How I Became a Certified Translator: Tips, Tricks and ...Traps

        

     

     Those of you who know me, or who have been following my activity, know that I am not a languages graduate. Mind you, I did have this inkling since I was a kid, it is something I am passionate about, and also the fact that I've lived abroad for several years helped a lot. 

       Therefore, this newly-found translator occupation is something that started from the bottom-up. Friends and family members often turned to me to help them translate stuff into English or Italian, or from one of these languages to Romanian, although I had never really considered making a living or a career out of it. But eventually I thought: why not? Even if perhaps I wouldn't do it as a main, or only occupation, I decided to give it a go.

        And there I was. Last autumn I passed the certification exams organized by the Romanian Ministry of Culture, both for Italian and English, and today I went to withdraw the certificate. It was an interesting experience, and I wanted to share with you how it went, what I liked and what I disliked.

• You must sustain these official exams, unless you are a languages graduate, specialized in Translation and Interpretation (different from Foreign Languages and Literatures). Otherwise, you are not recognized as a translator.
• You can choose a working domain for your exam: legal, economic, technical, social and political sciences, medical, literature, art, etc.
• Now that we mention, if you want to translate for notaries, law firms or state institutions, you must sustain the legal module of the exam, and afterwards obtain also an authorization from the Ministry of Justice. I didn't go for that one, as it wasn't my priority. 
• The exam is not cheap, and I have to say that it is yet another display of useless greed by the Romanian state, but I digress. :P Think about 90 euros per exam (which is quite a lot for an average Romanian), including only one language combination (source language A > target language B) + one domain. If you want to translate from language B to language A, you have to pay for another exam. Not justified, if you ask me! 
• The exam itself (or exams, two of them, in my case), were the most enjoyable part, as far as I was concerned. It wasn't too difficult, nor too easy. You have to translate a short text in two hours, which is reasonable enough. 
• Be careful about how the text flows, and don't be afraid to play with words, especially if you pick literature or art.
• The text might contain one or two words that you don't know even in your native language what they mean. A good way to escape is to use an alternative that wouldn't change the sense of the phrase very much. ;)
• You will be allowed to have bilingual dictionnaries with you during the exam (but some of the aforementioned words cannot be found in the dictionnary either :P ). Make sure you buy some good dictionnaries, with new and updated terms, and even specialized terms, according to your exam domain, but also to the domains that you intend to work on in the future. 

 And this was it. I saw it more as a formality (although quite expensive), and a go-ahead to do this activity officially. However, my advice for anyone doing this job is to never stop learning, never stop developing your vocabulary, or even studying new languages. Especially more "exotic" ones, if you are brave enough, as these are better paid than mainstream European languages. Good luck to me and to all those of you who embarked on this path! :)

        

The Romanian Traveler: Cluj-Napoca, Straight to the Heart of Transylvania (Part 1)

                                     

      Here we are again, continuing to discover Romania, and this time, I will take you to the country's most famous historical region, Transylvania, and its most important city, Cluj-Napoca. And, I should add, probably the most praised Romanian city. Because every single person who has visited it has remained very impressed. Yes, even more than Bucharest! But why is that? I must admit, this was not my first time in Cluj, but it was the first time that I actually had the time to visit the city more thoroughly. Therefore, the previous times did not leave me with much of an impression, neither good nor bad. 

        First and foremost, we must specify that Transylvania is known by everyone (Romanians and foreigners), as "another Romania", compared to the southern part of the country. Not only because the influences of the Austro-Hungarian Empire are still felt from the architectural, urbanistic and linguistic points of view. But also because of the notably higher level of civilization, lower level of chaos, and very calm people. 

The city

                  

    The general impression when you arrive in Cluj (after a 10 hour ride from Bucharest, that is if you don't take the plane), is that you find yourself in another historical period, such as the beginning of the 20th century. 

