TEFL Certification at Prague, Czech Republic

I am writing this blog in Prague, Czech Republic.

I got to know Prague through the infamous Soviet-led crackdown on the Prague Spring Movement in 1968. Now, fifty some years later, we are witnessing another similar invasion from Russia.  It is a deja vu to me.

Why TEFL?

I planned to spend some time in Europe, France and Spain especially, before the Covid-19 pandemic started at the beginning of 2020. To make the trips more varied and meaningful, I ran across work possibilities to teach English to supplement some income plus room and board for a few months at a time. Then, I realized that there are certification programs to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL). Many young people took this as a way to travel and see the world.

With Google search and Google reviews, I found that a few reputable programs do this. One of them is based in Prague and here I come in April 2022. I taught graduate courses in data structure and algorithm analysis at Santa Clara University computer engineering department in the 90s.  But, teaching English to a broader audience is quite different I imagine. I could benefit from a structured program to do this effectively and a certification can go a long way in getting good jobs. There is an ecosystem in this trade that and this certification can give me that exposure.  Besides, Prague is a world famous city to visit and spend a month in.

I arrived at Prague Thursday afternoon for some acclimation and jet lag adjustment. I don't know the language at all although many people speak English.  After all, it is a favorite city for tourists. I found some beginner Czech language books and some Youtube videos to get the basics

Czech language alphabet is based on Latin letters with diacritical marks. It has similar grammatical constructs similar to other Latin-based languages like French and Spanish. But the Czech nouns have 7 cases and three genders.  These are similar to the Latin language. And the declension (case system) makes it a whole lot more complicated to me.

I won't have much time to write blogs like this one for a while once my school starts Monday. I have to study and prepare lesson plans to teach guinea pigs students in the afternoon.

As a tourist in Prague.

On Friday, I visited Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. I also took the advantage of a good sunny day and bought a ticket for a guided tour in the Clock Tower. I bought a monthly pass for all Prague public transportations for 1000 crowns, which is close to $45 USD.  I enjoyed their buses and trams. So far, I don't even need the subway to get around. 

I like their honor system in that you just keep the pass/ticket in your wallet in case an inspector asks to see it.

You can see many images and photos of Prague city on the Internet . I only show a few of my own here.

This is next to the Charles Bridge looking at Prague Castle.

This one was at the foot of the Statue of John of Nepomuk.

Notice that I touched the two shiny spots so that I will go back to Prague in the future.  I needed to do this as my family had a Gate1 central Europe tour in September. One does not want to mess with the legends.

This one was at the St. Vitus Cathedral.

On Saturday, I visited  the Old Town Square. I took the advantage of a good sunny day and bought a ticket for a guided tour in the Clock Tower. The tour was interesting and worth it.  You got to see the town hall basement and their history when the city was first developed.

This was the astronomical clock that day.

It was a very elegant design of the clock tower elevator.

Looking down to see the old town square from the top of the clock tower.

I went to the nearby St. Wenceslas Church early on Sunday morning.

This was the Church Interior towards the altar.

I attended the 8:30am mass. It was indeed a Catholic and Universal church. The flow of the mass liturgy was clearly recognizable although I had no knowledge of the Czech language. Nevertheless, the words alleluia, Jerusalem and Thomas were heard. Today’s gospel reading has the doubting Thomas story…

It is a beautiful piece of architecture to me. I can barely believe that it is a Catholic Church.

We have a pre-class student gathering near the school site for Sunday lunch.  I like another honor system and tradition again. On the checkout time, everyone reports what he/she ordered and pays accordingly. I have a lot of respect for the Czech people.

Well, the humble Zeitraum Student Housing I am in.

