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