KITCHEN CULTURE - Hej!

I’ve been searching for a Swedish greeting, and I came up with Hej to mean “How do you do?”, as well as “Hi (there)”, but there seems to be some controversy over its’ usage. If you know the correct everyday greeting in Swedish, please let me know.

After the 2/2010 Blog about Australia, a reader sent me a wonderful e-mail with information she gathered to use when working on educating their North American employees about their office in Sydney. I look forward to feedback about the cultures of the countries that are put on this Blog. Remember we are sitting around the kitchen table, munching and having the beverage of our choice, discussing these subjects. Other opinions and facts are an important part of the “kitchen philosophy.”

I decided to do some blogging about what is referred to as the Scandinavian countries: Denmark; Finland; Norway and Sweden and some references included Iceland, Greenland (governed by Denmark) and the Faroe Islands. I am interested in learning about their similarities and their differences, but first I have to define one nation. As you may have guessed, it is going to be Sweden. Now this is really where the readers of this blog can help by sending information as to what makes up the differences in the countries listed as being Scandinavian.

Location: Between Finland and Norway in Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat and Skagerrak.

Capital: Stockholm

Climate: In central and southern Sweden the winters are short and quite cold. Summer temperatures are similar to those in southern England, but with a lot more hours of daylight. In some places, the hazy, lazy days spent on the beach as the azure waters lap the shore will allow you to bask in the Midnight Sun and get a suntan. In the northeast, the winters are severe, while the summers can be surprisingly warm. The far winters are also severe with snow lying on the ground year-round in elevated areas. Summers are short and changeable.

Government: Constitutional monarchy parliamentary democracy. Parliament is The Riksdag with 349 members in one chamber.

Religion: 82% keep the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden. The other 18% include Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist.

Exported Goods: Paper products, electrical and computer equipment, motor vehicles, machinery, chemical products, pharmaceuticals, iron, steel, and foodstuffs.

Imported goods: Petroleum products, motor vehicles and accessories, machinery, electrical and computer equipment, foodstuffs, textile products, and footwear.

Ethnic Make-up: Sweden’s indigenous population consists of Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities.

Foreign-born or first-generation immigrants include people from Finland, the former Yugoslavia, Denmark, Norway and, a surprise to me, people from Greece and Turkey.

Language: The official language is Swedish and is spoken by the majority of individuals. One of two key minority languages is Sami, which is spoken in the Northern regions of Sweden and the other is Finnish, Meänkieli (Tornedalen Finnish). Also, spoken are Yiddish and Romani to a lesser degree.

Culture: As with Australia, the Swedes are humble and find boasting absolutely unacceptable. They prefer to listen to others as opposed to making sure they are heard. When speaking, Swedes speak softly and calmly. It is a rare moment that you would witness a Swede demonstrating anger or strong emotion in public. Failing to say thank you (Tack-thanks) is a very negative in Sweden.

Sweden is a believer in “everything in moderation.” This does not mean if you work hard you must play hard. People work hard, but not too hard and enjoy themselves without going to extremes. Children are raised to believe they are not any more special than other children.

The family is extremely important in Sweden, and the rights of children are well protected.

• Either the mother or father is entitled to be absent from work until their child reaches 18 months old.
• Either parent has the right to reduce their workload by 25% until their child reaches 8 years old (and is formally ready for school).
• A parental allowance is paid for 480 days, which is intended for both parents. Sixty of these days must be used by the “minority” parents. For this reason, these days are often known as “Daddy’s months.”
• You have the right to up to 60 days off per year to care for a sick child.
• If you are travelling in Sweden, you will notice that most restaurants and other establishments have a play area for the children even on the trains.

Business Etiquette:

Business personnel in Sweden are typically reserved. It is important that all dealings are formal and serious until it is acceptable by the respective Swedish personnel to allow the events to become more relaxed. Key suggestions:

• Maintain eye contact, firm handshake, you shake hands with all attendees on both arrival and departure.
• Address your hosts with either their professional title or their honorific title and surname.
• Younger people are more likely to move to a first name basis than older people.
• Avoid unnecessary touching. Personal space is very important in Sweden, and I recommended that you do not invade that space.
• There is no specific protocol for exchanging business cards in Sweden.

