Off-METM activities 


Besides the main conference program, we’ll be putting on some additional activities to help you settle in and make new contacts. So if you fancy a spot of informal networking or just the chance to chat with like-minded colleagues with similar interests, our Off-METM activities should be right up your street.

Stuck for a dinner date? Join one of our meal groups. We like to keep things simple, so we book the restaurants (don’t worry, we’ll give you directions) and then you split the bill on the day. Nice and easy.

*** Sign-ups are closed. ***
 
If you have any questions, write to Off-METM organizer
Helen Oclee-Brown at helen@helenocleebrown.co.uk.
 

MET CHOIR

Whether you’re a natural performer or just fancy a good old singalong, then MET’s ad hoc choir is for you. And don’t worry if you don’t have any experience: we’ve deliberately chosen "doable" songs that anyone can sing. And you don’t even have to read music!

We’re very lucky this year to have professional choir leader Cristina Koch to whip us into shape. She’ll be leading us through three numbers:
* To see the choir performing this song at METM13, log in > Members > Social Events.

If you have any questions, write to our choir organizer Ailish Maher at imradtranslating@gmail.com.
Rehearsals: Friday (12:15-13:00) and Saturday (20:00-21:00) – see the program for details
Performance: Saturday at the closing dinner
No sign-up required. Just show up!

WEDNESDAY, 12 OCTOBER

MNAC visit – Planning to be in Barcelona on Wednesday morning? Join us at the MNAC, Catalonia’s national art museum, to explore its impressive Romanesque and early Gothic collections. After the visit, we’ll stop for lunch in the museum at Òleum. Group leader: Mary Ellen Kerans
Tickets: €12 (discount may apply)
Meeting time: 10:15
Location: MNAC


After-dinner drinks for early arrivals – If you're arriving early, then pootle on down to Highland on Wednesday evening to join your fellow METM16 attendees for after-dinner drinks. Group leader: Kelly Dickeson
Location: Highland, Rambla Vella, 9
Time: from 22:30

THURSDAY, 13 OCTOBER

THURSDAY EVENING

METM16 Translation Slam – A few days before METM16, two of our finest wordsmiths, Sarah Griffin-Mason and Tim Morris, will translate a short passage from a Spanish-language novel. Join us at Highland to hear them compare notes under the watchful eye of our expert moderator, Kymm Coveney. How will their translations differ? What will they have in common? How will our translators explain the decisions that shape their texts? Join us to find out.
Moderator: Kymm Coveney
Organizer: Aisha Prigann
Location: Highland, Rambla Vella, 9
Time: 19:30-20:30
No sign-up required. Just show up!

THURSDAY DINNER GROUPS
21:00 until late

Omnivores only! Dine out in style at Degvsta, Tarragona resident Kelly Dickeson’s favourite local high-end eatery. But there’s one condition: because the restaurant only uses the freshest seasonal ingredients, be prepared to eat anything. Embrace the uncertainty!
Details: set menu at the great price of €35/person, all included. Group leader: Kelly Dickeson
Restaurant: Degvsta Address: Carrer dels Cavallers, 6

Freelancing parents – the ideal lifestyle? You’re not on bedtime duties tonight, so come along to share your ideas on working from home, time management, dealing with distractions and all things parenting. Open to new parents, old parents and parents-to-be. Group leader: Jeanette Hodgman
Restaurant: El Galliner de l'Antiquari Address: Carrer de Santa Anna, 3

When a collaborator is not a spy – Do you consider yourself a collaborator? Do you work with your clients (and not for them)? Who else is on your team? Can introverts be good collaborators? So few lines, so many questions! Let's find out a few of the answers together over dinner. Group leader: Allison Wright
Restaurant: Pulvinar Address: Carrer dels Ferrers, 20

Mouthfeel, bricking and rim variation: words and wine – Conversations about wine, translating for the wine industry and knowing more about soil analysis than you ever expected. Don't miss the chance to swot up before for Friday evening's wine reception! Group leader: Aisha Prigann
Restaurant: El Pigot Address: Plaça de la Font, 24

Going direct – Client events can be overwhelming for the uninitiated. But with a bit of homework, they can be a great way to make contacts. So if you're thinking of going to a trade fair or local business meeting, let’s share ideas about how to make your mark and cut out the middlemen. Group leader: Timothy Barton
Restaurant: El Pigot Address: Plaça de la Font, 24

One moment can change your life – You were coasting along happily and then the thunderbolt hit you. A chance encounter, a snap decision or a metaphorical slap in the face – whatever it was, it turned your working life upside down. Join us to swap career-defining experiences over dinner. Group leader: Birgit Bonde Jensen
Restaurant: El Galliner de l'Antiquari Address: Carrer de Santa Anna, 3

"A language is a dialect with an army and navy" – Nothing like a “light” topic to get the conversation flowing. Gulp. Prepare for some lively debate inspired by sociolinguist Max Weinreich’s oft-quoted quip. Tin hats at the ready! Group leader: Michael Farrell
Restaurant: Osteria del Lab Address: Carrer del Comte, 12

Expats' table – You love your adopted homeland, but there's something missing. Orderly queues, real ale, imperial measures, whatever it is, reminisce with your fellow expats about that little slice of home you long for and how you’ve learnt to cope without it. Group leader: Alan Lounds
Restaurant: Osteria del Lab Address: Carrer del Comte, 12

