RMC Language Consultancy - Blog

Season's Greetings From RMC!

10/30/2021

Another Christmas and the end of another year are here and we’ve made it!

The hour is quickly approaching to draw the curtains on 2021. Truly an unpredictable year, of many moments of joy and sorrow, successes and shortcomings, but we are grateful for all the experiences we have had and the persons we’ve met along the way, for they have made us stronger and more refined individuals.

It has been an eventful year for us at RMC. We had the opportunity to work on fascinating translation and interpreting projects that spanned different languages and fields. Despite reduced movement into and out of T&T during the last 20 months, our cross-cultural work continued online and even in person, and we hosted many successful group and private language classes. It brings us great joy to have been able to continue to positively impact our clients and their businesses, locally, regionally and internationally.

We would like to thank all our service providers, partners, clients, friends and our families for their continued support and well wishes. We truly appreciate your efforts as they have helped us to achieve our goals.

So let’s bid adieu to 2021 and usher in 2022 together, a year of hope and even more positivity.

The RMC Team would like to wish you a Happy and Holy Christmas and a New Year that is successful in every way!

Divali Special: Moose Bhagat Mandir

10/28/2021

Photo uploaded by Patricia Bissessar

For this episode of our ‘Know Your Country Tour’ and while we’re still in the festive Divali mood, with today being the last day, we take a trip to Tableland near Princes Town to the Moose Bhagat Mandir.

This Hindu temple is considered to be the second oldest in the Western Hemisphere, built in 1904. It was envisioned by a Hindu priest or Pundit named Moose Bhagat, a then ex-indentured labourer and landowner four years prior to its construction and erected under the oversight of another ex-indentured labourer, Durga Dass.

Can you imagine the possible struggles of creating such an edifice in those times? Imagine the resilience it took for them to hold steadfast to their heritage and beliefs and the ability to make this foreign land their home by marking this soil with their East Indian memories and culture. Despite the hardships, it became a reality.

Prior to this time, there weren’t temples or mosques to accommodate their worship but slowly mud-hut places of worship were moulded from the ground up and covered with thatched roofs, as they were encouraged to settle in the colony. Pundit Moose Bhagat, while at a stream near his home, came upon and removed selected stones and in a vision given to him by Lord Shiva, was inspired to construct a sanctum to house the sacred stones or Lingas. Four years later, the first building was dedicated to Lord Shiva and the second, to Shree Ram.

Since their erection, descendants of the Bhagat family have ministered in and cared for the mandir. Thus, it has remained within the family’s bloodline till this very day.

We hope you enjoyed this simple, yet informative segment. Is this the first time you’re hearing about this place or have you visited there before? Let us know in the comments below.

The Holy Mount of St. Benedict

10/28/2021

In honour of the upcoming All Saints Day feast, we bring to you an insight into the birth of Trinidad’s iconic Mount St. Benedict.

Perched atop the hills of St. John’s road stands in full splendour and tranquil silence, buffered by unending steep mountains roundabout and a bird’s-eye view of all of Trinidad’s low-lying lands and distant sea, is none other than Mount St. Benedict’s Abbey and Our Lady of Exile mission.

Its inception was in 1911 with the visit of Dom Mayeul de Caigny, Abbot of San Sebastian and first Conventional Prior of Mount St. Benedict, to discuss with the then archbishop, His Grace John Pius Dowling, the foundations of a Benedictine abbey in Trinidad. This came about not only because of missionary zeal but also due to unrest in Brazil where they were first located.

After a site had been selected by 1912, the monks came across to Trinidad to begin their mission. Dom Mayeul de Caigny became a resident priest and was stationed at the old capital, St. Joseph’s Parish. After Holy Mass on the Feast of St. Anthony, a hermit, an elderly man of Spanish descent by the name of Mr. Andrew Conrad Gomez, approached the abbot in the church’s sacristy. He was the owner of the estate where the intended site of the abbey would be located. Father was indeed overjoyed by this visit and Gomez agreed to carry him there.

