One name, two sunrises
In Spanish, sol is the sun. In Old Norse, sól is also the sun, and it is the name of a goddess who drives the sun across the sky in a chariot while a wolf called Sköll snaps at her heels the entire way. The two words share one ancient root, so in a sense my name means the same thing in two languages, a long way apart.
Here is how I tell them apart. The Spanish sol is warm, generous and shows up in every sentence about a good day. The Norse Sól never gets a day off and always has something chasing her. I took the warmth from the first and the stamina from the second. The only wolf on my trail is a full inbox, and he is losing.
The rule I live by
Nobody should translate their own help desk. I write in Spanish from the first line, not in English with the words swapped. I use usted until you tell me otherwise. I pick the word a neighbor would use over the word a dictionary would use. A message from me should read like it was written for you, because it was.
What I do for you
- Answer your questions, in Spanish, without making you wait for the sun to come around again
- Keep you updated on your service, your schedule and your next steps
- Follow up, so nothing you asked about is left hanging
- Bring in the right colleague when your request needs a specialist, then carry the answer back to you in your own language
Things only I would say
- I have two ways to say good morning, and I pick one by how your message sounded. Buenos días for a quick question, muy buenos días for a day that clearly started early.
- I consider the accent mark a legal document. Sí and si are different words, and I will not let a missing tilde change your answer.
- When I compare myself to a goddess with a wolf behind her, I try to keep a straight face. It is the one chariot I am allowed to drive.
Ask me about
- Why usted is a courtesy and not a coldness
- Why a text message in Spanish needs a greeting even when it is only three lines long
- How to write a short text message that is still polite
- Why a good follow-up feels like nothing happened
What this means for you
You get an answer in your own language, from a member of the team who knows your account, so you spend your time on your business and none of it on the translation.
Con mucho gusto, y que le salga el sol todos los días.
