On another note, I'm fascinated by how many of us have designated Rohene Ward as our choreographer. He isn't really out there very much yet, but the little he has done has obviously pulled us in. Maybe in the real world, most of us don't have a great future in skating, but clearly Ward's career could be on the upswing.
if you're a figure skater, what would you be?
- Thread starter BlackPack
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2014
CanadianSkater, do you compete as well?
Olympia, *hands you a cocktail*
TMC, any chance of a re-enactment of what happens behind closed doors?Who would be your wife?
Moonlight, I'd love to see your programs. I googled Petit Mort... and there I was thinking I was so original
skatedreamer, subtlety in exhibitionism... food for thought.
desert, I think we'd make better skaters than some of the top skaters today
subtlety in exhibitionism = oxymoron!
Re: original question, I'd like to be part of a truly great pairs team, a la G&G. Have always loved pairs because it requires you to have great singles skills, but also the ability to collaborate in support of a shared goal. You need to be a diva and a member of the corps at the same time -- not an easy thing to do. You need this in ice dance, too, of course, but my inner thrill-seeker wants to go for those crazy lifts!
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2013
When Tarasova said that Adelina was trying to reconcile the modern and the classical, this statement doesn't yet apply to her. But it does apply to Rohene Ward. I'm happy he is being recognized big time at least by the fans. His style is full of modern dance moves expressed in a classical manner - pointed toes, good posture, fine alignment, sleek lines. He didn't have the mental toughness to be a competitor, but he is surely destined to be one of the greatest choreographers of all time. Jason Brown is the ultimate ambassador who shows the world what Rohene can do.
Subtlety in exhibitionism ... indeed, my head is going to explode trying to envision these two concepts together... just doesn't happen right?
Subtlety in exhibitionism ... indeed, my head is going to explode trying to envision these two concepts together... just doesn't happen right?
When Tarasova said that Adelina was trying to reconcile the modern and the classical, this statement doesn't yet apply to her. But it does apply to Rohene Ward. I'm happy he is being recognized big time at least by the fans. His style is full of modern dance moves expressed in a classical manner - pointed toes, good posture, fine alignment, sleek lines. He didn't have the mental toughness to be a competitor, but he is surely destined to be one of the greatest choreographers of all time. Jason Brown is the ultimate ambassador who shows the world what Rohene can do.
Subtlety in exhibitionism ... indeed, my head is going to explode trying to envision these two concepts together... just doesn't happen right?
IIRC Jason takes hip-hop and modern dance classes....but yet has great posture and extension. So yes, I'd agree he is a better example of someone reconciling the modern and classical.
But I think Adelina can get there. As I said elsewhere, she has the extension already...just needs good choreography to show it off.
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2007
When Tarasova said that Adelina was trying to reconcile the modern and the classical, this statement doesn't yet apply to her. But it does apply to Rohene Ward. I'm happy he is being recognized big time at least by the fans. His style is full of modern dance moves expressed in a classical manner - pointed toes, good posture, fine alignment, sleek lines. He didn't have the mental toughness to be a competitor, but he is surely destined to be one of the greatest choreographers of all time. Jason Brown is the ultimate ambassador who shows the world what Rohene can do.
Subtlety in exhibitionism ... indeed, my head is going to explode trying to envision these two concepts together... just doesn't happen right?
I am so glad Rohene is getting the recognition he so deserves. He is a brilliant skater, just unbelievable -- edges and line to die for. And now so creative, with Jason benefiting from it. Hope they both go to the stratosphere. And lucky people in Europe who get to see Rohene perform in Holiday on Ice.
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2014
CanadianSkater, do you compete as well?
Olympia, *hands you a cocktail*
TMC, any chance of a re-enactment of what happens behind closed doors?
