On transcription and On Friendship

I've been working on the Romania project here and there, doing transcriptions - and an extra one that got dumped in my lap, grrr.... and I remember how much I hate transcription. Not that I ever forgot, but...it's just so boring, can't do anything else while you do them, and then between the myriad voices and the sound of air rushing over a microphone, it's just super tedious. Hate hate hate.


Especially when the interviews have had nearly nothing to do with the internets, the whole reason for going in the first place. And between my constant use of headphones and my transcriptioning, I worry a little about my hearing. What's actually easier is when a translator is needed, because then you have a little time in between the English to fix little mistakes. Plus, the text is shorter by about half because most of the convo you don't have to write anyway.



So in the meantime, I give you this stanza of a poem on friendship attributed to Sarah Orne Jewett. I just found the poem tonight and it makes me realize that even though I've been doing these transcriptions, I still, deep down, have faith in language and its ability to move me:

The massive iron rent in two, Still may be joined as strong as new,
Yes, just the very same; But friendship shattered, never more
Can be the same as 'twas before, Altho' it bear the name.