For my week in Costa Rica, this was the view out of one of my hotel windows.
It cheered me greatly, though I had to look up what pongámosle meant.
It means “give me.”
How utterly charming!
Yes, Costa Rica, I shall give you my green heart. And you shall give me yours too.
Photo copyright 2012, Karen Fayeth, and subject to the Creative Commons license in the far right corner of this page. Photo taken with an iPhone 4s and the Hipstamatic app.
That’s a very popular question, I’ve found, among the people of Asia. It is like a badge of courage to pay a visit to many of the closely grouped countries.
There is a lot of hometown pride there, and I think I can appreciate that. (ahem, note the title of my blog fercrimenysakes)
As mentioned, my purpose for traveling to Singapore was to meet with a very large supplier who works almost like an aggregator. On this trip I was to meet individually with the representatives of fourteen different Asian countries and companies.
Without fail, after introduction, one of the first questions I was asked was “So, have you ever visited my country?”
Since this was not only my first trip to Asia, but my first international trip ever, the answer was always going to be no.
I felt that simply saying no straight out is a conversation stopper. Instead of saying no, I tried to find some way to create a common bond to keep the flow going.
So, for example, when the two ladies visiting from Malaysia asked me if I’d ever visited their country, I replied “No, but my brother lives in Kuala Lumpur.”
“Oh!” they replied, and suddenly we had some basis for common ground.
When asked by the gentlemen from Japan, I replied, “I have not, but my husband has spent some time there and found it to be just beautiful.”
“Oh? Yes!” they replied and we spoke of Tokyo and snow monkeys and moved with ease into business.
But there were two instances of this conversation that really stick with me, now some two weeks hence.
First was the conversation I had with the two gentlemen from Pakistan. We spoke, carefully at first, and later without hesitation, about the many troubles the country of Pakistan is facing and the challenges this causes us doing business together.
One of the two men had gone to university in Australia, so he’d spent time in the Western world and got the chance to step back and see his country with different eyes.
“Do you think you would ever visit my country?” he asked, then said, “It’s very beautiful.”
I smiled and said, “I would like very much to see your country.” Then I looked him square in the eye. “Let me be very candid. Do you think it would be safe for me to make a visit?”
He paused, tried to smile, but a sadness washed over his face.
“I’m sorry to say this, but right now probably isn’t a good time. It’s very difficult for Westerners and especially Americans. I have a hard enough time explaining to my children why these people who do things I don’t understand make it so that I can only go to work and then go home. We never go out because any event like sports or a concert are just too dangerous.”
We were quiet for a moment.
I felt his sadness and I cannot even begin to imagine what that must be like. I really would like to visit Pakistan, to see the beautiful country he described. I often wonder if that could ever happen in my lifetime.
It seems unlikely.
And the other…
I sat at a table with three men from South Korea. One an older man, probably in his 50’s with very limited English skills. The other two were young, probably in their mid to late 20’s with full K-pop hair and dark rimmed glasses.
They were a funny trio, much like a dad and his two kids. One young man spoke pretty good English and he became the spokesperson.
“Have you ever been to my country?” he asked.
I smiled, and stopped to think if I knew anyone among my friends or family who had visited South Korea.
Yes. There is one. My dad.
He was in the Air Force and is a veteran of the Korean War.
Well, I didn’t say that to these men as talk of war, even among allies, isn’t always the best fodder for conversation.
But this fact hit bottom in my soul. I realized…What a difference a generation makes.
It took me a moment to regain my mojo. I smiled and said “No, but my plane will stop at the Incheon Airport on the way home.”
They smiled back.
“You know, that airport isn’t actually in Incheon,” the young man said.
“Oh?” I replied. “That’s like San Francisco. The airport is actually some distance away.”
“I’d like very much to visit San Francisco” he said, and we were back on track.
But I can’t stop replaying that conversation in my memory.
It’s actually rather meaningful.
Every one of the fourteen face-to-face meetings I had was deeply powerful and incredibly worthwhile.
Each group expressed their gratitude that I had traveled such a long distance in order to meet with them.
The travel was good for my program and good for my company.
It was good for me personally, too.
Those fourteen conversations held on the 21st floor of a towering highrise on a sweltering Spring day in Singapore left a lasting impression on my soul.
I look at the world a little differently now.
All that learning to be had just on the other side of a passport stamp.
.
.
.
To my credit, I didn’t ask a single person “So, have you ever visited New Mexico?”
I thought about it, though.
I am one of those uber suggestible people who will hear a word or a phrase used a few times then will immediately adopt it into my language. Especially if it’s a word or phrase I particularly like.
A a few weeks back, I heard the good man use a particular phrase, and it kind of rolled off of me. But then a few days later I heard it again on a rerun episode of Boston Legal.
Well, that was that. The phrase is now mine.
However….I’ve used it twice and only realized today I’ve been saying it wrong. I am now one of those pseudo intellectuals who try to talk big and end up sounding like a dope.