References:

1. Prague, Czech Republic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague 
2. Prague Spring 1968 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Spring
3. TEFL course in Prague https://teflworldwideprague.com/ 
4. Czech orthography https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_orthography
5. Prague astronomical clock https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_astronomical_clock
6. Statue of John of Nepomuk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_John_of_Nepomuk,_Charles_Bridge
7. Prague Castle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Castle

English with an American Corporate Accent - 040

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* They are squatting in our device name space. [They are simply sitting in our device name space.]
* Peter said not to hold our breath for that decision. [Peter said not to expect that decision to come anytime soon.]
* Pre-allocating them will give us some head room to operate. [Allocating them beforehand will give us some leeway to operate.]
* Let's sort them out in chronological order so that we can formulate a punch list for execution. [Let's sort them out in chronological order so that we can formulate a to-do list for execution.]

* There are bigger fish to fry. [There are more important things to worry about.]
* We should hold their feet to the fire, otherwise, nothing gets done. [We should keep the pressure on, otherwise, nothing gets done.]
* They made a valiant effort to deliver that project before the gate closes. [They tried their best to deliver that project before the gate closes.]
* I am going to write an email to them for a waiver. This requirement at the 11th hour is impossible to meet. [I am going to write an email to them for a waiver.  This late requirement is impossible to meet.]

* We are in the weeds for the last forty-five minutes. [We are overwhelmed with details for the last forty-five minutes.]
* It will be an unbounded path if you enable that feature by hand. [It will be an uncontrolled path if you enable that feature manually.]
* Is there a chance that the rug gets pulled out from underneath when you are traversing that linked list? [Is there a chance that the linked list gets modified when you are traversing that linked list?]
* That stock is certainly on the up and up, although we don't know why. [That stock is certainly reliable and honest, although we don't know why.]

English with an American Corporate Accent - 039

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* In the data security context, we have to make sure that the storage component is not the weakest link. [In the data security context, we have to make sure that the storage component is not the most vulnerable link.]
* We can repurpose the drive, when they are done with it. [We can reuse the drive for other purposes, when they are done with it.]
* We'll have another side-bar to discuss that tomorrow morning. [We'll have a separate meeting to discuss that tomorrow morning.]
* I understand that it is in your long list of things to do. What is your elevator pitch then? [I understand that it is in your long list of things to do.  What is your short summary then?]
* My summary from the brainstorm session was vetted a couple of times internally, before outside consumption. [My summary from the brainstorm session was reviewed a couple of times internally, before we distributed it outside of the group.]
* Nothing is a slam dunk unless we know more about the future priorities. [Nothing is going to happen easily unless we know more about the future priorities.]
* There you go, you did not hear from me about this. [There you go, you did not learn this from me.]
* We are thrashing on that issue as far as zero-administration goes. [We are going back and forth on that issue as far as zero-administration goes.]
* Let me clue you guys in.  What Ron is talking about is the regression found by that integration a week ago. [Let me give you guys a hint. What Ron is talking about is the regression found by that integration a week ago.]
* It takes four months for them to act on it. I am sure that is not their barn burner issue. [It takes four months for them to act on it.  I am sure that is not their first priority item.]
* My question could possibly be seen as somewhat of a tangential topic. [My question could possibly be seen as somewhat of a peripheral topic.]
* Item number two is really just throwing the switch, once item number three is completed. [Item number two is really just simply enabling that, once item number three is completed.]

English with an American Corporate Accent - 038

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* If we get to the nuts and bolts of this, it would be quite overwhelming to the management team. [If we get to the details of this, it would be quite overwhelming to the management team.]
* We should identify the signature for the core dump to see if we can match something in the repository. [We should identify the particulars of the core dump to see if we can match something in the repository.]
* The new requirement is not easy to satisfy.  The current feature set simply cannot cut it. [The new requirement is not easy to satisfy.  The current feature set simply cannot do the job.]
* If the problems show up, how do you assign the blame to other organizations? [If the problems show up, how do you assign faults to other organizations?]

