Pages in topic:   < [1 2 3 4] >
City livability: would you recommend your city to a fellow translator?
Thread poster: Mario Chavez (X)
Mario Chavez (X)
Mario Chavez (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:34
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Glad to hear about Germany! Jun 27, 2017

Jan Truper wrote:

After 14 years in L.A., I moved to Berlin 13 years ago, and I love it. During my time abroad, I learned that Germany is actually a pretty decent country after all. Berlin is not yet as gentrified as many other places, though I fear that might happen eventually.

From a translator's point of view, the city has become very international -- on Sunday, I was riding the wonderful public transportation system (one of several hallmarks of civilization that the US generally lags way behind in) for about 2 hours and hardly heard a word of German. Instead, I discerned various English accents, Polish, Russian, French, Swedish, Italian, Spanish and a few other languages that I could not place.

[Edited at 2017-06-27 15:16 GMT]


Thanks, Jan, for that insightful posting.

I've never been to Germany, but I can imagine German trains being far better than our American trains here. Our fastest train, the Acela on the East Coast (it runs from Boston down to Washington DC, part of the Amtrak system), only hits 120 miles per hour as cruise speed, whereas the Alfa Pendular (an electric train from Comboios de Portugal or Portuguese Trains, that I took several times) hits 220-240 kph (149 mph) at cruise speed, from Lisbon to Aveiro, Portugal. I think one of the problems for public rail transportation here in America is the large distances. To get decent service, you have to go to the West or East Coast cities.

Who knows? Maybe I'll visit Germany in the future; I started learning some German in Lisbon a month ago (now I'm back in Ohio, sniff).


 
Jan Truper
Jan Truper  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 20:34
Member (2016)
English to German
... Jun 27, 2017

Mario Chavez wrote:

but I can imagine German trains being far better than our American trains here.



I didn't mean the speed of the trains, but the prevalence of public transportation in general. There are subways, busses, trains and streetcars. You don't need a car in Berlin. I live on the outskirts, surrounded by lakes and forests, but I can reach the city center in 25 mins.
There are currently plans for a couple of "bicycle highways", which I hope will come to fruition.
(As far as I'm concerned, gasoline-driven cars should be outlawed in major cities. They stink.)


 
Mario Chavez (X)
Mario Chavez (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:34
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Living near friends Jun 27, 2017

Sarah Lewis-Morgan wrote:

In my opinion, one of the beauties of being a freelance translator is that is largely irrelevant where you live, provided you have an adequate internet connection. My work is largely conducted online via email, with the occasional phone call. I have a few local clients, but I don't need to live near them in reality. I choose to live in a small village in Germany and it suits me just fine. There is always somewhere nice to walk the dog, and my living costs are fairly modest so if I don't have a lot of work on I can go out and ride a horse any time like I feel like it. And if the weather is miserable I can do more work. It doesn't matter to my clients where I am. I'm near friends (even if my relatives are in different countries, but there are still the internet/telephone and planes available). What's not to like?


Hi, Sarah, and thank you for piping in

As Tomás discussed above, there are important factors to consider when choosing to live in any particular place, such as proximity to family, friends and other resources. I have lived in enough different cities to know there should be more to a place to live than just work convenience. The city, for me, has to be socially attractive as well.


 
MK2010
MK2010  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 15:34
French to English
+ ...
Maybe check out Pittsburgh Jun 27, 2017

A city of hundreds of bridges, rolling green hills, and hip neighborhoods that completely reinvented itself after the steel industry collapsed.

Personally I live in a small town at the top of the Rockies right now, with all the pros and cons that come with that kind of environment. Before that I was in Chicago. Great, amazing city, though it's getting more expensive. Highly recommended though.

I want to do more of the digital nomad thing myself, like rent a house in s
... See more
A city of hundreds of bridges, rolling green hills, and hip neighborhoods that completely reinvented itself after the steel industry collapsed.

Personally I live in a small town at the top of the Rockies right now, with all the pros and cons that come with that kind of environment. Before that I was in Chicago. Great, amazing city, though it's getting more expensive. Highly recommended though.