The correct phrase is: sturm und drang. Literally translated from German, it means “storm and stress.”
This phrase applies in oh-so-many ways to my current work environment. I have a new employee, I have three major global projects on the front burners, and just for fun, it looks like my team will be moving under the leadership of a different department all together. It’s all good change, but change nonetheless, and it is keeping us hopping.
So I’m at least using the phrase in the right context, but saying it wrong. All along I’ve been saying storm and drung.
No wonder I get so many blank stares. That and the fact I was suddenly speaking (incorrect) German.
Maybe I should just drop an Eastern New Mexico twang on top of it all and say storm and drain.
“Ya’ll, this storm and drain over the past weeks is just about wearing me flat. We need to set us up a little ol’ project plan before things get crazier than a March hare ’round here. Whaddaya say?”
I like it. I haven’t gotten real New Mexico on these folks in a while.
I have a meeting in forty five minutes.
It’s so on.
Today’s Theme Thursday word is: Storm
Photo from the City of Davis Public Works site.
As a native child of New Mexico, I am neither unfamiliar nor uncomfortable with the Spanish language.
That said, the Spanish I speak is a informal blend often referred to as “Spanglish”.
Un poquito English. A tiny bit Espanol.
This is both a help and a hindrance in my daily work.
I’ve had a chance to chronicle my extensive work learning the ways and means of my counterparts in EMEA.
I’ve discussed my ongoing learning curve with my coworkers and suppliers in APAC.
It was inevitable…my focus has arrived in Latin America.
Right now I work mostly with Brazil and Mexico.
Since I have zero Portuguese and my Spanish cannot be considered appropriate for business, I have come to rely on Google Translate to do my daily job. I was using BabelFish for a while, but I’ve come to realize that Google Translate is actually a lot more accurate and it handles colloquialisms fairly well.
Even so, it’s not perfect. I really have to watch how I craft my emails. I love the English language and I love to play it fast and loose with grammar and word use. This does not always work well in translation.
While Google will properly translate the words, the meaning gets lost and I will usually get either an “I’m sorry?” or a simple “Que?” from my friends in Latin America.
Ya can’t just throw down a “This ain’t my first rodeo!” or “Put up or shut up!” and expect that’s going to come across the way you meant it.
To make matters more difficult, I’m not only working with people in my own company, but I’m also negotiating with suppliers. Now to my mind, negotiating is a fine art. Language and word choice can be everything.
So I feel a little hamstrung trying to work a deal in another language that I can’t speak. (wait, does “hamstrung” translate?)
For Mexico, I have a buddy in my organization who is originally from Mexico City. So far he’s been willing to be a translator and negotiator on my behalf and he’s doing a great job. I thank him profusely every day.
No such luck finding a native Portuguese speaker who is friendly to my cause.
So it’s off to Google Translator and hope for the best.
Actually, I’ve been shocked at how well I’ve actually been able to complete my work. Here I am cutting multimillion dollar deals with just an online translator and a bit of attitude and somehow, it works. I am able to have Legal review in each country to be sure it all stays the way I negotiated it, and that helps me stay out of trouble.
I love language and I love using language to be persuasive at the negotiation table.
So working through an online translator feels like I’m roping a wild cow in that proverbial rodeo and doing so with one hand tied behind my back.
I’m gonna guess that didn’t translate well.
———————————————
I Speak Google
Como un niño nativo de Nuevo México, no soy ni familiar ni incómodo con la lengua española.
Dicho esto, el español que hablan es una mezcla informal a menudo se refiere como “Spanglish”.
A little Inglés. Un pequeño poco Espanol.
Esto es una ayuda y un obstáculo en mi trabajo diario.
He tenido la oportunidad de trabajar una crónica extensa aprender las maneras y los medios de mis colegas en la región EMEA.
He hablado de mi curva de aprendizaje continuo con mis compañeros de trabajo y proveedores en Asia-Pacífico.
Era inevitable … mi enfoque ha llegado a América Latina.
Ahora mismo trabajan sobre todo con Brasil y México.
Desde que tengo cero portugués y mi español no puede ser considerado apropiado para el negocio, he llegado a depender de Google Translate para hacer mi trabajo diario. Yo estaba usando BabelFish por un tiempo, pero me he dado cuenta de que Google Translate es en realidad mucho más preciso y se maneja bastante bien coloquiales.
Aún así, no es perfecto. Tengo que ver cómo me artesanía mis correos electrónicos. Me encanta el idioma Inglés y me gusta jugar rápido y libremente con la gramática y el uso de la palabra. Esto no siempre funciona bien en la traducción.
Mientras que Google correctamente traducir las palabras, el significado se pierde y yo por lo general se convierte en un “lo siento?” o simple “Que?” de mis amigos en América Latina.
Ya no puede lanzar una “Este no es mi primer rodeo!” o “poner o callarse” y esperar que va a venir a través de la forma que quería decir.