Half an hour’s drive from the Parish to the village of St. John brought their buggy to the end of the road where they were greeted by the high hills and so the ascent began. After a steep climb, they came upon a small mud and thatched roof ajoupa which would later be used as the first abbey. Much later, once transactions were made, the monks moved into the quarters, aided by villagers, and using minimalist furniture, village produce and live poultry, living true to their vocation.

It would mean that the later addition of rooms and rebuilding of the edifice and chapel and most importantly, the roadway to the abbey, were all done mainly by the work of human hands and not much advanced technology, if any at all. The first mass was celebrated on 10th August, 1913. The title of ‘Mount St. Benedict’ was suggested by Archbishop Dowling and the Abbot Dom Mayeul dedicated it to Our Lady of Exile in remembrance of them fleeing Brazil, likened to the Holy Family fleeing Herod’s terror.

Now hundreds of people of different religions and nationalities flock to the Mount to sightsee, bask in the serenity and/or for devotions. Truly a beauty sometimes overlooked.

We hope you enjoyed this article. Have you been to the Mount? What do you enjoy doing there most? Let us know in the comments below.

International Translation Day

9/29/2021

After spending some time abroad on a working-holiday visa, I wanted nothing more than to return home. I started looking for opportunities to work in government because, as a young professional, I felt a strong sense of patriotism – you really begin to appreciate your culture when you are away from it.

I knew I wanted to focus on and continue developing my translation skills. Fortunately, at that time, Trinidad and Tobago was seeking to host the Secretariat for the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), a proposed agreement which never got off the ground. This thrust lead to an initiative by the T&T Government to make Spanish the first foreign language of T&T and resulted in the formation of a unit (born in the Ministry of Trade and Industry), called the Secretariat for the Implementation of Spanish, where I held the post of foreign language specialist.

In this role, I had the opportunity to translate, interpret, host cultural awareness seminars, teacher-training initiatives, collaborate with ambassadors of the Spanish-speaking diplomatic missions accredited to T&T and collaborate with many other ministries.

Fast forward many years later, while in that role, I saw local and international opportunities to specialise in translation, and I took the leap towards independence, starting off by translating full-time, then earning further qualifications. That leap led to the formation of RMC.

Here we are almost 10 years later with so many opportunities to convert documents from one language into another and work with some really talented professionals and fantastic clients.

On this International Translation Day, I celebrate this profession with my fellow translators. May we find all the words we need and the ability to continue connecting people across languages, borders and cultures and may we enjoy every step of the journey.

Here's to all the translators who celebrate our profession on this International Translation Day.

Values of a Country

9/27/2021

Why can understanding a country's values help nationals of different backgrounds successfully work together.

Recently we shared about the values of our company. Values are also reflected in a country, in a people’s way of living and being. The values of a people, a nation, reflect what is important to the people of a country.

What is important for the people of Trinidad and Tobago? We hold many values dear. This is one of the topics I discuss with my assignees (expats) to help them understand what is important to our people. It helps them understand us better and can help them work with Trinidad and Tobago nationals better.

Education
Celebrating festivals (our unique cultural celebrations)
Family
Food (and drink)
Relationships

We inherited a strong educational system from the British. Many of the systems and structures in our schools were patterned on and are a result of the British educational system and we have a very high literacy rate. This is true for most, if not all, of the English-speaking Caribbean.

In addition, education is provided free to children from early childhood all the way up to university with various government funding programmes being made available for those pursuing tertiary education. Finally, additional amenities have also been provided to our children over the years, including books, laptops, the ability to participate in various sporting activities and exposure to other extra-curricular activities as part of the school system. These opportunities have benefitted our children tremendously.

Our unique history has resulted in many cultures coming together and we celebrate each other’s foods, music, dance and festivals. From Carnival to Christmas to Divali to Eid to Emancipation to Easter. We celebrate many religious and national holidays – a total of 14 each year. We have a unique ability to live among people of varied backgrounds in relative harmony.