I want to do more of the digital nomad thing myself, like rent a house in some dream city for a month or two every year. Fully explore and exploit the advantages of our professional lifestyle.

Maybe there should be a Proz travel club... members could give travel tips to other members passing through their neck of the woods, people could meet for drinks, rent places abroad together, etc.
Collapse


 
Mario Chavez (X)
Mario Chavez (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:34
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Yeah, owning a car can be a big hassle Jun 27, 2017

Jan Truper wrote:

Mario Chavez wrote:

but I can imagine German trains being far better than our American trains here.



I didn't mean the speed of the trains, but the prevalence of public transportation in general. There are subways, busses, trains and streetcars. You don't need a car in Berlin. I live on the outskirts, surrounded by lakes and forests, but I can reach the city center in 25 mins.
There are currently plans for a couple of "bicycle highways", which I hope will come to fruition.
(As far as I'm concerned, gasoline-driven cars should be outlawed in major cities. They stink.)


Living in NYC, I remember not needing a car to go places. Then only difficulty was going to the supermarket and carrying lots of bags upstairs.



 
Mario Chavez (X)
Mario Chavez (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:34
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Proz Travel Club Jun 27, 2017

MK2010 wrote:

A city of hundreds of bridges, rolling green hills, and hip neighborhoods that completely reinvented itself after the steel industry collapsed.

Personally I live in a small town at the top of the Rockies right now, with all the pros and cons that come with that kind of environment. Before that I was in Chicago. Great, amazing city, though it's getting more expensive. Highly recommended though.

I want to do more of the digital nomad thing myself, like rent a house in some dream city for a month or two every year. Fully explore and exploit the advantages of our professional lifestyle.

Maybe there should be a Proz travel club... members could give travel tips to other members passing through their neck of the woods, people could meet for drinks, rent places abroad together, etc.


Now that's a great idea! If someone needed tips on living in Portugal, for instance, I would be able to offer them.


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:34
Member (2008)
Italian to English
London Jun 27, 2017

I like it here in NW London. The only real trouble is middle-aged American tourists wandering lost on Abbey Road, looking for a certain pedestrian crossing. I kindly direct them to it, without heartlessly telling them that it isn't the original pedestrian crossing. The one you see now was moved from the original position.

[Edited at 2017-06-27 20:58 GMT]


 
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 20:34
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Same in Madrid Jun 27, 2017

Jan Truper wrote:
I live on the outskirts, surrounded by lakes and forests, but I can reach the city center in 25 mins.
There are currently plans for a couple of "bicycle highways", which I hope will come to fruition.
(As far as I'm concerned, gasoline-driven cars should be outlawed in major cities. They stink.)

Same in Madrid: I know people who don't own a car and move around with public transportation and the bicycle.

I myself am in the process of moving to a medium-sized city where I basically plan to move around by bicycle and keep the car parked as much as possible. My new home will be just some 12-13 minutes away from the office by bicycle.

I firmly believe that the evolution in the case of Europe is going to be a strong move towards bicycle and public transportation, given the considerable taxation of petrol and vehicles, the urge to live in a simpler and healthier way, and the push to reduce the carbon footprint in a micro scale. Hopefully in 15 years time there will be a bigger respect for bikers and many more bike lanes in every city, and I am personally committed to voting to political parties who are willing to push this concept forward.


 
Mario Chavez (X)
Mario Chavez (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:34
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Must be the London air Jun 27, 2017

Tom in London wrote:

I like it here in NW London. The only real trouble is middle-aged American tourists wandering lost on Abbey Road, looking for a certain pedestrian crossing. I kindly direct them to it, without heartlessly telling them that it isn't the original pedestrian crossing. The one you see now was moved from the original position.

[Edited at 2017-06-27 20:58 GMT]


If it is such trouble, why direct them to the crossing? If you get a chuckle out of doing them such favor, why do you call it trouble?

Besides, why did I get this on my inbox? “I like it here in NW London. Stay away, OK?”

Wow. Ms. May must love you.