Falling down work holes and climbing back out again – Is your daily routine out of whack? Are you too busy to relax? It's time for a rethink. Come to dinner and share strategies and tips on how to deal with lopsided life/work balances. Group leader: Kate Major
Restaurant: Pulvinar Address: Carrer dels Ferrers, 20

FRIDAY, 14 OCTOBER

FRIDAY LUNCH GROUPS
13:00-15:00

“Without music, life would be a blank to me” – Whether you’re a classical connoisseur, metalhead, dance devotee or anything in between, join your fellow music lovers to discuss how music brightens your days and keeps you tuned in at work. Fans of all genres welcome. Group leader: Jason Willis-Lee
Restaurant: Palau del Baró Address: Carrer de Santa Anna, 3

Many hands make light work – or do they? Outsourcing is easy, right? You simply send the work out and job’s a good’un. Wrong. Coordinating projects is a skill in itself, and it’s not for the faint-hearted. Share tips and tricks with your fellow plate-spinners on how to keep clients and colleagues happy. Group leader: Mary Fons i Fleming
Restaurant: Quim Quima Address: Carrer de les Coques, 1 bis

Your words or theirs? Writing vs translating – If you blog, write copy or just want to be a paperback writer, how does creating your own content make you a better or more fulfilled translator or editor? Group leader: Oliver Lawrence
Restaurant: Palau del Baró Address: Carrer de Santa Anna, 3

Learning to say no – Are you overstretching yourself? Is your to-do list always as long as your arm? Something’s got to give. Join your fellow crowd-pleasers to chat about how to set boundaries and get back to what you’re good at – and to what does you good. Group leader: Susannah Goss
Restaurant: La Cucafera Address: Plaça de Santiago Rusinyol, 5

There's more to social media than gossip – Join METM16’s own Facebook whizz to chat about how to use social media to raise your profile, meet colleagues (and clients) online, and keep on top of the latest news in translation and editing. No cat pics, selfies or rants allowed. Group leader: Phillippa May Bennett
Restaurant: La Cucafera Address: Plaça de Santiago Rusinyol, 5

The wonderful world of coaching: could it be for you? Coaching is a hot topic but what exactly is it? How could a coach help you? How could coaching help your clients? And what should you look for in a coach? Join us for lunch to sort fact from fiction, and find out how coaching can take you further. Group leader: Felicity Neilson
Restaurant: La Cucafera Address: Plaça de Santiago Rusinyol, 5

Your worst ever job – Before you hit the big time, what did you do to make ends meet? Washing dishes, working in a call centre, waiting tables: we’ve all been there. Share your story over lunch and thank your lucky stars that it’s all a thing of the past. Group leader: Paula James
Restaurant: Quim Quima Address: Carrer de les Coques, 1 bis

A good story, well told: the art of storytelling and how it plays into work and life – Is the digital age curbing our creativity? Is email killing our conversations? Not here! Celebrate the spoken word with your fellow raconteurs and share a tale or two over lunch. Group leader: Sabrina Voss
Restaurant: Palau del Baró Address: Carrer de Santa Anna, 3

There’s no taste like home – Do you grow your own veggies, forage in the hedgerows or rear animals? Or are you simply tired of modern life, want to get back to nature and make the most of your area? Then swap tips over lunch with other green-fingered locavores on how to live the good life. Group leader: Valerie Matarese
Restaurant: Quim Quima Address: Carrer de les Coques, 1 bis

FRIDAY EVENING

METM16 Wine Reception – Join us to sample some of the delights produced by Clos Montblanc at their winery in Barberà de la Conca, close to the fortified town of Montblanc and the monastery of Poblet (the location of METM13). And if anything tickles your fancy, the lovely Clos Montblanc team is offering free delivery on every purchase of two or more bottles to Hotel Imperial Tarraco, Hotel Astari, Hotel Plaça de la Font and Hotel Lauria. Two bottles (one white, one red ) for €14, or three bottles (one white, two red) for €20. Cash only, so come prepared! 
Location: Sant Pau cloister, El Seminari
No sign-up required. Just show up!

SATURDAY, 15 OCTOBER

Early-morning jog – Get your day off to a flying start with a quick jaunt down by the water. We'll meet in front of Hotel Astari (Via Augusta, 95) at 7am and follow Passeig Marítim Rafael Casanova down to the waterfront. Then we'll head west, hugging the coast until we reach El Serrallo, then turn back the way we came. Total distance: approx. 5 km. Don't forget your running shoes!
Group leaders: Thomas O’Boyle and Jason Willis-Lee
No sign-up required. Just show up!

SUNDAY, 16 OCTOBER

Group walk – Stretch those legs and join us for a short stroll around the city. We’ll be soaking up the seaside views and taking in some local history. Meet us on Passeig de les Palmeres, in front of Hotel Imperial Tarraco, at 10 o’clock. We’ll wind our way down through Les Granotes park and then pause for one last photo op at the Roman amphitheatre. We’ll then saunter along the coastline until we reach the Serrallo neighbourhood. Those who wish to can stop here and indulge in the fine local tradition of sipping on a glass (or two) of vermouth.
Meeting point: Passeig de les Palmeres, in front of Hotel Imperial Tarraco
Time: 10am
Group leaders: Sarah Griffin-Mason and Allison Wright
No sign-up required. Just show up!

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