Business Meetings:

• Give at least 2 weeks notice if you are planning a meeting in Sweden.
• Avoid the following time periods if possible: late February through early March, June, July, August and the Christmas season. Most Swedes will be on holiday during these periods.
• Punctuality is essential. If you are late this will reflect poorly on you, and you will be viewed as discourteous.
• Meetings are governed by an agenda. There is very little talk outside of the agenda given to you upon arrival.
• All individuals are expected to contribute.
• Business personnel are detail focused and your presentations should be well prepared with supporting, accurate and relevant data.
• Decisions are seldom made during initial meetings. It will be general and low key.
• Swedes are direct “saying what you mean and meaning what you say” is practiced and expected.
• Decisions are made by a committee. Endearing yourself to the most senior executives will be of no avail.

What to Wear?

• Men should wear good quality suits with silk ties and shirts.
• Women should wear conservative business dresses or a suit. I am unsure if slacks are acceptable.
• It is strongly recommended that you do not wear anything flashy. Even senior directors or executives do not dress any more elaborately than average employees. No ostentatious or obvious jewelry.

Gift Giving Etiquette:

• If invited to someone’s home, it is suggested that you take a gift of flowers or candy.
• Do not give white lilies or chrysanthemums, because they are reserved for funerals.
• It is recommended that you take gifts for any children who are part of the family you are visiting.
• If you are given a gift, open it upon receipt.

That concludes the formal part of our Blog, now it’s time for some fun stuff such as: things to do; entertainment; holiday fun and of course eating.

Things to do in Sweden:

• Boat trips from Stockholm city center to the islands. A tour of the Drottningholm Palace and the Palace Opera house is included. The theatre has been preserved in the original 18th century style. It continues to be home to both opera and the ballet.
• Canal cruises on the MS Ceres along the historic Göta Canal
• Make use of Sweden’s hundreds of miles of beaches, (particularly on the west coast) and 96,000 lakes.
• Staying fit by using the excellent facilities around the country for skating, tobogganing, snowmobiling, ice climbing and dog sledding.
• A country for golfers with more than 400 courses. One course is north of the Arctic Circle and has 24-hours of daylight during the summer. Many midsummer championships take place at night.
• Wildlife flourishes in southern Lapland, which has abundant reindeer, buzzard and lynx. Elk are common throughout the country. This area is also known for its skiing.
• Cycling is a popular holiday sport. Numerous trails can be found almost anywhere both in cities and the countryside.
• Fishing in Norrbotten has many mountain streams and sea fishing. It is situated on the Midnight Sun Coast, a 900 mile stretch of Baltic coastline that runs all the way to the Finnish border.
• History buffs will love the Southwestern Bohuslän province, one of the most important centers of ancient Swedish civilization, with archaeological relics dating back to the Bronze Age and Viking times.

Sweden’s Ice Hotel:

Sweden’s Ice Hotel is built by a river in the village of Jukkasjärvi in Swedish Lapland, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. Creating the ice hotel each winter takes 10,000 tons of clear river ice, plus 30,000 tons of snow. The ice hotel has an ice sauna, ice chapel and the famous Absolute Ice bar that is different every year.

Guests sleep in special sleeping bags on beds made of snow and ice and covered with reindeer skins. A hot drink is brought to the bedside each morning. Warm winter clothing is provided. Several cabins with bunk beds are available. “Warm accommodations” are available, too.

The season for Sweden’s ice hotel lasts from early-to-mid December to mid-late April.

Guests can also take cool outings, such as, a Northern Lights Tour to the Esrange Space Center. Keep in mind that the Northern Lights do not appear every night. You may get lucky, but don’t be disappointed if they fail to make an appearance.

As a bit of trivia, the Ice Palace in the James Bond film Die Another Day (2002), was inspired by the one in Sweden. However, the one in the movie was built in Iceland as a set.

The Santour Company sells Ice Hotel packages to handle all details of a visit. A sample package includes airfare to Stockholm and then to Kiruna, dogsled to the Ice Hotel (where the guests get warm winter clothes), diner and overnight, day-time outing, night at a nearby inn, and overnight train back to Stockholm.

