These words

After recording N's dulcet tones R asked me to have a look at a text which had been translated from German to English for a dubbing session they had booked on Friday. It was for a video promoting a training DVD called "New Life Balance". I thought the subject would be a self help video for the over worked and over paid, combining Buddhism, a bit of Yoga and a touch of L'Oreal commercial. But no. "Balance" literally means "Balance" and the video outlines a treatment, primarily for the elderly, to help them to improve their balance and move better. This involves learning to read chunks of constantly moving text off a screen.

The English translation of the German speeches to camera was so bad that it took myself and N over two hours to turn into something resembling comprehensible. N wasn't impressed by the formality of the Austrian presenter saying even to a German he'd come across as uptight. The time I spent working on the translation, meant that the money I owed for the voice over record was canceled out. I'm all in favour of this barter economy.

S and I wandered from Christmas market to Christmas market, supping Glühwein all the way. One of the markets incorporated fake street facades dotted with small theater sets of old fashioned living room interiors. Actors in early 20th century costume inhabited these spaces and acted out short melodramas alongside the stall fronts. The centre of the market had a large wooden spinning tower with painted characters inside, like large toy soldiers, all made from wood. S didn't fancy a spin on the big wheel as it was so cold. After a while, my thighs went numb.