~ MY THREE-MONTH PLAN ~

Hi again :))) This time is my three-month plan. I have made many plan before but I rarely stick with them to the end because I made no time set or the time was inappropriate (either too long, which I would get bored or forgotten, or too short, which I made a mess because it was too rush). I think that a plan for three month in coming is enough and hope that I am able to carry it out to the end.

This month is January. I have final exams to 15/1 so half of January I will spend on learning and reviving my subjects to do well on the tests. After that, I will relax a little bit and welcoming the next semester.

The next month is February. We will have days off to celebrate Tet holiday. I will spend those time to finish homework of all my subjects. After that, I will do something special. Firstly, I want to help my family prepare for Tet by decorating things. I will also help clean the door and windows. Secondly, I will start translating some articles I find interesting online or some chapters from a light novel named “Kara no kyoukai”. I will post my translation on this site, too and welcome any comments. And I will pratice my English skills at home by reading more books, writing some more texts about my hoobies, listening to music and trying speaking infront of a mirror. I want to finish reading “The road less traveled” ( M. Scott Peck), “The raven” (Edgar Allan Poe) and “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” ( Susan Cain). I may consider writing down the lyrics while listening to music and check my listening ability. Thirdly, I think I will do some fun and simple chemistry crafts, like making a bouncy ball, making soap and rock candies. I want to finish making these before Tet because my Mom never allows the house get dirty or smelly. Lastly, I will go out and enjoy the Tet holidays from the bottom of my heart. And I will make sure myself stay fit both physically and mentally to avoid being ill and also to stay away from the sluggish feeling that renders me from actively coming back to school.

The last month of this plan is March. I think that what I need to do in this month heavily depend on those I have finished in the previous months, because in March, we will return to study as usual. I think I will use this time to complete my plan.

Even though it may seem too vague and contain too many uncertain factors, and I do not feel comfortable when having to strictly follow a plan, I believe that, by doing some productive activities like practicing my English skills and experimenting some chemical crafts, I can better my language skills ( even if just a little bit) and help myself get over the bad habit of “always letting my to-do list undonne”. I have never made a detailed plan because I am a perfectionist and I want to cover all the unexpectancy that may occur (which is impossible to do). Therefore, this plan leaves me worried about what will happen in those 3 months. Anyway, I do wish that I can stick to it to the end. Goodbye for now. :3

~ HOW TO MAKE MY DREAM JOB COME TRUE? ~

Being successful requires many things: pratice, preparation,… and even luck. Therefore, I am only able to picture some main things to do. At least for now, I think there are three.

Firstly, I need to practice translating between both languages ( Vietnamese and English ). Practice makes perfect. I need to make sure that I have good preparation before applicating for a job to secure the chance of successful in the first time. Because the latter times I will bear more pressure and anxiety, and superstitiously, maybe bad luck. And I do not want to repeat my actions. And by praticing everyday, I will realize my weak spots and improve my skills. Not only that, I can also figure out what are the requirements of this job and gain more experiences about the choices of words, the implications, differences and similarities in cultures and traditions,… Only by starting to do something then you will understand it and find out the obstacles and difficulties. I will know that which sources I should choose from, which dictionaries or reference books to buy,… Therefore, I believe that, in order to prepare yourself for your future job, the first and most fundamental step is always pratice.

Secondly, I think I will read more books so as to learn more about the native things. By reading, I am also able to grasp the way the native people use their words, the hidden meanings under the literal ones, and the xpressions. Unlike the intepreters, who meet the speakers directly and are able to observe their gestures, facial expressions, and listen to their voice, intonation, tones, … to guess or understand their attitudes, the translators, at least what I know, usually work with the words on paper. If we are not skilled enough, we may misinterpret the contexts or the environtment, which can lead to wrong translation and misunderstood the author’s ideas. Therefore, reading and learning more about the environtment that I will often intereact in the future can help me keep my composure and not be “culture shocked”. And by understanding more about the countries, we may avoid make many mistakes. As I am a reader, when I read a translation instead of an orginal one, I do carefully research and compare them ( if I know the language) and seek to check the information. Especially when I read a poem, whose author’s expressions mean almost everything, I indeed prefer the original one, or at least, the nearest translation. I am that serious, when I become a translator, I need to adopt those requirements on myself and only futher learning can help.

Lastly, I think that I should train myself to remain calm. I am vey easy to affected by those around me, reagardless of humans or things or events. Although it seems to be irrelevatn to the point of being a translator, I think that if a person usual lose their temper or are unable to cope with pressure, that person will never be successful in anything he or she does. I need to keep my mind tranquil or else I cannot do anything. Being a translator also requires great concentration. If I let my mind suffocate in the sea of emotions in the text, I will just flatly lie there hugging myself unable to translate and may lead to me get dismissed or fell sick. A strong mind will bring a healthy body and a log-lasting job. And if I were to be a journalist ( a main one or a translating or editing part), I also need to remain calm or else my information, criticism will be flooded with my own emotions and lose their objectiveness. I cannot let my feelings intefere with my job so I need to make myself stronger. The words hold utmost power and can change people’s view and opinion, so I have to be very careful in either translating or interpreting.

In the end, these mentioned above are my main things to do. While I am exploring by trying to translate something, I may find out more and add into this list. Goodbye now, everybody. 🙂