IW 175: Interview Camilla Eurienius Part 4: Chit Chat and All That - Together

Come Together - Right Now!

Camilla continues her push to make us support one another. Learn a bit more about Camilla and Sweden as we finish our chat about the sign language profession there.

Thanks Camilla!

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Transcript

IW 175: Interview Camilla Eurienus Part 4: Chit Chat and All That - Together

Support the Podcast!

[ROCK INTRO MUSIC STARTS] 

00:00:02 Tim

Good morning, good evening, good afternoon. Wherever you are, this is the Interpreter's Workshop podcast. I'm Tim Curry, your host. Here we talk everything sign language interpreting the ins, the outs, the ups, the downs, the sideways of interpreting. If you're a student, a new interpreter, experienced interpreter, this is the place for you. If you want to know more, go to interpretersworkshop.com.

00:00:28 Tim

Let's start talking... interpreting.

[ROCK INTRO MUSIC ENDS]

00:00:34 Tim

And now the quotes of the day, the first one by beloved cook, chef, author, and big heart, Julia Child.

00:00:44 Tim

“It's fun to get together and have something good to eat at least once a day. That's what human life is all about – enjoying things.”

00:00:55 Tim

And the second quote by beloved author Jane Austen.

00:01:00 Tim

“It's such a happiness when good people get together.”

00:01:05 Tim

Today we finished the conversation with Camilla from Sweden, a sign language interpreter with a heart and a happiness for good people to get together, and that's what we talk about, how to solve our mistakes as sign language interpreters, how to handle our mistakes and how we can fix that.

00:01:26 Tim

But maybe I've given you already a hint of that answer, so let's listen one last time with Camilla from Sweden having a chat. Let's get started.

[SHORT TRANSITION MUSIC]

00:01:41 Tim

So, you started working out, working out, well… OK. Your gym card is not helping you. [Camilla: No.] OK. [both laughing]

00:01:53 Tim

So, you started your journey as a sign language interpreter early. [Camilla: Quite, yeah.]

00:01:59 Tim

And then with all of the experience that you've had coming and going, what mistakes along the way has influenced you as a sign language interpreter now?

00:02:09 Camilla

Oh! Oh, oh. [both chuckling]

00:02:16 Camilla

Yeah, I guess we're always, I mean, big, small. I think we learn every day still, I mean.

00:02:25 Camilla

That is a tough, tough question, I'd say, but knowing that this is what I want to work with now. I mean, I think the worry can sometimes be OK how am I gonna be doing this job when I'm 65? Maybe. I mean, will I be healthy enough?

00:02:45 Camilla

Can I hear good enough?

00:02:47 Camilla

But I mean, maybe we should not worry about that some technical things will help us maybe solve those problems, but…

00:02:55 Camilla

I so much want to stay in the field [Tim: Mm-hmm] because it's where my heart has always been and…

00:03:04 Camilla

Yeah, I guess if we did not do mistake, we would not learn either somehow that it sounds like a cliche.

00:03:12 Camilla

Absolutely.

00:03:13 Tim

Compared to when you first started [Camilla: Mm-hmm] to now, how do you handle mistakes differently?

00:03:19 Camilla

Yeah, I think now it doesn't feel like “the world is gonna collapse under my feet” [Tim chuckling] if we do something that's bad or mistake because we're human. Everybody does mistakes. And maybe something that feels big for us is not a big problem in the context and things like that.

00:03:40 Camilla

It's yeah, bad to say that we're not taking ourselves seriously enough, but we do. I think we're doing a great job and we're serious in, in the profession - things. [Tim: Yeah] But I think that we can handle things in a better way from being new.

00:03:58 Camilla

I mean, everything, you wanted everything to be perfect. You wanted to do the perfect interpretation. But what is that? And how? I think now also sometimes taking on some assignments. One should say no. But now I'm saying yes because…

00:04:15 Camilla

We also need to how do you say…?

00:04:19 Camilla

“Challenge ourselves” in somehow, [Tim: Mm-hmm] but not on somebody's expense. Of course, that would not be so good. But also, if we don't put ourselves out there, we're not gonna get better. [Tim: Yeah] And, and maybe we can do it together with the colleagues. So, you have the support and things.

00:04:38 Camilla

I do think the difference from before and now is that also, which is not to the better maybe, in the beginning I was when you collaborated with somebody, we often wrote down things to improve, or words, to think about. I think, can't see that now and that, I mean, that's also a evaluating yourself thing, [Tim: Yeah] which I loved when we did that before, more. But I mean that's just to start with, it asks your colleague to do it then.

