...we have radars to protect us from butt cheeks...

Yes.  I said that during institute today. 

So about a month ago Jamie asked me if I could help her out and interpret institute during April since she would be loaded down interpreting for the master’s classes here in Santiago.

Of course I said sure. 

I love a challenge and I’m feeling that much more confident when it comes to interpreting.  It’s one thing to speak a language and whole other interpreting/translating, but like I said, I’m feeling feisty and ready for a challenge.

Side note.  Say “it’s a whole other world”.  Sounds strange?  I’ve always said, “it’s a whole nother world”, even though “nother” isn’t a word and keeps being squiggled with red. 

Ok, to the point.  Translating in Santiago is completely different than translating in Lautaro (what I did before in November) for one simple point.  There is no bus to go home on after I’m done.  I live here.  I know almost ever person in the class personally.  We will see each other on a daily basis for probably years to come.  All of this makes my little slip up that much more grandiose.

John Turner, Chirstine’s pastor from her childhood, is the professor, which is cool enough on it’s own having down here with us as he teaches.  We’re learning about leadership through the book of Nehemiah. 

So as John started to explain the importance of city walls during Nehemiah’s time period he makes a comparison to how now-a-days we have radars to protect us from rockets and other forms of attacks.

That’s nothing too hard to translate, right?  Well just as I get to the rockets part I pause for a split second and the words slips from my mind.  How do you say rockets?  Crap, I think its cachetes and so I go for it without any delay. 

Nope. 

A good way to figure out if you’re doing well when it comes to interpreting is looking at people’s faces.

There’s a beautiful mix of smiling/smirking/wanting to burst with laughter/drop jawed/stunned/disbelief.

Cohetes was what I should have said which would have translated the idea completely clearly.  What I actually said with the “cachetes” choice was

Now-n-days we have radars to protect us from butt cheeks!

Oh so close and yet such different worlds.

I will never forget the difference between those two words and all those students/friends will never let me hear enough.

Fear not ye fearful citizen, those dreaded butt cheeks won’t harm you, your family or your house, we’ve got radars!

Hey at least I didn’t say cachetones which would have been big ol’ butt cheeks. 

:)