Machine translation

The other day I had to evaluate a bunch of texts that had been machine-translated. The intent was to evaluate if for some highly technical, reasonably short, self-contained texts, machine translation (MT, for short) was acceptable. I did sentence-by-sentence analyses which brought to light a number of interesting conclusions:
- there are elements that are not translated. From one language to the next, some filler words (prepositions, for example) just go. They just weigh down the text and don't add meaning. An example is "then" in 'if-then' instances. The poor machine translated then as a time construct instead of causality - the results were disastrous as the added meaning was far from the original. Better to have skipped it altogether.
- some elements cannot be skipped. MT sometimes misses crucial notions. This has the unexpected consequence of making the sentence unreadable. Sometimes the verb or subject will be missing. I did not stop to analyze why - I suspect it has to do with style (syntax, really). The machine cannot recognize the element as important in relation to its position in the sentence.
- common words have many meanings that a human being understands because of context or experience. The word May was translated as a derivative of 'can' instead of the month it was representing.
By the end of the 6-hour exercise, I was in awe of the human brain. Never before had I truly appreciated the complexity of the translation work. MT really demonstrates the enormous amount of weeding that goes into choosing the correct words to translate a thought. It also highlights the thought processes and decision-making abilities of good translators.

The page-by-page analyses showed that even though individual sentences can be properly translated, it is rarely enough to get the meaning across. If important elements are dropped (a negation in a warning, for example), then no matter how grammatical your sentence is, the results are still unacceptable. The text ranged from poor to good, good being the category just above poor. I would have had categories such as laughable, miserable, poor, barely readable, understandable. Good would have been the highest possibility. This was an eye-opening experience...

Book of Revelations

Ok, so the title is already taken, but it's a fine one.
I will tell you about one little revelation: willpower. I realized this past month that what matters is not competence as much as the will to do. This quality I think is the one that guarantees things will get done. There are variants to this truth: they have to do with faith. "If you build it, they will come." And come they do.
Looking around me at work, I realize that personal integrity as well as a strong work ethics define the people with with I enjoy hanging out. These thoughts and others about how to live life fully have led me to believe that my life results not in my thoughts, my emotions or my actions - all things in which at one point I put my faith into - but in my drive which brings all of this into a neat little package. I more or less drifted into my life, not really imparting a conscious direction to it, though I felt and thought and acted in certain ways as though I had a goal or plan. Lately, I came to believe that this is not enough. All these elements need to be wrapped neatly in a direction.
Basically, willpower is the energy that propels thoughts, emotions and actions into reality. Will is the creative power without which nothing exists.
It is a very empowering notion that I plan to keep at the forefront of my thoughts day and night from now on.

Let's Talk about the Weather

So here's the thing: you can predict the weather basd on a caterpillar's colour. Not any caterpillar though. The fuzzy orange and black ones. See, the head is orange, the body black and the tail orange. The amount of black on the body indicates the dryness. You start counting in the Spring, presumably when it is born. If most of the caterpillar is orange, you're getting wet. I am not sure if you can get rings (an alternation of colours).
Anyhow, we found such a caterpillar and brought it to a learned friend who explained it to us. He showed us how we had had a rather dry summer and said not to expect a white Christmas.

It seems this ancient knowledge was used in Cambodia for centuries to plan rice crops.

Another effect of the climate change...

Work

As a rule, I don't blog about work. Today will be the exception. I started working outside my home in mid-July, as we realized Minuit was quite sick. He passed away a week later and I didn't blog for the next two months though I could have found the time. I just couldn't think of anything interesting to write about.

I had been meaning to work at The Company ever since I was laid off from my previous one. Of all the local companies, it had the best reputation, low attrition, no scandals. I personally knew ex-colleagues happily working there and was eager to have a foot in the door. After working there for three months, I still think the world of The Company. My cynicism hasn't kicked in, mostly, I think, because the people I meet are so constantly positive. It is a rare and beautiful thing to see that the core of a company is made up of so many happy people. The fact that they are competent and hard-working is an added bonus. Hard-working competent employees are fairly common in the business but a lot of them, IMHO, are disgruntled and unhappy with life. In The Company, I have met and become friends with people from various departments.

During the day, though we work in cubicles, the noise level is low. Yesterday, at EOD, I heard laughter and was really happy to be still working. It makes such a difference to be in a positive environment, with people who are happy to be there and to contribute. Some of you have heard my grievances about one of my colleagues. She behaved rudely with a number of contractors but, and that is the big thing, her behavior was NOT tolerated and our manager has followed her closely to make sure she would comply with the new behaviour and attitude he wanted her to adopt. It has been many weeks and the atmosphere around her has dramatically improved.

