My 1 Day Walk & Work

My 1 Day Walk & Work

I am an interpreter. One day I got an email from the coordinator that I have an assignment on T street South. That was the nurse to meet the new mom.  I check the address the day before the appointment day on Google maps.  I only got the North side, the number of the building over 200 South, I checked with the coordinator about the address.  She was very sure there is the building at the end of South of T street.  She also gave me the direction to get to the building.  I took the bus to work.  From my house I should take 2 busses and walk to the location of the building.  The appointment was on 1:30pm.  I got out of my house at 12:05pm I took the bus 12:20pm, then transfer to another bus, I arrived at T street at 12:45pm.  That is a beautiful day. It was not too hot and not too much sunny.  I walked to the end of the street.  The building number is 121.  There is no more house or building after that.  I called back the office.  I told them to check with the nurse about the address.  They called back to tell me that the address was over 20 not over 200, they gave wrong number.  I walked back the street and found out the address.  It’s still early.  I walked down the street and back.  It’s is a main area in the city.  It’s closed to the supermarket, doctor office, down town.  It’s very convenient to go everywhere by bus if living in this area.  The nurse arrived, we introduced to each other.  She pressed the number of the client apartment.  The client answered not available to see us.  After too many phone calls and my effort to reach the address we could not meet with the new mom and baby.  I felt very sorry for the new mom.  I remembered when I was a new mom 37 years ago, I took care my baby by myself.  I learned how to feed my baby by seeing my mom took care of my brothers and sisters many years.  My babies grew up fine, they are adult now.  When I accompanied the nurse to visit new mom and baby, I found down that I did not know many things while taking care of my baby. I would do more better things for my children if I had support like this program. But in my root country there was no program like this.  Doing this job I help the new born babies and new mom who has language barrier.  There are many things that you learn from the expert to take care of your children.  Every mom would want to do the best for their children so the way to do good your job is keep on studying. This job I only get paid 1 hour meeting the new mom and the nurse.  I should spend over 2 hour travel, so each assignment I spend at least 3 hours to get pay 1 hour work.  I should pay 2 bus tickets 4.50 dollars.  The agency pays 22 dollars for this hour.  That means I get pay 5.83 dollars for 1 hour of work.  In order to be an interpreter I should completed interpretation language program at college and pass the ILSAT, and also update my skill every day by study and have more certificates in translation. The benefit for this job is I walked to exercise, I practice my English.  I help people in the community.  I cannot earn my living with this cheap pay but when I getting older and older I may continue to volunteer as an interpreter till I die.  Staying home all day may make me get sick, so this job gets me out of the house and go around the city to learn the truth life of society. That is my “walk and work” day. 

Phuong Hoang

August 2015