Erranding...

In an unusual turn of events, the day's radiograms were already waiting for me this morning when I arrived at work. In retrospect, I can't make that jive with the holiday schedule in Russia, which technically includes the first, second, and ninth of May (and which informally spans everything from May 1 to May 10 or so).

Interaction between the U.S. and Russia subside during this period (also during the holiday "season" in November), but whoever sent these messages was bright-eyed, bushy tailed, and on the bounce, though a little light in the HTML department.

It turns out that, if you try to open an ill-formed HTML document using Word 2000, the poor thing (Word) gets all confused and just sits there, waiting to be put out of its misery.

I was happy to oblige, and almost immediately guessed the source of the problem, confirmed it, fixed it, and kept moving. Frankly, I'm surprised it hadn't surfaced before.

I translated the files, moved them to the appropriate directory on the network, and then went to lunch to run errands. The errands I had to run went so smoothly (including the task where I sent mail to bradfitz to pay for a permanent seat around here), I actually had time for lunch, too, which I took at a Vietnamese place just off the JSC site.

I never fail to get a funny look (and usually, a remark) from the waitresses at this joint when I ask for something that includes tripe in the recipe, which is part of the reason I ask for it, I guess. ("You know, that has tripe in it." "Yes, that's why I order it.")

Walking back from the parking lot after lunch, I looked up and noticed that the sky was full of clouds that would be a lot of fun to (try to) draw. There were bunches of fluffy cumulus clouds all over the area, with a hint of high cirrus off in one corner. The sun was shining in a way that gave the clouds life, the air was warm, and it took an effort of will to go back inside the MCC, where I have since basked in the radiation given off by a couple of LCD screens and two humongoid monitors attached to a DEC Alpha.

I got a call telling me that tomorrow's work assignment has been changed. Instead of the Execute Package, I'm back on the roster for the simulation, where I'll be providing simultaneous interpretation of air-to-ground voice communications between 7:30 am and 5 pm. That means I'll have to remember to bring in my headset.

Time to go home soon.

Cheers...

Chris' questions...

In response to a recent post of mine, fellow LJer volkris asked:

Was [Russian] very difficult to learn
from English? Has knowing it been
very useful in the job market?
Obviously your current job owes a
large part to the knowledge, but did
many employers see it as a plus?

These are interesting questions, so I thought I'd answer them here, in the "main" part of my journal.

In response to the first question, there is no way to compare how "hard" a language is to learn, especially as compared to one's native tongue, though I have been on the periphery of arguments to the effect that, say, it's harder for a Finn to learn Spanish than it is for a Russian to learn Chinese.

Any language you start to learn past the age of about 10 is going to be "hard," in part because the great integrating machine that is your brain is no longer running at the warp speed it was humming at when you were 2 years old, and also because you've already developed facility in one language, which tends to amplify the feeling of slowness and awkwardness in any other language.

A good analogy here is the difference between typing using a QWERTY keyboard and a Dvorak keyboard. Despite the fact that Dvorak users consistently type faster, most people learn on QWERTY keyboards and stick with them rather than go through the "pain' of learning to type again.

The second question, about the usefulness of a second language in the job market, is trickier. I personally think a second language is extremely useful besides any facility it gives in being able to read, write, and speak in that language. Most companies give lip service to the idea of prospective employees having a second language, so it's useful there if for no other reason.

But I believe a second language, pursued with any consistent level of determination, tends to improve one's functioning in the world in general, and on at least two levels.

First, it improves one's knowledge of one's own native language. This is never a bad deal.

Second, it provides insight into how other people - other cultures, really - think, first on a linguistic level, and then on a cultural level as facility increases, and finally on a personal level as you socialize more and more with native speakers of that language. In effect, this expands your ability to think and gives you the ability to look at things with more than the set of tools that one language gives you.

My knowledge of Russian has never hurt me, though there have been times when it seemed to be of no earthly use at all. On the other hand, when it has come in handy, it's been a sweet tool.

Cheers...