Food and Drink:

• Food and drink is generally simply prepared using the freshest ingredients. Since Sweden is a seafaring country, fish dishes are abundant.
• Akvavit, a chilled spirit, is enjoyed with a smörgåsbord. Flavors vary from practically tasteless to sweetly spiced. Vodka, beer and sweet cider are also popular.
• Smörgåsbord includes: pickled herring with boiled potatoes, then a couple more fish courses, smoked salmon or anchovies followed by cold meat, sliced beef, stuffed veal, smoked reindeer and pâté. The next offering is a hot plate which may consist of herring au gratin, mushroom omelet, a tomato-doused croquette of fowl and Köttbullar (Swedish meatballs). Dessert is the finale consisting of a fruit salad and cheese plate.

Nightlife:

Stockholm has all the allure and entertainment of any large city in the world. There are pubs, clubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres. The Stockholm Ice Bar is one of the most popular bars for travelers and many locals. First opened in 2001, the Stockholm Ice Bar is located in the Nordic Sea Hotel, and it is kept at -5º Celsius all year long to keep the ice in the interior of the bar from melting. The Ice Bar’s décor is made up entirely of ice, including furniture, interior fittings, and even the glasses used to serve drinks. Needless to say dress warmly. Bars stay open till 3 or 4 in the morning. If you are looking to experience some of the best restaurants that Stockholm has to offer, try the Stadshuskallaren. This is perhaps the best restaurant Sweden offers serving traditional food. This is also the restaurant that prepares the dinner for the Nobel Prize nominees each year, and customers of the restaurant will be able to sample items from Nobel menus. The Lisa Elmquist is perhaps the best restaurant in Stockholm for families. It is a small eatery located in the produce market outdoors in Stockholm. Music and theatre productions take place during the summer at open-air venues. Ballet and opera are also available.

Shopping:

There are many traditional markets and country fairs throughout Sweden. Items include glassware and crystal, ceramics, stainless steel, silver, cottage industry artifacts and woodcarvings. Nordic sweaters knitted by hand are also a good buy. Sweden leads the way in modern design.

Christmas:

• The celebration of Christmas lasts almost two months. The fun begins with Advent. Each Sunday before Christmas a candle is lit on an Advent wreath made of a stick that is decorated with white lichen and paper-mâché mushrooms or red berries.
• St. Lucia Day, the saint of light, is celebrated every December 13, one of the longest and darkest winter nights in Sweden. One girl is chosen to be St. Lucia, and wears a long white gown tied with a red sash. On her head she wears a crown of lingonberry and candles. Following her are other girls dressed in white carrying candles. Also tending to Lucia, starboys dressed in long white shirts and pointed caps decorated with silver stars. Usually, each school has its’ own St. Lucia procession. Children sing traditional songs and eat gingerbread cookies and saffron buns with raisin called lussekatters or Lucia cats.
• Christmas ornaments might be made of straw. Animals are popular ornaments to put on the tree. The tree is also decorated with lights, glass ornaments and tinsel.
• On Christmas Eve, a large dinner is served. Desserts include a rice pudding. An almond is hidden in the pudding. The person to find the almond is said to be the next to marry the following year.
• Another important Christmas Eve tradition is somewhat American. At three o’clock in the afternoon all the children watch the Disney special “From All of Us to All of You.” Dinner and presents must sometimes wait until after Kalle Anka (Donald Duck).
• Today the Jultomten (a cross between a little gnome and the German/British Santa Klaus) bring the children their gifts on Christmas Eve. They leave him a bowl of porridge and put candles in the windows so he can find his way to their homes.
• Christmas Day in Sweden is spent in church. December 26 is St. Stephen’s day in honor of the patron saint of animals.
• The holiday season concludes on January 13th otherwise known as Tjugondag Knut in Sweden which translated to dances Christmas away. On this day the children dance around the tree singing and the tree is taken down and discarded.

Eileen Flosnik
Human Resources


Recipes

ST. LUCIA BUNS
Lussekatts
Lucia cats

5 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon powdered saffron
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut up
2 large eggs, slightly beaten

In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast, 2 cups flour, sugar and salt. In a small saucepan, heat milk to simmering over medium heat, then remove from the heat. Add the saffron and butter; stir until the butter is melted and the mixture and add eggs. Beat with a wooden spoon until the batter is smooth and satiny. Beat in the remaining flour one cup at a time until the dough is stiff but not dry. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

To bake, preheat oven to 400º. Form the dough into “S” shapes and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Rårakor med Gråslök
Lacy Potato Pancakes with Chives to serve 4

4 Medium-sized baking potatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Peel the potatoes and grate them coarsely, preferably into tiny slivers, into a large mixing bowl. Do not drain off the potato water that will accumulate in the bowl. Working quickly to prevent the potatoes from turning brown, mix into them the chopped chives, salt and a few grindings of the black pepper.

