MAPSLI
The Tide
Spring 2013
Ugly Sweaters Shall Unite Again!
In This Issue of
On a cold December night, MAPSLI members rooted through their closets to find
their finest, most precious ugly holiday sweaters, and threw all dignity and caution to
the wind to interpret songs like no one was watching. But truth be told, we were all
watching. And laughing. And more importantly, supporting each other. MAPSLI’s first
ever Ugly Sweater Party was a huge success! Some of us laughed, some of us cried
(because we were laughing so hard), and some of us decided it would be a good idea
to interpret Gangnam Style, which ended up being interpreted as ‘KOREA KOREA
KOREA, DIFFERENT LANGUAGE, KOREA KOREA KOREA, SEXY LADY’. We also gave out
prizes for the ugliest sweaters to Jana, Amy P., and Maegan. Round two of the ugly
sweater Party will be happening soon - stay tuned!
The Tide:
Ugly Sweater Party
1
Recap
Dear Abbey
1
Mentoring
2
Moment
Ninja Turtles
2-3
Sports Teams
Fun had by all, or at least
by these three! Melissa
Copp, Amy Parsons, and
Justin Read sporting
their ugliest sweaters
and enjoying some fun
holiday
cheer
at
MAPSLI’s Ugly Sweater
Party held December
15th, 2012 in Halifax.
Dear Abbey:
We, as interpreters, are all individuals with very different educational and life experiences. If you were working with an interpreter and disagreed with them on an
issue based on your respective backgrounds and how you approach the work, how
do you go about finding some sort of common ground?
If two interpreters disagree, whatever the resolution, it should be in the best interests of the consumers and should not be ego based. This may seem obvious, but in
the moment, we sometimes forget. As a team of interpreters, we are professionally,
if not ethically, obligated to resolve such a conflict. Sometimes conflict might happen
based on a perceived "rank" of one interpreter over the other.
But if two doctors disagreed about my treatment, I wouldn't want their status to be
the deciding factor. That is, I don't think the more experienced doctor should automatically be considered to have the correct approach. No matter how seasoned, all
professionals should be open to respectfully discussing different approaches. Also, if
there is time, consulting another professional(s) for advice can help. Of course, reading the Tide can provide words of wisdom too!
-Anonymous
Spring Recipe
3
DYA
4
Announcements
Interpreter
5
Spotlight
Crossword
6
Book Review
7
MAPSLI Business
8
Newsflash
8
Signs the Spring has
Sprung:
 The smell of the earth
 I can roll down my car
window!
 The baby ducks
 Patio season starts at
cafés and restaurants
 The smell when it rains
 The promise and hope
that summer is on it’s
way again
 Watching children splash
in puddles
The Tide
Page 2
Mentoring Moment:
As a new graduate, how did/will
you move from a relationship of
‘mentor and
mentee’ with
senior interpreters, to one where
you interact more as colleagues?
“I’d say I am still somewhat of a
‘newbie’, and I am always a bit
nervous to work with someone
with more experience than me.
Usually though if I go into a job
with the expectation that I am
their peer, and we both have an
open attitude, that is how I am
treated.”
“Show up on time, do good work,
ask good questions, take feeds,
take appropriate assignments,
don't gossip. Working interpreters
respect those things.”
-Anonymous
-Anonymous
Heroes in a Half Shell: Ninja Turtles Sports
Basketball (Mondays)
I joined the first Ninja Turtle team two years ago, starting with flag football, dodgeball and soccer. The first basketball season was set up last year in the fall, playing every Monday; unfortunately, we lost every game except
for one. I feel like since then, the basketball team has recruited a few more people in order to catch up. This winter season, we won our first game. We were on such a roll, we ‘burnt the lights out’ (we played until our time was
up, and the janitor shut off the lights). As we currently continue with the season, our spirits are up, we play our
best and most importantly we have fun!
As for myself, this team has encouraged me to pursue myself more in basketball and recently I was able to participate in a basketball tournament for deaf adults in Montreal. This experience allowed me to meet a lot of new
players like myself, with different signing backgrounds and different skills. It was an amazing experience for me,
along with my assigned team, we won three games straight. I have a medal to show for it, as well as improvement in my game.
From demonstrating my newfound passion for basketball, I was lucky enough to be selected to play for Team
Canada in a basketball tournament for deaf adults in Philadelphia in April. I hope to continue on this path and
play for Team Canada in the Deaf Olympics this summer in Sofia, Bulgaria.
