TLC 2016, Warsaw, March 2016
He sometimes confronts the same issues other translators do, including being asked to do virtually impossible tasks.
A few cups of coffee and interesting conversations were required before I was ready to attend another talk.
I overheard the organizers state a speaker was missing. Donald Duck saved the day! It did mean missing Jonathan Downie's presentation which I had been looking forward to!
The networking dinner was at a Club. Translators are supposedly shy and hermit-like but seeing them on the dance floor was a sight for sore eyes!
The next day we may have been a little tired but the presentations and conversations were too interesting to miss. Justyna Weber presented on the work of interpreters in Munich who welcome refugees. I did not manage another presentation until after noon. I attended Gala Gil Amat's presentation on LinkedIn, which was quite comprehensive. Diana Jankowiak presented on a business model canvas for translators and interpreters which was based on a book in Polish. She presented clearly and interestingly.
After lunch I attended Josephine Baker's presentation on book publishing. The golden age of book publication may be over but we can now publish books ourselves. If we are interested in publishing books we should attend one of the book fairs and be on the lookout for books we believe should be translated.
Dorota Pawlak presented on the various phases and issues of localization testing. The scope of the test is based on the budget and the risks involved in case of mistakes.
We next had a long coffee break to make sure the SEO workshop attendees could join us all in the main room for the closing presentation. Those who wanted to avoid my presentation on why we should translate could join a debate. I stated that no project was too small to warrant our undivided attention, as even a one-word project could have extreme consequences. Translations are important to the development of mankind, thus translators are important!
Time had run its course and the conference had come to an end. That is to say for the international attendees. The third and last conference day is in Polish.
After the raffle of gifts provided by sponsors we all stepped forward for a group picture.
A group had dinner at Zapiecek...
During breaks I often found myself inadvertently joining the photographer near the photo wall. We soon formed a well-oiled team, he took the picture when the attendee looked their best, laughing or smiling naturally at my silly dances…
On Sunday some attendees left, the Polish-speakers attended various presentations and about 20 translators went on the guided tour of Warsaw. We had the same guide as last year, Marta. We took a bus into town and then we walked. Marta is an interesting guide who knows her facts. The tour was adapted to our questions.
A few of us visited the Muzeum Katy?skie (Katy? Museum) and then Mi?a 18, the headquarters of the Jewish ghetto fighters.
I read the book ‘Mi?a 18’ by Leon Uris before I turned 20. I remember I could not put it down and that I wanted to change history. Even though it is a novel, it is based on facts collected in archives like all books written by Uris.
By coincidence when the five of us arrived at the museum a young man was guiding a group of Polish officers through the museum. I cannot imagine their thoughts in a museum dedicated to their predecessors who were taken into the forest to be shot.
At Mi?a 18 a Canadian teacher was reading the last letter written by Mordechai Anielewicz at the monument, explaining how exhausted hungry ghetto residents fought the Germans and when resistance was futile took poison rather than be taken. The young students listened respectfully. I still have no idea why the fence looks like the Roman numerals X and III.
The tour guide had recommended a restaurant. We made a reservation. Most attendees had left or had other plans. Seven of us went to dinner at Ale Gloria. It is a wonderful restaurant where the food was heavenly. We were no longer accompanied by Polish-speaking colleagues by then and we had some difficulties communicating with the staff but the food was superb! The black soul soufflé was especially delicious!
On Monday it was time to go home...
TLC is a high-quality conference where we can let our hair down!