00:05:10 Camilla

And but it's also maybe the “time”.

00:05:14 Camilla

Because then seeing each other, you need to stop afterwards. Discuss it. But I think if for some it's also a tool that it's well worked in, and it doesn't have to take that much time. I mean it's a way of seeing also seeing the colleague, I appreciate this. That solution was good and [Tim: Yeah] talking to each other more maybe.

00:05:38 Tim

Yeah, that's changed quite a bit since we started going online a lot more over the last few years.

00:05:45 Tim

Sometimes it's hard to have that debriefing after you've been working online. You may be in one city and your colleague is in another city.

00:05:54 Camilla

Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's true.

00:05:56 Tim

And a lot of times the technology does not allow us to feed each other to help each other or to write notes to each other in a way that's easy or convenient. And I think that's changed a lot on how we see the work as well as far as teaming.

00:06:12 Camilla

Yeah, that's, uh, I think that's very true.

00:06:15 Camilla

I think that using the phone parallel to the interpretation because then you can still connect with each other. [Tim: Mm-hmm] Even though I don't know how that looks upon. But if you're in a, if you come back a lot of times, you can always explain that what we're doing here is just to make it better for you.

00:06:35 Camilla

So, I think being clear with those and what it's for. [Tim: right] It's not, “Oh, I'm gaming now. [Tim chuckles: Yeah] I have a break.” No. So no. But I mean, so if you have the chance of coming back to the same place.

00:06:50 Camilla

It's nice because then you can find another way of collaborating in that way. But I mean, we maybe might be more alone now in small islands.

00:07:02 Tim

Yeah. Speaking of the small islands and the professionalism in Sweden, you've kind of touched on this already, but how is the profession looked upon by society? At least from what you can tell when you're working as a sign language interpreter? How does let's say the hearing majority view the profession?

00:07:22 Camilla

Well, my, my feeling is that they look upon us as professionals in a good way, I think.

00:07:30 Camilla

That is the first thing that comes to mind sometimes. I guess I romanticize things a bit too much. Maybe. [Tim chuckles] But, but that is the feeling that I have and that they could not have a meeting without us maybe. And I think most people are very grateful that it is what I feel like. Oh, we're so happy you could come because they've been maybe struggling to get an interpreter in. 

00:07:54 Camilla

Even though I think what I've heard is that sometimes when you come to the emergency, and you need a sign language interpreter they tend not to call immediately or not at all. So, that's been a lack. And I think it was better before, but I'm not really sure. [Tim: Mm-hmm] But I mean that's not a cost. Well, it's a cost in society, of course, but not for the emergency. And I mean.

00:08:22 Camilla

I think when you put it to them, if we had the chance sometimes to say, “OK, but would you like to speak Spanish only here at this meeting today, if you don't speak Spanish”, to get the “AHA” experience of… maybe.

00:08:38 Camilla

Since I think a lot of people are still having this all when we meet this person, they lip read so well and he or she understands us so well. [Tim: Mm-hmm] It's like yeah, but it comes with a cost for the person they struggle and the energy that they need to put into understanding you or things like that so. [Tim: Yeah]

00:08:59 Camilla

Yeah, I still think people listen and are open to input on things like that, and if we put it out in a nice way also that helps and maybe it will be easier for them next time to have in an interpreter. It's not like a big thing, I think. [Tim: Yeah] I think most the attitudes are positive. I do think so.

00:09:28 Tim

That's a good thing.

00:09:29 Camilla

Yeah, hope it's not what I'm imagining. [both chuckling]

[ROCK TRANSITION MUSIC STARTS]

00:09:34 Tim

And today I want to say thank you. Thank you for listening and sharing with others, so please continue to do so by following this podcast, clicking on the links in the show notes to support the show, to keep it going. Thank you. Now let's go back.

[ROCK TRANSITION MUSIC ENDS]

00:09:51 Tim

So, leave us with this thought. What advice would you give to someone who's thinking about coming into the profession?

00:10:00 Tim

And what encouragement would you give to those of us who have been in for a long time to continue going this direction? So, two different questions.

00:10:13 Camilla

Yeah.

00:10:14 Camilla

Well, for the second question for us who have been in the field, I think we should call each other more or reach out to each other and just chit chat and it doesn't have to be something. Ohh I need to talk about this, but it can also be that, but maybe use the network that we have and yeah.