-Toufic JeBailey
Dodgeball (Wednesdays)
Hello, I'm Craig and I'm a Ninja Turtle. That means I'm a part of a team that participates in adult sports leagues.
The team is a mix of Deaf youths and adults, interpreting students, and hearing people from outside the Deaf
community. It's a strange mix, but it’s worked out pretty well so far. We play many different sports such as soccer, flag football, and dodgeball.
I want to talk about my experience in dodgeball so far: Ninja Turtles had a rough season last year when we started out because we were placed in intermediate level instead of recreation level because there weren't enough
teams to split the league into two levels. So that means we had to play against several tough teams with years of
dodgeball experience and many techniques under their belts. In the beginning, we were slow and unable to hit
our opponents with our balls. Then we began to improve slowly and keep pace with the other team, but unfortunately we had so many losses that we were near the bottom of the rankings. However, I believe that the experience was good for the team in the long run because this year we know how to play better and learned new techniques that we can practice (curve balls, throwing balls simultaneously, and spin balls).
So far we have four wins and one loss, hopefully we will make it to the playoffs this year and finish first place!
-Craig Cannon
article continued on page 3
Spring 2013
Page 3
continued from page 2
Soccer (Tuesdays)
The Ninja Turtles entered their second season of indoor soccer this winter. Despite having a
short bench for most of our games due to conflicts with schedules last minute, we have
managed to compile a solid record of two wins, one loss and one tie (2-1-1), which is good
enough to be near the top of the standings. The Ninja Turtles has been led by their captain
and soccer wizard, Matt Ayyash. He has put in effort that perfectly matches the name on the
back of his jersey, ENERGIZER! Matt and his big time energy has made sure that the team
has great chemistry, teamwork and simply has lots of fun at every game.
The plan is for the team to continue having fun at every game and hopefully keep up our
good record! It has been exciting to notice the difference from last year to this year. Last
year, most of us were playing together for the first time ever, some of us were even meeting
each other for the first time ever. Yet we learned how to play and communicate with each
other and had a successful year and it looks/feels like that has carried over to this season big
time. For example, everybody that played at least one game last year has scored at least
once! Now almost everyone has already scored at least once so far this year! And recently,
in the fall of 2012 Outdoor Soccer league, we came in second place. We lost in the final by a
close 4-3! Ninja Turtles soccer has definitely grown into a healthy social/sport activity for the
deaf and interpreter communities! :)
-Ben Gilbert
Spring Delish Dish: Turtle Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted
butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 large egg, separated, plus 1
egg white

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups pecans, finely
chopped

14 soft caramel candies

3 tbsp heavy cream
1.
Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in bowl. With electric mixer on
medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy: two
minutes. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Wrap
dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm: one hour.
2.
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle and lower-middle positions
and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment
paper. Whisk egg whites in bowl until frothy. Place pecans in another
bowl. Roll dough into one-inch balls, dip in egg whites, then roll in pecans. Place balls two inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using 1/2teaspoon measure, make indentation in center of each ball. Bake until
set, about twelve minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway
through baking.
3.
Microwave caramels and cream in bowl, stirring occasionally,
until smooth: one-two minutes. Once cookies are removed from oven,
gently re-press existing indentations. Fill each with 1/2 teaspoon caramel mixture. Cool ten minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Try not to devour them all at once!
Recipe taken from: http://pixelatedcrumb.com/2012/01/11/chocolate-turtle-cookies/
The Tide
Page 4
DYA Announcements
Third Annual Family Fun Day
Nothing says Christmas like the smell of fresh baked
cookies, the sparkle of homemade ornaments, and a visit
from Santa himself. DYANS, with the help of the AEIP and
DSP, was thrilled to host the Third Annual Christmas
Family Fun Day on Saturday, Dec 1st with great success
and fifty-four participants! The community came out to
decorate Christmas cookies, make crafts, bid on a wide
range of silent auction items, play games and enjoy fun
for the whole family. Highlights included photos with
Santa and a visit from Lionel, the fuzzy blue mascot who
showed up with pizza for all! Throughout the afternoon,
people had a chance to “vote” with donations for who
they wanted to see ‘pied’ in the face. And the winners? It
was a close call with Jim McDermott at $49 and Matt Ayyash at $51. So we pied them both!
Thank you to all our volunteers sponsors, and special
guests: Marla, Marianne, Gigi, Maddie, Evelina, Ceilidh,
Randy, Sandra, Laura, Merika, Kate, Leanne, Jared, Craig,
Jim, Matt, Mel, Creative Curve Media Group, Boston
Pizza, Santa Clause, and Lionel!
