Networking for Results/ Le réseautage dirigé

Colleen Francis of Engage Selling hosted this morning a tele- discussion with my friend Michael Hughes and some 900 participants during a seminar on the topic of Secret Networking Strategies that drive sales in difficult times. Colleen and Michael are not just colleagues, they are also long-time friends, and that made the conversation relaxed and pleasurable.

Il est évident que le titre de la discussion avait été mûrement réfléchi et que la conjoncture économique actuelle y a joué un rôle important. En écoutant les deux experts, une idée m’est passée par la tête – une présentation de ce genre se prêterait-elle à la démarche utilisée pendant une présentation sur le vif (peut-être accompagnée de diapositives)? J’ai trouvé qu’il est toujours utile de connaître le cheminement de la présentation et ses éléments principaux. Dans le cas présent, je n’avais que le titre…. Je n’avais pas non plus compris que les participants auraient l’occasion de poser des questions. J’ai donc été pris un peu au dépourvu pendant quelques secondes avant de réfléchir sur une question, la formuler et la poser de façon intelligente.

Thinking about it after the session, I thought, had I prepared myself for the presentation (like Michael had described), I would have had more time to reflect on my own experiences, share them with the participants and express them in a clear, concise fashion.

I do not know what Colleen and Michael plan to do with the voice track of the presentation aside from posting it on Colleen’s Website, but I hope I will also find there questions from other participants or comments on what resonated for them and what did not. In my experience, independents have a lot of knowledge that they can share with each other, they sometimes just need a platform from which to do so.

In the meantime, I plan to continue working on my Networking skills as part of my continuous improvement programme. One can never learn too much.

Enamel Hairing/Angel Hair/Packaging

Recently performed some extensive terminology research for a technical project. Among other expressions, the text dealt with the formation of “enamel hairing” during can manufacture.

As is the case most often, no picture had been originally provided. Reflecting on my previous work on packaging in plastic and in paper, I could not readily see any resemblances. Comme c’est le cas la plupart du temps, le client ne m’avait pas fourni d’illustration. Mes expériences dans le domaine des emballages en plastique et en papier ne me donnaient pas de solutions.

The usual sources (Termium, GDT) were of no help, so I turned to the contacts I had been able to establish in the industry and the members of the committee who had written the document. Fortunately, one of them, from Montreal, emailed back saying “we call this angel hair” and even sent a picture.

Several years ago, during my work dealing with flexible plastic packaging, I had learned that angel hair could occur during the manufacture of plastic containers or the transformation of plastic granules into plastic sheets. How could this happen in metal can making? And why would the English refer to it as enamel hairing?

Dans la fabrication des emballages en plastique (flexible et dur), il arrive que des réactions chimiques accompagnées de frottement provoquent une masse semblable à de la barbe à papa. Mais dans la fabrication de boîtes de conserve, il n’y a pas de plastique! Le mystère continue. Present-day cans do not contain enamel but one of many coatings to prevent corrosion. BPA is one of the materials used for this purpose. This is how I realized that terminology in the canning industry was influenced by that of the plastic packaging industry (or vice-versa). There was indeed a coat of plastic (if you will) applied to the metal sheet and during machining, this plastic could get transformed into a hairlike mass. So for the English user, this was enamel hairing and for the French speaking-one it was cheveux d’ange.

L’intérieur des boîtes de conserve pour les aliments contient une pellicule qui ressemble à de l’émail mais qui est en réalité un film (plastique) destiné à empêcher la corrosion. La photographie fournie par un collaborateur francophone apporta la solution.

One small discovery for me, one big benefit for the end user whose terminology is preserved.

La résolution d’un petit problème de ce genre donne une immense satisfaction sachant que le client ne butera pas sur l’expression et que le fond du message passera convenablement.

Simple Bistro - among Top Ten in Toronto/Parmi les dix meilleurs restaurants de Toronto

Barely three months ago, I was extolling the virtues of this restaurant. The Globe & Mail food critic, Joanne Kates, recently listed it in the top ten Toronto restaurants.

Last night, they held a New Year's dinner with special dishes such as lobster salad, foie gras, venison chop, seared grouper, chocolate beignets and lemon tart. The house was packed. And again, what made our visit so enjoyable was the individual attention, the sincere interest in sharing their craft with us, and a warm-hearted approach to serving a customer.

Il existe des établissements dont les débuts sont remplis de grands idéaux, de grands plans mais qui, une fois établis, semblent oublier le côté humain de la restauration et deviennent un genre de cafétéria - on a faim, on va au restaurant, on mange, on revient chez soi le ventre plein. Un phénomène qui semble exister aussi bien à Toronto que dans certains endroits des États-Unis.

Sustained performance - that would be one way of describing their achievement. Day in and day out, the food is excellent, the service flawless and the attitude is enthusiastic. We are convinced that 2009 will be an even better year.

