Work Nervous Sad Funny

I am writing from the call center of Telelanguage, Inc. When I am done I am going to email this to Lauren. She is going to post it for me.

I do not have internet access here. I can use google, craigslist and the Oregon Department of Labor's website. That's about it. The google 'news' feature has saved me on more than one occasion. I can look at the cover page. If an article is from the associated press I can read it in it's entirety. I have Lauren email me articles on current political trends, fantasy sports or anything else that I might find even remotely stimulating.

I get the days edition of 'Pearls before Swine' and 'Get Fuzzy' emailed to me as well.


I answer and dial all day long. Clients, primarily, hospitals call to schedule interpreters. I enter the order in the database. I call the interpreters, independent contractors, and try to fill the appointments.

If an interpreter is late, lazy, stupid or not very good at life the call, and the blame, comes to me. I spend all day on the phone with people that do not want to talk to me. I am an intermediary. I am an intermediary for a task that many people resent. Some members of the hospital staff make no attempts to hide their contempt for non-English speaking patients.

Things I have been told on the phone:

'I would like a Hispanic Interpreter'
'I would like a Mexican Interpreter'
'I don't know what language they speak. Can't you tell by the name?'
'I would like Southeast Asian'
'You know, your oriental interpreters are very lazy'
'I don't know what language they speak. That's your job'
'I would like an African Interpreter'


You can often sense the resentment coming through the telephone line.



Not all are like this however. And I have learned to cope with it much better. I have gotten much better at what I do.



Today is my second to last day. I start at Yahoo! on Monday. I am going to be a Small Business Associate. Through email and incoming telephone calls I will be working with small business that want their company to appear on Yahoo! search results. I will be using Excel to sort data and provide them with keywords and advertising help.


Or something like that.


I will be working 18 miles from my house. I will be making a ton more money. I will have a really great benefits package. I can get Lauren health insurance immediately.




I always get nervous about starting a new job.




I have grand ideas about writing another blog about faith. We'll see how that goes. I need more time. I need to not be at work.


I came across a quote from Mother Theresa the other day declaring that abortion was the greatest evil in the world.


It made me sad. There are things I see on the streets of Portland that are far worse. There are things I see every day that I think would sadden god much more.


I think that the Christian community has gotten the abortion issue wrong. I think the same applies to gay marriage. I think that these two issues, and the position that many prominent Christians have taken on them have done much to damage the body of Christ.


I started thinking along these lines after I started reading the bible.


It saddens me.


But more of that later.



In other news....


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Funniest stuff I have seen in a while.