The way this problem was handled is also a testament to the excellence of the people in The Company. There are no perfect situations; our reaction to them is what matters.

So, basically, this is what I have been up to. Adapting to my new environment at work and at home. I think of all of you more often than this blog shows. Really. : )

Can't Explain

I have worked in corporations alongside tech writers for over 15 years (gasp). I always heard that using humor in technical texts is quite risky and should be avoided. Here is a case in point, taken from the label on my conditioner (yes, I read everything):

Directions: Try to contain your laughter. Work conditioner through clean, damp hair. Rinse and commence laughter.

Can somebody explain?

Gratitude

I just finished reading The Secret, a book that gives advice on how to live better. I incorporated a few of the ideas in my life. One of them is to write daily things that happened for which you are grateful. A friend of mine has been doing it for two years just as a general morale booster. I always thought it was a good idea - for her. I bought myself a notebook and started writing a few days ago. It's actually a lot of fun. Example: I am happy for my visit to the dentist (it didn't hurt); I enjoyed stopping for organic vegetables by the side of the road and paying though the honor system; I loved the mushroom sauce Paul made tonight...

Anyways, we'll see where that leads me.

Evolution

Minuit died on July 24. I used to write to Paul's mom as though I were Minuit and, since he died, I send her "extracts from his diary". She asked us if we thought he had been a human being reborn into a dog, which sparked a discussion later between Yseult and me when she mentioned that exchange to me. I told Yseult that I did not think it was possible to reincarnate into anything other than a human body. She argued that she did not believe humans were the highest life form and that we might be better off coming back as plants. She told me of an experiment where two plants were separated : one was kept in a lab and the other was sent into space. The scientists did things to the one on Earth and the one in space reacted immediately as though it was happening to it. "If plants can communicate immediately over such distances, why are we the evolved ones?"
Which got me thinking about how presumptuous it was of me to assume supremacy over plants and animals...

Logic and Me

I don't know why recipes are so hard to follow (see Twist: Technical Writing for another embarrassing example). Last time I baked a cake, I put too much sugar. Sometimes, if the ingredient is indented I don't see it (I tend not to read titles in red, either). This time, the ingredients were not listed in a logical manner (my logic) and the instructions were vague (it was a recipe transcribed, no doubt, from memory - but whose? a confused person, that's for sure). I managed to make a decent strawberry pudding with Paul's help - he pulled out the pudding when I realized I had forgotten to mix the eggs in! and proceeded to correct my mistake. We put it back in the oven. I then realized I hadn't put the required butter on the syrup you pour over it. Out of the oven it came again! By then, it didn't look like what it was supposed to but it turned out pretty good nevertheless.
Of course, it wasn't my fault. I decided the recipe writer must've been on drugs and proceeded to - yes, you guessed it - rewrite it to my satisfaction. And tonight, we are eating the same strawberry pudding just to prove my point (nobody is complaining). Btw - I just took it out of the oven and it is a nice golden colour... see for yourself.

Superstition

I was over at a friend's last week-end. He owns a store and was telling us about the new goods he had recently purchased. We got to talking about the cool umbrellas he carries (Yseult loves umbrellas) and he left the room and came back with a promo one. It features the polar caps and it looks really, really good. He got ready to open it and I suddenly felt uncomfortable "Surely he's not going to open it in the house? Maybe we'll all go on the balcony? You fool - what are you doing!!! You are not supposed to do that. You are only allowed to open it in the bathroom where you put it to dry!" Those thoughts spinned in my head fast and furious as quickly as I was trying to neutralize them, mock them and generally shut them down.
Wow - what a struggle! And to think I used to mock my friend who would toss salt over her shoulder if she (or I) knocked over the salt shaker. If I didn't toss salt over my shoulder, she would. It was just too strong an urge to block. Something we learned as kids and never fully understood (I think the salt blinds the devil that lurks in the shadows; as for the umbrella, I think it's a safety issue) but continue doing as adults. I couldn't believe I held such irrational and powerful thoughts.
The evening proceded without incident and - knock on wood - I hope the rest of the week continues that way...

Peaceful Canadians

For all the threats in the newspapers, there was no animosity displayed between the lawn chairs (cordoned off on the side) and the dancers. I had never been to a show where you can text messages on the big screen. It was a big part of the entertainment.... I taped that just for the fun of using the video feature on my phone...

