HAPPY HOURS

BY SCOTT ELLSWORTH

Our colleague Raffaella Buschiazzo has been organizing the NCTA happy hours for a while now, and I’ve been attending them off and on for a few months. They are definitely worth the trip! It’s fun to have the chance to hang out with fellow translators and chat about work. Actually, let me point this out: you might be surprised at just how enjoyable it can be. It’s great to be able to discuss translating work, to exchange ideas, and to take in all the warm camaraderie and moral support. I almost always leave with some useful new bit of information…and I leave feeling good about the work that I do. I enjoy chatting with my fellow translators about shared interests outside of work, too. Although, I must admit, these conversations often center around travel and languages. Having attended about half a dozen happy hours and NCTA meetings thus far, I’ve concluded that translators tend to be thoughtful and interesting people on the whole. In fact, I try never to miss a chance to hang out with other translators. We’ve even had a few non-translators show up at the happy hours from time to time, and they’re alright too. So if you haven’t come to a happy hour yet, it’s definitely worth a try. And a tip: if the happy hour is held at the taco eatery in the Ferry Building, the food is good, but be sure to dress warmly because the place can get a bit drafty. I hope to see you there! SE