DYA Hockey
On Saturday, February 2nd, 2013, seventeen people
made their way to the Civic Arena at 10:30 pm to play
some hockey. Fifteen skaters and two goalies scrimmaged until midnight! A huge thank you must go out
to everybody who showed up to support DYA and to
Ceilidh Marshall for braving the cold to take some pictures and Jared MacNeil for running the show, gathering money, making sure everybody got some water
for the game and keeping tabs on the Bruins/Leafs
game! Everybody had so much fun. The number of
players were almost evenly matched on each side. We
split the teams into black and white and had a blast
playing some good hockey into the wee hours of Sunday morning! There were people out there hustling,
making nice passes/plays and just having fun playing
some good ol' Canadian hockey! Props to Bruce Drake
and Devon McCarthy for being the goalies and withstanding being peppered by pucks for nearly two
hours! The game truly wouldn't have been as much
fun if you guys weren't there! Thank you again to everybody involved and hopefully we can do this again
sometime in the near future!!
Check out the DYA website - www.dyans.ca - for more details on upcoming events! - the website is constantly being updated. For people who are interested in volunteering with DYA, please fill out the form under the Volunteer
section on the website. Remember, it's not only for Deaf and Hard of Hearing youth, hearing people are welcome
to fill it out as well to work with Deaf Youth.
We are very thankful to see DYA growing and becoming stronger. Without your support, none of this would have
happened. If you have any concerns, questions, or ideas for future events, do not hesitate to contact Leanne at
[email protected] or Jill Wood (President) at [email protected].
Spring 2013
Page 5
Interpreter Spotlight: Wendy Doucet
How long have you been interpreting?
I graduated in 1986...so it’s going on twenty-seven years...wow!!! It’s been I while I guess :)
What is the best part of interpreting for you?
Throughout the years, I have always enjoyed the various opportunities I have had. I really liked that my
job was not the same day in and day out. Everyday I experienced something different while meeting
different people.
What is the most difficult thing for you to interpret?
Legal assignments, especially the courts, have always been challenging. I would accept assignments
because there were no other interpreters in my area. However, I made it quite clear of my struggles
and my lack of skills. My comprehension level of the legal jargon is nil, or almost, which makes it
difficult to interpret.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Honestly...I have no idea where I’ll be in five years. I hope to be still alive and actively working in this
career. Or actively working in another area, for a change. I am open to whatever lies ahead. I would
love to have stayed in Cape Breton as my children are still there but there was no employment for me
in this profession. SO...I up and moved to where there was work.
How do you make yourself a better interpreter?
ALWAYS be open to feedback. I learn from other interpreters. Because I lived in Cape Breton for the
past twenty years, I was working in isolation, so to speak. But, I continued to work with the Translation
Bureau and had the opportunity to work with fellow interpreters from time to time.
What keeps you positive?
Well, staying positive can be tough sometimes. But, back in 2008 I decided to make some major life
style changes. One of those changes was losing 100.5 pounds. I did this by revamping my eating habits
and changing my lifestyle. I continue to live that lifestyle and enjoy the feelings that go along with it. I
make sure exercise is a part of my daily routine, walking every day or every second day, lately. I laugh
and smile a lot (sense of humour) - it’s healthy for me to do this. We often are very critical of ourselves
and put ourselves down a lot. We need to focus on the positives, what we can do, and believe! This all
helps me to remain positive.
What advice can you offer to new interpreters?
ATTITUDE!!! You can be the most skilled interpreter out there but it’s your attitude, I feel, that is most
important. BE FLEXIBLE! It’s not always black or white.
Any other comments or fun things about yourself that you would like to share?
The only regret with my choice of career was that there wasn’t always security in the jobs I accepted. If
you didn’t work, you didn’t get paid...and the fact that there is no pension offered at the various
positions.
Interpreting has always been a very rewarding career for me. Challenging at many times; but I have
enjoyed my career choice.
The Tide
Page 6
Spring Crossword
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Across
Down
2. In many cultures, Spring symbolizes
___________.
1. Banff vacation destination (2 words).
3. The first flower to bloom each year.
5. Tasty Chinese treat (2 words).
5. Popular shopping road (2 words).
6. A bird that symbolizes the arrival of Spring.
9. Home of the Springtime cherry blossom celebration.
7. "Suddenly It's Spring" crooner.