                        

                                             

Beautiful buildings from centuries past, which have been only reconditionned during the last few years, since Cluj had been elected European Youth Capital 2015. Clean streets, and a level of traffic which is hardly as scary as the one in Bucharest. :)

                           
  

     Two main squares, are reigning on the city: two historical figures and two religious cults. One is Piata Unirii (Unity Square), with St. Michael Roman-Catholic Cathedral and the statue of medieval monarch Mathias Corvinus. The other one, after a 10 minute walk in a straight line, is the Avram Iancu Square, dedicated to one of the most prominent revolutionary personalities of 1848. His monument lies in front of the Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral, and accross the way from the "Lucian Blaga" Theatre and Opera House, which is another elegant building which doesn't go unnoticed. 

                                

The people

      Transylvanians are known to be the calmest (and slowest) Romanians, and many jokes have been told on this topic accross the ages. However, I did appreciate their calm nature and their politeness. When you come from Bucharest, it's like a breath of fresh air.

     Otherwise, Cluj is a very youthful city, as it is an important university center, the Babes-Bolyai University, and the University of Medicine and Pharmacy are among the most prestigious in Romania. Therefore, Romanian and international students can be seen all over the city.
    Last but not least, as I mentionned before, Transylvania used to be a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Consequently, Hungarian and German minorities are very well represented (in Cluj, the most numerous minority is the Hungarian one). You will hear on the streets people speak Romanian, Hungarian, and sometimes even a mix of both. 


The food

    This is another element that got me impressed. I found the food to be very good and very convenient, and with a broad range of dishes to choose from. 
    The most famous local dish is 'varza (cabbage) a la Cluj', which consists of minced cabbage on a bed of minced meat. It can be served with sour cream and chilli pepper, upon request. No big deal, come to think of it, but very consistent and delicious. The best place to eat it is the Varzarie, a traditional restaurant in the city center, which, as the name suggests, serves mainly cabbage dishes, but not only.

                                    

     
     Another restaurant which I absolutely loved is called Opera, and is located, again, as the name suggests, close to the Opera House. Decorated in a vintage art nouveau style, it is a self service restaurant, with lots of dishes to choose from: my advice is to try the stuffed aubergines (with mushrooms and grated cheese), spinach pancakes, or meatballs soup. 

                                 

                                
     Otherwise, Cluj is also full of cafes and bistros, still keeping the atmosphere of other times, which gives a different flavour to whatever you eat or drink.

                                 

       In the second part of our journey through Cluj, we will take a look at the places to see. Although, I must admit that I had a bit of an unpleasant surprise, but with good results in the long run. Wonder what that is...? 

Helsinki: the City where You Recharge Your Batteries (Part 1)

        

         

   Have you ever been to Finland? Or at least to Helsinki? If you haven't, the first thing you should know is that, although it's not your usual mainstream destination, like Paris, London, or Rome, the Finnish capital surely has its own charm. And yes, there is more to it than saunas and freezing temperatures. We won't count Santa Claus and his reindeer, as we are not in Lapland this time. :) The second thing you should know, as I decided to point it out in the title, is that I surely recommend it if you are after relaxation and recharging your batteries, but probably not as much if you are after high adrenaline and looking to party hard.

                            

         

      Helsinki is a city that is not overpopulated  or suffocated by traffic. It is safe, with wide and clean roads, close to nature (parks, forests, lakes, sea), showing impressive architecture both in classic and modern styles. As a matter of fact, Finland is very resourceful when it comes to modern and contemporary design. 

                                     

        

     Culturally and historically speaking, Finland is a complex nation. From the Middle Ages, it became and integral part of Sweden following crusades, and later became a part of the Russian Empire at the beginning of the XIXth century. In the end, it became an independent state after the Russian Revolution, in 1917. Therefore, Finland is geographically located between Scandinavian countries and Russia, but its language is of the Uralic family. And surrealistic, if you ask me. :) Expect long words, double vowels and consonants, umlauts, and basically a language that bears no similarity to others (apart from Estonian, as far as I know). Did you know that 'terve' means 'hello', 'hyvaa' means 'fine', and 'kiitos' means 'thanks'? Oh, and 'please' doesn't exist. Plus, Swedish is an official language also in Finland, so expect all signs in all public places to be written also in Swedish. 

