February 7, 2009

"S" is for "Tiger"


I had to work in Japan to make some cash. Two weeks for good money doesn’t sound like anything I should complain about, but I feel wrung through a wringer. It was cold and I could feel the blood in my ears freeze. The chill wasn’t just the temperature, it was the sight of grim commuters marching in black that gave me the shivers.

I’m back in Vientiane. The tuk tuk driver ripped me off, but reading about increasing incidents in the Vientiane Times like this assured me that I’m not the only one. (Lao people get ripped off too). Anyhow, it’s warm enough here that birds can sing in the morning.

So what could go wrong now? The printer welcomed me back. We chatted a bit and then almost casually, was invited to see the mistake they had found. In the ABC book, “S” was for “Tiger” rather than “Snake”. The printer’s daughter caught the mistake, fortunately before the books were bound, but only after 10,000 had been printed.

My heart sinks every time I find a mistake, but the mistakes just keep popping up like pimples. In the proofing stage, people give a quick OK sign. Then after it’s printed, people spot mistakes like they were printed in bold. I myself, just can’t catch things because I’ve already seen the text a thousand times. I need help.

There was a short discussion about the options and then it was decided that stickers would be printed to cover the mistake. I told them to charge me for the extra labor, but the printer said we’re here to help each other. I know it’s about give and take, but I’m not sure if I’m giving enough.

Perhaps, they had all finished their trauma because they were quite calm about it - or maybe they could see that my heart was sinking like a failed bank and they wanted to support me. I marvel at how they can teach me to keep on going. Mistakes are mistakes. Let’s fix them and move on.