A Translator’s Christmas

The most wonderful time of the year! Decorations, Christmas lights, presents, friends, family, songs! How a freelance translator does goes through this very merry period?

Last year, just a couple of months after sending those first CVs to agencies around the world, not many projects were landing in my inbox during this period from outside the geographical boundaries of my homeland. And although this fact was a little stressing to me, I decided to enjoy Christmas leaving the stress behind. I travelled to another city and decided to spent Christmas there. So, one afternoon, going around the shops in search for the one pair of shoes to match my Christmas outfit, I checked my iphone (a devil’s device) and I saw an email from a client for a 10-word rush job! Oh dear me! What’s a translator to do? Where was the closest internet café?  Who knew, I did not live in that city! Stress and frustrated from not knowing my way around, I went back to my hotel room to work on it, not before giving a sneak pick to a lovely pair of shoes in a store’s window!

The first half of December this year has been very busy and completely different from last year’s. I was so very busy with projects during the first half, now work seems to have slowed down. A great opportunity to decorate my Christmas tree and the house to welcome Christmas like all people. Hmm, still the stress of not working on a project is still there at the back of my mind, I keep reminding myself that  translators still need some time to rest and maybe this is my time. So, time to do all the wonderful things that come with Christmas and hope that you all are going to have the best Christmas and the most wonderful New Year!

And since we live in the digital era, this is my card to you!