Part II
French and Spanish translation services translators in Los Angeles
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Scrambling around Malaga/Time zone adjustment
September 2007 had me scrambling around Malaga, Spain in shorts and sandals, lugging a laptop to various spots that had Wi-Fi signals; I was trying to operate my Los Angeles translation service while abroad.. I sometimes went to the Edificio Negro government building near Avenida Andalucia. There they had a nice cafeteria. I'd order a cafe con leche and open up my laptop. Took a while for my HP computer to start up, then I'd connect to the network that was usually working in the building. No place to plug in, so I only had about two hours' power.
I did what I usually do in my agency office in L.A., except there was a lot more distraction: pretty Spanish women, noise of clinking coffee cups and expresso machine, the generally loud Spanish conversation that you encounter in Andalucia, plates of sandwiches and tapas being slapped down on tables, waiters yelling orders, etc.
Time difference: Start of business day in L.A. at 9 a.m., already 6 p.m., end of business day in Spain.
I got a call forwarding service, with a 310 number, so clients could call me in L.A. The call was re-routed to my Siemens global cell phone (with Spanish SIMS card). There was a European dial tone that the clients would hear, and often they would ask if they were calling in L.A. I told them that it was a no charge call and forwarded to my Spanish cell while I was sojourning there for a few months.
Clients were uneasy about dealing with an L.A. translation agency that was being operated, even temporarily , from abroad.
Logistics problems: Let's say I got a call at 5 p.m. in Torremolinos, Spain, which
Torremolinos, Spain. November 2007(I set up a translation project while walking the streets using my global cell phone) , site of James Michener's bestselling novel, The Drifters.
I actually did once. It would be 8 a.m. in L.A. Then, I would talk to the translation client, give him a quote based on number of words in the document, then ask him to email it to my Los Angeles translation service address. If he did it that day, I could go to an Internet cafe, forward it to a tranlator...then the necessity to send a purchase order and invoice and getting everything confirmed.( At that point , I didn't have credit card billing, so the client could pay in advance, so I always requested some type of identification number like a drivers' license). So, there was a lot of waiting and following up (meaning getting on Internet wherever) on projects in process or being set up the day before...
So, the big problem was I didn't have continual always-ready Internet access. I could have used FON Network and connected to local home networks in the Costa Del Sol area, but at that time I was ignorant of its existence. And, getting a landline Internet subscription is a big hassle for a foreigner. You have to sign on for a year, have a bank account, etc. So, it was just me and my laptop and a 4-band cell phone w/SIMS card for Spain.
I did use Vodafone Mobile Connect USB Modem for a while, but it was really expensive. Within 5 days of really minimal surfing, just checking emails, I ate up $50 of credit on the phone card!!
I tried connecting to an unsecured network from the 13th story of my friend's flat in Malaga
©2007 Patrick (California Esoteric Publishers)
Photo: Carranque district, Malaga, Spain, looking towards Torremolinos.
and, actually I almost connected to a linksys, using some generic passwords. No luck.
Another method of handling translation projects was just the "honor system". With tried and true translators I would forward jobs or their contact info and have them complete and bill the translation project on their own, directly with the client. When I returned to L.A. , my commission check was waiting, fortunately.
Overall, there was a lot of sweaty, frantic Wi-Fi signal- hunting trips through chaotic and noisy Malaga, a city I lived in for 3 years in the 90's; however, business did slide and I found myself with a net loss of a few thousand dollars while on my business experiment trip. The Malaga section of my website only yielded freelancer applications for jobs and a few interviews with translator candidates for my agency.
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The benefit of that three-month sojourn, in any case, was my re-integration into Spanish society for a while. I improved my Castellano, the lisped original Spanish language, and experienced the great changes in Malaga that had taken place since my 90's residence there.
Spanish cafe on Calle Larios, Malaga.©2007 Patrick (California Esoteric Publishers)
I spent a lot time hanging at cafes, reading Spanish newspapers and watching the indigenous and touristic streetlife.
Malaga: Cafe del Obispo, near Palacio del Obispo and Malaga Cathedral.©2007 Patrick (California Esoteric Publishers)
One phone that might have worked better for my Spain trip, in retrospect
Blackberry 8830 World Edition
Source: http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/product/30353/review/rim_blackberry_8830_world_edition.html
The RIM BlackBerry 8830 ($300 after a two-year activation with Sprint and an ongoing instant rebate) is the first PDA phone that is compatible both with Sprint's CDMA network and with GSM networks for international use. The inclusion of GSM--even if it's only for overseas--is a huge bonus for mobile workers who need a phone that can work wherever they are. The 8830 comes close to fitting that bill--it will work on 900-MHz and 1800-MHz GSM networks outside of the United States (and that covers Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and most of Asia).
The SIM card slot for GSM use is located in the battery compartment, next to the mini-SD Card slot. Sprint says the SIM card is unlocked for both voice and data use, which means that you can either use the Sprint-supplied SIM card that ships with the phone, or buy a local SIM card while traveling abroad.
The Sprint SIM card is not unlocked for use on a domestic GSM network. The company makes a point of noting that the BlackBerry 8830 will operate only on the Sprint network in the United States, not over a GSM network.
In addition to the GSM card for international use, Sprint supplies an international charger. This nice touch means that, if you don't already have one, you won't have to go hunting around at your local electronics store for a power plug adapter.
SIMS CARDS:These are the thingamajigs I used in my Siemens AF51
(General 2G Network GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900) from Telestial
Prepaid SIM cards can typically be purchased from US $17 to US $79 and nearly every time include free incoming calls originating from anywhere in the world. With international roaming rates, from Nextel and other domestic carriers, that start at $0.99 and quickly approach $3, a prepaid SIM card is a very attractive alternative. A cell phone rental offers similar service as international roaming but with higher airtime rates and the addition of a $99/week handset rental charge. When you compare the airtime rates at US $60+/hour, a prepaid SIM card is clearly a bargain that often pays for itself after just 30 minutes of use.
Roaming SIM cards are an excellent choice for travelers planning to visit multiple countries. Roaming SIM cards offer the simplicity of having a single SIM card and phone number that works in a large number of countries around the world.
Passport SIM Card: This might be good for my next trip abroad, when I will be moving around diferent countries, not just in Spain
If you have a "multi destination" itinerary or tend to travel frequently, we recommend the Passport SIM Card. This global roaming SIM card offers service in 100+ countries and can be a superior alternative or supplement to local prepaid cell phone service.
Passport SIM Card Features and Highlights:
Includes $10 USD of airtime
Excellent coverage in over 130 countries
Airtime rates starting at just $0.49 USD per minute!
Free Incoming Calls in over 50 countries!
FREE online Travel Journal
Prepaid Data Service (GPRS)
Low connection fee of just $0.25 USD
Easy to use voicemail
24/7 Customer Service
Free to receive text messages
Send text messages from only $0.69 USD each
Recharge minutes anytime via the phone or web, or enable the Auto-Recharge feature
It is prepaid, so no contracts, no credit checks and no monthly fees
View call records and recharge receipts online
Easy to use call forwarding
Receive a United Kingdom +44 phone number
2008 has me setting up an agency in London and continuing with my Los Angeles agency. We send out interpreters in the L.A. area and do certified translations of diplomas, birth certificates, etc. We also have been translating a lot of technical manuals (see examples here).
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ARTICLE ON FLUCTUATING PER-WORD RATE FOR TRANSLATIONS
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My translation agencies in London and Los Angeles
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French translation page-Français
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