November 2008
 World Clock: REYKJAVIK

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Time to Say "Danke", "Gracias", "Merci", etc...

America celebrates Thanksgiving this month, and unless you are a turkey, a can of cranberry sauce or the one in charge of cooking for a houseful of relatives, you can probably think of lots of things to be thankful for.  While the American holiday has some unique attributes, other countries and cultures have their own festivals and holidays originally conceived to celebrate a bountiful harvest...

(Click here to read the full article)


What are YOU thankful for?
 Email us and let us know!

PILGRIMS ARRIVE LATE

Many people know the story of the Pilgrims, the Mayflower and Plymouth.  What's less well known is that many scholars agree that the first European to see North America was the Icelandic explorer Bjarni Herjulfsson (see this month's Language Facts & Trivia section about Icelandic names!) who spotted the coast of Newfoundland around 985...more than 500 years before even Christopher Columbus "discovered" America!
What's in a Name?

Our names say a lot about us.  Our first names give us insight about our parents (and how crazy they may have been), our nicknames tell us a lot about our personalities (and sometimes what our friends really think about us) and our last names tell the world what family we belong to and give clues about where our ancestors may have come from.  But in some cultures, names can reveal a whole lot more...

(Click here to read the full article)
Thanksgiving Treat
by Bobby Lahiere, VP Operations

Well, November is the month that we all eat ourselves silly (and likely the only month we give thanks for doing so), and while our food recipe this month isn't exactly a foreign one, it did come from my French grandmother (we called her "grandmère") who immigrated to the U.S. in 1911.  Since she was French, well, we'll assume the recipe must be French also.  Either way, I can guarantee this recipe will be a hit...it is always the most anticipated dish around our Thanksgiving table each year.

(Click here for the yummy recipe)
(In a Japanese hotel)
You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid.

(In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox monastery)
You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except Thursday.

(In an Austrian hotel catering to skiers)
Not to perambulate the corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension.
Julie asks:

We were in a meeting and discussing our next translation project when one of our executives asked if your translators are professional linguists. Can you please tell me how you qualify your translators?

(Click here to see Pattie response)

Say What?

Ever wonder what a particular language sounds like?  The Internet is chock full of foreign language radio stations.  If you need to brush up on your Basque or just want to chew up lots of bandwidth, check out our list of cool foreign radio links.
 


Germany's "B5 aktuell" provides live, streaming news and cultural reports in German (click the image to hear it now!)
"Thanksgiving is the one holiday that transcends gifts, cards and dusty home decor. It rises above the boundaries of religion, race, and nation. And the leaves!"
Daphne Gordon

"Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often."
Johnny Carson

"May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!"
Anonymous

(Click here for two wonderful Thanksgiving offerings)



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