Poll: How busy are you this week?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Oct 20, 2006

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How busy are you this week?".

This poll was originally submitted by Natalia Zudaire

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a ne
... See more
This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How busy are you this week?".

This poll was originally submitted by Natalia Zudaire

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629
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Aisha Maniar
Aisha Maniar  Identity Verified
Member
Arabic to English
+ ...
Holidays... Oct 20, 2006

Work aside, I think a lot of Muslim, Sikh and Hindu translators are also overwhelmed this week with preparations for Eid and Diwali...
Happy holidays to all!


 
Fabio Descalzi
Fabio Descalzi  Identity Verified
Uruguay
Local time: 13:02
Member (2004)
German to Spanish
+ ...
Wow! Oct 20, 2006

Thanks Natalia for proposing this interesting topic.

Well, after one has joined ProZ.com and worked hard enough to deserve being called to work, it's a real pleasure to be able to say that: I HAVE NO MORE FREE TIME LEFT!
As far as I can see from the results of the poll, there are a lot of people in a similar situation at ProZ.com

Wish you all fellow translators the same good luck with your efforts!


 
jokerman
jokerman
Germany
Local time: 17:02
Member (2008)
English to German
+ ...
living hell Oct 20, 2006

living hell this week! tremble every time a new email comes in or the phone rings...

-> back to work

igor


 
Sanmar
Sanmar
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:02
Dutch to English
Incredibly busy Oct 20, 2006

Yes, it has been incredibly busy lately. I have not had a proper weekend off for ages now. I really try to avoid weekend work (there is more to life...and all that) but what to do when various good and long established clients all need their projects translated within the next week?
It's good to have plenty of work, though. I keep myself motivated by promising myself a nice holiday next spring!
The poll results show that there are a lot of people in the same situation at the moment
... See more
Yes, it has been incredibly busy lately. I have not had a proper weekend off for ages now. I really try to avoid weekend work (there is more to life...and all that) but what to do when various good and long established clients all need their projects translated within the next week?
It's good to have plenty of work, though. I keep myself motivated by promising myself a nice holiday next spring!
The poll results show that there are a lot of people in the same situation at the moment. I wonder why there is so much work all of a sudden? Let's hope it lasts...
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Irene N
Irene N
United States
Local time: 11:02
English to Russian
+ ...
As always, an option missing:-) Oct 20, 2006

Could do more but don't want to and wouldn't!

This is my 16-hour week and I'm not available:-)


 
Helena Genel
Helena Genel
United States
Local time: 09:02
English to Spanish
+ ...
Busy, busy, busy Oct 20, 2006

Almost no work for two weeks (which was great because I was visiting my parents in the USA), but this week most of my regular clients want something translated, and they want the express service... so goodbye Friday night and maybe Saturday too.

 
Fabio Descalzi
Fabio Descalzi  Identity Verified
Uruguay
Local time: 13:02
Member (2004)
German to Spanish
+ ...
¡Vacaciones! Holidays! Ferien! Oct 20, 2006

Maria Ayala (Manya) wrote:
Almost no work for two weeks (which was great because I was visiting my parents in the USA), but this week most of my regular clients want something translated, and they want the express service... so goodbye Friday night and maybe Saturday too.


Yes, this was my case this summer, too! I could finally enjoy the luxury of saying to my clients: "I won't be avaliable for 3 weeks". Something I couldn't think of before, when I was always ready to take any job, even during the hottest summer days.
Now I usually work all the year long, especially on weekends! - but summer is summer, and every poor body and mind needs some rest after all.


 
Taner Göde
Taner Göde
Türkiye
Local time: 19:02
English to Turkish
+ ...
Customers who wait with the works until the very last minute! Oct 20, 2006

