Month: December 2023

I thought I wouldn’t make a retrospective summary of the year but changed my mind and would like to conclude my 2023 with a Happy New Year light display recorded just now 📹

I’ve been making one Kanji character resolution with colleagues & friends for more than 10 years. My Kanji for 2023 is “貫” (or penetrate) for carrying out my word.

In the recent post, I mentioned my plan of the year 2023 to take over interpreting projects myself and am happy that I’ve made it. This encourages me to make the next leap in the year 2024.

I was pretty overwhelmed with things whether business and private and failed to write about my resignation from the JAT Board upon completion of the term. I served as the JAT Treasurer between 2019/7 and 2021/6 as well as the JAT President and Treasurer between 2021/7 and 2023/6. It had been super hard to put my hands on operation and administration of the association while working as a freelancer but I am relieved that I was able to accomplish the terms without leaving it halfway. I am grateful for supports and understanding from everyone around me.

Only my regret was that I couldn’t manage much time to spend on studying for some certifications. I’ll have to revisit my time management and proactively find time for study in the year 2024.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year ✨
Talk to you soon with a new post in a few days 😂

Photo: lighting display at Hiroshima station 🚉

Do you prefer to paper planners or electronic planners? I’ve been using a paper planner. I once tried managing schedule digitally with several online planner solutions but none of them was what I imagined. For good luck, I always use a planner with gold color cover. 📔 I hope I’ll have lots of plans to write on my 2024 planner 🙏😊

My last interpreting project in the year 2023 took place at a hospital in Kashiwa, Chiba pref.. it was my first visit to the city, though I used to live and work in Chiba (Soga and Kisarazu). I was excited and little nervous at the same time, as it was my first clinical trial related interpreting project, but I had a great experience thanks to very nice clients 😊 I’d willingly bid for the requests on the same field with confidence next time.

Photo: a university library in the vicinity of the working site

The moment you realize you only have less than half a month to the new year! The year 2023 was truly a hectic year for me. In the end of the last year, I thought I’d also try taking over interpreting jobs myself in addition to translations, not just asking colleagues to handle all interpreting requests, amid the recovery of inbound travel and tourism upon the lifting of restrictions. And this year, I started January with an in-person interpreting project, and I am concluding December with another in-person interpreting project. I wouldn’t have been able to make it without support and understanding from my colleagues and clients. Cherishing the bond that we have, I’d proactively expand my work ratio of interpreting in the year 2024 😊

Photo: Christmas lights in Marunouchi, Tokyo.