Voices Interpreting Company

03/12/2026

This morning as the sun rose a vibrant celebration began in Mexico and communities all over the world! Known as Xiuhmolpilli, or the "Festival of Renewal", the Aztec New Year began! Today, for many indigenous people, represents the honoring of ancestors and their place in the universe; an opportunity for reflection on how they nurture their relationships with others and Nature. There has been a resurgence of interest among many Nahuas (Aztec descendants) to reclaim these ancient customs with the fast pace of now! There's a fusion of live performances featuring traditional instruments alongside today's rock and hip-hop sounds, parades, Aztec-inspired dancing, bonfires - all reflecting on how culture evolves while still paying homage to its roots. An amazing amount of JOY!

2026 is "Ce Tochtli"
"Ce" = One
It represents origin, unity, and the initiating force of all creation. In the Tonalpohualli calendar it is the first step of a cycle.
"Tochtli" = Rabbit
A lunar symbol symbolizing fertility, creativity, and the generative rhythms of nature. Tochtli reflects abundance in procreation, imagination, artistry, emotion, and innovation; carries quick intelligence, sensitivity, life-force and renewal.

"Paqui Yankuik Xihuitl! Ma Xipahtinemi!" [Happy new year! Be well!]

03/10/2026

Cultural diversity can make communication a challenge (it keeps us all on our toes), BUT it can also be entertaining. Having different ways to say something across cultures is a great source of joy and makes us smile. Shared idioms definitely showcase the potential of the human imagination! Whoop whoop - language and culture 😀

03/08/2026

It happened again... Daylight Saving has begun (at 2am this morning, specifically). The concept invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 then fully adopted during WWI is an attempt to make greater use of daylight and conserve energy during the warmer months... A LOT of us despise DST - it disrupts our sleep patterns, which in turn, can lead to health risks. 👎 Alas, it's still here.

You may have lost an hour of sleep and may not completely understand the point, but we're going to focus on some of the positives! Here we go!
🍃 It's a sign of Spring!
🌅 Tonight the sun will begin setting at 7:14pm instead of 6:13pm like last night!
☀️ More hours of sunlight after work
🚗 If you have a commute home, it'll be BRIGHTER! (great for your attitude, bad for your circadian rhythms)
🚶🏾‍♀️And because there's more outside light in the evening, you can go for a walk!

Tips for the Monday after a Sunday of springing forward:
🛌🏻 When you get out of bed - celebrate your first achievement of the day (standing up)
☕ Enlarge and consume your caffeinated beverage of choice, and savor it!
☠️ Remember, stabbing people is wrong
🎶 Play your favorite song and maybe sing along or wiggle to it a bit
🌷 🥔 You are a magnificent tulip or potato. Whatever you like!

03/06/2026

Íne ómorfi. - Είναι όμορφη. [She is beautiful.]

Yes, she is - in every possible way... Beautiful in every shape, size, and color; inside and out. “I can’t think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself.” - Emma Stone
Sunday is International Women's Day! A day dedicated to all of the beautifully strong women all over the globe!

Eísai téleia. Ísai dinatí. Ise ómorfi. - Είσαι τέλεια. Είσαι δυνατή. Είσαι όμορφη.
[You are perfect. You are strong. You are beautiful.] 💐

03/04/2026

होली का गुलाल हो
रंगो की बहार हो
गुंजिया की मिठास हो
सबके दिलों में प्यार हो
ऐसा होली का त्यौहार हो
होली मुबारक हो

Holi ki Gulal Ho
May there be Pring [Spring] of Color
May there be sweetness of Gujiya
Love in everyone's heart
Be such a festival of Holi

If wishes come in rainbow colors then we would send the brightest of wishes to say "Happy Holi!"

होली की बहुत सारी शुभकामनायें!