Le côté unique de Simple Bistro est l'énergie dont font preuve le propriétaire et son personnel pour demeurer authentique, pour préparer une cuisine saine mais originale, pour lui offrir une hospitalité hors pair. Après tout, passer au rang des dix meilleurs restaurants en ville en l'espace d'un an n'est pas une pacotille.

How to deal with fear/ La peur et comment la dompter

Many business organizations invite speakers to motivate their staff or members. Last night, AIC invited Denley McIntosh to speak about “How Fear Takes Shape in Your life”. I did not really know what to expect and came as open minded as I could.

Denley a tout d’abord demandé aux participants de nommer les différents genres de peur : peur de l’échec, de la pauvreté, du succès, du rejet, de la vieillesse, de la douleur et de l’inconnu. Divisés en petits groupes, nous avons alors commencé à chercher des solutions pour soit supprimer la peur ou en réduire l’intensité.

Our table was given the topic of Fear of poverty. Here are some of the solutions for allaying that fear: networking was one way to feel less alone. Our group also found – saving money, keep on learning, share the learning, listen to others, price services right and help other people. It was amazing to see how freely comments were made and how helpful everyone was: we were among friends.

Fear of failure, success, rejection, old age, pain and the unknown were dealt with in the next couple of hours. The feeling in the room was relaxed yet attentive as each participant seemed to want to help his/her colleagues.

La clôture de la présentation arriva trop rapidement mais les participants sont tout simplement passés au mode réseautage – rétablissant des contacts avec ceux qu’ils connaissaient et découvrant les nouveaux venus.

This is why I find membership in AIC so valuable – we share with each other various tips on how to conduct business and deal with problems that the consultant’s life throws us. If you are in Toronto, by all means, come for a meeting. If you are elsewhere, see what AIC does on their website and start your own organization in your location.

History rewritten/L’histoire vue autrement

Back in April 2007, I wrote several articles on the Canadian Vimy commemorations and how history appeared to differ from what I had been taught. This year, I am witnessing a literal rewriting. In France, president Nicolas Sarkozy is moving the ceremonies from the Arch of Triumph to smaller venues, with an emphasis on the victims.

In the UK, the BBC presents an article on the last WWI veteran. I also saw a Canadian documentary on new explorations of the Vimy underground tunnels where Canadian troops lived prior to the big assault. Shown are pictures of Canadian carvings and graffiti of men who were on their way to the battle. It is surreal to see archeologists digging out Canadian military insignia and finding carvings of the maple leaf in the tunnels.

Another interesting article, entitled "In the trenches with Paul Gross", which explains the reasons that let Paul Gross to do his Passchendaele movie.

History changes - either because of political will, an altered perspective or the arrival of new evidence not available before. The documentary on trenches on the German side mentions that the reason the locals did not attempt any research is because the memories were too painful but also because there were too many unexploded mines around which prevented further investigations.

Au Canada, un communiqué de presse de juin 2008 explique une nouvelle initiative des Anciens Combattants intitulée Vigile 1914-1918. Voici le site de Vigile 1914-1918 proprement dit.

Here is another venue for the Vigil event. The projections will take place in Fredericton, Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto, Regina and Edmonton and in Trafalgar Square in London.

Here is an interesting explanation for the Vigil: " Families were forbidden from repatriating the bodies of their war dead however much they wanted to. It will be an important moment for the naes of 68,000 to first appear in Trafalgar Square and then travel home across the time zones. In essence, they travel back to Canada and across the country."

Détail intéressant - aucune ville de Québec ne participe à cet événement - ni de France, d'ailleurs.

Canadian Tire Special Gloves Label/Pour le ranchero doublé ((?)

During a regular visit to the local Canadian Tire Hardware store, I chanced upon the work glove section and spied a pair of blue and yellow work gloves, bearing the cryptic label

Rancher
Lined

This being urban Canada, I could not see where I would need such a glove but figured it is probably a heavy duty work glove. The French version really puzzled me. It said

Propriétaire de ranch
doublé

literally - Lined Ranch Owner

Nowhere could I see a real person, lined or not. Especially that doublé can also mean

1. overtaken - as in doubler une voiture sur la route,
2. dubbed - as in film doublé en Français
3. double-crossed - doubler quelqu'un
4. increased twofold - as in "le nombre de crimes a doublé"

The Canadian Packaging legislation stipulates that the generic name of the product be shown in English and in French. Had the word Gloves be used, the meaning would have been absolutely clear and the French translation, hopefully, much better done.

It all comes down to credibility. The French customer will laugh or maybe even get offended - if they cannot provide a credible translation, what does this say about the product and the company itself?

Do this right - Don't be a Lined Rancher.

