5 Detox Strategies for Multilingual Professionals
Jerome, the illustrious theologian and linguist we celebrate as the patron saint of translators, may have been canonized after his death, but while he trudged the earth his temper was rather unsaintly. His knack for languages was rivaled only by a talent for attracting trouble and making adversaries, often going several rounds with them regarding […]
Think You Have an Edge? Think Again
Think You Have An Edge? Think Again In 1988, I was living in Constance, West Germany, as a graduate student. The Seoul Olympics were upon us. I would compromise on anything, as long as I didn’t miss the men’s 100-meter dash final, the long-awaited confrontation between the legendary Carl Lewis and the Jamaican turned Canadian […]
The Power of Silence. Lessons from Beethoven
“The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.” —Mark Twain Toward the end of his life, Ludwig van Beethoven experienced growing hearing impairment that eventually left him completely deaf. The progressive, humiliating condition didn’t stop the German musical genius, who continued to compose poignant and […]
Public Speaking Secret 5
I got hit with a fine of U$1,500 the other day for speeding to a mere 116 km/h on one of the motorways around Geneva. The police took my driver’s licence for three months and charged me another 200 bucks for the privilege of doing so. The officer who pulled me over said my reckless driving could have resulted in […]