          What about the people? Finns are mostly blonde, with fair skin, and light-coloured eyes. They may not be as bubbly as the Italians or the Spanish (or the Romanians on a good day :P ), but nevertheless they don't lack friendliness, and surely are very polite, helpful and correct. And what impressed me especially is the way people help and support each other in neighbourhoods and small communities, be it with babysitting or any other chores. In my opinion, an evolved nation is one where people trust and help each other. Dear Finland, you'd have a lot to teach Romania! 

            Before we start exploring the city in part 2, I will invite you to dinner. Finnish dinner, that is. 

                   

You will be on a fish diet. You will eat fish every day, especially salmon, but not only. It can be salmon soup (for colder days), but also fish or seafood salads, or fish with potatoes, mushrooms of all kinds, and horseradish. I was also told that reindeer steak is very good, but I didn't want to try it. As I've always been against hunting, I would have felt bad. What will Santa drive afterwards? Poor Rudolph & company! :'( Another interesting dish that I liked is the rice pie: a thin pastry filled with tasty rice, and topped with egg paste.

                        

 For dessert, they have lots of scrumptious looking cakes, with cream, chocolate, caramel, and not only. Coffee is also very good and of several kinds. And for chocolate lovers, I highly-highly recommend to try the national Finnish brand of chocoalte, Fazer. They have loads of types of chocolate, with all the possible flavours, and I was also told that they are constantly inventing new stuff. ;)
             Speaking of food, you will also discover that Finns have their meals much earlier than 'continental' countries. They start work at 7 or 8 in the morning, which leads them to have breakfast at about 6 a.m., lunch at about 11, and dinner around 5 p.m. The early bird catches the: a) salmon; b) reindeer; c) Fazer! :D

           In part 2, we will proceed to discover the city and what I definitely advise you to visit. I didn't manage to see exactly everything I planned, but I already saw about 85-90%. And who knows... I might return someday. I surely would not mind! ;)

           

          

   

”Du... Du hast... Du hast mich...”: 10 Things You Should Know before You Start Learning German

      

   Last summer I started learning German. I had this  great opportunity at work, to sign up for language courses with the company's financial support. It was mainstream languages we were talking about (so, don't think about Chinese and Japanese, at least not yet :P ), but still, guess what. Of the entire offer, I chose the most difficult one: German. Why this choice? Because, as you know, I like a challenge, and because German is a language that is a little bit too difficult to learn by yourself through a self-taught course. Been there, done that, didn't last. :) 

       Two days ago I had my final exam, and I passed. Although I may not miss waking up at 6 every Tuesday morning, I will miss the course, because it was fun. What were my conclusions, and what advice would I give you if you were ever to embark on studying the language of Goethe?

1. Get used to the idea that it's not easy. Some myths I had heard in the past it that if you are a fluent English speaker, it would be easy to learn or understand German as well, or that it has straightforward and predictable rules. First of all, the resemblance with English is almost unperceivable, apart from some grammar rules. And those rules, well, they may be rather straightforward, but, again, they bear no resemblance to other languages.

2. All nouns are written with a capital letter, not only names. It may take a while to get used to it.

3. Reading rules are quite easy. Although you don't read as you write, there are quite a few letters and small groups of letters which are read in particular ways, and which are taught from the beginning. Do your best to remember them.

4. Be prepared for lots of composed words, which take ages to read and write, and the tongue twists that come with them. Or maybe that gets sorted out with a good supply of Jagermeister!

5. Be also prepared for words which, although in most European languages sound similar, in German they sound completely different. And sometimes even harsh. Did you know that surprise/sorpresa/surpriza in German is Uberraschung? And yes, your chocolate egg is a Kinder Uberraschung! :P

6. What almost killed me is the word order in sentences. Sometimes you feel like you play puzzle with words, and there are specific places in the sentence for each word, which must be respected, and afterwards you re-arrange all the words. 

7. Prepositions are also a bit tricky, and change according to context, like time vs. place, or positioning of the object. My favourite one is 'zwischen' (between). Sounds funky! :)

8. Start by reading easy texts, and see how much you understand. Or watch movies when you have the chance, so that you hear the spoken language.

9. Ask your teacher, wherever possible, to tell you about German/Austrian culture and traditions. Or you can search for information yourself, and eventually ask about it in class. It gives heart and personality to the language, and it makes the course more interesting.