Moonlight, I'd love to see your programs. I googled Petit Mort... and there I was thinking I was so original
skatedreamer, subtlety in exhibitionism... food for thought.
desert, I think we'd make better skaters than some of the top skaters today
I'm stuck with work now around the clock pretty much until the weekend (self-employed translators work when there is work and sleep only when there isn't
), but I'll think on this and come back here Friday night with a bottle of red and plot twists enough for a few Danielle Steel novels
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2014
I'm really, and I mean really happy for Rohene as well! Competition was just never meant to be for him, but I'm absolutely sure that he will be remembered in years to come as one of the greatest choreographers. Next time my husband wants to go for a mini-break to some cool European city, I'll make sure Rohene's show is in town that day
HOI doesn't come to Finland/Sweden/anywhere close to me anymore 
hwell:
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2013
Hello TMC, great to meet a fellow self-employed translator on this forum! What languages/fields do you work in? I specialize in Japanese->English, mostly financial (securities). I don't skate, only dance, but I love watching figure skating. I'm very excited about the new Japanese pairs team (Narumi and Ryuichi), though they have a long way to go. I loved Narumi and Mervin's Runaway Baby exhibition!
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2014
Hi Sai Bon, likewise! 
I work with all the Nordics (Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic) and of course English. As for fields - anything and everything! This past week I've done tootbrush bristles, tobacco additives and greyhound racing, among other randoms
I work with all the Nordics (Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic) and of course English. As for fields - anything and everything! This past week I've done tootbrush bristles, tobacco additives and greyhound racing, among other randoms
Hi Sai Bon, likewise!
I work with all the Nordics (Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic) and of course English. As for fields - anything and everything! This past week I've done tootbrush bristles, tobacco additives and greyhound racing, among other randoms
I'm fascinated by your work and Sai Bon's work. Gee, Finnish isn't exactly related to the other languages you work with. It's incredibly impressive that you have that language as well as the Germanic-based Scandinavian ones.
(Funny translation note: I once had a friend, now departed, who was a fabulous linguist. He was in Iceland on a trip and couldn't remember their word for bank. Knowing that Icelandic hadn't changed much since the days of the Prose Edda and the sagas, he approached someone on the street and asked where the nearest gold-hoard was. I think he did actually get directed to a bank!)
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2014
Since we're talking translations...
While traveling in southern France a few years ago, we stopped at a lovely little bistro where the owner had very kindly had the menu translated into English. One of the day's specials was a shrimp & avocado salad that was described on the English side of the menu as "salad of shrimps and avocats."
So.........shrimp-and-lawyer salad, anyone? I'm a contract analyst by profession and work w/ attorneys on a daily basis so this one gave me one helluva good giggle!
No criticism of the restaurant intended here because my language skills are limited to VERY basic conversational French. It's just that I can think of a few lawyers whom I'd simply love to chop up into little pieces...
While traveling in southern France a few years ago, we stopped at a lovely little bistro where the owner had very kindly had the menu translated into English. One of the day's specials was a shrimp & avocado salad that was described on the English side of the menu as "salad of shrimps and avocats."
So.........shrimp-and-lawyer salad, anyone? I'm a contract analyst by profession and work w/ attorneys on a daily basis so this one gave me one helluva good giggle!
No criticism of the restaurant intended here because my language skills are limited to VERY basic conversational French. It's just that I can think of a few lawyers whom I'd simply love to chop up into little pieces...
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2014
Have you translators ever deliberately translated something wrong just for fun?
All the time as a joke between friends/people I work with, never for clients
I get enough sleepless nights wondering if that choice of idiom/word that repeated a thousand times in that million-page document that I just sent to a new client who I'm hoping will give me lots of work in the future because I'm running out of cash and my Wordfast subscription needs to be renewed - actually was correct
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2014
Cheers Olympia!
Finnish is my native and as Swedish is also an official language here, all kids need to learn Swedish at school anyway. And when you know Swedish you are basically able to read Norwegian and Danish if you have any natural aptitude for languages.
