lost in translation

"Lost in translation" is not just a nice sounding phrase, it really happens. Having ploughed through numerous articles online, I realise that while the Vietnamese translators aren't too bad at their job, sometimes the attempt to stay as close to the truth as possibly simply hurts. For example, I have read (quite a number of times) that some official is decribed blithely as having said something "painfully." "Additionally", people have "quitted" their jobs and they need to be offered "preferential treatments." I'm not trying to be a snob here, after all, these little quirks really do add joy to the dreary prospect of having to read so much stuff, but sometimes I feel a bit disturbed. It is no wonder that one of the guidelines for Singaporean companies looking to do business in Vietnam is to hire a professional (read foreign) translator to help in formulating proposals.

Having said all that, I wonder if the Europeans and Americans view our efforts to speak English with equal amusement? I work in an office that deals with foreigners so often, and while I know my colleagues are able to switch into a totally different mode when they entertain clients, I wonder if "lah" or "is it" ever escape. Whenever we talk to one another, we switch into full Singlish mode. Even meetings aren't much better -- while there is a certain regard attached to speaking good English (you're afterall in the presence of your boss), nevertheless the language never fails to escape the weird sentence structures only comprehensible to us. And even now as I am typing this I am acutely aware of the need to write properly, to spell right -- further proof of the fact that I am not used to this in the first place.

Is it just me?

so near yet so far

it is incredibly irritating to find the site with all the hard-to-get information you want, only to have it in the irrepressibly difficult language called vietnamese.

and to make things worse, the only button that i can read says "english", but it does not work. i am reduced to translating the vietnamese word for word using a highly ineffective online dictionary, trying my best to make sense of the gibberish i am getting.

ie internship and such

Yes, it’s 1.54 pm, just after lunch, so I should not be here blogging, but here I am. Having talked to my colleagues, a large number of whom transferred from private companies, I feel even more confused as to where to head next. On one hand, they have indeed made their decision to work in the government, but on the other hand, the choice they have chosen is IE, which, according to one of my colleagues, is as close to the private sector as you can get. One of them even told me horror stories about how in the private sector you were so closely monitored that you weren’t even allowed internet access! Yes, I admit, in government agencies there is undeniably a degree of X-inefficiency (look at what I am doing now =P), but I think it makes for a healthier and happier work force, doesn’t it?

Well enough of the heavy stuff. My first day at work was hilarious. Because my access card arrived very, very late, I had to lurk at the doors waiting for people to enter the office to go back to the comforts of my desk. (Yes, it is quite comfortable after all, I have bought many sweets and a hot water bottle =P). I think it was a sad, sad experience for me. But now that I have my access card, I can go anywhere I want! Hahah…which also means I can visit IE’s recreation room. I haven’t tried it yet, but I think I will, soon. There are massage chairs and a large pool table there! Yay! The pantry here rocks too, there isn’t much food supplies there, but there are many different sachets of nice drinks to have.

On a less bright note, lunch with my colleagues, though an immensely enjoyable affair, is burning too much a hole in my pocket. My internship pay is subject to CPF, which is the saddest part, considering my pay is already less than an NSman’s. Imagine, even for a cheap meal (their standards), it’s $6 gone for me. Sigh, I never felt so poor. I don’t know how to handle this? Plus my stomach isn’t handling this three full meals a day thing too well, I still like my little bird-like snacks every 2 hours. I have two options, be entirely unsociable and work or shop during lunch, or eat like a bird with them (and waste a lot of food and money at the same time). Sigh. What choice do I have?

Ok I think I better get back to work now. Vietnam awaits…Take care everyone!