Japanese Phrase of the Month – October 2020

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Caution sign (English/Japanese)

I kept meaning to do a “commonly mistranslated phrases” type thing for my crew at Funimation, but then I thought, why not do it in my Copious Spare TimeTM instead, so that I can share it both here and there? Welcome to my (possibly-not-monthly) Japanese Phrase of the Month!   「何が悲しくて」・「何が悲しゅうて」 Have you been translating … Read more

Stuff You Missed in History Class – Black History Episodes

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A lot has happened since my last post. George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officers, protests against his killing are being carried out across the country (and around the globe), and many cities have imposed curfews.

We’re a nation in crisis, but there are 400 years of history behind this crisis. And not all of us were taught that history in school. This week, many fellow non-Black people on my Facebook feed have expressed a desire to learn about it. I need to learn more about it, too.

I’ve seen a spate of posts about books and articles white people can to read to better understand the history of racism in the United States. That’s a great thing. But some people have trouble reading that much material. Are there audiovisual things people can reference?

Yes! Marie Claire suggests Documentaries About Black History to Educate Yourself With.

There are podcasts that can help, too. I’ve talked about my love of the podcast Stuff You Missed in History Class in at least one previous post. Since I happen to know that podcast well, tonight I put together a list of episodes on African-American history. That doesn’t mean this is the One True History Podcast–just the one I know best and could put together a cheat sheet for in a few hours. I hope it helps someone!

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Free Ways to Ease Your COVID-19 Experience

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Library of Congress Reading Room

My last post, 8 Movies to Distract You from COVID-19, was about catching up on classic movies to distract yourself during this crisis. Distraction is a valuable mental health tool, because it gives us the space to not be anxious all the time. And movies seemed like a good bet, because they only take a couple of hours, which is great for those of us who still don’t have much free time.

But what if you don’t have access to Netflix or Amazon Prime? What if you need something fun and interesting that’s free?

Well, my friend, there is plenty out there to explore. Here are a few audio & visual options from your friendly neighborhood audiovisual translator.

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8 Movies to Distract You from COVID-19

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Amazon Prime image for The African Queen

Do you need a safe, fun distraction from the global pandemic engulfing all of us? I think we all do, and I love that so many artists are doing their part from within their areas of expertise.

Orchestras around the world are offering free live concerts online. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma has started a #SongsofComfort initiative. Art historian Ada Palmer has popularized the hashtag #SomethingBeautiful on Twitter. And in the crowdsourcing domain, readers of The Guardian have put together a recommended reading list.

As a film & TV translator, the first thing that occurs to me is, why not catch up on some classic movies you’ve always meant to get around to, or revisit your favorites?

So, here’s a list of classics to watch on Amazon Prime and Netflix while you’re quarantined or self-isolating. (…Okay, maybe the sushi documentary isn’t a classic, but sushi is classic, am I right?)

Enjoy!

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A Portrait of the Artist as an Older Man

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Photo of Sir James Galway from his press kit at http://www.jamesgalway.com/press-section

Watching artists over a long arc of years reveals a lot of interesting things: What changes, what stays the same. What you thought were their strengths, what their strengths turn out to be.

James Galway was one of my favorite flutists growing up. My aunt bought me his CDs and at least one book about him. Like so many, I liked the twinkle in his eye. The way he was more accessible to the viewer than Jean-Pierre Rampal; the way both of them made it look easy, but Galway made it look like he was having fun. I once called him a “jolly elf.”

As an adult, I went to see him perform live with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. My significant other at the time was mystified by my “jolly elf” characterization, because by then he was no longer young. The twinkle in his eye was still firmly in place, but much of the bounce was gone. And yet, I was truly touched by this performance.

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My Holiday Tip for Stress Pain, at the Desk or in the Yoga Studio

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The word "RELAX" in block letters. Image credit: Alexas_Fotos at Pixabay.

Welcome to the holidays: a season full of good food, wonderful concerts, and crazy, epic stress.

Many translators and other computer-based workers are chained to our desks, muscles tight, practically vibrating with the stress of December’s usual insane deadlines. Me, I’m freaking out a little more every time I look at my email accounts… the business one or the personal one.

Maybe we’re managing our stress with exercise, as this blog has discussed before, or maybe we’re using another coping method, or maybe we’re just choosing to fling ourselves recklessly into the void. Hey, I’m in no place to judge. But I think most of us are probably experiencing some seasonal increase in stress.

Unfortunately, with stress often comes pain.

So, today I’d like to share my simplest pain control technique–something that regularly helps me both at my desk and while I’m standing on one leg in the yoga studio. It’s simple, you can do it sitting down, and all you need is 20 seconds and the tongue in your mouth.

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