I didn't enjoy the music as much as I did the CDs, which is a shame. I did get to buy more CDs - Metric and White Stripes - so that was cool. And I generally just enjoy hanging out at outdoor concert venues so all in all I had a good time...

Lawn Chair War

I changed camp this year and joined the lawn chair gang at the Blues fest. I'm not going to go and explain why I did that, I just did. Now I am dreading going to the concert, in fear I will be spat on and generally booed at. I will wear dark glasses and my very fast sneakers and hope I get through this ordeal without any permanent scars.

Keep your fingers crossed - I am hoping for rain to dampen the spirits of the other camp...

Canada Day riddle

Bear with me: I made up a riddle for Canada Day, but did not find the answer to it until today. What's red and white and moves?
It's me, walking with my new cell phone. The phone is white and has a red (detachable) faceplate. Spiffy! We bought it on Friday, I took pictures (yay) with it Saturday and I read the instruction manual (gasp! I hope you tech writers out there are proud of me) online Sunday. You think I would be able to make phone calls by Monday? Well, I was...
The camera is not bad at all and even has an integrated flash. We got a Canada Day rebate of $50 (I kid you not) on the package (we got 2). It has all sorts of cool features which I don't need now but might use down the road - who knows? Quite exciting. It had been a while since I had a new toy...

That's all the news, really. Had a quiet Canada Day. Had to deliver some files as I work for ... Americans who aren't patriotic about Canada... ; ) It's all right, we still had time for a little jaywalking in Merrickville - not sure if it's jaywalking if there are no sidewalks to go to and from... not many cars, either... Good fun.

I hope you all had a great Canada Day!

Expat

Today is saint-Jean-Baptiste day but it felt like any other day, here in Ontario, apart from an article in the Citizen (of all places - they are usually not too francophile) talking about 41 reasons to rejoice at the Saint-Jean-Baptiste and sending greetings to "have a good one". For the first since I moved here in 1990, I felt a little saddened by that fact. That was my warm and fuzzy feeling for the day... There were no flags, no reminder of that special day. I felt a tinge of envy towards those fortunate enough to be annoyed by the noise or resentful of the celebratory mood. You can afford to not fully appreciate the companionship when it is so freely given.
Or maybe I was just in a melancholy mood.
I sent a few emails to friends in Montreal, asking if or how they were celebrating. No answer. Were they out? Was it a no-brainer?A non-issue? What's the deal? Sigh.
We had a good dinner (no BBQ because of the impending rain, a toast to highlight the day, and that was it.
So - to all expats - Joyeuse Saint-Jean-Baptiste!

Grandma smell

I hit another "grandma smell" yesterday. I tended to the tomato patch, nipping off the little suckers that, well, suck out the plants energy and divert it to branches with no flowers (hence, no fruits, later on). The green smell I had on my hands so vividly called upon my grandma. We used to tend her vegetable patch together - she grew lots of tomatoes, green and yellow beans and... really, I don't remember much else.
As much as my father loved to experiment in his patch - growing enormous zucchinis that only a zucchini bread could handle - my grandma was a woman of tried and true things. We ate countless loads of fresh vegetables all summer, and our neighbours also benefitted from her green thumb. She also loved flowers and when we went on walks she would recognize the houses or streets by the flowers that were grown. I was fortunate to see the world through her eyes and learn to appreciate "things that grew". My world was around my friends - this is Susan's house, the neighbour has a dog. My grandma would recognize the double geraniums or the well-tended begonias. And we would go on chatting, sharing our worlds and appreciating each other's company.
I love the green smell.

Father's Day

My Dad loves trees.
When I was too young to go to church, I would go just for the pleasure of his company. We would walk to church and he would name all the trees we passed by and tell me about them.
He still goes to church. I live in the countryside, surrounded by trees.
Thanks for sharing your love of Nature with me, Dad. Happy Father's Day.

Summer Reading

For summer reading, I recommend "Heat". That's not true, though it's all about being very hot (think polar caps melting), it is not a light, fun read. On the contrary, it talks about the very serious issue of global warming. Between this and a thriller, Heat is scarier. It is also a "dry" read (no pun intended) and a slow one because of the topic.

I am not done but will start commenting on Heat now as there will be time to write other posts about it. If I don't post now, I will certainly forget what moved me, because it is such a slow read and my memory span is... well, as short as ever.