11. The traditional month of marriage.
12. Predictor of Spring's arrival time.
13. The first to propose Daylight Savings Time.
4. The Latin word for spring.
8. A common Springtime problem.
10. On the first day of Spring, this can stand on its end.
Spring 2013
Page 7
Girl In Translation: Book Club Novel Review
‘ “Ma,” I whispered, “is it safe?”
“Aunt Paula wouldn't send us anywhere unsafe,” she said, but her low voice was laced with a thread of doubt.’
At the beginning of reading this book, I was not sure where this story of a young girl from Hong Kong was going.
However, by the time I got to the end of the book, I could not believe what my eyes read! I had to go back and read
a few parts again, because there's a twist that got me twisted, and I just had to get it straightened out in my head!
I love how the author writes some of the conversations phonetically, to show that what the speaker is saying, is not
making sense to the main character. For example, "Any school who accepts you, if they do, would have to squeeze
you in and their budget may already be ex-sausaged.” And, "Sometimes we even offer up to fifty percent of the
twosheen costs."
The author does a great job of building suspense with phrases that foreshadow a great change in plot:
"I don't know how things might have progressed with us, taking step after step down the road of
love, or at least acting as if we were, if events hadn't unfolded as they did."
There are a few moments in the second half of the book that may render the book a bit awkward for those moments of down time during an assignment. Now, I'm not talking Harlequin Novels like, A Forbidden Affair. However,
there will be moments that will add some spice to your chili, if you know what I'm saying. These moments are the
kind of genuine romance that tugs at your heartstrings and makes you want to cheer and give the characters a highfive.
As we all know, there is a different between translation and interpretation, we can see the differences come up on
numerous occasions in this book. The column on the left contains phrases taken from the book that are translations
of Cantonese/Chinese. The column on the right is the interpretation (meaning) of the phrase. If you have read the
book, see what you can remember, if you have not yet read the book... see if you are a super-genius and can figure
it out by matching the translations with the appropriate interpretation.
1. "You're a rake filled with dirt."
2. "Why are you talking the big words?”
3. "Your hearts have no roots."
4. "You two go and get a moon tan."
5. "You have one big gallbladder."
6. "You are trying to beat on our leg bones."
7. "You have a wolf's heart and a dog's lungs."
a. Why are you lying?
b. You're trying to take advantage of us.
c. You're brave.
d. You are untrustworthy and vicious.
e. You're a stupid country bumpkin.
f. You are ungrateful.
g. Go take a stroll in the moonlight.
Answers will be published in the June 2013 issue of the newsletter, stay tuned!
-Kate Porter
Want to delve deeper into the world of Girl In Translation by Jean Kwok? Come to the next book club meeting:
April 4th at 7:30 - Home of Amy Lugar - 2 Barkton Lane, Apt 305 - Clayton Park (Halifax)
Bring something to snack on if you wish!
MAPSLI
Maritime Association of
Mind Your Own MAPSLI Business!
MAPSLI’s next Annual General Meeting will be held on
Professional Sign Language
Interpreters
Saturday June 1st, 2013
10:00am - 12:00pm
PO Box 2625
Halifax, NS
We look forward to seeing you there!
B3J 3P7
Please remember to send along your proxies
www.mapsli.ca
Contact us via email at:
if you are unable to make it.
The Nominations Committee would like to announce that
[email protected]
nominations are open for:
PRESIDENT
And
TREASURER
Please contact [email protected] or secretary @mapsli.ca
Current Board:
President: Tanya Frank-Scholten
Vice-President: Brenna D’Arcy
Secretary: Jana Delaney-Wilson
Treasurer: Natalie Turner
Member at Large: Justin Read
Committee Coordinators:
Professional Development:
Amy Lugar & Ayoka Junaid
Fundraising: Serri Smith
Newsletter: Beth Reid
Membership: Cilena Walsh
if you would like to nominate someone.
Voting will take place at the AGM in June.
Newsflash!
The Board would like to thank
our outgoing membership coordinator Krysta Hartlen for her
hard work. We wish you all the
best Krysta!
This gives us the opportunity to
welcome Cilena Walsh as the
new coordinator. Glad to have
you with us Cilena!
Susan Cargill and family welcome a new baby boy - Melvin
Casey Cargill Croft was born
(one day after the last MAPSLI
members meeting) on Nov.
25th 2012, weighing 6lbs 14 0z.
He is now three months old
and has the nickname Smiley!
Favorite hand shape is the
letter T and holds his hands like
that most of the time :)