In our homes families can be nuclear (mother, father and children), extended, headed by
grandparents, single-parent and so on. Whichever the family type, Trinbagonian (and Caribbean) families are usually close-knit and somehow connected long beyond the age of adulthood. In other words, our children do not necessarily leave home at the age of 18. In fact, some adults move out only after getting married and some move into their in-laws homes after marriage. The main thing to note is that family is very important to us. This is connected to another important characteristic, which is that we are generally ‘collective’ or group-oriented in nature.

From pelau, to roti, to doubles, to saltfish buljol and accra, to black pudding, pastelle, Spanish rice, black cake, sorrel, and bake and shark, food and drink are a very important part of who we are. We celebrate everything with food, from baptisms and funerals, to graduation and marriage, food and drink are very important to us.

We are a people who operate by relationships (not tasks). The relationship very often takes
precedence over the task we are performing. Who you know is more important than what you know. If you know someone who can help you get something done faster, that is the route we will take. This can lead to a whole other discussion, but that is for another time. Suffice it to say that we maintain relationships from nursery school onward. We maintain contact with neighbourhood friends, university pals and work colleagues long after we have moved onto other pastures. Our colleagues are people we eat with in the lunch room and with whom we will often form long-term bonds. We place more importance on relationships than on tasks. There is a lot more to be said on this, but I will leave it here.

What would you add to this list of Trinbagonians' values? What else is important to us?

#values #culture #interculturalcoaching #crossculturalcoaching #Trinbagonians #RMC
#languageandculture

Intermediate Conversational Spanish Starts Monday 27 September.

9/21/2021

Do you want to become more marketable?

Are you looking to improve your proficiency in Spanish?

Do you interact with native Spanish speakers?

When asked what they enjoyed most about the course, here's what participants had to say:

"Interacting with others at the same level of language learning."— J.B.

"I liked our class. It was intimate and we encouraged each other." — C.C.

"Everything and everyone!" — P.P.

For more information, click here.

Register here.

Online Intermediate Conversational Spanish

9/13/2021

Did you promise yourself that you would improve your language skills in 2021?

Are you thinking of taking your career to another level?

Are you relocating to a Spanish-speaking country or one where the community speaks Spanish?

It is not too late to achieve your language goals in 2021.

EARLY BIRD OPEN UNTIL 15 SEPTEMBER 2021!

Sign up for our intermediate conversational Spanish course:

Days: Mondays & Wednesdays
Time: 5.30 pm to 7 pm
Period: 10 weeks
Dates: 27th September – 1st December
Where: online learning platform

All you need is:

A device
A stable Wi-Fi connection

Early bird individual: TTD $995/person if you register by 15 September 2021

Early bird group: TTD $2700/group for 3 persons or more (payable as a lump sum) if you register by 15 September 2021

Regular individual rates: TTD $1200 after 15 September 2021

Deadline for registration is 26th September. Register today!

Amerindian Footprints: Hyarima

9/2/2021

Photo published by Wired868.

Like footprints in the sand, though faded or washed away, we acknowledge and remember the presence of the first peoples who roamed and cultivated this rich land of Trinidad and Tobago, the very soil of which is nourished by their ancestral DNA. These indigenous peoples or First Peoples who settled in the Caribbean formed themselves into tribes based on their locations, lived a simple, yet hard-working life and traded among tribes and even islands as they canoed up and down the Caribbean Sea. Their presence has been so prominent in Trinidad that even places were named by them. However, the life these first settlers knew was about to plunge into anarchy.

The Europeans arrived and took hold of these islands and their resources through the renaming of and theft from these lands, and enslaving and forcibly converting local tribes to Christianity. The Amerindians were under siege, suffering from overwork and abuse. Yet, though primitive, heroes arose among them in honour of their ancestors, gods and people. One such man whose gold-coloured statue welcomes you upon entering the Borough of Arima is that of Hyarima or Hy Arima. He was such a powerful native figure who called the ‘shots’ along the east-west corridor.