* We have a bigger fish to fry. [We have more important things to do.]
* We need to be more discriminating on what we should do next quarter. [We need to be more selective on what we should do next quarter.]
* We would like to have your blessings on the code change before we file for integration. [We would like to have your approval on the code change before we file for integration.]
* That is a marketing presentation covering the top five customers.  It is about care and feeding in the nut shell. [That is a marketing presentation covering the top five customers.  It is about how to support them without a long explanation.]

* That piece of code needs to be beefed up to support this new feature. [That piece of code needs to be enhanced to support this new feature.]
* They try to add that feature to this release right now. That just does not compute really. [They try to add that feature to this release right now.  That just does not make sense really.]
* It is hard to do.  But, we might have to sign up for it anyway. [It is hard to do.  But, we might have to take it anyway.]
* That single issue is going to dictate the solution they'll come up with. [That single issue is going to determine the solution they'll come up with.]

English with an American Corporate Accent - 037

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* In fullness of time, Linux will add this feature. [Over time, Linux will add this feature.]
* The new OS release has some birthing pains, we'll have to wait it out. [The new OS release has some initial difficulties, we'll have to be patient.]
* That is a big step function for us to get used to. [That is a big adjustment for us to get used to.]
* They are swearing for its performance potentials. [They are affirming its performance potentials.]

* What are the secret sauces for this performance?  It is in the chip we designed. [What are the secret recipes for this performance?  It is in the chip we designed.]
* Security attack can paralyze a company in a significant way. [Security attack can render a company non-functional in a significant way.]
* This can be a door opener for this customer to try our systems. [This can be a good excuse for this customer to try our systems.]
* That is a good cadence for product delivery. [That is a good pace for product delivery.]

* Customers like this "one throat to choke" model. [Customers like this simple one contact point model to get their voice heard.]
* It is a difficult dichotomy for the engineering team. [It is a difficult dilemma for the engineering team.]
* I apologize for using storage speak for this presentation. Stop me when you cannot figure out what I mean. [I apologize for using storage jargon for this presentation. Stop me when you cannot figure out what I mean.]
* That story is getting better over time. Please be patient. [That story is gradually improving. Please be patient.]

English with an American Corporate Accent - 036

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* I took the liberty of logging on to your system to make sure my recommendations work. [Without your consent, I logged on to your system to make sure my recommendations work.]
* This is a great opportunity for Bob to get some air time with John. [This is a great opportunity for Bob to get some exposure with John.]
* When I looked at the actual signature of the problem, I suspected that this is a duplicate of a problem found by Mary last week. [When I looked at the actual evidence of the problem, I suspected that this is a duplicate of a problem found by Mary last week.]
* Using that syntax inside the kernel code is too heavy handed. [Using that syntax inside the kernel code is too complicated and unnecessary.]
* That would be out of the purview of most system administrators. [That would be beyond the scope of interest for most system administrators.]

* That type of analysis holds no water. [That type of analysis has no credibility.]
* Early adopters and visionaries will benefit from this. [Early users will benefit from this.]
* We have crossed the adoption chasm for this technology. [We have crossed the adoption threshold for this technology.]
* This chart is a bit of eye sore, I'll walk through it. [This chart is a bit of challenge to read. I'll go through it.]
* That is the holy grail if you can become a data-driven company. [That is the ultimate ideal if you can become a data-driven company.]

* It is a bit of a crap shoot since the client software has no idea how long it will have to wait for. [It is a bit of guess work since the client software has no idea how long it will have to wait for.]
* Once we get the system events defined, the rest of the implementation is a cookie cutter job. [Once we get the system events defined, the rest of the implementation is a straightforward job.]
* Don't mention those two use cases, they sound so icky. [Don't mention those two use cases, they sound so awful.]
* Why do we spend time horsing around this? [Why do we spend time playing with this?]
* We have to pick our poison, either to optimize one or the other, but not both. [We have to make a hard choice, either to optimize one or the other, but not both.]