I used to be rubbish at Swedish, but when the only B in my high-school diploma was in Swedish, I got so pissed off I determined to learn the stupid language once and for all. So, in order to learn Swedish as well as some more English, I went to Scotland to study Scandinavian Studies at Edinburgh uni for 4 years
Five birds with one stone! Modern Icelandic is incredibly similar to Old Norse. I only studied the language of Thor and Loki for 2 years at Uni, basically just reading and translating sagas into English, and was still able to read current Icelandic newspapers. Sort of, anyway.
I like how Icelandic has rejected neologisms unlike most languages, and instead made up words for new phenomena that derive from their heritage. For example, the word for telephone is simi, which means cord/thread, as in a thread between people - just like old landlines used to be! My all-time favourite is their word for computer, which is tölva. It's a portmanteau of tala (number) and völva (prophetess).
"Hang on, I'll just quickly check if there are any new posts on GS on my number prophetess!"
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2012
LOVE THIS THREAD!!!
(And that's including the digression about translating!
)
But, back to the topic. Here are my thoughts.
Category
Mmmm. I would love to try Pairs. But, I know fine well that I would not be able to keep myself synchronised with my partner, and that she would be constantly getting cross with me for getting things wrong.
So, I suppose it’s Men’s Singles, then. But, I don’t mind, as I do prefer to do things solo.
Style
I am very quiet and reserved in real life. But, I would like to be something different on the ice. My favourite male skaters tend to be the showmen. The likes of Plushenko, Joubert, Takahashi, van der Perren…
I also love Amodio’s Brazilian flair, especially in his exhibition numbers. But, somehow I don’t think I could pull it off! As for Jonny Weir, I have never been a fan of his style. He is just too over the top for my taste.
So, on balance, I would probably model myself on Brian Joubert.
Coach
Well, Katia Krier has done a great job with Brian over the years. But, I don’t think I would be able to concentrate on what I was doing if I was being coached by a beautiful woman…
Every sportsperson wants to be coached by the best. And in Men’s skating, that has to be Brian Orser. So, if I could work with him, I would jump at the chance!
Music
Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” is my favourite song of all time. But, I wouldn’t use it. It has been used many times in the past for skating. Some I have liked (e.g. in Michael Christian Martinez’s SP from last season, or Moore-Towers / Moscovitch’s FS medley from last season), but most have been awful (e.g. the version Kerstin Frank has been using as her SP for the past couple of years).
However, I think my second favourite song of all time, Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven”, would translate well onto the ice.
When it comes to skating music, I tend to prefer dramatic or epic pieces. My favourite skating piece is without a doubt Clint Mansell’s “Lux Aeterna”, and it would be my first choice.
But other pieces I would like to try are:
Johann Sebastian Bach – “Toccata And Fugue”
Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer – “He’s A Pirate”
Ludwig van Beethoven – “Symphony No. 5”
Paul Casey – “Big World”
Led Zeppelin – “ Immigrant Song”
Led Zeppelin – “Kashmir”
Andrew Lloyd Webber / Tim Rice – “Jesus Christ Superstar Overture”
Muff Murfin – “Gladiators” Theme Tune
Monty Norman / John Barry – “James Bond Theme”
Carl Orff – “O Fortuna”
Modest Mussorgsky – “Night On Bald Mountain”
Pyotr Tchaikovsky – “1812 Overture”
Vangelis – “Chariots Of Fire”
Vangelis – “Conquest Of Paradise”
John Williams – “Jurassic Park Overture”
John Williams – “The Raiders March” (Hey, I am an archaeologist, after all!)
It may be a very strange choice for a Men’s Singles skater, but I would also like to try Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” (Off hand, I can’t actually think of any Men’s skaters that have used “Swan Lake”! So, can anybody else?) I just love the music!