Heat the butter and oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over high heat until the foam subsides. The pan must be very hot, but not smoking. Using 2 tablespoons of potato mixture for each pancake, fry 3 or 4 at a time, flattening them out with a spatula to about 3 inches in diameter. Fry each batch of pancakes over medium-high het for 2 or 3 minutes on each side, or until they are crisp and golden. Serve at once. (I like to serve these with a dollop of sour cream and a pot roast in the winter.)

I’ll leave you until the next blog. I’m stopping at the store on my way home from work and buy a bag of Swedish Fish to enjoy while watching one of my favorite movies “Mama Mia.” The music by ABBA gives me such a good feeling and I love Swedish Fish. Doesn’t everyone love Swedish Fish?

Ha det så bra!

CITED: Brown, Dale: The Cooking of Scandinavia: Published by Time Life Books; Series: Foods of the World

http://www2.hhs.se/isa/swedish/chap2.htm
http://www.visitsweden.com/sweden/Sweden-Facts/Worth-knowing-about-Sweden
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/sweden.html
http://www.worldtravelguide.net/country/269/top_things_to_do/Europe/Sweden.html
http://www.destination360.com/europe/sweden
http://www.bry-backmanor.org/holidayfun/sweden.html
http://imdb.com/title/tt0246460/trivia
http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/st-knut

Letting Go

Letting go can be difficult, but might be necessary. Think of a break up with your first love who you found out really was dating you to meet your friend. The puppy you got for your birthday that you bonded with for a week and had to get a new home for because of allergies. The same holds true for a company that may feel loyalty and be comfortable with their translation vendor, despite the work they are receiving from them.

Letting go can be hard work. Many times we are contacted by a company that is not happy with their current translations provider. We get excited, thinking we will get a shot at their translation business. But in the end they stay put. There is comfort with the known despite the frustration. The reason is that it is seen as a considerable amount of work to switch translation vendors...but is it?

Yes, letting go can mean change. We do not recommend changing for the sake of changing, or on price alone. There needs to be an evaluation why you see a need to change and what you want the change to accomplish. Would we love it if you just came to NCS! But, that may not be in the best interest for you at this time. You owe it to your company and your current translation vendor to meet and discuss your issues. They may not know there are any problems and would welcome the opportunity to help and resolve them. You will need to be open minded because they may have issues with your company as well. If after your meeting, you still get that unnerving feeling “this isn’t going to work”, start researching other translation vendors that may meet your needs and criteria.

Letting go can be scary. It is hard to know which translation vendor to trust. We can all look and sound the same. If you do switch vendors are you going from the frying pan into the fire?

Here are some tips for the selection of translation and localization vendors, services, or companies, better known as language service providers (LSPs):

• Do your research and select a small group to further investigate. Check the web, ask associates and colleagues for recommendations, and refer to association members, LinkedIn groups, or Google alerts.
• Have an introductory conference call or meeting.
• Listen – to what they ask and say carefully.
• Ask specific questions that cover your concerns and let them know of the problems in the past, what you do now, and where you plan on going.
• Get references – from any type of industry sector. See how long they have been a client.
• Read between the lines of comparison quotations. There is a difference in the choice of words used and you need to make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Are they doing a complete edit? How is the editing done and by whom? The words “proofread, review, vet, and verify by linguist” are not necessarily “native language professional translators editing the translation by comparing it against the original source text.”
• If you need certified translation, expect to pay more, and see what additional steps the translation agency has in the translation process for certification.
• If a mistake were to happen, which they can, ask how the agency would deal with it and if they have insurance.
• Give potential translation vendors pilot projects, don’t ask for sample translations. Any agency can put their best people on one sample translation. Several pilot projects can tell a lot about their true level of customer service.
•  Evaluate your conversations and emails with your dedicated project manager or account manager. Good, clear communication is essential for smooth running projects.
• Translation vendors should be able to anticipate your need and be proactive, not reactive.
• Does your project manager ask relevant and timely questions about the project to be sure they understand your needs?
• Do they offer advice and you can consult with them? What if any fees are associated with that service?
• What is the response time when you need to contact your project manager?
• Do you get what you were promised and when?