English with an American Corporate Accent - 035

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* You can view that as a fork-lift upgrade. [You can view that as a heavy duty jumbo upgrade.]
* That performance number 540 is our baseline.  Anything beyond that is gravy to us. [That  performance number 540 is our baseline.  Anything beyond that is an extra bonus for us.]
* Any new bug report on the bubble here? [Any new bug report on the horizon here?]
* Rob can help out in a pinch here. [Rob can help out at a moment's notice here.]
* His father passed away last week.  He is pretty wrapped up now. [His father passed away last week.  He is pretty much emotionally occupied now.]
* Johnson seems to poopoo our suggestion.  He is not answering my calls. [Johnson seems to dismiss our suggestion.  He is not answering my calls.]
* That's a big hammer to resolve this simple problem. [There should be an easy way to resolve this simple problem.]
* We have not much left to do here.  Let's power through it. [We don't have much left to do here. Let's work extra hard to get through it.]
* I suspect that it's fait accompli. [I suspect that is an established fact now.]
* What happened was that Joe got wind that this feature was coming soon, and he turned around and sold it to the customers. [What happened was that Joe overheard that this feature was coming soon, and he turned around and sold it to the customers.]
* That is not the way we used to do software integration, but we aren't in Kansas anymore. [That is not the way we used to do software integration, but we aren't in that old world anymore.]
* Jerry felt that we are floundering in this project.  We need to do something to move it forward. [Jerry felt that we are struggling in this project.  We need to do something to move it forward.]
* It is not a moonshot.  There is something meaningful we can try. [It still has hope.  There is something meaningful we can try.]
* If you want to resurrect that project,  we better get buy-in from John. [If you want to restart that project, we better get agreement from John.]

English with an American Corporate Accent - 034

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

*I am more interested in the high-order bits, not worrying about whether it is a 3-week or 4-week project. [I am more interested in the high-level issues, not worrying about whether it is a 3-week or 4-week project.]
*I am not going to breeze down their necks for schedules. [I am not going watch them that closely to get schedules.]
* He won't lose any sleep if he jettisons that project today. [He won't feel any guilt if he kills that project today.]
* Our organization is oozing into other areas, including sales support and technical marketing. [Our organization is taking on new roles, including sales support and technical marketing.]
* It could be a disincentive if you actually offer that feature for free. [It could have the opposite effect of creating suspicion if you actually offer that feature for free.]
* Customers don't want to feel hemmed in if our vendor locking strategy is too obvious. [Customers don't want to feel stuck in choices if our vendor locking strategy is too obvious.]
* They have really dumbed down that discussion for the execs. [They have really simplified that discussion for the executives.]
* We are in such a conundrum situation. [We are in such a dilemma.]
* That patch is very toxic, don't use it if you can help it. [That patch is very troublesome, don't use it if you can avoid it.]
* After that change, they have a real house of cards on their hands. [After that change, they have a real difficult problem on their hands.]
* The only advantage for them is that they have one throat to choke now. [The only advantage for them is that they only need to deal with one vendor to solve the problem.]
* I don't like to white list that particular model.  If we replace that later, it would be very difficult to do an upgrade in the field. [I don't like to create a special case for that particular model.  If we replace that later, it would be very difficult to do an upgrade in the field.]

English with an American Corporate Accent - 033

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* That's the buzzword for "no more service is available." [That's the trendy word for "no more service is available."]
* I have my right ear burning with something urgent now. [I am sure that there is something urgent that needs my attention now.]
* To save time, we can piggyback on your work to deliver that feature. [To save time, we can leverage on your work to deliver that feature.]
* While we do that, let's take the opportunity to iron out the hardware wrinkles if any. [While we do that, let's take the opportunity to fix the hardware problems if any.]
* Our security portfolio is an organic version. [Our security portfolio is a home-grown version.]

