Interpreting Your Needs

06/11/2025

Another FB memory got me thinking of the benefits of mastering a few languages.

After learning and excelling in French and Spanish for 20+ years, I found myself in a new scenario.

I accepted a mission in a country where I did not speak the official language.

Prior to 2018, I had lived in the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti and Martinique where I perfected my skills in French and Spanish and managed to defend myself in a mix of Creoles (map melangé tout kreyol sa yo) 🫣

Then came Bangladesh 🇧🇩

I did not have the time to learn Bengali before deploying to Cox's Bazar so the strangest thing happened.

I needed an interpreter to fully fulfil my JD!

The irony did not escape me 🤦‍♀️

A French English Spanish interpreter needed an interpreter 🤐

My job required me to interview Rohingya refugees who fled violence in Rakhine State in Myanmar and found safety in southern Bangladesh.

Thankfully I was able to rely on colleagues like Rahima Khushi and Taslim Reza who spoke not only Bengali and English but also the native Rohingya tongue.

The Bangladeshi interpreters enabled me to communicate with the persons we were attempting to serve.

Another ironic thing happened.

And this is something that always bothered me.

My dear Bangladeshi colleagues were forced to accommodate us native English speakers, every single day at work, by speaking a foreign language in their native land.

Given the scale of the humanitarian operations and the presence of a plethora of international aid agencies, the official work language became English.

Native English speakers rarely think of the effort required to speak, write, listen and comprehend a foreign language for 8+ hours per day, day in day out.

Formulating your thoughts and functioning comfortably at a high level in a foreign language can be tiresome!

Yet my Bangladeshi colleagues did this for years (and some continue to do so)!

This 'proxy language' known as English usurped the native Bengali tongue on Bengali soil!

What started out as a language barrier became a bridge thanks to the bilingual Bangladeshis.

And I'm proud to say that although my thoughts were sometimes lost in translation, we agreed on some fundamental things.

In this case, the 7 fundamental principles of our organisation, the .

And so it was that the Language Acrobat tried her best to learn some key words in Bengali, which along with a genuine smile and active listening, enabled her to befriend many colleagues and get the job done!

'Dhonnobad 'to my patient colleagues.

Do you still need a reason to learn another language?

Seize the opportunity in Q4 to do that language class!

And if all else fails, INTERPRETING YOUR NEEDS can help you bridge language barriers!

Another FB memory got me thinking of the benefits of mastering a few languages. After learning and excelling in French and Spanish for 20+ years, I found myself in a new scenario. I accepted a mission in a country where I did not speak the official language. Prior to 2018, I had lived in the Dominic...

09/09/2025

It's one of those days where I swear.

I, Gennike Mayers, do solemnly swear that I will well and faithfully interpret,

And true explanation make of all such matters and things as shall be required of me,

According to the best of my skill and understanding.

En español 🤓

¡Te lo juro!

29/08/2025

It's been a while since I've been in my sweet spot!

The past few months I've been focused on other business ventures.

But my heart yearns for this sweet spot aka 'the booth'.

- Remote Simultaneous Interpreting is convenient and I treasure the flexibility of working from just about anywhere.

Anywhere with a stable and reliable internet connection.

But I miss being IN THE BOOTH!

It's a cozy place to work.

That sound proof cubbyhole is a universe unto itself.

Thankfully, I'll be back IN THE BOOTH soon with bookings coming in for Q4.

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I'm Gennike Mayers, Language Acrobat and I help you scale your message & your profits by bridging language barriers.

If you're planning a multilingual meeting, online or in person, WRITE ME 😉 DO NOT CALL as I'm interpreting online most of the time and cannot take calls.

Email: interpretingyourneeds@gmail.com

It's been a while since I've been in my sweet spot! The past few months I've been focused on other business ventures with SPARGASSUM shenanigans topping the list. But my heart yearns for this sweet spot aka 'the booth'. - Remote Simultaneous Interpreting is convenient and I treasure the flexibil...