Simply Delicious/La gastronomie Simple

About a year ago, we watched the opening of a new restaurant in a residential area of Toronto – It’s name – Simple Bistro. We tried it once, twice and then returned on a regular basis. A few days ago, we were treated to a feast.

Le restaurant, d’environ 40 places, est peint en jaune ocre avec boiseries noires. De grands miroirs permettent au soleil de pénétrer dans la salle. Le parquet et les tables en bois foncé ajoutent de la simplicité à l’atmosphère. Des portes-fenêtres donnant sur la rue permettent de profiter du soleil pendant le jour tout en assurant une bonne intimité lorsqu’il commence à faire sombre.

As appetizers, we chose a couple of delicately fried sardines in a mixture of oil and butter, flavoured with herbs and an artistically arranged timbale of endive and pear salad, served with walnuts, raisins and goat cheese. The main entrée of the day was a skate wing in caper butter, with delicately steamed green beans, cabbage, and shitake mushrooms. The recommended Pinot Blanc was just the right wine as it complemented the slightly sour taste of the skate sauce. The dessert we chose was a creamy chocolate terrine, with caramelized nuts, accompanied by a glass of Australian Buller Old Muscat at Rutherglen. The wine had a faint taste of the orange of Grand Marnier and the smoothness of a old Port. Cappuccinos, prepared with care, ended the meal.

L’attrait de ce restaurant pour nous n’est pas limité à sa gastronomie – en effet, le propriétaire, Graham, et son personnel continuent de nous choyer à chaque visite. La sauce des sardines et de la raie était la même – Graham est venu proposer à mon épouse de la part du chef, Masayuki Tamaru, une sauce au vin rouge pour la raie pour éviter la monotonie. Voilà un geste qui ne se rencontre pas partout.

Whereas some establishments appear to be geared to ladling grub, Simple Bistro concern for the satisfaction of their customers is truly amazing. They help in the selection of the food, are able to provide detailed explanation related to preparation or contents, and have a real knack pairing wine with food. They show respect for the customer, listen to his suggestions, and continue to thank him for his patronage.

Il y a quelques années, nous pensions avoir découvert le restaurant idéal pendant nos visites à San Francisco - le A16, dont j'ai parlé dans un de mes billets, il me faut avouer que Simple Bistro, à Toronto, est tout à fait sur la même longueur d’ondes. Les spécialités sont différentes mais la façon de gérer l’entreprise, la créativité du chef de cuisine, et les mets proposés sont aussi originaux et exquis . Pour les amateurs de bonne chère, Simple Bistro est le restaurant à privilégier.

If you go, tell Graham I sent you.

Explain your business to your translator - it is a win-win situation. Traducteur informé – client heureux.

Dans le cadre d’un projet de longue date dans le domaine du HACCP, j’ai eu le bonheur de visiter l’usine qui fait l’objet d’une traduction technique. Malgré mes connaissances de l’approche générale et des procédés similaires, ce n’est qu’en voyant les différentes étapes que j’ai compris comment le produit fini était fabriqué.

Fortunately, the client understands the value of such hands-on experience and has allowed me to not only understand the theory but also to witness the actual assembly process, from raw materials to finished product.

The Quality Assurance Manager who served as a guide was very enthusiastic about his work and showed me with pride the various details of the operation. It is amazing how much one can learn from somebody who is proud of his work.

Le travail de terminologie et de traduction qui me reste à faire en sera grandement facilité. J’ai également pu prendre contact avec des collègues francophones de mon guide qui pourront me conseiller et valider mes propos.

Voici donc une approche raisonnée et un effort de groupe au lieu d’un travail « au pifomètre » par quelqu’un qui n’entend rien au sujet traité. Exigez cette approche de votre traducteur – vous y gagnerez et il vous en sera reconnaissant.

Tree climbing is in again/ Grimper dans les arbres, c’est macho!

Who would have thought that tree climbing would be in again? The Globe and Mail says so.

Between the ages of 5 and 15, I remember always being fascinated by trees and how one could climb them. The structure of some trees appeared to be made expressely for climbing, with limbs positioned just the right way. There were trees in Prague parks and trees in various parts of France.

Ma mère ne m’avait jamais découragé de grimper dans les arbres. Elle me priait simplement de faire attention, de ne pas tomber. Idée qui me semblait absolument absurde alors.

Je remarque que l’escalade des arbres se civilise; on peut maintenant apprendre comment grimper. On peut prendre des cours d’escalade (comme on prend des cours d’alpinisme) et naturellement, on grimpe plus haut (40 mètres, dit l’article). Alors que dans mon cas, le maximum était de 5 à 7 mètres. Aucun équipement, aucune précaution préalable.

I am not a rock climber but keeping three points on the tree sounds very much like something one would do while rock climbing. Why do people do it?