* We had serious performance difference two years ago, now we are bridging the gaps. [We had serious performance differences two years ago, now we are closing the gap.]
* That new feature really gives our competitor a run for their money. [That new feature really challenges our competitor.]
* The status of that project falls into a yellow for me. [The status of that project falls into a "caution" status for me.]
* I have 24 direct reports; wheels are starting to fall off the cart. [I have 24 direct reports; things are starting to fall apart.]
* I am drawing a blank on that name. [I simply cannot remember that name.]

* We cannot use that half-baked prototype. [We cannot use that incomplete prototype.]
* There is a wrinkle to this action plan. [There is a small problem to this action plan.]

English with an American Corporate Accent - 032

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* If we have these common functions available, the drivers won't have to do the heavy lifting. [If we have these common functions available, the drivers won't have to do much work.]
* That would be in a single wad for the roll-out. [That would be in a single collection for the roll-out.]
* This is really a real estate issue.  Can we try to pare that down? [This is really a real estate issue.  Can we try minimize that size?]
* I hate to sound like a broken record on this issue. [I hate to repeat this again on this issue.]
* There are a lot of moving pieces in the test area. [There are a lot of changing components in the test area.]
* There's some wiggle room for this project, since it is using a subset of the upper level protocols. [There's some flexibility for this project, since it is using a subset of the upper level protocols.]
* There is already an entry in the plan. We just need to flesh it out or have a pointer for it. [There is already an entry in the plan.  We just need to fill in the details or have a reference pointer for it.]
* That performance enhancement is like to boil the ocean with a few burners. [That performance enhancement is doing very little to the whole thing.]
* John, let me pick your brains on that new idea. [John, let me ask your opinions on that new idea.]
* This will help us as a team to hone in on what configurations will be valid. [This will help us as a team to focus on what configurations will be valid.]
* You are blazing new trails for the team. [Your are trying out new processes for the team.]

English with an American Corporate Accent - 031

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* Try to get some low hanging fruit in the first pass of testing. [Try to get some easy results in the first pas of testing.]
* Off the top, I would say eighty percent is in that first category. [Just a quick estimate, I would say eighty percent is in that first category.]
* In order to obfuscate the attackers, you need to follow this procedure. [In order to confuse the attackers, you need to follow this procedure.]
* It looks to me that is the short list we whittle down to. [It looks to me that is the short list we reduce down to.]
* That's off the table for sure; there are many unknowns. [That option will not be considered for sure; there are many unknowns.]
* That's a perfect segue for the next item in our list. [That's a perfect transition for the next item in our list.]
* I did not mean to crash your party. [I did not mean to attend your meeting uninvited.]
* Hi Paul, anything you need right off the bat? [Hi Paul, anything you need right now?]
* If you are going to up-level like that, we really need to see what reports come from the field. [If you are going to summarize like that, we really need to see what reports come from the field.]
* I don't really follow the driver/device dance there. [I don't really follow the intricate driver/device arguments there.]
* Going out on a limb a bit, I believe that this memory leak probably maps to the changes made by Ray. [Just a guess on my part, I believe that this memory leak probably maps to the changes made by Ray.]
* That time slot would be more palatable across the board. [That time slot would be more appropriate for all concerned.]
* Bridges will be crossed when we are there. [We'll do what we have to do when we are there.]

English with an American Corporate Accent - 030

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* Everyone is welcome to weigh in on this issue. [Everyone is welcome to give his opinion on this issue.]
* Let's get a best guessmate or swag for these development tasks. [Let's get a best estimate for these development tasks.]
* To get that storage discovery code to work in a month is a nonstarter. [To get that storage discovery code to work in a month has little chance of success.]
* Please note that this is not fully vetted within Adam's org. [Please note that this is not fully examined within Adam's organization yet.]
* I will be on the road and/or in the sticks, so if you need to contact me, it may be hard. [I will be on the road and/or in the back country, so if you need to contact me, it may be hard.]
* The counter was also a diagnostic breadcrumb during development. [The counter was also a diagnostic left-over piece during development.]
* Yes, that project just got integrated was my day job :-). [Yes, that project just got integrated was my officially assigned regular day-time job :-)]
* I am currently maxed-out with support to customers. [I am currently completely swamped with supports to customers.]
* Feels like treading water now. [Feels like not making any progress now.]
* I'm feeling a little under the weather today. [I'm feeling ill today.]
* As part of on-boarding process, you'll learn this new tool. [As part of  the process to join this new team, you'll learn this new tool.]
* Once you sign up for it, you'll be on a very slippery slope. [Once you agree to join it, you'll be on a very treacherous path.]
* You need to give security visibility to the development process. [You need to raise the awareness of security in the development process.]