00:10:35 Camilla

Maybe have a chitchat, regarding jobs or work or whatever other things, but I mean to, to reconnect maybe, somehow. [Tim: Yeah]

00:10:47 Camilla

To be in touch because I think it gives us a lot when we are connected and that's also why it's fun to go to the same conferences and to in person, instead of being on the screen, I think that at least for me, that is also what I want to do when I'm working. 

00:11:09 Camilla

I rather be on site than on a screen, [Tim: yeah], because it's easier. But I think for the newcomers, I mean do it because it is a fantastic job and it's amazing what you can see, it might be tough. Absolutely. But what work is not. [Tim: Mm-hmm]

00:11:30 Camilla

Don't do it for the money because that's the wrong reason, absolutely. [both laugh]

00:11:37 Camilla

No, but I mean it is a way of life, I would say.

00:11:41 Camilla

I mean you, you don't have the structure but and I think also I've always told myself, I'm so free being a sign language interpreter. [Tim: Mm-hmm] In one way you are because you can always decide that “OK, this week I'm not gonna interpret because I'm, I'm doing this or I'm, I'm choosing to do this other things” if you’re independent.

00:12:02 Camilla

But also, what my teachers told me when I was new that to be employed by an agency is good.

00:12:12 Camilla

And because you get a lot of things for having colleagues instead of being on your own in the beginning, [Tim: Mm-hmm] because then you can always become your own afterwards. I did not follow that so path, [Tim chuckling] but it worked out anyway. But I think it's still a good way of getting into the work.

00:12:35 Camilla

Because you get more support in that way, if you don't have a big network already, maybe from the, the study-buddies you had.

00:12:48 Tim

Yeah.

00:12:48 Camilla

But I, I think that being employed is good in the beginning, actually.

00:12:53 Tim

Yeah, yeah. Support is always nice.

00:12:56 Camilla

And that we support each other instead of not helping each other.

00:13:02 Camilla

I think that's important.

00:13:04 Tim

It's interesting that your answer to both questions had to do with connecting with other interpreters.

00:13:12 Tim

In the beginning you have that network [Camilla: Yeah] to support and to develop your skills with them. To see that support. And then now for us, who are more experienced [Camilla: Yeah] to come back together and support each other.

00:13:29 Tim

So, thank you. Thank you, Camilla, for coming on. Thank you for sharing your life story and your views.

00:13:36 Tim

And for being here to support us. Thank you.

00:13:40 Camilla

Thank you for having me and letting me chit chat for a while because since I'm the quiet type, this is not my thing. [chuckling] No, I'm kidding. No, but it's been really nice to get together and hang out like this, especially if we're not gonna meet this fall. It's nice to get to see each other like this and chat for a bit. [Tim: yeah]

00:14:03 Camilla

It's always nice.

00:14:05 Tim

Thank you very much.

00:14:06 Tim

We will hopefully see you soon.

00:14:08 Camilla

Hopefully.

[SHORT TRANSITION MUSIC]

[ROCK EXIT MUSIC STARTS]

00:14:15 Tim

Making mistakes. We all do them and we all learn from them whether we want to or not. Today Camilla shared with us the most important thing, connecting with others. It helps us when we first start interpreting and it helps us when we're very experienced interpreting.

00:14:36 Tim

It keeps the energy flowing. In the beginning, we look to others to support us, to tell us of their experience, to learn from their mistakes, to prevent us from doing those same mistakes, or for knowing how to handle it, when we do make those same mistakes. But over the years, we all kind of pull away from each other.

00:14:56 Tim

We get busy. We get busy with our own lives, our own future, our own education, our families, our friends. And we take a breather.

00:15:08 Tim

And it just becomes another job. In a world that seems to be distant. It would help us to support one another by being there, being that support, knowing the support that we loved in the beginning is there with just reaching out.

00:15:29 Tim

Reaching out to each other, teaming with each other, working with each other, supporting and listening, and just chit-chatting anytime you can, knowing that the world is not going to collapse if you make that mistake.

00:15:44 Tim

That's a great piece of advice, very similar to don't take yourself so seriously. Just keep calm, keep interpreting and keep coming together with your team debriefing after a gig, working out all of those little kinks that might be bothering you or them.

00:16:05 Tim

Just being you. That's all we ever need to be. So, until next time, keep calm. Keep interpreting the chitchat. I'll see you next week. Take care now.

[ROCK EXIT MUSIC ENDS AT 00:16:55]