These are just a few items to consider when thinking about switching to a new translation vendor. At NCS we believe in long-term working relationships and building a solid foundation to grow upon. There are many advantages to staying with one translation company for an extended period of time, but it does have to be the one that best suits your needs and plans for global growth.

Is it time for letting go?

Charlene Nagy
CEO of NCS

¿Yunz hablan español?

There is a gentleman from Mexico, by the name of José; he works for a restaurant close to the NCS office. We often speak in Spanish about how things are going with our companies. One day it was really cold outside and I asked him why he was living in Pittsburgh since he is not used to the weather conditions here. Out of all the places to live, why not choose a city where there are more Hispanics and warmer weather. He started to share with me all the wonderful things he loves about Pittsburgh.

José’s reasons for coming here are a good representation of the growing Hispanic community in the region. Pittsburgh is a great place to raise a family, the cost of living is low, and there are wonderful educational opportunities. José emphasized how much he likes that Pittsburgh is not as fast paced and it’s much safer than the major cities that Hispanics usually populate. From the calmness of the city, to its manageable population size, many Hispanics are making Pittsburgh their new home.

Until the release of this year’s census estimates, it is unclear how many Hispanics are living in the city of Pittsburgh and its surrounding area, especially since a large number of them are undocumented. In 2000 the U.S. census estimated 1.3% of Pittsburgh’s population being made up of Hispanics and since that was 10 years ago, we can not rely on those numbers. According to Martha Mantilla, who runs the Eduardo Lozano Latin American Collection at the University of Pittsburgh “Even though the population is very small [compared to other cities,] it's really growing tremendously," "The growth is very noticeable."

Brian Wiles, co-owner of La Jornada Latina, finds profit in this emerging population since he launched the new Spanish-language monthly paper geared toward Pittsburgh's Latino and Hispanic populations.

So where can one find this emerging population? There is a high concentration of Hispanics in the Beechview and Oakland areas. Through the noticeable increase in Hispanic population, it is evident that José is not alone in his reason for coming to Pittsburgh. I am therefore quite surprised with the delayed response that local companies have made to the growing Hispanic population in this region. Sure, you can walk into Lowes Home Improvement and find signs in both English and Spanish, but I am not sure other companies are aware of the wonderful opportunities the Hispanic consumer brings to Pittsburgh.

Prior to the plunge in the United States economy, Hispanics were known for their brand loyalty. According to Tamara Barber, a Forrester data analyst, Hispanics are expected to return to their loyalty to brands and start spending again. One reason for this is because they are less likely to have extreme credit card debt. Therefore, marketing strategists should make Hispanics their first target group in post recession marketing, especially in the Pittsburgh region.

Felicia Thomas
Marketing Coordinator

Kitchen Culture

Every Friday night was “Kitchen Philosophy Night” at our house. We quietly and sometimes not so quietly, agreed, changed the subject, laughed, searched through the World Book Encyclopedia for the correct answer (remember this was way before the Internet), ate (always necessary) and had a great time exchanging ideas around the kitchen table.

Now here I am sitting in front of a computer blogging about our global community. It’s amazing that I am able to reach so many people compared to the 5, 6, 7 or 8 who participated in those Friday night discussions, which covered topics from A to Z. This blog is going to consist mainly of business and social etiquette, culture, food and a few facts about the country featured.

I chose Australia as my first country-continent, because I would love to visit there and find myself on the beach looking up at the stars in the Southern Hemisphere. You might think that since English is spoken in Australia the language is easily understood, but that isn’t necessarily true. Here are some things I found out about Australia. Please correct me if I am wrong. It’s the best way to enjoy “Kitchen Philosophy”.

Location: Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean

Capital: Canberra

Climate: Generally arid to semiarid; temperature south and east; tropical in the north. Example; here in Pittsburgh, PA it is 34° F; Sidney is 25° C translated 77° F

Population: 20.6 million (2009 est.)

Government: Democratic, federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as the sovereign.

