Nothing lost in translation

 

One would have thought that switching to part time working would have meant a significant increase in the amount of available leisure time. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to have worked out that way, and whilst this is partially my own fault, I’m sure it’s a situation that many people encounter as they loosen their connections with the world of work.

After a most enjoyable day out in Bath at the start of the month, I found myself thrown back into an ongoing project at work with a vengeance. Not a problem, as we are making good progress with our plans to upgrade and expand our production facilities. Far less fruitful, was the  Safety & Cyber Security Audit, which took place the following week. It was carried out by our Japanese parent company and was, shall we say an “interesting experience”. Cyber security is definitely of high importance for companies in this day and age, especially those operating in the field of e-commerce. 

We don't fall into that category, but earlier in the year, one of our customers - a major international player in the dental industry, had their entire IT system hacked and taken off-line. As if this wasn't bad enough. the ransom demands that followed were even more "inconvenient." My understanding is the company in question had to rebuild their IT system from the bottom up, and then repopulate their customer database. Not wishing to fall foul of such a scam, prompted our parent company to tighten up on procedures, which is why they sent five compliance personnel halfway across the globe to audit us, an then their main European sales and marketing division, which is based in Germany.

We were advised that the audit was a “corporate necessity,” as the group is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Fortunately, as company Safety Advisor, I was able to demonstrate adequate compliance in this field, but they seem to forget that we are just a tenth of the size of their operation in Japan. This mean having to sit through an overly long session on cyber security, and if anyone wanted to find an example of Parkinson’s Law, where “work expands to fill the time available for its completion,” then this was it. 

An interesting aside was the use of an outside interpreter, which is something of a first for the interactions between us and Japan. However, the charming and distinguished looking septuagenarian Japanese gentleman who turned up, was worth his weight in gold for the way he took charge of the meeting, and ensured everything stayed on track. He had the ability to simultaneously translate what had been said, whilst at the same time listening to what was being said, in order to translate the next package of information. 

All this reminded me of a previous occasion when I had to engage an interpreter when we were audited by representatives from the Kazakhstan Health Ministry. This was on behalf of the aforementioned German sales division. Kazakh-speaking interpreters weren't easy to come by, so I was advised to engage a Russian-speaking translator instead.  The person I found, was a tall and very striking blonde, Russian woman who, as she later revealed, had been a member of the Russian Special Forces! So, not someone to fall out with, but fortunately, as with our Japanese interpreter, she was professional and possessing the same abilities to ensure that all those present were singing from the same hymn-sheet. I've gone seriously off topic, but when recent events invoke memories of past, similar occurrences, it's often worth bringing them to the fore.

A decoration/refurbishment project on the home front occupied most of the following weekend, although it did earn me more than a few brownie points from Mrs PBT’s. Our kitchen window now has a blind that not only looks good, but operates correctly. The downside was the project took longer than first though (these exercises invariably do). and left me feeling too tired to attend the launch of the new season’s Porter, from Larkin’s, a staggered event that took place at both branches of Fuggles Beer Cafés (Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells). It was an event I’d been particularly looking forward to, and the annoying thing is, I still haven’t managed to find the beer on sale, anywhere else. This is despite online searches of those pubs, that are likely to stock the beer. There’s still plenty of time, though!

Some friends who have tried this season’s offering, claim that it is not as good as previous year’s, but when there’s period of say, half a year between the end of one year’s offering and the start of the next, then it’s hard, and also a little unfair to make such comparisons. It’s also a rather pointless exercise, given the seasonal nature of such beers. The final point here, comes from a highly experienced home-brewer I know, but unfortunately a person who allows his own strong opinions to cloud his judgment. This particular individual claims that Larkin’s Porter is a strong mild, rather than a true porter – a view I strongly disagree with.

Several weeks ago, I managed to pick up a 10 bottle, Kalea Wiesn-Tragerl pack, from out local Lidl store. This is the second year running that I managed to acquire one, although as Pub Curmudgeon points out, the packs were rather late in appearing this year – mid-October, which is a month later than in 2023. I know this, because I obtained last year’s box shortly before we disappeared on a Mediterranean cruise, that meant we were out of the country, for much of October.

The packs this year are identical to those available last year, so as I wrote about the beers then, and Mudgie has written extensively about them here, I shan’t repeat myself. Despite saying that I would leave my selection until the Christmas break (holidays, for American readers), before sampling, I succumbed to temptation this evening and cracked open a bottle of Falter – Pichelsteiner Festbier 5.9% abv, and very good it is too. Pub Curmudgeon’s blog piece includes tasting notes, so check these out if you want to learn more. 

And so, at the start of another long weekend, there’s another, albeit smaller home-related project looming, in the form of a decent mirror for the bathroom. As with the kitchen blind, it’s a question of too much choice, rather than too little. With any luck though, I shall factor in a pub visit or two, and you never know there might be the chance of some Larkin’s Porter.