English with an American Corporate Accent - 029

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* I only have anecdotal stories to tell you. [I can only tell you what I've heard.]

* This testing methodology is pretty brittle to me. [This testing methodology is pretty shaky to me.]

* We are closing the doors; but the cows are already out. [We are closing the doors; but it is too late since the cows are already out.]

* He was working with all the slicing and dicing of the hardware project. [He was working with all the details of the designs for the hardware project.]

* There are a whole plethora of things we can do. [There are many things we can do.]

* We'll hit that knee very soon in the arbitration overhead. [We'll hit that threshold very soon in the arbitration overhead.]

* This could be an implementation artifact in our prototype. [This could be due to the way we implemented it in our prototype.]

* Jason's measurement numbers bear this out. [Jason's measurement numbers prove this assertion.]

* I just want to be helpful somehow... so if either of you have a suggestion, I'm all ears. [I just want to be helpful somehow... so if either of you have a suggestion, I'm listening.]

* Yes, scratch that. Now I recall the reason for the so-called local functions. [Yes, forget about that.  Now I recall the reason for the so-called local functions.]

* But most of these new disk drives are spoken for. [But most of these new disk drives are already reserved for people.]

* We have to take this back to chew it a bit before we can get back to you. [We have to take this back to work on it a bit before we can get back to you.]

* We'll do this two-week cadence for our future meetings. [We'll do this every two weeks for our future meetings.]

English with an American Corporate Accent - 028

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* We looked into those peculiar I/O response times. [We looked into those unusual I/O response times.]
* There is some funkiness in those numbers. [There is something hard to explain in those numbers.]
* The task fell below the line we have time for it. [We don't have time to do that task.]
* They got a truck load of compute power. [They got plenty compute power.]
* This new issue is a fly in the ointment for the project. [This new issue is unfortunately a small drawback for the perfect project.]
* There's no steady drumbeat for it from our field yet, but there are a trickle of requests starting to come in. [There is no steady request for it from our field yet, but there are a few requests starting to come in.]

* I would definitely take any IDC prediction with a grain (or a bucket) of salt, as they are always wrong. [I would definitely take any IDC prediction with some reservations, as they are always wrong.]

* This would have prevented the fire drill that we just had. [This would have prevented the incident that we just had.]

* It's close enough, and I don't want to muddy up the waters. [It is close enough, and I don't want to mess things up.]

* What we observed jives with the driver log messages. [What we observed is consistent with the driver log messages.]
* We need to come to ground on this pronto. [We need to converge and have action plans quickly.]

* Make sure that we can tread water in that situation. [Make sure that we can hang in there in that situation.]

English with an American Corporate Accent - 027

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* Nothing about the device is a given.  We basically have to blackbox the device. [Nothing about the device is a given.  We basically have to treat the device as a black box.]
* The data is mind-boggling. [The data is difficult to analyze.]
* You'll never know where is the next kink of the hose. [You'll never know where is the next issue what would pop up.]
* There are many issues to use that, choose your poison. [There are many issues to use that, make your choice and be ready for a surprise.]
* Flash drive is not a stateless device.  It depends on what have run before. [Flash drive device remembers things.  It depends on what have run before.]
* They have no clues. I have to give the state of the union. [They have no clues.  I have to give an overview.]
* They are all resolved under the hood. [They are all resolved without our knowledge.]
* That is a staged approach. [That is an approach with several stages in the process.]
* You don't want to be penned in a corner. [They don't want to be stuck in a corner.]
* We have a litany of commands invented to help with this new design. [We have a collection of commands invented to help with this new design.]
* You can get a lot of mileage out of this. [You can get a lot of good use out of this.]
* It is the vagary of the firmware that puzzles us all. [It is that unpredictable behavior of the firmware that puzzles us all.]
* Let's do that now in case the problem goes awry. [Let's do that now in case the problem goes wrong.]