 
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 20:34
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Do it NOW! Jun 27, 2017

MK2010 wrote:
I want to do more of the digital nomad thing myself, like rent a house in some dream city for a month or two every year. Fully explore and exploit the advantages of our professional lifestyle.

I have known about two dozen people in my life who had this in mind, but never met anyone who actually did it. We all get entangled in other plans, the needs of our loved ones when we fall in love/marry/have children, our own need to belong and be loved, regular work and all sorts of little additional responsibilities.

Only truly ascetic types who own nothing but a few clothes, a toothbrush, a box of travel-sized shampoo sachets, and a laptop and who don't have a family can really entertain this idea. If that is your case, do it NOW before it is too late!


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:34
Member (2008)
Italian to English
City liveability Jun 27, 2017

(which is how I would spell it) isn't so much about how much things cost, as it is about the people you live among. In that sense I couldn't be happier in NW London. Multiculturalism is the best thing about this city. As for languages: all I need to do is go outside and walk around. I hear every language in the world.

[Edited at 2017-06-27 21:28 GMT]


 
Mario Chavez (X)
Mario Chavez (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:34
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Livability: American English spelling Jun 27, 2017

Tom in London wrote:

(which is how I would spell it) isn't so much about how much things cost, as it is about the people you live among. In that sense I couldn't be happier in NW London. Multiculturalism is the best thing about this city. As for languages: all I need to do is go outside and walk around. I hear every language in the world.

[Edited at 2017-06-27 21:28 GMT]


And I keep getting your unedited remarks, Tom. Proz is beating you to the punch. At least make an effort to be agreeable, ok?


 
MK2010
MK2010  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 15:34
French to English
+ ...
Not quite as drastic... Jun 28, 2017

Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:

I have known about two dozen people in my life who had this in mind, but never met anyone who actually did it. We all get entangled in other plans, the needs of our loved ones when we fall in love/marry/have children, our own need to belong and be loved, regular work and all sorts of little additional responsibilities.

Only truly ascetic types who own nothing but a few clothes, a toothbrush, a box of travel-sized shampoo sachets, and a laptop and who don't have a family can really entertain this idea. If that is your case, do it NOW before it is too late!


I know there are people who live out of a suitcase and travel around the world for years making money on their laptop (lots of blogs out there about that), but I was thinking of something less drastic --simply getting away for a while every year and taking myself and my work somewhere else. I tried doing that for a month staying with friends here and there, but that didn't work out so well. Which is why I was thinking finding cheap housing for 1-2 months somewhere would be a better option. Like a house on the beach in Tangier or something.

Anyway, that's why a Travel Forum could be fun and very helpful. Who knows, ProZ members could even swap houses!


 
Yasutomo Kanazawa
Yasutomo Kanazawa  Identity Verified
Japan
Local time: 04:34
Member (2005)
English to Japanese
+ ...
Talking about trains... Jun 28, 2017

Mario Chavez wrote:

I've never been to Germany, but I can imagine German trains being far better than our American trains here. Our fastest train, the Acela on the East Coast (it runs from Boston down to Washington DC, part of the Amtrak system), only hits 120 miles per hour as cruise speed, whereas the Alfa Pendular (an electric train from Comboios de Portugal or Portuguese Trains, that I took several times) hits 220-240 kph (149 mph) at cruise speed, from Lisbon to Aveiro, Portugal. I think one of the problems for public rail transportation here in America is the large distances. To get decent service, you have to go to the West or East Coast cities.


Talking about trains speeds and punctuality, you should visit Tokyo, Japan and try the bullet train. It travels at 300kph, very comfortable and always punctual.


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:34
Member (2008)
Italian to English
I hope... Jun 28, 2017

Mario Chavez wrote:

And I keep getting your unedited remarks, Tom. Proz is beating you to the punch. At least make an effort to be agreeable, ok?


...you get this one before I edit it.


 
Pages in topic:   < [1 2 3 4] >


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

City livability: would you recommend your city to a fellow translator?






CafeTran Espresso
You've never met a CAT tool this clever!

Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer. Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools. Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free

Buy now! »
Protemos translation business management system
Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!

The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.

More info »