle it myself.”

While she and her client were waiting to be escorted to a private room, I overheard her client ask “Oiga, ayer me llegó una carta que dice que tengo que volver a ir con el doctor. Y eso porqué?” The Spanish speaking attorney answers “Porque quiero agarrar un reporte más corriente.” I thought to myself... hmmmm… she must work for Babel Fish.

During the deposition, the deponent was being questioned about her meals (don’t ask me why, I thought it a bit strange myself). The term "lunch" came up and I interpreted it as “comida”. The Spanish speaking attorney immediately jumped in to correct me and said “No, no, that’s not right. Lunch is almuerzo. Comida means food.”

I asked to go off the record so that I could stop interpreting and respond. “Judging by the accent, I’m almost certain that the deponent is from Mexico” I said “and in Mexico, we refer to lunch as comida. In many parts of Mexico, almuerzo actually means breakfast.”

“No, that can’t be right. Comida means food. Almuerzo is lunch” she insisted. So I said “Let me talk to her for a moment”.

I turn to the deponent and say (in Spanish) “Ok, you know the meal that comes first thing in the morning? What do you call that?”

“Almuerzo” she replied.

“Now the meal that comes after that one, around the middle of the day” I continued “what do you call that?”

Without hesitation she says… “Comida”. Oh yeah! She shoots… she scores…

I look over to the Spanish speaking attorney with a “there-are-you-satisfied” look. All she said was “Oh… I didn’t know that.”

Exactly! Would you like something to drink with that?

Spanglish Word of the Week

Quiquiándola. This is just great! You take a slang term like "kicking back", slang it up some more and turn it into "kickin' it". Then you take that and translate it into Spanglish and... voilà!

Quiquiándola.

"Hola Omar, qué haces?"

"Pues aquí nomás, ququiándola."

Where will it all end?

Just For Kicks, Part Two

Nada más por gusto, 2da parte

Babel Fish translation:
Apenas para la parte dos de los retrocesos

I couldn't resist... just one more... I promise!

Looking for roaring good deals? Come to the...

1st Annual

Sun Valley Elementary School

Rummage Sale

&

Silent Auction

Saturday August 24

8:00 am - 12:00 noon

5490 Leon Drive

Find deals on clothing for kids and adults, housewares, small appliances, sporting goods, arts and crafts, books and jewelry. Enter the silent auction for a rocking chair, cabinet sewing machine and jewelry.

Proceeds go to the SVES student activity fund and P.E. program.

This is just... well you'll see...

¿Buscar buenos repartos el rugir? Venido a...

1er Venta De Rummage Anual De la Escuela Primaria Del Valle Del Sol Y

Subasta Silenciosa

Sábado de agosto el 24

8:00 mañana a la impulsión de Leon de mediodía 5490 de 12:00

El hallazgo reparte en arropar para los cabritos y los adultos, las mercancías de la casa, las aplicaciones pequeñas, las mercancías que se divierten, los artes y los artes, los libros y la joyería. Incorpore la subasta silenciosa para una silla, una máquina de costura de gabinete, y una joyería oscilantes.

Los ingresos van al fondo del estudiante de la actividad de SVES y al programa de P.E.

(¡Pobres estudiantes! ¿Hasta dónde irán a dar esos ingresos?)

Thanks Becky!!!!

Spanglish Word of the Week

Laquear . I think you may be getting the idea by now, and you probably know that this means " to lock". "La puerta estaba laqueada." "Lo laquié con llave."

Just For Kicks

Nada más por gusto

Babel Fish translation:
Apenas para los retrocesos

This time I'm just going to copy a flyer that my sister received from her daughter's school. I think it's so funny! Enjoy!

Parent Art Classes

Are you interested in the arts? Are you interested in spending creative time with your kids?

Join us for Parent Art classes at Sun Valley Elementary School for SVES parents and students together.

Celebrated local artist John Coleman will be holding four art workshops for parents.

September 3, 10, 17, and 24, 6:00 - 7:00 pm

SunValley Elementary School, multipurpose room

For more information call 674-4420.

And now the fun part... the Spanish translation... if you can call it that!

Clases Del Arte Del Padre

¿Está usted interesado en los artes? ¿Está usted interesado en tiempo creativo del gasto con sus cabritos?

Ensámblenos para las clases del arte del padre en la escuela primaria del valle del sol para los padres y los estudiantes de SVES juntos.

El artista local celebrado Juan Coleman sostendrá cuatro talleres del arte para los padres.

De septiembre el 3, 10, 17 y 24, sitios multipropósito de la escuela primaria del valle del sol de 6:00 - 7:00 pm.

Para más llamada 674-4420 de la información.

It's a good thing my sister speaks English!

Spanglish Word of the Week

Frailero (noun). When this guy used this word to describe his job position, I thought to myself, hmmm... he doesn't look very religious... plus he doesn't have that funny haircut and the missions in this area ended long ago. So I had to inquire. It turns out he was a fry cook. "Yo era el frailero de ese lugar, porque yo fraiaba las papas."