Para hacer las cosas más difíciles, estoy trabajando no sólo con la gente de mi propia empresa, pero también estoy negociando con los proveedores. Ahora en mi opinión, la negociación es un arte. Elección de la lengua y la palabra puede ser todo.
Así que me siento un poco paralizado tratando de trabajar mucho en otro idioma que no puedo hablar. (Tiempo de espera, significa “paralizado” traducir?)
Para México, tengo un amigo en mi organización que es originario de la Ciudad de México. Hasta ahora ha estado dispuesto a ser un traductor y negociador en mi nombre y que está haciendo un gran trabajo. Le doy las gracias profusamente todos los días.
No hubo suerte para encontrar un hablante nativo portugués, que es amigo de mi causa.
Por lo que es de al traductor de Google y esperar lo mejor.
En realidad, he sido sorprendido por lo bien hecho, he podido completar mi trabajo. Aquí estoy haciendo tratos multimillonarios con sólo un traductor en línea y un poco de actitud y de alguna manera, funciona. Yo soy capaz de tener opinión legal en cada país para asegurarse de que todas las estancias de la forma en que lo negociado, por lo que me ayuda a mantenerme fuera de problemas.
Me encanta el idioma y me encanta usar el lenguaje para ser persuasivo en la mesa de negociación.
Así que trabajar a través de un traductor en línea se siente como que estoy cuerda una vaca salvaje en ese rodeo proverbial y hacerlo con una mano atada a la espalda.
Voy a suponer que no se tradujo así.
Image by Jakub Krechowicz and used royalty free from stock.xchng.
Today, as part of my regular blog maintenance, I went into my spam catcher widget and took a look at what’s been caught.
I look it over because occasionally I’ll find a comment that shouldn’t have been marked as spam, so I like to check.
Usually it’s the normal stuff: Cheap Rolex! Pen!s enlargement! Xanex, cheap and easy!
To be expected, I suppose.
But today, I’ve noticed a bit of a change. An advancement.
Those comment spammers are getting smarter.
Here’s a sample of some of the actual comments caught in my spam queue. These completely cracked me up today. I’ve added what I’d respond if I was the sort of person who baited trolls:
“How do i delete everything on my laptop?”
Why, is the laptop stolen? Let me know when you find out.
“Why is my browser redirecting search results to fake search engines?”
: shrug : Sounds like user error to me.
“Whoever wrote this, you know how to make a good artcile.”
Why thank you! I think. Wait, what’s an artcile?
“The genius store called, they’re rnuinng out of you.”
Flattery will get you EVERYWHERE. Ok, that got my attention.
“And I thguhot I was the sensible one. Thanks for setting me straight.”
Good thing you’re not the spelling one.
“Please teach the rest of these internet hloiogans how to write and research!”
If only I could, darlin’, if only I could.
“Information is power and now I’m a !@#$ing dcitator.”
And what does that make me? I’m GOD baybee!
“I came, I read this atricle, I conquered.”
YEAH you did! Raaawwr!
“Free knowledge like this doesn’t just help, it pomrtoe democracy. Thank you.”
Wait. Can you both be a dictator and promote democracy?
“This free sharing of inforamotin seems too good to be true. Like communism.”
Wait, wait, wait. Are we a dictatorship, a democracy or communists? This is getting very confusing.
“Wham bam thank you, ma’am, my questions are anserwed!”
Buddy, this is not that kind of blog. Take your wham bam somewhere else.
“Boom shkalaaka boom boom, problem solved.”
Ok, maybe this is the kind of blog that boom shaka boom booms…hard to know.
“This piece was coengt, well-written, and pithy.”
Your comment, however, was not. Besides, who uses pithy anymore? And is coengt supposed to be cogent? Inquiring minds need to know.
“Brilliance for free; your parents must be a sweetharet and a certified genius.”
Why you gotta bring my parents into this?
“You put the lime in the ccoount and drink the article up.”
Best. Comment. Ever. In the history of this blog. All other commenters, take heed. This is the apex of comment glory!
You drink this article RIGHT up! That’s right you do! Drink it in!
“Great hammer of Thor, that is powerfully helfupl!”
Glorious right boot of Wonder Woman, you’re welcome!
“I could watch Schnidelr’s List and still be happy after reading this.”
Now THAT’s a compliment! Well done, commenter.
“I hate my life but at least this makes it berablae.”
My powers are stronger than even I suspected…..
“Four score and seven minutes ago, I read a sweet article. Lol thakns”
Ok, that’s kind of charming.
“With the bases loaded you struck us out with that awnser!”
A baseball metaphor *always* works with me….
“I bow down humbly in the presence of such gearnetss”
I am a benevolent God. Mostly.
Whew! Good stuff. Made it kind of hard to delete all those spam posts. Charm and wit will always win me over. Too bad they are still trolly trolls who live under mossy internet bridges.
And that means I still did what I had to do. Bye!