English with an American Corporate Accent - 026

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* Some of these items in the diagram are scaffoldings for testing. [Some of these items in the diagram are temporary structures for testing.]
* We need something better, log file scrapping just doesn't cut it. [We need something better, searching for that kind of data in the log file just doesn't meet the need.]
* Do you have the necessary equipment? I might be able to scrounge up a card for you. [Do you have the necessary equipment? I might be able to beg and borrow a card for you.]
* If we do that, we throw out the baby with the bath water. [If we do that, we are overreacting by getting rid of everything.]
* Lack of visibility into that area prevents us from doing more diagnosis of the problem. [The lack of means to know what happened in that area prevents us from doing more diagnosis of the problem.]
* Something went wrong.  They bricked the disk drive. [Something went wrong. They completely killed the disk drive.]
* I am spacing out on that name right now. [I just cannot recall that name right now.]
* I am all for chunking things up.  We don't need to do it all this time. [I am all for breaking things up.  We don't need to do everything at this time.]
* Rob took that a lot further.  But I did not plug in to that effort. [Rob took that a lot further.  But I did not follow up to that effort.]
* The party line is that now we'll use Brand X drives. [The official line is that now we'll use Brand X drives.]
* I think that will be a ways away. Let's not worry about it. [I think that will be a long time later.  Let's not worry about it.]
* You should do a complete job first, then you can pick them out in pieces. [You should do a complete job first, then you can examine them carefully in pieces.]
* If you need to camp on it for a month, we may have a problem. [If you need to have exclusive access on it for a month, we may have a problem.]

English with an American Corporate Accent - 025

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* The overall timing of these pieces is a bit tight on Platform A, but I'm really not sweating where this is falling for Platform B. [The overall timing of these pieces is a bit tight on Platform A, but I'm really not worried where we are for Platform B.]
* Let us help our customers get their arms around some of their questions and give them a direction forward. [Let us help our customers get a handle on their questions and give them a direction forward.]
* I got your email on that customer escalation. What's the scoop? [I got your email on that customer escalation. What's it about?]
* Oops! I forgot to include you in that email. [Gosh! I forgot to include you in that email.]
* If we could demo that, that would be a good show-and-tell. [If we could demonstrate that, that would be a good story to tell.]
* Let me up-level a bit on this subject. [Let me address this subject at a higher level.]
* They just want to kick the tires a little bit. [They just want to do a sanity test a little bit.]
* What he just said obliterated everything you have accomplished so far. [What he just said wiped out everything you have accomplished so far.]
* They did their own cherry picking on what's important to them. [They did their own choosing on what's important to them.]
* The political tension between these two organizations is very hard to deal with. [The political friction between these two organizations is very hard to deal with.]
* Are we on track for this project? [Are we meeting our interim objectives for this project?]
* How does that manifest itself in that configuration? [How does that show itself in that configuration?]

