A Summer In Spain Cleaning Fishing Boat Hulls

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By Babel HutPosted In: Language Learning, TravelTagged: , , , Leave a comment

How many of you are working summer jobs in Spain? A summer job will help you to build character. It is a great way to add something unique to your professional resume. Today’s content is about cleaning a fish boat with an electric pressure washer. The boat probably belongs to someone else, and they are trusting you to clean it the right way.

6 Tips To Keep the Job Fun and Feel Less Like a Chore

1) Take the pressure washer and clean the floor from bow to stern. If you’re in need of a pressure washer you can take a look at reviews of some of the best electric options, as they are usually easier to use than gas-powered options when working on boats. Also keep in mind that the floor gets more abuse than any other surface on the boat. You should get yourself a deck brush to remove those harder-to-reacher areas.

Why not sing a song why you are doing it? Plug in your iPad and play your favorite music.

2) You need to clean the livewells. Use a non-toxic product because a toxic product will be detrimental to the fish. Baking soda and water work great when you use the pressure washer. Things like bleach will be bad. Use the pressure washer to flush the livewells once you are done.

Why do you need to flush the system out? You need to make sure the dirt and debris have been removed before hitting the open water. Dirt that remains free will be harmful to the animals that live in the open water.

3) Boat bilges are probably the grimiest part of the boat. Get yourself a commercial cleaner and get to the bottom of the issuev(wink, wink.) A commercial cleaner will allow you to get to the bottom without getting yourself dirty in the process.

4) The boat consoles can be taken care of with Windex and spray cleaner. You will not need a power washer for this part. You will need a partial wt sponge for the first part, and then a dry cloth to finish the job. It is that simple.

Now some of this will get boring so keep that music playing. Music gives us the incentive to keep going. Keep those tunes on full blast and scrub away.

5) Does the boat have vinyl seats? The sun’s UV rays have a nasty way of turning the seats a different color. The seat will look cracked after a certain period of time.

You will need Star Brite Vinyl Shampoo. The shampoo will restore the seats to their former glory.

6) How does the boat hull look right now? It may appear discolored and stained in certain areas. You will want to give the problem areas a good scrub first. Next, take the pressure washer and clean it off. The pressure washer will also add some efficiency to the boat’s performance, not to mention add to the fuel efficiency.

Some Added Cleaning Tips

Do you want to get a bonus in your paycheck? Take a few extra minutes and clean the trailer. The owner will be very impressed. Clean everything including the wheels and tires. Your boss might give you some more work to do after this.

Conclusion

Cleaning a fish boat with an electric pressure washer may not be your idea of a good time, but it will earn you a paycheck. It will also earn you the satisfaction of a job well done.

I Can’t Find the Screws! Language as a Barrier

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By Babel HutPosted In: Language Learning, Thailand, TravelTagged: , , , Leave a comment

The problem

Often times in life we are fearful of situations in which we may not understand some written material or understand what is being said due to comprehension or a language barrier.

Imagine being in a hardware store in Thailand. As you search the aisles in desperation for the screw section. Above you are signs in Thai and not an English word in sight. All around you are curious faces, with some of them that may have never seen a white person but you can’t even entertain the thought of a conversation because of your quest to find a screw. As you stand bewildered in front of the store, looking across a sea of shelves and finally a clerk approaches you a manages to muster the words “hello, I help you?”

With a look of glee, you realize you may have found your savior in a smock. As you proceed to gleefully describe what you are looking for at 100 miles an hour, you realize that the clerk has a blank look and your explanation has been in vain. So with the shopkeep in front of you and the screws, you need hiding in the labyrinth of a store how do you find a way to get what you need.

The Solution

If you were a prepared traveler then you would not have had to face such issues. So if you are in a foreign country and want to buy something as obscure as a screw, here are XS tips to help you combat those sticky and somewhat isolating situations that can be posed by international travel.

1.) Have a hotel employee write you a list in the language of what you need for ease of transaction.

2.) Learn some of the languages before you go on the trip. The internet is full of free courses, all it will cost you is time. Many locals are impressed when travelers take the time to learn the language and might even reward you with an extra shrimp or two at the local market.

3.) Use google translate or hire/buy a translating machine. These machines are cheap and will help you keep your independence on the trip

4.) show the clerk a picture of the screw you need. Pictorial, like math, is a universal language.

5.) Hire a language guide. Language guides are good because not only is the barrier broken, but they can get you the local rates!

In our scenario, you, the weary traveler finally found the screws you needed and left on your merry way because you followed this advice and were victorious in the quest to the hardware store. If you are considering international travel, perhaps you might consider staying at an all-inclusive where you won’t have to go out in search of screws.

Travel to Germany to Learn German

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By Babel HutPosted In: Germany, TravelTagged: , , Leave a comment

Being in Germany gives someone that is attempting to learn German, the best experience for various different reasons.

You are being fully submerged into the language. In Germany, you are sure to be surrounded around others that know the language. Therefore, when you are using technology or other resources to learn the language, you will also have other resources surrounding you. For example, if you want to learn how to read road signs, you will have live road signs right in front of you in Germany. You can turn off the resources, such as your phone application, and look at the signs yourself. If you are not able to get through the signs fully, you have other resources around you that you can talk to using the language.

There will be a surplus of programs around that are focused on the German language. Just like in the United States where our schools offer a program to students that want to learn our native language, Germany has the same. Instead of being limited to what is being offered in your home country, you will have plenty of programs to pick from. Some of the programs that are offered in Germany include DAAD which is the German Academic Exchange Service and Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX) for Young Professionals. Regardless of your current experience with the German language, there is sure to be a program that will meet your needs and requirements to help you learn the language.

There is plenty of opportunity to practice what you learn. If you remain within your native area, you may be limited to those that you practice using the German language with. There may not be much opportunity to use the langue outside of your learning area. Like the saying says, if you don’t use it, you will lose it. Being in Germany, there will be plenty of individuals walking amongst the streets that will allow you to put your learning to practice. You will have plenty of opportunity to use it. Also, hearing others using the language allows you to hear where you may be making pronunciation errors. It also allows you to hear how those that natively use the language are pronouncing certain words.