10. I saved the most important part for the end. I was told that, when it comes to German, you have to like it, otherwise you won't manage. It's true. And in order to like it, go there prepared to have fun, and be curious and playful. Don't look at it like it is that-burden-of-a-difficult-language, but simply something new to learn, and which in the end you might actually enjoy.

    Am I encouraging you to study German? Yes - not only if you need it for work or school, but if you simply want to set your brain in motion. No - if you believe you're not good with languages, or if you give up when it gets tough. You may make it sound sweet like Romy Schneider in 'Sissi', or cold and calculated like Angela Merkel's political speech, or you may just want to sing Rammstein at the karaoke - but I promise it is worth it. :)

Athens & Piraeus: Stories of Vibes and Atmosphere

         

    We surely need a separate post to capture the vibe of Athens, beyond the main tourist attractions. And I must confess that you will not often see a city so crowded, even unexpectedly cosmopolitan, with people of all social conditions. Yet, this crowd, surprisingly, is not disturbing at all. Also, like all capital cities, Athens is full of life at all hours. The streets are full of olive and orange trees, as well as coloured flowers, still there in the month of November. Cafes, markets, shops and restaurants can be found all over the place, and the only dilemma you will have is where to go first. 

                               

       
       If, like myself, you are going there for a few days as a fully-immersed tourist, I would advise you to buy a 2 days' pass on a hop on & hop off tourist bus, such as Athens Open Tour. A 2 days pass, bought online, cost 18 euro per person, so watch out for such special offers. The advantage is that it stops at all points of interest in the city, and you can get on and get off how many times you want, watching out for all the stopovers on the map. With the headphones offered as you get on, you can listen to the description of all the places you pass, in several languages. Speaking of which... yes, Greek looks and sounds like an impossible language, especially because of the alphabet. However, just have a go at learning some phrases, at least for fun, and to use them to find your way around. And who knows, you might even like it! :)

                        

                                         

    
     When you are in between archeological sites and museums, you should definitely not miss Plaka, which is one of the most ancient areas of Athens, starting from Acropolis, and ending around Monastiraki Square. Plaka is made up of pretty and narrow streets, small buildings in typical Greek architecture, with white marble and iron decorations, with all the characteristic vegetation and lively colours.
      Explore the numerous shops all the way to Monastiraki Square, also one of the most important squares in the city, especially for shopping, where you can find everything you want: ceramic and clay objects, paintings and drawings, typical Greek sweets, clothes and jewels with traditional motifs, coloured leather bags, cosmetics based on olive oil and donkey milk, and the list could go on and on. Greeks like to negotiate, so definitely expect that when you go shopping. You won't buy anything (or almost) at the price displayed on the label. 
                          

      
       Also, if you go to Monastiraki on a Sunday, be prepared to see the biggest crowd you will ever see, from the strays and homeless of the city, to rich and elegant people, locals and tourists, who enjoy a day out. 
                           

                            
       As you reach lunch or dinner time, which I'm sure you will, the Monastiraki area (and not only) will offer you a wide choice of places to eat. Obviously, Greece is famous for its cuisine, so I wouldn't even recommend that you eat somewhere else than traditional Greek restaurants and taverns. The choice of dishes is, again, very broad. But by no means should you miss moussaka, a dish based on minced meat, layered with sliced aubergines and potatoes, and topped with white sauce. Not particularly light, but delicious. :) Greek cuisine also includes souvlaki (meat skewers), traditional salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, olives and feta cheese, large seafood plates to share, and pastries of various types. Also keep an eye on traditional Greek yogurt (which is different from what you find in supermarkets in the rest of Europe), and for the best olives (both black and green) that you will ever eat.

                  

          
     Last but not least, as you might remember, I promised you a bonus trip. This is the neighbouring town of Piraeus, Greece's most important and ancient harbour. And actually, the tourist buses which I was telling you about also offer an itinerary towards Piraeus, so it would be a pity to miss it. Still with a very strong 'Greek' atmosphere, Piraeus is also cleaner and less crowded than Athens, and, at least on the first glance, more exclusively higher class. A relaxing town by the sea, where it will be a pleasure to sip your coffee by the shore, and last but not least, you will be left wanting an apartment and a yacht right there and then. :)

                 

       

      My conclusion about Athens is that it is indeed a city where history and ancient civilizations meet a dynamic world, with vibrant colours, exquisite taste, and people permanently in motion. It was a perfect birthday present, and I am looking forward to going back someday. 
          ευχαριστώ, Αθήνα! I will not stay away too long! 
           

