December 2008

What a year we’ve had. With the economic downturn everyone might be feeling a little less able to give and share, but let us try to remember what the sage Sir Winston Churchill said: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Your willingness to share your love, friendship, support, and confidence in my work has helped me to weather these challenging times. With My Deepest Gratitude, Thank You! In this 14-year-old annual letter, I will try to answer one of my most Frequently Asked Questions, “What have you been doing, Jacki?” I had another colorful year.

Jacki at work

I made 30 domestic and international trips. I was able to catch up with my sleep, reading, and movies during plane rides. Yes, believe it or not I still enjoy flying! As in previous years I covered a variety of topics while interpreting at conferences: Automotive, financial, housing, information technology, marketing, movies, salmon (here I am interpreting at the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission’s 16th Annual Meeting in Seattle), tuna, textile, and video games, among others.

As a judiciary interpreter I made 37 appearances both in federal and state courts as well as at depositions and hearings. I also worked as a translator, editor, proofreader, and voice over talent.

Jacki in Anchorage Midnight in July

This year I was very fortunate to share my knowledge and experience in various places: I was invited to speak in cities from Anchorage, Alaska to Atlanta, Georgia. I thoroughly enjoyed providing training sessions and giving presentations. In March and July I provided language specific training at Alaska’s first Interpreter Training Workshop. It was my first trip to Alaska and I immediately fell in love with the place. It is a paradise for a nature lover like me, with the best walking trails and gorgeous scenery. I also ran into a couple of moose while taking a walk one evening. In July, each night I walked until around 2 in the morning, never missing the beautiful late midnight sunsets.

Moose Jacki & Bear

In May I found myself in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania talking about interpreting in the diplomatic arena and court interpreting. The following month I talked to attorneys about how best they can work with limited English speaking and hearing impaired victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In September I was in Atlanta surrounded by friendly interpreters and translators, sharing tips on quality conference interpreting. Lastly, in November during the American Translators Association’s Annual Conference in Orlando, I delivered a talk entitled “Walking out Free: The Pivotal Role of an Interpreter within a Capital Murder Case.” If you want to know more about any of these, please feel free to contact me via email.

Enough talk about business, let me now share something personal. In April, I received a phone call from the Asian American Donor Program. I had signed up to be a marrow donor a long time ago and was informed that they had found a potential match: a 25-year-old male with leukemia. I was very excited about this great news and decided to go through with the process. I agreed to undergo a peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation to collect blood-forming cells for transplantation. Though I experienced side effects from the procedure for several weeks I was ecstatic when I learned that a precious young man’s life was saved with my donation.

Blue Man Group

I tried to fill what little free time I had by attending interesting events. I saw Garrison Keiller with American Public Media's, “A Prairie Home Companion,” and performances such as Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba, Blue Man Group, and Phantom of the Opera, the musical (for the 3rd time). On Earth Day 2008 I joined the Climate Change Awareness Walk to learn about how not to further damage our home, Earth.
This year I saw 23 foreign and Hollywood films in theatres (excluding the ones I saw on airplanes). Here are my picks for 2008: Scary movie – El Orfanato (The Orphanage); Thought-provoking one – Miryang (Secret Sunshine) by one of my favorite directors Lee Chang-Dong; Favorite film – Juno; Documentary I want my friends to watch – The Big Sellout, and a book that touched me the most – Jeannette Walls’s The Glass Castle. Please be sure to share your favorite books and films with me.

Lake Tahoe

Buffalo

I was also able to hit some beaches before and during my assignments including Boulder Beach at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Pope Beach in Lake Tahoe, Hanlan’s Point Beach on Toronto Islands, and several beaches on Maui, among others. During the summer I played a tourist in the wine country, went to the nation’s capital, and to a livestock ranch in Kansas where I saw some magnificent American Buffalo. I also visited the Ethel M Chocolate Factory where I learned that there are 4 basic food groups that are essential to maintaining good health: Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate (my favorite, the darker the better), White Chocolate, and Cocoa. How true that is! Be sure to consume what’s good for you throughout the year.

That’s it, folks! Thanks for reading. HERE’S WISHING YOU VERY HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

With warm regards,