16/05/2025

How's your lip reading?

Interpreters use our ears to capture sound and meaning.

However, we also do a fair amount of lip reading to decode what's being said especially when the audio isn't clear.

Going to work on a 'shed boat' along the Demerara River was a riveting experience.

The captain is a skilful navigator taking sharp turns 'like a boss' in the meandering waterway.

All throughout the 35 minute ride my sole focus was breathing!

What a sensation it was to breathe deeply through my unmasked nostrils and exhale through my unmasked mouth without being interrupted by unceremonious coughing.

Seems silly?

Try breathing with a ventilator🥺

Of course my senses were stimulated by the scenery all around but my focus was on the invisible.

As interpreters we are trained to moderate our tone of voice and cadence of speech through proper breathing.

Breathing exercises are vital to our vocal performance.

So this boat ride with deep breathing of Guyana's pure air was medicine to my 🫁

The perfect warm up to performing interpreting duties for the Forest & Climate Leaders' Partnership, in the forest.

Read my 💋

I CAN BREATHE❣

30/04/2025

For years I've been joking that "I have court clothes".

That's a very Trini way of challenging someone to take you to court when there's a major disagreement.

After providing interpreting services online for several years, today I made my maiden appearance in a physical court of law providing in-person services for a trial.

I finally had a chance to wear "meh court clothes"😊

Of course this wasn't enough excitement so I had to sit on my new spectacles and accidentally "break them in" hence the crack on the frame 🤓

It's a significant day for me as a language acrobat in my role as court interpreter.

While I boast of bridging language barriers and scaling impact beyond borders the core of this profession is service.

Today I am proud to have served the Judiciary and by extention, the people of in a matter of state.

All in a day's work...

01/04/2025

Interpreting is a team sport.

I couldn't do what I do without a team.

Working with a team of top professionals who are passionate about what they do is a blessing 🙌

Merci Buccoo Arnold A.K. Mc Letchie, my booth buddy from long long time...

It's been 18 years since we've been working together as interpreters but we've known each other since 1992 while taking French classes at the Alliance Française 🤓

And conference interpreters cannot function without a good sound tech team!

More specifically, a bonafide audiovisual simultaneous interpreting technician‼️

I am ever grateful for the team who make me look good, sound good and feel good 😁

When your entire team does what they love and loves what they do, it shows❣

25/02/2025

Hello, It’s official. It was even on TV. Don't forget that tomorrow starts the new Facebook rule (aka... new name, META) where they can use your photos. Don't forget the deadline is today!!!

I do not authorize META, Facebook or any entity associated with Facebook to use my photos, information, messages or posts, past or future. With this statement, I notify Facebook that
it is strictly prohibited to disclose, copy, distribute or take any other action against me, based on this profile and/or its contents. Violation of privacy may be punishable by law.

Here's how to do it.

1. So, hold your finger anywhere in this post and click ′copy’.
2. Go to your page where it says ‘What's on your mind?’ Tap your finger anywhere in the blank field.
3. “Paste” will appear. Click paste.
This upgrades the system.

Hello new and old friends!
IT ACTUALLY WORKED!!!!
👍👊🙏

He who does nothing CONSENTS.

According to the show 60 Minutes: NOTE: Facebook Meta is now a public entity. Every member must post a note like this. If you do not publish a statement at least once, it will be technically understood that you are allowing the use of your photos, as well as the information contained in your profile status updates.

I HEREBY DECLARE THAT I DO NOT GIVE MY PERMISSION TO USE ANY OF MY PERSONAL DATA.

07/01/2025

Every field has its own jargon.

While working with the Armed Forces of French Guiana last month, I was teleported into a whole new dimension of language.

That's what it felt like to me, a civilian interpreter surrounded by high ranking military officers.

I was hired to help them bridge the language barriers between military officers from Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Gabon, Guyana and Suriname on an important subject matter, that of illegal gold mining.

However they already shared a common language of signs and symbols.

In a room filled with uniformed officers they recognised each other's function and rank by their stripes and insignias.

