Oscar Curros

Music is a universal language. Add some lyrics and you’ll have the perfect hook for language pros. It’s no wonder that so many people in our industry see music as more than just a hobby. In some cases, it’s hard to tell the side pursuit from the main profession.

What if Santa Claus called telling you he can't visit your house next year? You might have to accept one of two alternatives: letting Santa’s friend, the Apalpador, come home and check your children's bellies to ensure they're eating well, or keeping a fire burning all night like the Celts. Do these options sound alien to you? Not to me. Here in Galicia, northwest of Spain, we have many popular traditions like those. Other professionals around the world have their own unique holiday traditions.

Make a paws in your daily routine and think of the best companion. If your choice is a catbassador, please check our September issue. That's what Liudmila Vorobiova, a Ukrainian refugee living in Galicia, Spain, did. She had fun with the feline list, but she couldn’t hide her canine-oriented passion. “Why don’t you set up a list with dogs?” she asked. We’re all about our readers, so here it is. We’re bringing wagging tails and obsessive attention to details together. Don’t think dealing with such a dedicated coworker is easy. She may just feel like it’s time to stop working and demand a walk on the wild side at the most crucial moment of a key-client meeting. They may turn the office into a hellish battlefield or a dogs’ heaven, depending on their mood. A simple doorbell has a electric-shock effect on them. Look for ways to have your MultiLingual print issue delivered in a safe way. Otherwise, no mail person will ever dare to get close to your door. They can be a handful, but hey, they’re loyal and beloved. That’s how they take over our hearts and minds. They turn into family members in their own right. They’ll help you localize forever. Oh, how missed they are when they go. They leave us with precious memories. Seize the day with them!

Book worms are not rare in our industry. Localization and translation professionals are voracious readers, and they do it in several languages. When they’re working on a book as translators, they’re the author’s closest readers. That’s why we’d like to celebrate International Translation Day, Sept. 30, with a top-of-mind list by some ever-reading colleagues.

When a couple of friends asked me if I’d like to adopt Tomcat, I hesitated. At the same time, I couldn’t resist the jungle’s call. I was all alone at Interkultural, tired of playing the boss role in front of the mirror. Solo-preneurship had not been fun for quite a while. I needed an assistant to train and tell what to do. I was naïve enough to believe I could do that to a feline. How could I resist his spell when he came by my chair, touched me with his paw, and looked me in the eyes? The cute little tiger had a hypnotic look that instantly consumed my attention.

What’s Trados but a desktop program? That’s the thought that comes to my mind when I recall my experience as a freelance user. After all, desktop has been the main platform offered by RWS to the 270,000 translators using the Studio version worldwide.

Interpreters Unlimited (IU) has developed and released IU Customer App, a proprietary program that allows professionals and businesses to book foreign language interpreters and American Sign Language interpreters in-person, over the phone, or via remote video.

Verbit is undergoing an organizational change involving about 50 layoffs in the U.S. and 30 in Israel. It will employ a total of 520 employees following the cutback, 50 more than it had when it announced its latest funding round.