Another day...

I'm planning on tutoring English for junior high students. I guess I can teach senior high students, too, but I'm not sure I can deal with their attitudes these days. Working on book translations alone doesn't seem to give me a stable income. Damn those forever critical editors! You guys are so gonna get wrinkles all over your foreheads if the only thing you'll ever know is to haughtily stick your nose up in the air and look down at us with those condescending eyes of yours. What? If the translation is exactly accurate to the extend of word-by-word, then you'd say the writing isn't flowing enough. If the translation is flowing and literary, then you'd accuse me of free translation beyond what the original was meant. OMG! Isn't that so mean of you, sir and madam ? May I remind you that Vietnamese and English are not the same, and in some ways, very different? I can't stick too close to the original text without changes and achieve the flowing effect you so desire. I tried my best to reach middle ground; apparently, no matter what I did would never satisfy your only-god-know standards. Could it be you are a perfectionist? Well, guess I'm not versed enough in translating skills then to please you perfectionists.

A few days ago, I finished the first two books in the Gives Light series by Rose Christo. They were amazing works, and to be honest, quite chaste. Sometimes, I found myself hoping for something more heated. Yet, all Sky and Rafael ever did were chaste kisses. All in all, the story was wonderful and insightful. It gave me more understanding about the Indians' tradition, lifestyle, and difficulties dealing with the State Government's harsh treatment. Come to think of it, I've always had a thing for stories with Native American rather than those stupid cowboys with only muscles and no brains. 

Gives Light is a triology, but if you've known me by now, you'll realize I'm an ever-changing person. I get bored easily, and that's exactly what happened. It had nothing to do with the book. It's just me growing restless and wanted to jump to another story with different background, different characters, different situations. 

Anyway, last night and this morning, I tried out Chulito by Charles Rice-González. Ohhhhh, it was such a disaster. It was so terrible that I couldn't tolerate it for another word, let alone another page. No way! I have no idea why all those reviewers went on and on about how "CUTE" the story was. Anyone??? Not me for sure! I saw nothing CUTE about it. Just annoying characters, nonsense ramblings, shallow plot... Man! Just remembering it is enough to give me shudders. Ewww! No, thank you very much!