"A feeling common among tree climbers is the wonder that you are the very first person ever to be in a particular place; you see different flora and fauna up in the canopy, and get a different perspective, like watching birds flying around below you."

It is akin to being on cross-country skis on an empty trail, on a weekend – just you and the trees, the snow and the cold wind...

Maybe Jamie Robertson has the answer: "All kids are natural tree climbers."

P.S. Recently discovered information on formal tree climbing, born around 1980. This article is worth a read.

This is what young boys do now

Client Feedback/Commentaires des clients

Like many other independents, many translators, often complain about their clients’ attitude toward their work. That is the negative side. I have also found out that one can ask for and receive positive feedback, if only the client can do it quickly and easily.

“Could not have wished for better service, thank you”,

is what one recent client wrote on my feedback form. The work was rush, but the client knew that she had not allowed a lot of time for it to be done. A quick phonecall, a few explanations and I was on my way.

Le texte de mon formulaire tient sur une page, est fourni en version électronique, les cases peuvent être remplies à l’écran et le document peut être renvoyé par courriel.

What did the client say :

1) my service exceeded their expectations
2) the fee paid was good value for the service received
3) and rated as excellent the following points: pricing & payment schedule, professionalism, & expertise,,quick response to client request.

« Nous n’aurions pas pu nous attendre à un meilleur service, merci. »

Ce genre de commentaire remonte le moral.

ViaMichelin GPS Adventures/Aventures GPS de ViaMichelin

Last winter, I happened to see an advertisement for a portable navigation device (PND a.k.a. a GPS navigator) unit offered by a subsidiary of Michelin, the tire people. Having owned several of their tires, I was familiar with the quality of their other products (such as the Guide Michelin) and therefore thought that a GPS of theirs would be outstanding.

J’ai utilisé l’appareil pendant plusieurs mois, me servant surtout des indications en anglais britannique, puis en américain. Lors d’une conversation avec un collègue au gymnase, j’ai appris que son appareil (d’une autre marque) donnait également le nom des rues alors que le mien ne les donnait pas. J’ai donc posé la question au service clientèle qui m’a répondu qu’il fallait modifier un des réglages de langues (voix synthétisée – américaine).

The British voice was kind of cute to listen to, and then I tried the US voice, to finally realize that the only voice available for street names was a rather raucous US voice. Strangely enough, some of the street names appeared to be unknown to it - thus Bunty Lane became Bunty El Enn, Highway (Hwy) 401 became Atch, Double You Why 401, Bathurst Este (meaning Street East or St. E.). The Toronto to Hamilton highway called Queen Elizabeth Express Way is called QEW, pronounced like Queue. It is as if the programmer did not know that street names will be shortened but that they must be pronounced in full? Turning instructions sounded like this: “ In 250 metres, turn right, and continue towards Citation Avenue.” How can one continue towards a street after having turned on it, I do not know.

I am presently testing the French voice (without street names) and the authoritative female voice is pleasant to hear. One thing I cannot get used to is the different kind of sounds used for warnings – speeding, for instance. Sometimes it is a series of beeps, sometimes a twang twang sound. Of course, no explanation is given in the manual.

Lors d’un cours séjour à San Francisco récemment, j’ai utilisé le PND dans le train, pour suivre le voie ferrée- application non prévue par Michelin. C’était tout de même intéressant car le relief environnant était bien montré. My GPS is not intended to be used in a train but I did just that between San Francisco and San Carlos, recently. It was kind of neat to see the landscape literally unfold before me.

While communicating with the Customer Service, I was also informed recently that Michelin would no longer support the PND but would provide warranty coverage for a year. En d’autres mots, Michelin s’est retiré de la vente des PND ce dont j’ai trouvé confirmation ici et ici.

I wonder how many units were sold in Canada and the US? If you are a ViaMichelin PND owner, what has your experience been? If you own a different brand, what have been some of your problems?

AIC and articles by members/La AIC et les articles publiés par ses membres

I have written posts about AIC before but did not explain how valuable this membership has been to me in the last 5 years. Each and every member is a specialist in his own field but he/she is also an independent worker, a small business owner. This is where I found the most help in the past. During informal discussions, I was able to collect data on information technology, on the preparation of brochures, the accounting practices to use, the marketing techniques to exploit, and the web strategies to discover.

I have also shared my knowledge in articles on translation.

L’échange de renseignements et de bons procédés fait partie intégrante de relations entre les members. Chaque réunion me fournit de nouvelles occasions d’étendre mon réseau, de rencontrer des professionnels dévoués à leur spécialité et d’apprivoiser de nouvelles tactiques de marketing. Le traducteur dans sa tour d’ivoire disparaît pour devenir un réseauteur, un spécialiste qui adore aider ses collègues, un communicateur global.