Traditionally, customers tend to put a set of documents to be send to the translator on their desk and wait until the time that the translation is needed! They don't send the documents right away to the translator, instead they keep it waiting on their desk! As if the documents self-translate over time...!!! And as always, when it is Friday, especially when it is like 4:45 pm or maybe far beyond 5 pm, they suddenly realize that those documents had to be translated and had to be ready on that Fri... See more
Traditionally, customers tend to put a set of documents to be send to the translator on their desk and wait until the time that the translation is needed! They don't send the documents right away to the translator, instead they keep it waiting on their desk! As if the documents self-translate over time...!!! And as always, when it is Friday, especially when it is like 4:45 pm or maybe far beyond 5 pm, they suddenly realize that those documents had to be translated and had to be ready on that Friday, so the translator is contacted, he or she is sort of mildly humiliated ("what a translator are you, not even being able to translate 50 pages in one day...!?!?) and the translator's oh so valuable weekend is torpedoed by some company execs or employees, who then spend their weekend going to the seaside, shopping, visiting their friends, the movies, spending time with the kids etc... As if translators are ROBOTS, machines who never stop working, soulless, who do not need to drink or eat, who have no mind, who are probably subhuman, who sit behind an old CRT monitor Made in China and use an old, filthy keyboard with a broken down space-bar...

So, I just would say:

1. I am a human!
2. I am a translator, and a good one!
3. I have a life, family, friends, too...!
4. I have feelings! Bunches of feelings!
5. Paying me does not mean OWNING me!
6. I deserve to be respected!
7. This is a HARD JOB, not for everyone.
8. When you go out partying, I still work!
9. Be sure that I know much more about the world than you.
10. One day I shall retire, but when, that depends...


Love you all

Taner Göde from Adana/Turkey
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Natalia Zudaire
Natalia Zudaire  Identity Verified
Argentina
Local time: 13:02
Member (2004)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Thanks =) Oct 21, 2006

I wrote this poll last week while I was working a bit too much, and I was wondering how many of you were on the same situation.
I am now more relaxed

I am really glad to see that most of you are working a lot...

Take it easy, and remember to do your stretches everyday!!


N.


 
Fabio Descalzi
Fabio Descalzi  Identity Verified
Uruguay
Local time: 13:02
Member (2004)
German to Spanish
+ ...
Ten important rules for the client to take into consideration - and for the translator not to forget Oct 21, 2006

TANER GODE wrote:
1. I am a human!
2. I am a translator, and a good one!
3. I have a life, family, friends, too...!
4. I have feelings! Bunches of feelings!
5. Paying me does not mean OWNING me!
6. I deserve to be respected!
7. This is a HARD JOB, not for everyone.
8. When you go out partying, I still work!
9. Be sure that I know much more about the world than you.
10. One day I shall retire, but when, that depends...

Taner Göde from Adana/Turkey


Some days ago we were discussing another poll concerning translator ethics.
Well, just as Charles Dickens said: 'Charity begins at home, and justice begins next door.'
And this looks like a "Decalogue of a Human Translator"
Great, Taner, that you brought this to us!

Moreover: my wife and daughter will like your list better than me!


 
Viktoria Gimbe
Viktoria Gimbe  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 12:02
English to French
+ ...
Not busy at all... Oct 21, 2006

Right now, all I am working on is a translation that I exchanged for software - a pretty nice deal! It's only part time work since the client understands that I can take on paying work at any time, which will then become priority. So, I use the rest of my free time - normally spent working - to sort out some paperwork and study some interesting projects that are coming up. I am trying to sort these out before my phone rings or my inbox starts jumping up and down with excitement. I know it's abou... See more
Right now, all I am working on is a translation that I exchanged for software - a pretty nice deal! It's only part time work since the client understands that I can take on paying work at any time, which will then become priority. So, I use the rest of my free time - normally spent working - to sort out some paperwork and study some interesting projects that are coming up. I am trying to sort these out before my phone rings or my inbox starts jumping up and down with excitement. I know it's about to happen because normally, I DON'T HAVE A LIFE!

Why the sudden calm before the storm? I was gone on vacation for the past month or so - travelling. Yes, there IS such a thing as vacation for freelancers. You have to plan ahead and resist the temptation to accept an interesting, rewarding project a few days before you're supposed to go on leave.

To make a long story short, I am just a tiny bit busy at the moment. But any other day, I would have said that I'm losing sleep over work. There!

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Ivana de Sousa Santos
Ivana de Sousa Santos  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 16:02
French to Portuguese
+ ...
A little busy Oct 21, 2006

I've been a little busy for the last 2 weeks, which is nice because I've got time to spend some quality time with my son.

This week I got long deadlines and small jobs to do, nothing to worry too much.

I already needed a break, though.


 


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Poll: How busy are you this week?






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