Each day the officers wore a different uniform.

All white was the dress code for the formal opening: aka dress uniform.

The next day saw officers of the different nations sporting camouflage: aka combat wear.

Last day many were wearing regular clothes: aka civilian wear.

This is a language I did not understand but quickly learnt by asking the officers.

They were kind enough to explain while allowing me to take these close-up photos.

Any military officers around here?

Do you recognise any of these symbols?

This is a fresh reminder of why I love what I do.

There's never a dull moment in the life of an interpreter.

We learn so much from our clients even as we prepare to help them achieve their goals.

******************************************

Hi, I'm GeM, a conference & court interpreter ready to advise & support you in multilingual services.

Reach out to me at +1-868-762-0266;
interpretingyourneeds@gmail.com

30/12/2024

Ça y est!

Last translation task for the year is DONE!

English to French translation delivered to my client TODAY at 2:38pm.

In the midst of messages coming in from friends overseas concerned about the news of an SoE (state of emergency), we tried not to get distracted from the long list of acronyms on the screen.

Every domain has its jargon.

Scientists, educators, marketers, medical professionals, attorneys, farmers, fashionistas speak a different language and each has its own alphabet soup!

We're giving a prize to anyone who can tell us the meaning of the following acronyms in the field of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP)- another acronym right there!

Here goes...

PCDD 🤔

PRP 🤕

NFP 🤔

NPC😯

If we knew what these meant in English we could research them in French.

But the acronyms were used with zero explanation.

So I had to seek clarification several times from the client.

The translation process is a process... lots of back and forth if ideas are not clear.

Translators also have a knack for picking up errors and incoherencies in the original document so don't be surprised (or take offence) if your translator sends you a list of suggestions (aka corrections).

Note to potential clients: If someone from outside of your domain cannot understand your document in the original language in which it is written, don't expect the translator to understand either.

30/12/2024

This job of bridging language barriers takes us to unexpected places.

Back in my days of working with the Red Cross, we were trained to prepare for every possible scenario & expect anything.

Preparation for disaster was key.

So too is preparation for the interpreting booth.

Often during conference coffee breaks, folks ask the age old question: how many languages do you speak?

They assume that one must speak many languages to be an interpreter.

The reality is you can be an excellent interpreter once you master two languages: your mother tongue and one foreign language, and you've been trained.

Why?

Because at any given point, you listen to one language and convey it into another.

If you master more languages and have been trained in interpreting techniques with the use of interpreting equipment, life gets a little more interesting.

With more feathers in your cap, so to speak, you can confidently accept more assignments & clients remember your flexibility.

Working with the armed forces of several countries & interacting with officers of all ranks was an extra special treat.

Beyond preparing glossaries & learning terminology specific to illegal gold mining, I learnt so much about different countries and their cultural norms, within military ranks.

Every experience in life prepares you for the next opportunity or adventure.

This is certainly the case with my disaster preparedness training which, without knowing, prepared me to board my first military flight yesterday wearing my interpreter's hat & TT 🇹🇹 👕.

I'm proud to be not only 'the translator' but also an ambassador for my country when I show up in these international spaces.

30/12/2024

Ready to launch 🚀 🚀 🚀

Did you know there's a European spaceport in T&T's 'backyard'?

If you studied French in high school, chances are you learnt about the Ariane Space Centre in French Guiana.

France is of course very proud of this precious asset.

Over the last 30 years Ariane 4, 5 & 6 were launched from this space station located in , on the South American continent.

More than 600 launches have taken place at this space port.

The most recent was the Vega rocket launch in July 2024.

The temperature of the rocket exhaust at launching reaches 3600° Celsius 🔥🔥🔥

As I stand here, feet planted on the ground, eyes set on the stars 🌟 ⭐ 💫 it feels like a prophetic moment.

I'm in Amazonie.

I am a Caribbean-Amazon woman.

2025 is going to be ultraplanetary 🌎 🌍 🌏