July 18, 2008

When Speaking in Spain, Always Take a Picture

Gracias por haberme invitado aqui a hablar con ustedes hoy. Yo hablo poco Español, asi que continuo en Ingles. Vamos a empezar.

I’m used to speaking in front of large groups of people. But even though I’ve been doing it since my days as a college prof, I always get just a little bit nervous. In fact, I go through the same regimen every time I ready myself to speak. Suddenly I hear myself saying: “I don’t want to give this talk. I DO NOT want to give this talk!” I’ve heard myself repeat this pre-presentation mantra so often I now laugh when the inevitable thought comes to mind. I always get nervous. It’s a way of keeping me on my toes and down to earth. I’m used to it.

But I’m not used to speaking to people who don’t understand me. I don’t have to visualize everyone naked to relax. Instead, I just think of my speeches as conversations. No matter how large the audience may be, I always find someone in the crowd I can talk with. So as the days and hours before my Spanish speaking debut closed in I wondered: how can I have a conversation with people who don’t speak my language? Yes, there was going to be simultaneous translation but would the subtlety of my verbal and visual jokes translate? Would they get it? I needed to connect with them so I had good reason to be nervous this time.

Thanks to the help of my kind organizers I put my whole PowerPoint and a handout into Spanish. And, most importantly, I rehearsed my opening remarks in Español. In the shower and on the john I thanked everyone for inviting me here to Aranjuez (that’s Aranjueth with a th, just like the natives pronounce it). I wanted to look them in the eyes when I said it. You know, like I was really chatting with them.

When I was first invited to speak here I had fantasies of giving this talk entirely in Spanish. But that was dashed decades before this engagement when I totally rejected the Latino culture I grew up in and took, first French and then German in high school and college. A lot of good that did me now. Thank you for inviting me to speak to you here today. I speak a little Spanish so I’ll continue in English. Let’s get started!

Suddenly, I was sitting up in front of the room all by myself. Everyone had earphones; I could hear the translator in her soundproof booth. Rufino Ferreras Marcos introduced me. I felt like I was speaking in front of the U.N. I took a sip of water, trying to steady my hand as I brought it to my muy seco lips (they were so parched I sounded like I cotten in my mouth).

And then I had an idea. It was crazy but I was on a different planet by then. I took out my camera and suddenly told everyone: “I have to take a photograph of all of you to prove to my bosses that I really am giving a talk this week in Spain and not on vacation.” I lifted the camera just as the translator finished. They laughed; I snapped. We laughed. Un peso pesado levantado fuera de mí.

Later that evening I retold this story to said bosses, attaching the photo as proof. Our museum’s deputy director quickly responded, telling me my photo didn’t prove a thing. I wasn’t even in it! When I told the group this the next morning they laughed again. But then someone quickly produced a camera. And there was a picture of me taking a picture of them. Proof positive.

Yep, I found a few people in Aranjuez to chat with this week. It was no vacation but it did have its moments.

Related Stories: Traveling Abroad: A Pre- Pre-flight Checklist and Spain: The Post-Flight Recap

• [ Spain, Public Speaking ]

Comments (0)
Permanent Link to This Story:::
View Most Recent Story:::Notify me when there's a new missive!

July 13, 2008

Spain: The Post-Flight Recap

Estoy en España, mis amigos. And so far, my detailed packing technique has yielded no forgotten essentials. My one suitcase weighed 21 kilos, just under the 50 pound limit and my supersized backpack was filled to the brim with computer and camera cables (and power bars) of every kind. The flight over was uneventful for the most part. I actually slept (the first time I’ve slept on a plane in steerage class). The young woman I was sitting next to kept coughing on me but was kind enough to assure me that even though she had had whooping cough a few years ago and it kept coming back, she wasn’t contagious. Thank you kind young woman. Your assurances were comforting.

I am sitting at my hotel room desk, connected to their WiFi. My computer’s plug is nestled in its European adapter and I’ve downloaded a few photos to my laptop I took earlier on my first soujourn around the town. My family and I have talked via Skype. So all is well with the world and this global traveler.

Of course, we had nothing much to say —we just saw each other fourteen hours ago. With no time for the girls to get on each other’s nerves, Mom was happy and we simply marveled at the technology that made us feel we were next door. After hanging up, my wife called back to ask where I’d put the lawnmower goggles. Yes, a totally normal bit of information exchange.

My talk is on Tuesday. I must prepare for it but my mind can’t get out of my original time zone at the moment. Mañana…

Comments (0)
Permanent Link to This Story:::
View Most Recent Story:::Notify me when there's a new missive!

July 6, 2008

Traveling Abroad: A Pre- Pre-Flight Checklist

Ok, true confession: I am a neurotic traveler. Well, to be more specific: I am a neurotic pre-traveler. With one week to go before heading off to Aranjuez, Spain to give my first international talk (El uso de los blogs dentro de los museos de corte tradicional/New World Blogging in a Traditional Museum Setting), I’d sleep much better if I was entirely packed and ready to go. I’m always afraid I’ll forget something. A MacGyver I’m not.

Spanish translated PowerPoint: check (on thumb drive, on CD, on .mac drive and ftp site —yeah, that should cover it); clothes decisions made (hot weather, casual conference they tell me): check. Laptop: check and already nestled in my new international trip backpack. While not entirely a “light” traveler, I like to travel as light as I can: unencumbered both physically and mentally. Until now I’ve managed never to have taken my laptop on any trip, business or pleasure. But then again, I haven’t traveled out of the country for nine years. Yes, I’ll admit to that too.

When I started to consider international calling plans to keep in touch with the family, I suddenly discovered Skype. For someone who’s supposed to be on the technological cusp this was a long overdue revelation. Free PC-to-PC telephony —a new tech development since my last international trip. That, alone, made taking my computer irresistible. Tested on our laptops, my two girls now think they have an in-house walkie-talkie. It’s not that I haven’t traveled to far-flung places: the interior of China twice, way way off the beaten tourist paths. I’ve just been focused on domestic issues for a while. Yeah, that’s a good way of spinning my isolationism.

Oh yeah, don’t forget your opening remarks in Spanish (although I need to practice). I had fantasies of giving my whole talk in Español but I only got through the first 20 lessons of Coffee Break Spanish. Should it come up I can say with confidence: Tengo dos hijas. I have two daughters. I guess I haven’t come to the lesson “So you’re giving a talk on museum blogging in Spain” yet.

What’s really funny about these language lessons is that I learn more useful phrases when they talk to you in Spanish about the lesson itself. I experimented with Pimsleur a bit and came away remembering that most useful phrase Escuchar y repetir: listen and repeat. Well, they repeated so often I couldn’t help but remember it. And in Coffee Break Spanish I will be able to weave into my presentation: Vamos a empezar: Let’s begin.

So, there’s a pile of travel stuff starting to grow in the corner of our bedroom. And I keep some paper and a pencil next to my bed so I can write down additional items I need to take when I suddenly remember them in the middle of the night.

Forget the excitement of arriving in Madrid. I can’t wait for the excitement at my airport arrival for takeoff. By then I’ll have remembered everything or not. And I can just relax and enjoy the trip. Geez, Jeff, it’s only a week.

• [ Spain, International Travel, Skype ]

Comments (2)
Permanent Link to This Story:::
View Most Recent Story:::Notify me when there's a new missive!