Monday 30 November 2015

ITI German network Christmas party 2015


With the festive season fast approaching, around 25 members of the ITI’s German network gathered at the Kipferl Kneipe and Kitchen in London on 28th November 2015 for Gernet's annual Christmas get-together. The Kipferl is an Austrian coffeehouse in North Kensington, slightly tucked away in a side street off Portobello Road. It has gained a fine reputation for its excellent food and Viennese coffee varieties, served in a contemporary Austrian setting.

Kipferl Kneipe and Kitchen in North Kensington, London

It had been decided, after many years of meeting at the Barley Mow pub on Horseferry Road for this occasion, to try a new venue for this year’s event. Personally, I think the Kipferl was a great choice: the (German-speaking) staff were welcoming and friendly; the food was delicious; and the surroundings were both comfortable and stylish. Good company and conversations made for an enjoyable afternoon, with conversation topics ranging from the challenges involved in translating a novel via cycling in London to the availability of real Advent wreaths in the UK. And since we had the whole restaurant to ourselves, it was (relatively) easy to mingle and circulate around the room.

Vanillekipferl
 
Given that most of us work in isolation, this get-together provided another wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow professionals in person and exchange work-related or other experiences. There was ample time to share tips on working habits, compare notes and talk in a relaxed social atmosphere. And I even met a couple of translators whom I had previously only known as Twitter names!
 
It’s true that quite a lot of us translators – due to our natural temperaments – tend to prefer smaller “doses” of socialising; so events of this kind can be energy-sapping. I, for one, am certainly not used to chatting for many hours. However, I definitely think it was worthwhile making my way into the capital for this meeting: it was a convivial afternoon that offered a chance to spend quality time with like-minded people.

Sadly, the afternoon drew to a close quite quickly, and at around 5 o’clock it was time for us to leave – after the 5 hours had just flown by. I love walking through London and enjoyed my walk back to Paddington Station afterwards to catch the train back home to Bristol. The experience of meeting at the Kipferl was enhanced by Twitter interaction as it allowed us to stay in communication for a while longer even as we were making our way back home.

Walking back to Paddington Station

By the way, you can keep up to date with the latest news and stories from the ITI’s German network by following @ITIGerNet on Twitter or by liking GerNet on Facebook. Do join us there!