The net effect of this book is that I have started paying attention to what politicians say about global warming. I look for articles on global warming to try and make up my own mind on what is going on. Monbiot, the author, exposes where disinformation is coming from and who benefits from it.
Examples of government neglect are taken from the UK - for the Canadian edition, a virulent attack on Harper's ineptitude was added. This covers the first few chapters.

After identifying CO2 as the main culprit, we learn where the bulk of it comes from and what needs to be done to remedy that. In the UK, for example, houses are badly insulated and so people heat and heat throughout winter, burning coal and releasing tons of CO2 in the atmosphere. The author goes on to explore ways to "fix" the houses as well as alternate means of generating clean energy: nuclear power? wind mills? he goes through the list and shares his findings with us.

It is quite a disheartening and sobering read. A needed one too. The least it did for me was raise my awareness (as An Inconvenient Truth had done before) of things I can do on my own to make a difference. And so I read on and urge you to do the same.

(Add subliminal message here: Buy the book! Buy the book! jk - Blues bro lent me a copy. I am sure your local library has it.)

Sens fever

It seems a lot of fans believe that what they do influences the outcome of the game (for those not paying attention, I am talking about the hockey finals for the Stanley Cup between the Senators and the Ducks).

I heard first- or second-hand stories of magical thinking told by the most balanced people. For example: "Don't yell at them (the Senators), you will destroy their confidence." Or "If I pay too much attention to the game, the other team scores. If I go to another room, the Sens bounce back." Those people are watching the games on tv, in their homes, and are otherwise quite rational. Why do they admit to this magical thinking? I can only surmise they believe it works that way.

Babies with little experience in life will believe that they control curtains blown by the wind. We teach them about the wind and they drop that idea. Suppose we're wrong? We go to great lenght to recapture the innocence of our youth. Religions and philosophies expound on the clarity of a child's simple mind that sees things as they are. Some are based on the premise that we are all interconnected : if that is so, then every fan's doubt or vote of confidence trips his hero or sends the puck flying in the net.

The Senators won 5-3 last night. I, for one, think the fans were doing something right...

Beijing

I just came across this wonderful blog of this American student living in Beijing. She writes about her experience there and she is funny and writes so well she puts me to shame. In one of her posts, she mentions a "translation" by Ezra Pound. The word translation never applies when it comes to Pound because he was so innovative and creative in his work that they were really another creation inspired by the original. Anyway... the blog is a delight and makes me hanker for my linguistics classes - the only ones that really ever got my full attention for all the possibilities that they harboured (my bilingual dictionary is failing me).

I started a little personal blog on the side - it contains letters by my dog to Paul's mother. She keeps saying I should publish them because they make her laugh. That is my backup for them and I also intend to do little experiments with pictures and layouts, RSS feeds and whatever catches my fancy. When I figure things out, I will port the new technology over to this one... It's like going to the moon - the technology benefits related spheres (or not!)

Yes!

That's how it feels to be back amongst the living. I knew as soon as I awoke that I was better. My head was not as woozy and my ears were almost unplugged and the slight headache was only present when I blew my nose.
Two days ago I almost posted a blog on breathing - I knew only the absence of it at that time and was longing to breathe through my nose. I had a nanosecond of panic when I thought I was out of Breathe Easy strips - little strips that pull your nostrils out and help you breathe through the nose as you sleep.
I read in a book on yoga a few years back that you breathe through one nostril at a time. Something like a 90-minute cycle on one nostril and then the next cycle on the other. You were supposed to become aware of the cycle and control it, if I remember correctly.
I am thinking that if that is true, then you might be oxygenating one side of the brain when you breathe with one nostril and the other when you breathe with the other. Now, how does that affect your dreams? Are they more creative when your right side is oxygenated? What about if you are wearing strips? Does that affect the quality of your dreaming? Of your sleep? So much research to be done still...

This is my brain on cold medicine

Started a new cold. Finished a book* (yeah, they are related items: reading keeps me still.) My other brother is showing off his latest works both at the Galerie Graff in Montreal (I couldn't find my brother's name there so there's not much point in going - as well their site is still under construction - the English link doesn't work yet) and at the Musée de Joliette in, well, Joliette, starting next week. I promised I would go to the Montreal opening on Thursday so that cold better go away. Since I slept most of the day, I am hoping to be rid of it soon.

So - not much to talk about. I had a busy week working and when it's not raining, we are enjoying our BBQ...

* The book is Anna Gavalda's Ensemble c'est tout