Interpreting!!

So I have started my career as an interpreter! It has been three days now that I have been in costume and it is indescribable. At Colonial Williamsburg, I wore period dress and yes, I interpreted to people who were willing to listen: "The bathroom is the next street over" and "Yes, I am a real person, not a statue." It was a very different setting from this new environment I am in. I am in costume, aboard a ship, with people everywhere wanting to know answers and actually listening to your response. It is just an amazing feeling to spend maybe ten minutes with a family talking about how 17th century sailors were able to go from point A to point B, without (gasp!) a GPS, but instead with tools such as a compass, chip log, and backstaff. It is so much fun to play a game of checkers in the cramped 'tween deck with a 10 year old (on a wooden board with rocks as the pieces) to show what kind of activities would be taking place on a 144 day voyage from London to Jamestown---no iPod or Gameboy here. I really have trouble putting into words the feeling at the end of the day, looking back on all of the interactions with different students and families and knowing that they really did enjoy their day spent with us...and I really enjoyed my day with them.

It's not all about the kids either. I had an absolutely wonderful conversation with a gentleman today that lasted a good 15 minutes before his grandson forced them to move on. He mentioned to me that I had done an impressive job of answering his questions, and that he had one more for me. I started to get a bit nervous because this is how you know a real stumper is coming up. He asked, "Do you know what the Virginia state fossil is?"......huh? I just looked blankly at him because I really have no idea and I was confused as to where he was going with this. He proceeded to inform me that our Virginia state fossil is Chesapecten Jeffersonius, a scallop which was the first fossil described in the New World in 1687. He then told me that only recently (1993) was the Virginia General Assembly approached with a number of samples of Chesapecten Jeffersonius collected by William and Mary students, requesting that a bill be passed officially naming our state fossil as such. It was at this point that he introduced himself to me as Dr. Gerald Johnson, the geology professor at William & Mary who organized the entire effort. This man--at least his name--is very well known in this area, especially in connection with Jamestown. He does a great deal of archaeology work at Jamestown Island. So, in short, I had a wonderful conversation with a local intellectual. It was a very good day!!