Puglia in the spotlight

My mother’s family were from Puglia, so I was interested to see this region in the spotlight last month, when Italy hosted the G7 summit at the elegant Borgo (Italian for ‘village’) Egnazia.

The Puglia coast, on the eastern heel of Italy’s boot, is less well-known than the Amalfi coastline, but it has seen a surge in tourism in recent years.

The spectacular ​Grotta Palazzese restaurant​, built into a cave overlooking the emerald waters of the Adriatic, is now Instagram-famous, as are the region’s four ​UNESCO world heritage sites​.

The pretty port city of Bari is also becoming more popular with holidaymakers. Bari is also a university town, and home to one of my clients, 3D stone processing experts CNC Design.

A few years ago I interpreted for a professor at the Politecnico di Bari, Giuseppe Fallacara, when he gave a fascinating lecture for CNC at Foster & Partners about stereotomy, the science of cutting solids into particular shapes.

Foster & Partners have used the centuries-old principles of stereotomy in some of its iconic buildings such as the Crossrail roof in Canary Wharf and the Reichstag dome in Berlin.

Learning about niche subjects like this is one of the things I love about my job. I specialise in the ​business​, ​legal​, banking & finance and ​medical​ sectors, as well as European Works Council events – but I have interpreted a huge variety of other subjects during my twenty-year career.

The power of rest

I had a much-needed break in Thailand last month. Running my own business means I’ve always found it hard to unplug. On previous trips I’ve often fitted in short remote interpreting assignments or quick translation jobs.

This time I was determined things would be different, so while I did check my emails daily for anything urgent, I didn’t take on any work while I was away, and I delegated routine admin to my VA.

It was a glorious escape from everyday life. Some days we lazed around, enjoying long lunches and swimming in the infinity pool outside our room. Other days we went exploring, including a trip to Koh Khao Phing Kan, also known as ‘James Bond Island’, where The Man With The Golden Gun was filmed.

Weeks later I still feel refreshed from this truly nurturing experience.

The exotic location helped me unplug, as did the time difference, which meant I wasn’t available during European working hours. But it also took intention.

I’ve written before about my struggle to find work-life balance. I adore my work, but life as an interpreter can be unpredictable and demanding.

In the past, I’ve made pacts with myself to take more breaks and switch off my computer after a certain hour, only to slip back into bad habits.

I’m realising that – just like synchronised swimming or interpreting – achieving work-life balance requires deliberate practice: identifying my weak spots, trying new strategies and constantly looking for opportunities to improve.

What my team and I have been working on

This month for me will be quite London-centric. I have some interesting events at which to work, some in Canary Wharf and others in the city.

London, of course, is my home so I will enjoy the easy commute to these assignments.

Project management is an aspect of my work that I carry out increasingly frequently, as clients trust that as a professional with many years of experience, I understand and have contacts to fulfil their technical interpreting requirements.

The project management service usually starts with a full briefing meeting in which I can find out the parameters of the requirements, and then I can advise on certain aspects of the project – for example, how many interpreters I believe may be required, the type of interpreting to be undertaken or the technical requirements for the event to run seamlessly. My clients can then leave this side of the project with me whilst I organise interpreters and equipment with my contacts, safe in the knowledge that everything will run smoothly on the day. I find it hugely satisfying to work on a project like this, where I am involved from conception through to successful conclusion. As we speak we are finalising a Japanese <> English interpreting assignment in Tokyo!

My months are rarely quiet and July will be no exception – we have a ten-day hearing at which my team and I will be interpreting. This is an arbitration case relating to a breach of contract. Legal services, both in-person and virtual, are an area in which I have years of experience and I have attended court hearings, interpreted for witness statements and carried out many other interpreting roles for legal proceedings.

July also brings with it a visit to Berlin for an assignment which is always such a brilliant city and a joy to work in! An interesting fact I came across about Berlin – which I suspect might be new information to many readers as it was to me – is that Berlin has more bridges than Venice! Berlin is built around the River Spree and its numerous waterways are interconnected by over 1700 bridges. Next time you’re in Berlin, see how many you cross in a day! (There are a comparatively few 391 bridges in Venice in case you were wondering!)

What do you have planned for July? I’d love to hear about projects you have in the pipeline and business travel.

How synchronised swimming helped me become a better interpreter

One of the events I’m most looking forward to watching at the Olympics later this month is synchronised swimming – or ‘artistic swimming’, as it’s now called.

Not many of my clients know this, but as a teenager, I was part of Sicily’s first synchronised swimming team.

It was an intense but fun period of my life. We’d practise our routines endlessly, timing each move to perfection. We socialised together too, forging a deep bond of friendship that translated into a beautiful harmony of movement in the water.

I gave up the sport when I went to university in Rome, but I still use some of the skills I learned during those days.

There are many similarities between synchronised swimming and simultaneous interpretation.

Both seem almost magical to the casual observer. People often wander over to my booth after an interpreting shift and ask how on earth I do it.

The secret to success in both fields is intense concentration, excellent communication and an ability to connect with others.

When I interpret, I synchronise with the speaker – it’s almost as if we become the same person. I’m often able to follow their train of thought so closely, I can predict what they will say next.

Deliberate practice is also key to performing well. I never made it to the Olympics as a swimmer, but if there were an equivalent competition for interpreters, I’d like to think that after twenty years I’d have a shot at gold!