Interpretation

I spent the morning at a work-related conference and experienced the wonders of expert simultaneous interpretation. (In addition to some extremely swanky snacks, like roasted vegetable sandwiches with the crusts trimmed off and cream puffs, for which the Georgian word sounds like "shoe.")

The conference is about Georgian and Armenian cooperation and also includes English and Russian speakers, hence the headsets on the table. During the sessions, there was somebody sitting at the elbow of the Important People translating for them (that's why Thomas up left is listing over, staring into the middle distance--a guy is whispering in his ear). For the rest of us, headsets.

It felt very exotic and UN-ish, like that Nicole Kidman movie where she plays an interpreter who accidentally overhears a death threat. Only there were no death threats, just PowerPoint presentations, big puffy headphones and a lady in a booth at the back of the room, doing a really impressive job of switching languages. (Also the translation radio frequency picked up flashbulb pops and cell-phone rings, which was distracting but also fascinating.)

My experience in Georgia is posh enough on a daily basis that I was not overly wowed by the fancy hotel, though I did try every single one of the desserts on the lunch buffet and was tempted by the free wine. My favorite part was going home at 2 to write something up for the English-language newspaper and being in my PJs by 3:30.