          

European Day of Languages: Learning and Fun in One Short Event

       

       In 2001, the European Commission has established the European Day of Languages to be celebrated on the 26th of September each year. And today I managed to attend this event in Bucharest for the first time, as for the past years I never seemed to make it, for one reason or another. 

                              

          How was the event organized? In the yard of a famous Bucharest museum, several stands of the various European Cultural Institutes with a headquarter in our city, were waiting for their numerous visitors. The participating countries were: Germany, Turkey, Belgium, Great Britain, Portugal, Greece, Austria, France, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic, Spain, and of course the Representation of the European Commission in Bucharest.

          Each of the presenting countries made guests complete a task. This could be a cultural quiz, to verify your general knowledge about a specific nation, guessing famous landmarks from pictures and placing them on the country's map, matching fragments of literary texts with titles of literary works, memorizing games based on factual information on a specific city, or matching the meaning of certain words between Romanian and the host country's language.

               

        What did I learn today?

         .... Germans are not a hard nation to figure out. I scored 6 out of 10 questions from the cultural quiz of the Goethe Institut. So far so good, given the fact that I just started learning their not-so-easy language!

    .... Turkey is an amazing country, with spectacular landmarks. I really wish them more peaceful times ahead, so that everyone can relax and enjoy this country's beauties.

         .... I still know my English children's literature pretty well. Not one single mistake! And the Earl Grey tea I was offered crowned (ha!) my success.

            .... Portugal is a country that I'd like to visit in the near future. And for my seaside holiday in Algarve (nothing more, nothing less) I will need: chinelos, guarda-sol, toalha da praia and fato de banho. All clear, right? :)

            ... Greeks are even easier to figure out. From their 10-question quiz, I only got 1 wrong. And I got myself a map of Greece, in honour of my next travel destination (hint, hint!) :)

            .... I was warned that the quiz about Paris was difficult. But I got it right from the first time. And surprise: my French was not as 'imparfaite' as I thought!

          .... thanks to the Istituto Italiano di Cultura and their landmarks pictures, I found out even how Caserta looks like (one city I knew almost nothing about, apart from the fact that it's in Campania). They organize free movie evenings once a week, and the guy hosting the stand was really nice and cool. And Sicilian. ;)

            .... Hungary is a paradise of thermal water spas. Which sounds interesting! Brochure: taken. Koszonom szepen!

          .... Czech and Romanian have several similar words. Only the spelling can be tricky. But, with a bit of Staropramen beer, you might even become fluent!

             .... Polish and Romanian instead are sharing some pairs of homonyms. That is, words spelled and pronounced the same way, but which have different meanings in each language. For example, Romanian word 'pas', meaning 'step', in Polish means 'belt'. Or 'obraz' means 'cheek' in Romanian, and 'picture' in Polish. Not to mention that I came with 2 big brochures about Polish cities and touristic attractions. Time to consider another trip! :)

              .... switching languages may not be as difficult as one might think, but you might need an extra bit of concentration. Today I spoke English, French, Italian and Spanish with the relevant stands in a matter of minutes. And it was not difficult at all. On the contrary: it was actually fun.

             EDL is one of those events which are both fun and educational, and it doesn't last too long to visit each stand. Therefore, it is easy to squeeze between other commitments during the day. My only advice is not to lose your patience with the other visitors, as it is a pretty crowded event, including also families with children. But this demonstrates that people are up for some higher-level activities, not just watching reality shows on TV. And this can only make me happy!

Love Thy Neighbour: the Bulgarian Summer Experience. Part 1 - Golden Sands

       

     

Summer has arrived, and, after a lifetime of faithfully honouring the Romanian seaside, this year it was time for something different. And, knowing that many Romanians are often choosing the Bulgarian coast of the Black Sea, for better prices and services... why not? Let's see what our neigbours are up to.