Also, ever since Sota Yamamoto dressed up as a member of International Rescue and skated to the “Thunderbirds” theme at last year’s WTT Gala, I have a bit of a fantasy of skating to Ron Wasserman’s masterpiece, “Go Go Power Rangers”, dressed as my favourite Power Ranger, Tommy the Green Ranger…
Costume
I suppose it would depend on the music I was using. Like, if I was using “The Raiders March”, I would dress up as Indiana Jones. Or if I was using the “James Bond Theme Tune”, I would be dressed up in a full dinner suit.
Mind you, I would draw the line at dressing up in character if I was using the Gladiators theme tune! (See why?)
And “Swan Lake” or not, nobody’s getting me into a tutu or tights!
For music that does not have a theme that instantly conjures up an image, I think I would style myself on Yuzuru Hanyu, or some of the tamer costumes from Daisuke Takahashi or Brian Joubert.
Definitely not anything over the top! (A Power Rangers costume isn’t over the top…)
Country
As I have pointed out quite a few times, people from Northern Ireland are automatically entitled to duel British and Irish citizenship.
Now, this is the thorny issue for somebody from Northern Ireland. If you choose one country, one side of the political divide condemns you. If you choose the other country, the other side of the political divide condemns you. So, I’m going to look at it from a practical viewpoint.
At the moment, neither the top British Men’s skater, Matthew Parr, nor the top Irish Men’s skater, Conor Stakelum, are at a level where they could earn a second slot for me. So, I would have to fight to be selected over them.
Conor’s PB is 97.48, while Matthew’s is 154.52. So, on that alone, I would have a better chance if I went after the Irish slot.
But, then you add in that there are likely to be other skaters challenging for the slot as well as myself. Ireland has a much smaller population than Britain, and this is also reflected in the number of competitive skaters. So, I am more likely to be selected if I am in a smaller pool.
So, when everything is weighed up, Ireland is my best bet.
But, this is a fantasy thread. So, I could choose whatever country I wanted. And since most of my favourite skaters tend to be either Russian or Japanese, it would be a dream to skate for either of these countries.
And anyway, I already have an Russian Olympic Team jacket…
CaroLiza_fan
(And that's including the digression about translating!
)But, back to the topic. Here are my thoughts.
Category
Mmmm. I would love to try Pairs. But, I know fine well that I would not be able to keep myself synchronised with my partner, and that she would be constantly getting cross with me for getting things wrong.
So, I suppose it’s Men’s Singles, then. But, I don’t mind, as I do prefer to do things solo.
Style
I am very quiet and reserved in real life. But, I would like to be something different on the ice. My favourite male skaters tend to be the showmen. The likes of Plushenko, Joubert, Takahashi, van der Perren…
I also love Amodio’s Brazilian flair, especially in his exhibition numbers. But, somehow I don’t think I could pull it off! As for Jonny Weir, I have never been a fan of his style. He is just too over the top for my taste.
So, on balance, I would probably model myself on Brian Joubert.
Coach
Well, Katia Krier has done a great job with Brian over the years. But, I don’t think I would be able to concentrate on what I was doing if I was being coached by a beautiful woman…
Every sportsperson wants to be coached by the best. And in Men’s skating, that has to be Brian Orser. So, if I could work with him, I would jump at the chance!
Music
Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” is my favourite song of all time. But, I wouldn’t use it. It has been used many times in the past for skating. Some I have liked (e.g. in Michael Christian Martinez’s SP from last season, or Moore-Towers / Moscovitch’s FS medley from last season), but most have been awful (e.g. the version Kerstin Frank has been using as her SP for the past couple of years).
However, I think my second favourite song of all time, Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven”, would translate well onto the ice.
When it comes to skating music, I tend to prefer dramatic or epic pieces. My favourite skating piece is without a doubt Clint Mansell’s “Lux Aeterna”, and it would be my first choice.
