Busyness spoils tolerance

Unlike the previous month, things have been moving at top speed since the beginning of this month. It's always like this at this time of the year. They only give me about a week to translate interviews after it is done, which certainly makes me feel pressed. I somehow manage to deal with this pressure so far.

The first interview I interpreted is the one with Chuck Rainey. We exchanged emails some years ago for the reason I don't remember so I didn't feel he was a total stranger. But an editorial staffer DI, who has met Chuck before, said to his coworkers that he is slightly a nitpicker. I think it's got to do with how DI sees people. He doesn't seem very open to everybody. I'm afraid that his tendency as such unconsciously appears on the surface that eventually closes the gate to his heart for other people to enter. Poor thing! I find, however, many Japanese people are more or less like him. Is it something like the instinct to protect oneself? I don't know. Perhaps they are afraid of being hurt. If so, they just miss a chance to learn about life. Sad!

In fact, Chuck is NOT a nitpicker! He is sincere and funny that actually made the whole job fun for me. He brought a brand-new bass guitar that he had started playing about a month ago. He says it takes time to nurture new bass guitars to sound as an instrument. In other words, all the wood parts of a brand-new bass still think themselves as a piece of wood attached to a tree and trying to breathe freely as the way they used to live in a forest. Thus he has to take it everywhere and play it until it finally transforms into a bass guitar. During a photo shoot after the interview, he kissed his bass in a playful manner so I said to him, "Hey, you're in love with your new girlfriend!" He smiled and said, " No, she is still a date!" Yeah, he is right. But I'm sure he enjoys his new date.

The second interview is the one with a young French bass player Hadrien Feraud and a Japanese young bass player Akira. They are both 23 years old and influenced by Jaco Pastorius. Hadrien tried his best to say what he wanted to say in English but his drummer Damien eventually helped him. I felt how people would feel when they don't understand foreign languages while Hadrien and Damien talked to each other in French. As I'm so used to understanding the conversation between English speakers and Japanese speakers, it was fresh and inspiring. Akira seemed frustrated a bit that on the way back to the station, he told me he would learn French. Good for him! I look forward to hearing him speaking in English with a hint of French accent in the near future. Akira, please 'ooh-la-la' me!

I'm already assigned to work for an interview next Wednesday so it's like doing 3 face to face interviews and translating 2 recorded long interviews and 3 shorter English texts in 12 days!! Plus my daily work at a magazine publisher... No wonder I became cranky last week. I need to get enough sleep to be a peaceful person. It's very important. I'm going to finish the 3rd English text this evening and try to relax after that. My coworkers, you will see peaceful Miki again tomorrow. Yay!