       First of all, we must mention that the price has been more convenient indeed. Otherwise, the seaside experience is pretty much similar to the Romanian one, in terms of locations, people, beaches and landscapes. However, my advice, especially if you're Romanian (but also if you're not), is to look at it as more of a cultural experience, rather than your typical seaside holiday. Here is why...

                    

       Amusingly, from the political point of view, Romania and Bulgaria seem to come together in a package. After all, we did join the EU on the same day, and now we're waiting together for being accepted into the Schengen area. Nevertheless, I discovered that Romania and Bulgaria share quite a lot of cultural similarities, which are visible even from the moment you cross the Danube into the Bulgarian territory, in the city of Ruse, and later in Varna. Same architectural styles, from the so-called 'communist apartment blocks', to the elegant houses from the early 20th century, which remained unaffected by urbanistic transformations. 

             Afterwards, the first thing that will strike you is the language, the least similar feature between the two countries. Bulgarian is a Slavic language, using Cyrillic alphabet, so be prepared for that.  If you have at least some knowledge of Russian, that would come in handy - at least you will be able to read cyrillics with ease, but beware that there are a couple of letters which should be read differently, and also several words and phrases which are not the same in the two languages. The best thing you can do is buy a small Bulgarian conversation guide, in order to get by. Not everyone speaks English, especially some of the people you will interact with as a tourist: hotel staff, waiters, shop assistants, taxi drivers, etc. 

     Golden Sands is quite a fancy resort. From small and pretty hotels, to luxury ones, you can certainly find accommodation for all tastes and budgets. If you want a populated location and a vibrant night life, with many shops, bars, clubs and restaurants, then surely the central area of the resort is for you. Money-wise, the Bulgarian currency is the Lev, and you would be better off withdrawing cash from the cash machine (although there are not so many in the resort), rather than exchanging at an exchange office. 

   

          If, however, you need a more quiet holiday, and sleep at night listening to the waves, then I suggest to move towards the Chaika area. However, as far as the beaches are concerned, I haven't seen much difference from the Romanian ones, both from good and bad points of view. An abundace of seaweed, although the central part of the resort is clean, beaches full of armchairs which you have to pay for, and in some places quite a rocky sea bottom. But if you are very keen on swimming, a good idea is also to choose a hotel with a swimming pool. I did, and I was very glad! Be careful that the weather is hotter than in Romania, therefore at around 8-9 a.m. it's already hot enough to go to the beach, and to throw yourself into the water at the speed of light to refresh yourself, just like around 11-12, the sun is already too hot to handle.

              

 Bulgarian food is simple, healthy and delicious. Various types of salads, of which the most popular are shopska salad, made just of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and grated cheese on top, and also shepherd's salad, which, apart from the above, you also add boiled egg, diced ham and mushrooms. Or, for the heat outside, nothing is better than tarator: a traditional soup made with cucumbers, yoghurt, dill and olive oil, served cold. Otherwise, as an apetizer, you can try lyutenitsa, the Bulgarian brother-from-another-mother of Romanian zacusca, which is a vegetable spreadable paste made with eggplant, tomatoes, peppers and carrots. 

Most dishes are based on vegetables, yoghurt, grilled meat, fish and seafood. So, yes, I ate very well without gaining weight. Yeeey! Last but not least, I was often asked if I booked the hotel with 3 meals a day all-inclusive. The answer is no, mainly because... what if you don't like the hotel restaurant? Or what if you would like to eat in a different place every day? Consider that too before booking your hotel.
                            

             And, for the last part of this first chapter, I left my favourite aspect of Bulgarian culture. Well, my dears, in Bulgaria everything is coming up roses... literally. For years and years and years, Bulgaria has been famous for cultivating numerous types of roses, which are used for various purposes. Of course, the most easy to find are the cosmetics based on roses (mostly for ladies, but also for gentlemen) - perfumes, essential oils, skincare and haircare products, soaps, bath salt, and so much more. Last but not least, roses are also used for sweets, in honey, confiture, and different types of sweets. Very sweet, so you need only a little at once, but a very particular taste. 
               In Part 2 we will talk about a very special place to visit on the Bulgarian coast. What will it be?