Chief Hyarima led the people of the Araucan Tribe who lived within the region of Arouca, North Trinidad. He was enslaved, along with his tribe, by the Europeans and escaped their captivity around 1625. It is believed he fled to the hills of Arima where he set up his base. Fuelled with rage for these newcomers, he began recruiting and influencing other Amerindians to not only escape, but to form an alliance that sought the oppressors’ downfall. He became a nuisance to the colonisers and harassed them constantly by launching attacks on their settlements. He worked alongside the Dutch and successfully executed an attack on the then capital of San José, currently known as St. Joseph, which made villagers flee the area in 1637. Every year, rituals are performed at his statue by the descendants of the First Peoples in remembrance of his and others’ legacy and to honour the elementals.

Their footprints, which once were and forever will be, still mark the sands of time.

We hope you have enjoyed our segments featuring the Amerindian heritage of Trinidad and Tobago.

Santa Rosa de Arima

8/29/2021

Photo posted by Maximilian Forte

Arima, in Trinidad and Tobago, is considered the navel of Amerindian heritage, so much so that a community called the ‘Santa Rosa First Peoples Community’ was formed there. Arima is also the home of the Carib Queen, so there is a connection between Amerindians and Arima, but what is the connection between our Amerindian history, Santa Rosa de Lima and Arima? Well, in 1785, the Spanish government decided to repurpose the grounds of the old Capuchin Mission, founded in 1759 and dedicated to St. Rose of Lima, for the continued, more humane conversion of the indigenous. St. Rose was the first ‘new world’ inhabitant to be canonised a saint. She was called ‘Rosa’ because, as a baby, she was as beautiful as a rose and coincidentally went on to sell flowers to support her family, since she was denied entry to the nunnery in Peru.

Since the mission was already devoted to Santa Rosa de Lima, the foundation of the connection between the Amerindians and Santa Rosa was already present. But then it happened! It is said that the converted Amerindians once beheld the apparition of this saint in Arima near a spring which still exists; some say she even spoke to them. It is for this reason there was a push to rebuild her church and even name the area after her. Instead of Santa Rosa de Lima, the place was known as Santa Rosa de Arima. One source purports that she was born in Arima and carried away to Peru as a child. Every year Catholics and members of the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community hold a grand celebration for Santa Rosa. It begins with holy Mass, a procession with her statue through the streets of Arima, then a return to the church, followed by partaking in food, singing, dancing and visiting the different stalls.

The power of the Amerindian peoples may have dwindled from colonialism to now, but it certainly has not perished. They are still ever so present and are now claiming and reclaiming their identities, ancestral sites and names.

We hope you enjoyed this article which we have published in commemoration of the Santa Rosa feast day held on Sunday 22nd August, 2021.

Our Values

8/24/2021

As part of intercultural coaching, one of the topics I discuss with my assignees (expats) is identifying two or three of their core values.

What are values?

Values are what we teach our children.

They are ideals that are important to an individual, a culture, a company, a country.

RMC’s values include warm, engaging service to our clients. We focus on quality, reliability and accuracy in the delivery of our services.

Why are these important to us? Excellent customer service makes me feel happy. On the other hand, poor customer service leaves me feeling uncared for or just in a plain old bad mood. Who wants to be associated with an organisation and spend their hard earned money where they are not appreciated?

WARM, ENGAGING SERVICE. At RMC, we make a real effort to be pleasant not only in our telephone conversations but in our digital communication with all of our partners, stakeholders and clients. We listen to our clients, advise them in keeping with their needs and leave them on a high note.

RELIABILITY. A value I was taught growing up is the importance of keeping your word. If I promise someone I will get back to them or I will do something for them, even if I have to go out of my way, I will make sure it is done. If I am unable to keep my word, I will ask for help or I will let the person know when I can deliver. I do not like to be left hanging, so why would I leave others in the lurch?!

QUALITY AND ACCURACY. We have a number of quality assurance steps in the delivery of our services. For example, after a document is translated, it is reviewed and proofread before being delivered to our clients. No one is perfect. We are all prone to errors, however, we take certain measures to reduce the incidence of error before delivery to our clients.

What values do you uphold?

Let us know in the comments.

Imagen

Services:

Translation
Editing
Proofreading
Interpreting
Intercultural coaching
Foreign language tuition for adults and children
Corporate conference services

Contact us:

868 750-6315

admin@rmclanguages.com

Follow us: