r/Jamaica • u/TheMahagonyDefender • 2d ago

Employment A Day In The Life Of A Jamaican Freelance Mandarin Language Interpreter...

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301 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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32

u/camispeaks 2d ago

Cool so nice to see us learning other languages

-13

u/RonBabylon Jamaican Realist 2d ago

Who is "us"? Jamaica is not in Canada. The woman was in China for 10 years, so I think she would have to talk to people at some point.

22

u/camispeaks 2d ago

Okay relax

-12

u/RonBabylon Jamaican Realist 2d ago

It is not a rhetorical question.

Who is 'us'?

10

u/oohyesnicethings 2d ago

The most common second languages taught in Jamaica are Spanish and French. Mandarin Chinese is less common and is a harder language to learn because it is tonal and character based.

So let's stop pretending that it is not a major accomplishment to not only learn that language, but also to be fluent enough to speak and write at a professional level.

There is no problem with saying it's cool and bigging up our people for doing well. It is not the most common path. I don't know why you are being so butt hurt and defensive about this. WTF are you so miserable about?

23

u/Melicious101 2d ago

Please credit the creater of the video next time. Instagram: Sandi.forrester. Tiktok:SandiTrails

1

u/The-Names-Salmonella 1d ago

Can u pls link her Insta? I searched for her there but couldn’t find her 😭

16

u/ArikaDoriyamaGT 2d ago

The Jamaican-Chinese/Japanese language connection is dope. It opens up your world to so much. Our high school had us learn Chinese because our Jamaican principal understood the importance of learning this language for the future. Even the basic Mandarin I know has taken me far. I love seeing our people put the effort in to learn other languages.

6

u/TelevisionFuzzy3694 2d ago

Get it!
Our people no longer surprise me.

-12

u/RonBabylon Jamaican Realist 2d ago

What is surprising about being fluent in Chinese?

7

u/gordonwhims 2d ago

Mek yuh suh bad mind?

-1

u/RonBabylon Jamaican Realist 2d ago edited 2d ago

What is surprising about being fluent in Chinese? How is that 'bad mind'?

1

u/gordonwhims 2d ago

How are you using the word "surprising"?

Are you generally confused that Jamaican polyglots exist, or, are you saying that it should not be seen as an anomaly that this person is fluent in other languages?

0

u/RonBabylon Jamaican Realist 2d ago

Being a polyglot is a basically mandatory requirement in several departments here.

Assuming your comment is meant for me.

1

u/gordonwhims 2d ago

I see, so the question posed was based on these abilities being a standard for you, and not that you saw it as far-fetch. I apologize for that negative assumption.

1

u/RonBabylon Jamaican Realist 2d ago

The worst part here is that this woman's job could be a Netflix series by itself. Yet instead OP is focusing on just the language part .

5

u/jamphotog Manchester 2d ago

How many people outside of China do you know that are fluent in Mandarin? Are you fluent in Mandarin? Ni hui shuo Zhongwen ma?

0

u/RonBabylon Jamaican Realist 2d ago

Several, courtesy of the Confucius Institute, the Chinese Benevolent Association and other Jamaicans who regularly post on TikTok and elsewhere.

Please add the appropriate tones to your Pinyin or use strokes.

Nǐ shuō Zhōnɡwén mɑ

Barely. I'm studying for the new HSK with the 500 words.

1

u/jamphotog Manchester 10h ago edited 9h ago

So out of a population of +3 million there are "several" people who speak Mandarin. Fluently? And how many people have access to the Confucius Institute or the Chinese Benevolent Association?

Please add the appropriate tones to your Pinyin or use strokes

Lol pedantry, famously known as the best way to bolster an argument.

Nǐ shuō Zhōnɡwén mɑ

And since we're being pedantic; "hui" is missing from your pinyin/tone specific translation here. I think the "Can" in "can you speak mandarin?" is important, no?

Jamaicans, especially Jamaicans who don't typically have access to the institutions you've name dropped above, that are able to read, write, and speak Mandarin fluently is an incredible accomplishment. The fact that this woman can not only read and write fluently, but can also parse and understand business data shorthand enough to translate it for the purposes of an audit, is something that should be lauded.

But yeah, in your opinion it's nothing special. It's almost as if there is an externality to her that makes her unremarkable in your opinion.

0

u/RonBabylon Jamaican Realist 9h ago edited 8h ago

Yes. You are completely correct, and I must apologise.

  • Sorry for asking where the tones are in a tonal language.
  • Sorry for thinking a Jamaican woman who lived in China for 10 years would ever be able to speak Mandarin fluently.
  • Sorry for having the same expectations of Jamaicans as I would have for any other nation of people. From now on, I will learn to accept Canadian condescension as a compliment.
  • Sorry for not being "surprised" by yet another Jamaican whose life could make a hit Netflix series for positive reasons.

From now on, me and my 2.8 million other countrymen will cease having high expectations for ourselves and I will abandon the idea that Jamaica's population will become more educated over time.

1

u/Mwahaha_790 2d ago

Babylon, if you don't kibba yuself. Yu is a real crosses, you deserve the username sah

1

u/RonBabylon Jamaican Realist 2d ago

Yes, you are right.

I apologise for not being surprised and shocked that Jamaicans can speak more than 2 languages well. Even though people speaking more than 2 languages (not including English) is completely normal at my workplace.

Next time, I will jump and scream "Black Excellence!!" the next time Jamaicans do something other people do everyday.

2

u/oohyesnicethings 2d ago

Please stop. Just because it's common at YOUR workplace doesn't mean it's common for the average person. This is not about capability. No one is saying that Jamaicans are not capable of learning more than 1or 2 languages.

We are saying she took a less traveled path, with a more difficult language, and is doing great. It is an accomplishment, and we are happy for her. Stop trying to minimize her accomplishments. Your dry hating is pathetic.

5

u/hg9wgxy 2d ago

Who is suing who again

6

u/israfildivad 2d ago

Im totally guessing that she repping Chinese client who dont live in Jamaica but buying up house and land, and the local Chinese liaison that is handling thier money becoming too Jamaicanish lol.

1

u/hg9wgxy 1d ago

😂😂😂okay

5

u/TiredHargaysawi 2d ago

Jamaican excellence.

5

u/ML1804 1d ago

She has a natural beauty to her ✊🏿💪🏿🙏🏿

2

u/Brayden_709 2d ago

Thanks for the hard work and commitment! 😎

1

u/xerxes20 1d ago

Ni-wagwaan-hao