Languages: English is the primary language used in Australia. They do have a very colorful vocabulary, accent, phonetics system and slang called “Strine”. In 1788, there were about 250 separate Aboriginal languages spoken and dialects. Today, only two-thirds of these survived and only 20% of them are still strong enough to survive to the next century. In addition, there are also the languages of immigrants from Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Now on to the best part of any country — the people. I have always believed it is not the places you go, but the people you meet along the way. To me sitting in a park, a café or the hotel lobby talking to the residents of a country and other tourists is so interesting and educational. Sometimes they can steer you to places to visit that are not in the guide books.

Australians are very down to earth. They value authenticity, sincerity and loathe pretentiousness. They very often downplay their own success.

It is very important to get along due to the small population, since you never know when you will meet again. This leads to a win-win negotiating style.

Australia has become a multi-cultural society. The initial population was made up of Aborigines and people of British and Irish descent. In the late 40’s, there was a migration of people from Europe, especially Greece, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Yugoslavia, Lebanon and Turkey. In the last 30 years, there has been a migration of people from Southeast Asia.

When meeting people from Australia, they prefer to be casual and relaxed. A handshake is appropriate. An Aussie may say “G’day or “G’day mate”, but a visitor should simply say “Hello or Hello, how are you?”. Even at an initial meeting Aussies prefer to use first names, however, it is a good idea to let your Australian host determine if they prefer to be addressed as Mr., Mrs., or Ms.

If invited to someone’s home for “tea”, in Australia it means you are being invited for the evening meal. It is acceptable to bring chocolate or flowers to the hostess. A good bottle of wine is equally acceptable. Many invitations to an Australian’s home will be for a “Barbie”. Typically guests bring their own wine or beer for personal consumption.

Arrive on time if invited for dinner, and no more than 15 minutes late, if it is a large party or a barbecue. Check with the hostess to see if you should bring a dish.

Australia relies heavily on trade with the rest of the world, mostly the Asian region, where they export more than 60% of their products.

Business attire for men is a dark suit and tie. No sport coats and trousers. Sometimes you may see men wearing short-sleeved shirts, shorts, tie and knee-high socks. This depends on the weather, place and circumstances. Women wear appropriate business suits or dresses (no slacks). When business is conducted in a tropical climate, dress may be less formal.

Now, we are at the business meeting. Business cards are exchanged at the introduction without formalities. If you do not receive one, it is not an insult. Appointments are necessary and easy to get and should be made with as much lead time as possible. I read two opinions concerning punctuality. One said it is very important to be on time and the other said if you are a few minutes late it will be overlooked. Perhaps someone could let us know which is correct.

It is important not to boast about your company or yourself. Aussies value the accomplishment of a group or community over individuals. They like to see your personal achievements in action and decide your worth for themselves.

You should be prepared for decision making to be a long process; collaboration amongst co-workers is done much more than in our society. In your communications be accurate and to the point. Australians take words at face value.

WATEVER YOU DO: Don’t sit in the back seat of a cab. Social and class equality are very important to Australians. It would be considered an insult to the driver if you sit in the back seat. Don’t break eye contact with Australians when they are talking to you. Do not blow your nose in public, it is very rude.

Here are some of their great slang phrases and what they mean:
Chin Wag - Have a conversation
She’ll be apples - Everything will be alright
Hang on a tick - Wait a moment
Pull your head in - Mind your own business
To make a crust - To earn your living
You’re a galah - Silly person
He’s True Blue - Real Australian

I hope you have a “Smile on your face like a carpet snake in a chook pen”. Translation: “BIG GRIN”

I am looking forward to your comments, and in the meantime, it’s on to the next spot on the globe.

Eileen Flosnik
Human Resources

Included with each blog will be a couple of recipes native to the country we are visiting.

Lamingtons
Ingredients
3 eggs
Scant teacup honey
1 teacup self-raising flour
Pinch salt
1 dessertspoon cold water
Icing
2 egg whites
1 scant teacup icing sugar
3 teaspoons cocoa
Coconut
Method
Beat whites of 2 of the eggs with honey till stiff, beat the 2 yolks well with the remaining egg, mix gently into egg white and honey mixture. Fold in flour sifted with salt, mix water in lightly, bake in well greased baking dish in a moderate oven. For icing, beat egg whites till stiff, fold in icing sugar sifted with cocoa, cut cake into squares, coat with icing and roll in coconut.

