Forever young, I want to be forever young...

Oh, summertime... why does it feel so unseasonal this year?

In an attempt to feel the essence of summer I buried myself under a bunch of books that I plan to read before summer ends. It's probably a lot, but not having Internet at my beach house probably helps. As well as the fact that almost all my friends from the summer town are either working or studying, so I'm pretty much by myself. I took it as time to meditate, relax, and get a wonderful tan. Oh, and did I mention books? There's not better moment in time to read than while watching the sunset at the beach, if you haven't tried it, please do so.

One of the books that I came across is Deepak Chopra's Ageless Body, Timeless Mind : The Quantum Alternative to Growing (1993).

My mom got me this book when she found out about Chopra's centers in La Jolla, CA. Since it talks about aging, I thought it was not the proper time to read it... not yet. But then I realized that time passes by faster than we think and that some positive thinking would help. I love how he talks about the power of our minds when it comes to getting old and controlling our body's most basic physiological functions. As our inmune system improves when we fall in love, or weakens when we are depressed, our bodies, our "matter", can be affected positively if we have a positive attitude.

I haven't read much of it yet but I just liked how he considers human beings and their interaction something more than mere chemical reactions. There has to be something else out there.

I love life!

Sorry for the lack of updates but my life has been pretty hectic lately.

I barely have time to write something right now, but I just wanted to share my love to life with you. My dad went to hospital this morning for a checkup and the doctor found a couple of polyps that were removed instantly. At first I was scared, since those polyps need to be examined to check whether they are malignant or not. But then the doctor said that no matter what happens, the polyps are gone and my dad will be alright.

I realized that, no matter what, we need to stay positive and enjoy life to the fullest.

“Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.” - Horace

Thanks doctors for taking care of my dad. And thanks God for giving us LIFE.

There might be some light at the end of the tunnel

Translation has always been a bit underrated. It's not a major degree in many countries, people tend to think that studying languages is enough and companies are definitely not willing to pay for translation services when "there's someone at the office who studied in England for two months and can translate what I need with no extra charge".

Hence, my disillusionment. I have been job hunting for the last two months and the job offerings are just ridiculous: "Native of English, Spanish and German needed" (all three?), "Minimum required: ESO level (equivalent to Middle School level in the US)". Seriously? Is the World joking?

However, and this is good news, I found this Recommendation on the Legal Protection of Translators and Translations and the Practical Means to improve the Status of Translators written by the UNESCO in 1976. Too bad it's just a recommendation, but it has some good points that I wanted to share with you:

About the importance of Translation:

"Noting the extremely important rôle played by translators and translations in international exchanges in culture, art and science, particularly in the case of works written or translated in less widely spoken languages,"

About Translation training (no, knowing a language does not make you a translator):

"11. Member States should recognize in principle that translation is an independent discipline requiring an education distinct from exclusively language teaching and that this discipline requires special training. [...]"

I recommend that you read the whole text here.


Hopefully Translation will get the recognition it deserves soon enough. Just think for a second about all the things you would have not been able to get to know or to do if it wasn't for translators (some easy ones: the Bible, instructions for a gadget made in Japan, etc.)

I really hope I did my bit here.

Really?

Michael Jackson died?

I'm in shock... Rest In Peace Michael.



ps. Farrah Fawcett also passed away yesterday... RIP you too Farrah.

No comprendo...

Maybe learning a new language is not that good at the end haha:

A New Language Barrier: Why Learning A New Language May Make You Forget Your Old One


Story of my life... And although I'm just exaggerating a bit (I love languages!) I thought this was interesting and you might like it.


pd. I might start a new blog in Spanish, I'll keep you posted.

Coffee and words

I truly am a coffee addict. It is not only its bitter flavor and warm aroma that amuse me, but the moments that coffee usually involves. Most of the time a good cup of coffee is accompanied by friendship, love declarations, tears or philosophical conversations. All these make coffee times definitely worthy for those who seek the beauty of life behind the most simple things.

Starbucks knew about this and created "The Way I See It": a series of inspirational cups for restless minds and hearts. Here's one of their quotes:

The Way I See It #17:

"The world bursts at the seams with people ready to tell you you're not good enough. On occasion, some may be correct. But do not do their work for them. Seek any job: ask anyone out; pursue any goal. Don't take it personally when they say "no"- they may not be smart enough to say "yes".

--Keith Olbermann, Broadcast journalist and host of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann.


Such a good quote for this specific moment in time. Thanks Starbucks and coffee for making my days nicer :)

Yes I had a dream I stood beneath an orange sky...

I just decided to spend the day at the beach and thought that I'd love to share the sunset with you.