Dear Everyone,
Happy fall! We are still in the midst of moving turmoil but enjoying the natural treasures in our northern home before the winter darkness locks us down.
In our new downtown abode, boxes are strewn about, desks lie disassembled, and shoes are in a jumbled pile that Millie likes to lie on while looking mournful.
We love this sunny space, which has ample space for all Millie’s haute couture outfits and artesanal treats, as well as my boxes of journals dating back to 1983, a lifetime supply of bobby pins, and many half-full bottles of hotel-size shampoo.
Things that could actually be helpful, like the silverware and glassware I once owned, not to mention the nice set of cookware, the panini maker, the Turkish rug, the television and many other artifacts of domestic life, have long since disappeared (some under suspicious circumstances).
It’s been a while since we’ve lived in a place that we were fully responsible for and wanted to turn into a home.
Like hermit crabs we’ve been moving around making other mollusk shells into our shelters. This meant we didn’t worry so much if a burner on the stove wasn’t working or if the wood floor was scratched. Soon enough we’d be moving on to the next scavenged shell with its own set of problems that we weren’t responsible for!
I’m happy to be turning a page, though. I’m ready for fall and also a place to call my own. After all, I can still trade my shiny new shell for other shells sometimes. And the summer was a good one, with hikes and paddles and bike rides and new friends and old friends.
There’s old friend Jenny, making her way to the top of Mt. Dickerman on a hot August day.
There’s new friend Alex and me at beautiful Elfin Lakes in Squamish BC.
There are new friends Neo and Gracie, aka “The Goon Squad,” who were our neighbors, and frequent stealers of Millie’s toys in our last rental.
There’s new friend Tycho with Millie at Whistler.
There’s old friend and Spanish teacher Elizabeth, with whom I got to spend a week hanging out in Coquitlam BC. Without her I wouldn’t be the highly sought after professional English-Spanish interpreter I am today.
Speaking of interpreting, I wanted to share the exciting news that I’ve recently started working as an interpreter in the simultaneous mode.
What’s that, you might ask? Think of the United Nations, with interpreters sitting in a booth high above the conference floor, interpreting meetings in real-time (with just a few-second delay) for members of the audience who need their services. Think Nicole Kidman in The Interpreter (although without the international intrigue, the made-up African language, and the flirtation with Sean Penn).
In my own glamorous career, I go to Bellingham City Council meetings and sit in a small room watching a video of the council proceedings while simultaneously interpreting into a microphone for Spanish speakers in the audience or Spanish-speaking attendees on Zoom.
While I'd like to think I resemble sleek-haired, ultra-composed “Silvia” in The Interpreter, I look a little more like this as I attempt to interpret a whole slew of technical terms I don’t know and a lot of rapid ranting from the general public about how evil the city government is.
At least I always have a partner that I switch off with every 15-20 minutes when I’m in the “booth.” (Simultaneous interpreting takes so much concentration, you can’t be effective for much longer than that). So I’ve learned a lot from my fellow interpreters, all of whom have much more experience than me. And the most important thing I’ve learned is that you don’t have to be perfect, you just have to do your best!
Which is a good life lesson generally speaking.
So I’ll stop there. Until the next time my friends.
xo
Rebecca
Congrats on your new digs! Happy nesting!
Bravo! I love your sense of dry humor Rebecca (you make me laugh), the Mille fotos, kitchen condo foto (love the red dress) and foto of new friend Alex which I blew up to inspect every detail. See you soon❣️