But other pieces I would like to try are:
Johann Sebastian Bach – “Toccata And Fugue”
Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer – “He’s A Pirate”
Ludwig van Beethoven – “Symphony No. 5”
Paul Casey – “Big World”
Led Zeppelin – “ Immigrant Song”
Led Zeppelin – “Kashmir”
Andrew Lloyd Webber / Tim Rice – “Jesus Christ Superstar Overture”
Muff Murfin – “Gladiators” Theme Tune
Monty Norman / John Barry – “James Bond Theme”
Carl Orff – “O Fortuna”
Modest Mussorgsky – “Night On Bald Mountain”
Pyotr Tchaikovsky – “1812 Overture”
Vangelis – “Chariots Of Fire”
Vangelis – “Conquest Of Paradise”
John Williams – “Jurassic Park Overture”
John Williams – “The Raiders March” (Hey, I am an archaeologist, after all!)
It may be a very strange choice for a Men’s Singles skater, but I would also like to try Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” (Off hand, I can’t actually think of any Men’s skaters that have used “Swan Lake”! So, can anybody else?) I just love the music!
Also, ever since Sota Yamamoto dressed up as a member of International Rescue and skated to the “Thunderbirds” theme at last year’s WTT Gala, I have a bit of a fantasy of skating to Ron Wasserman’s masterpiece, “Go Go Power Rangers”, dressed as my favourite Power Ranger, Tommy the Green Ranger…
Costume
I suppose it would depend on the music I was using. Like, if I was using “The Raiders March”, I would dress up as Indiana Jones. Or if I was using the “James Bond Theme Tune”, I would be dressed up in a full dinner suit.
Mind you, I would draw the line at dressing up in character if I was using the Gladiators theme tune!
(See why?)And “Swan Lake” or not, nobody’s getting me into a tutu or tights!
For music that does not have a theme that instantly conjures up an image, I think I would style myself on Yuzuru Hanyu, or some of the tamer costumes from Daisuke Takahashi or Brian Joubert.
Definitely not anything over the top! (A Power Rangers costume isn’t over the top…)
Country
As I have pointed out quite a few times, people from Northern Ireland are automatically entitled to duel British and Irish citizenship.
Now, this is the thorny issue for somebody from Northern Ireland. If you choose one country, one side of the political divide condemns you. If you choose the other country, the other side of the political divide condemns you. So, I’m going to look at it from a practical viewpoint.
At the moment, neither the top British Men’s skater, Matthew Parr, nor the top Irish Men’s skater, Conor Stakelum, are at a level where they could earn a second slot for me. So, I would have to fight to be selected over them.
Conor’s PB is 97.48, while Matthew’s is 154.52. So, on that alone, I would have a better chance if I went after the Irish slot.
But, then you add in that there are likely to be other skaters challenging for the slot as well as myself. Ireland has a much smaller population than Britain, and this is also reflected in the number of competitive skaters. So, I am more likely to be selected if I am in a smaller pool.
So, when everything is weighed up, Ireland is my best bet.
But, this is a fantasy thread. So, I could choose whatever country I wanted. And since most of my favourite skaters tend to be either Russian or Japanese, it would be a dream to skate for either of these countries.
And anyway, I already have an Russian Olympic Team jacket…
CaroLiza_fan
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2010
Caroliza_fan, I like your style! I'd love to see Indiana Jones on ice.
Rudy Galindo skated to Swan Lake.
Katia Krier was Brian's coach for less of a season.
Rudy Galindo skated to Swan Lake.
Katia Krier was Brian's coach for less of a season.
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2012
Thank you for the compliment, and the info
Was that all?! I thought Katia was the one that he had most of his success with, and then left, and then went back to.
Ach, I must be getting mixed up with with somebody else!
:Just shows you how much attention I have paid to coaches over the years!
It is only in the past year or two that I have started paying attention to who is coaching who. Or, put it another way, since skaters I like started coaching (Massimo Scalli, John Kerr, Amanda Evora...)
CaroLiza_fan