02/27/2026

Lenard D. Moore is the most prominent Black haiku poet in America. He is a writer of more than 20 forms of poetry, drama, essays, and literary criticism - and has been writing and publishing haiku for more than 20 years! Most of his published works touch on specific African American themes... exploring memories, both joyful and painful, growing up in the rural South. Moore was among the first poets to write "jazz-ku," where he performed the poetry with jazz musicians and bands. Two of his haiku poems are featured below (imagine a jazz band riffing in the background):

"blues singer
my ear shifting
her autumn-night voice"

"bobbing and bobbing
on the jazz club wall -
the bassist's shadow"

According to an essay by Charles Trumbull "Black Haiku: The Uses of Haiku by African American Poets", African Americans have had a strong and constant presence throughout the history of North American Haiku. The work of black poets often spanned the gap between mainstream haiku and the social developments of the 20th century: the Harlem Renaissance, the civil rights movement, and the Black Arts and Black Power movements. Unlike Japanese haiku writings, African American (and Native American) poets approached haiku on the basis of oral traditions and often brought with them a sociopolitical agenda where strong emotions are aroused. There you go a little culture for your brain!

02/25/2026

"Živi život"
["Live life."] 💜

02/23/2026

We all have choices. The choices we make at this moment can affect, either positively or negatively, how our futures unfold. How about we attack today and this week with patience, empathy, acceptance and yes, love. Why not try it out? Have a great week friends!

02/20/2026

"The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday." - Prophet Muhammad [Shih Muslim: 854] In the religion of Islam, Friday is the holiest day of the week on which special congregational prayers are offered. The beginning of the holy month of Ramadan began Wednesday after the sighting of the crescent moon on Tuesday evening! Ramadan is the most sacred month of the year for Muslims, it is meant to be a time of spiritual discipline.

You can learn more about Islam and how friends participate in Ramadan traditions here >> khanacademy.org/.../a/introduction-to-islam-2
>> aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/15/ramadan-2026-fasting-hours-suhoor-and-iftar-times-around-the-world
>> ing.org/resources/for-all-groups/calendar-of-important-islamic-dates/ramadan-information-sheet/
(Or maybe have a friendly convo with your friends who observe 😉)

To all our Muslim brothers and sisters, may this Ramadan bring you success in all aspects of life. Stay blessed and keep smiling!!
جمعة مباركة (Jumu'ah Mubārak)
Mubārak Alaykum Alshahr مُبارك عليكم الشهر
May this month be a blessed one

02/18/2026

The word “night” in different European languages.

Most of them descend from the same Proto-Indo-European root *nókʷts, which explains why we see patterns like night (English), Nacht (German), nacht (Dutch), noc (Polish/Czech/Slovak), ночь (noch’, Russian), and natt/nat (Scandinavian languages).

Even the Romance languages, nuit (French), notte (Italian), noche (Spanish), noite (Portuguese), share a common origin from Latin nox, noctis.

02/18/2026

02/17/2026

"Mardi Gras is the love of life. It is the harmonic convergence of our food, our music, our creativity, our eccentricity, our neighborhoods, and our joy of living. All at once." - Chris Rose, New Orleans Journalist & Writer

To all our friends celebrating BIG today, Joyeux Mardi Gras! 👑 🎂 🎉

Cajun words/phrases for you to try out today:
💜 Allons [Ah-loh(n)] >> Let's go.
💚 Ça c’est bon [Sa say boh(n)] >> That’s good.
👑 Ça va [Sa va] >> How are you?
💜 Gris-gris [gree-gree] >> To put a curse on someone. Frequently used in jest, not in reference to actual black magic. A positive voodoo!
💚 Va-t-et-vient [Vah-teh-vee-an] >> Comings and goings; Bustling. Used a LOT during Mardi Gras.
👑 Lagniappe [Lahn-yap] >> Something extra.
💜 Pauvre ti bête [Pove tee bet] >> Poor little thing.
💚 Veiller [vay-yay] >> To spend the evening talking with friends. Cajun equivalent of “to shoot the breeze.”