Meat Pasties
Ingredients
1/2 lb steak
1/2 lb potatoes
1 onion
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 turnip
Pepper and salt
Rough puff pastry
Method
Cut the meat, potatoes and turnip into small dice and put them on a plate. Season with pepper, salt, parsley and grated onion. Sprinkle over the meat a tablespoon of water. Roll the pastry out about 1/8: thick and either cut out pieces about 6" square or stamp them into rather large rounds. Put a small portion of the meat on the pastry, wet the edges and fold the pastry over the meat. Pinch the edges together with the fingers. Place the pasties on a scone tray, brush over with beaten egg, and bake in a moderate oven for about 3/4 of an hour.

CITED: Sabath, Ann Marie: International Business Etiquette: Asia and the Pacific Rim
http://library.thinkquest.org/C005462/scross.html information on the Southern Cross
http://www.oldaussierecipes.com/aussieslangandhumour.htm
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/australia.html

What I meant is not what you thought I said.

One of my beliefs has been that communication is an art. The way we communicate is constantly changing; from new words to new methods. The consequences of poor communication can be very costly. I incorporate this belief into NCS not only because it is vital to our company’s success, but also to our clients’ success. Poor communication such as confusing instructions can waste time, money and can create errors on a project. It can lead to frustration, conflict and lost customers or employees.

Have you gotten an email from someone, thought you understood it, but someone else read it a different way? More people need to actually read through what they write. Conversely, people need to accurately read what they receive. Have you sent an email with questions for someone to answer, only have the first one or two of the five you sent answered? So, now you have to send another email. Possibly even a third email. I hate that!

I read a very interesting and stimulating book called Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and In Life, One Conversation at a Time. It was given to me by Richard (Dick) Singer, from RDS Associates. The book written by Susan Scott has been invaluable to me. As described on her company web site http://www.fierceinc.com/, “Susan is a best-selling author and leadership development architect who has enabled top executives worldwide to engage in vibrant dialogue with one another, with their employees, and with their customers for two decades.” Susan points out that communication is a two way street.

Fierce Conversations made me think deeper about communication. I began to see how I could improve, how I could listen better, and how my company could improve. I know I am not the best communicator so I write, rewrite, and rethink. I give written material to one or two others to check. I try and make it as simple as possible, but natural, and of course grammatically correct. I make Project Managers have all important communication between clients or vendors checked by someone else. We do the same for quotations, proposals, purchase orders and the like, and we are constantly striving to get better.

I also started to reflect sadly, how poorly we as Americans are at communication. Some of the best editing comments on my material are from non-native speakers. I started to think about global implications and cultural issues.

I thought about English being one of the most confusing and often misunderstood languages with so many terms for the same thing. These terms really have no differentiation for use, as they would in other languages. This makes the translation of some texts very difficult.

Because translation is communication, I am always taking these principles a step further for NCS. Translation is an art, the way material is translated is constantly changing as languages evolve and technology advances. More translators are available and determining those that are qualified is harder.

The results of poor translation are very costly, both in money from damages and court cases, costs to correct the material, and time that is lost. An EU directive on Newcastle Disease was mistranslated in Danish. The fatal omission of one word meant that several Danish farms were kept in quarantine for several months, instead of 21 days. This mistake led to the bankruptcy of a Danish egg producer.

An image can be damaged – maybe beyond repair – worse yet, you may never even know. Back in March 2009 Hillary Clinton presented a simple red button that was supposed to “reset” relationships between the United States and Russia to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The button was mistranslated as “peregruzka”, meaning “overcharge”, or “overload” depending on the context. Tell me, nobody checked the translation or questioned the purpose of the button? There is a proper translation that would have conveyed the message. Here we see a nice simple idea, not properly executed that created bad press.

Mistranslation can even lead to illness and death. Drastic you may think but true. Mead Johnson Nutritionals had to recall 4.6 million cans of Baby Formula due to misleading Spanish label instructions, which could have caused illness or even death said a company spokesperson.

What are we doing here at NCS? We are striving to communicate better, help our clients to do so, keep reviewing and improving our translation process, our translators, and working at educating translation buyers.

Charlene Nagy
CEO of NCS