English with an American Corporate Accent - 024

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* These documents are managed with a tight leash. [These documents are managed and controlled very carefully.]
* Time is definitely not on our side. Let's see what we can do. [We are running out of time. Let's see what we can do.]
* My management wants me to identify any possible kinks for this release. [My management wants me to identify any possible problems for this release.]
* This way of thinking has to be ingrained in our DNA to prevent that sort of regression happening again. [This way of thinking has to be in our standard practices to prevent that sort of regression happening again.]
* I hope that this is an isolated instance. We certainly don't like to know that this is the tip of the iceberg. [I hope that this is an isolated case. We certainly don't like to know that there are many similar problems to come.]
* I've definitely seen a few emails, but Dan is the one driving it. [I have definitely seen a few emails about this, but Dan is the one leading the effort.]
* In theory, we should have gotten it on Thursday. In reality, we got it on Friday. We just started working with it. [We expected to get it on Thursday, but we got it on Friday. We just started working with it.]
* We'll cross the river when we get there. [We'll make the decision when we get to that point.]
* We talked a few times. He is fully on board with this. [We talked a few times. He is completely aware of this.]
* It is quite a challenge to have multiple things in-flight at the same time. [It is quite a challenge to have multiple things going on at the same time.]
* It's time to shake his tree to see what will fall out. [It's time to get his attention to see what will come out of it.]

Unfamiliar Traffic and Roadside Signs to Chinese Vistors

Xing is not a Chinese word or last name. Xing means "crossing" by combining "cross for X" with "ing." Some visiting Chinese friends thought it was the more esoteric translation of "walk" in Chinese. That is completely coincidental.
Here "PED XING" means that pedestrians might be crossing this roadway.






DIP (This means that the road way depression that can surprise the drivers, so you should slow down.)









Speed Bump Ahead
(A special obstacle designed to slow down your driving.)





Mobil Phone Area (An area designated for parking and making cell phone calls, especially near the airport)








No Through Traffic (That means do not come in unless you are a local resident. Quite often the street is also a dead end.)








Click-It or Ticket
(The rhyming words remind drivers that they should click the seat belts, or they'll get ticketed.)












Loading Zone (It is an area for loading and unloading shipping materials, and usually is reserved for delivery trucks.)






No Parking Tow Away Zone (Cars will be towed away to somewhere. This is not the Chinese style that clamps and locks the wheel so that you have to pay for the fines to the parking attendant.)




















Use Shoulder Only (This means use the shoulder of the road, not the shoulder on your body :-) )









Game Crossing (Game means "animal" and not any sort of entertainment activity. These animals might cross the roadway. The driver should slow down and pay attention as required.)

English with an American Corporate Accent - 023

This is another collection from recent meetings and trips. It works best if you can find a native English speaker with exposure to corporate America to elaborate on the finer points that I cannot cover well here.

* I'll ask the questions first. Please feel free to chime in. [I''ll ask the questions first. Please feel free to add yours.]
* If we have to jump through hoops to get there, we have a bad design at the outset. [If we have to do through extraordinary steps to get there, we have a bad design to begin with.]
* It is a totally bogus question. Why do you have to ask what the system is like? [It is a totally nonsense question. Why do you have to ask what the system is like?]
* This one-stop shopping will be convenient for the customers. [This one single contract point will be convenient for the customers.]
* We got twenty minutes to the top of the hour. We should be able to complete this review. [we have twenty minutes to the end of the hour. We should be able to complete this review.]
* I like to get your usage model in order to talk to my engineers. [I like to know how you use this in order to talk to my engineers.]
* Let me call you right after this concall to get to the nitty-gritty of this requirement. [Let me call you right after this conference call to get the details of this requirement.]
* Another option is to tinker with the new hardware to get a feel of it. [Another option is to play with the new hardware to get a feel of it.]
* Enough doom and gloom for this difficult technical issue, let's move on to the next topic. [We have discussed enough on the down side of this difficult technical issue, let's move on to the next topic.]
* Going forward, the intention is to maintain this transparency so that customized code can be removed. [From now on, the intention is to maintain this compatibility so that customized code can be removed.]
* We will not comment on this news; this is the party line. [We will not comment on this news; this is the the official stance.]
* That is Ninja programming to me; you have to know what you are doing. [That is really some programming to me; you have to know what you are doing.]
* You have the pen, you have the control for the project. [You are the one writing the requirement document, you have the control for the project.]