“An interpreting situation might be the most important moment of someone’s life”

Interpreter's story

Interpreter's story

“An interpreting situation might be the most important moment of someone’s life”

Tuomas Ali-Hokka changed careers because he realized he preferred working with people rather than machines.

The chilly autumn wind blew through the mountains of Mornhollin, and its misty forests breathed cold silence. Baron Aldric Shadowmount sat gloomily in his castle when news of the unpaid debt from the peasant Tharan Barkboro reached his ears. Aldric gestured for his two closest servants, the debt collector twins, Hardon and Savel. “Go,” the baron ordered flatly, and the twins quietly stepped out of the castle, ready to do their master’s bidding.

The twins traveled through the dark forests of Mornhollin until they reached Tharan’s nondescript farm. The peasant was kneeling in the yard, his face pale with worry. When he saw the twins, he reluctantly stood to greet them.

“I am aware of the debt,” Tharan began, his voice trembling. “But everything I had has gone to caring for my daughter, Liriel. She is ill, and hope is fading.”

The twins exchanged glances, their stony faces softening slightly.

“We cannot decide on this matter,” Hardon said coldly, “but we will relay your message to Baron Shadowmount.”

A group of three listens as Tuomas Ali-Hokka, 43, carries the medieval story forward. For 15 years, this same group has regularly gathered to play role-playing games inspired by the Middle Ages and fantasy. As the game master, Tuomas's job is to create the story and guide the players through it.

"The stories are usually inspired by real life; the challenges and adversities people face in their daily lives. In the Middle Ages, the rule of law didn’t always prevail, so players often encounter some moral dilemma," Tuomas explains.

"It’s refreshing to sometimes view things from another perspective."

In his own daily life, Tuomas is a lecturer of religious and ethical studies and a part-time Portuguese interpreter – a kind of game master in that field too. The story told here even he himself would not have been able to write ten years ago. That is because before his current life, Tuomas had pursued a completely different career, as he was originally trained as a business school graduate and IT specialist, working in the IT field for a decade.

"I didn’t particularly enjoy computer work; I was just doing a job. My brother was in IT, so as a young man, I thought maybe I could head in that direction too," he reflects.

Tuomas's first job was at the Vakola research center in Vihti, where he was responsible for IT tasks and various assistant duties. According to Tuomas, the job was interesting but tough, as he had a lot of responsibility despite his young age. After being laid off during co-operation negotiations, Tuomas moved to Ireland to work in a help desk position.

In the new country, he often felt lonely and one day decided to look for someone to talk to through a dating app. He met a Brazilian teacher, with whom he hit it off exceptionally well. The relationship quickly deepened, and Tuomas began to take an interest not only in the woman but also in her language and culture.

"Through my girlfriend and her friends, I learned a lot about Brazilian culture, especially the Brazilian version of the Portuguese language. I also studied it independently with great passion," he shares.

Today, the couple is engaged, although his fiancée still lives in Brazil, while Tuomas has just moved from the Helsinki metropolitan area to Loppi, where he secured a position as a lecturer of religious and ethical studies, philosophy, and psychology at a comprehensive school and high school.

"We’re now pondering where we will eventually settle. The COVID-19 pandemic complicated our future plans, especially after Brazil’s economic collapse," Tuomas says.

Life-changing studies

After returning from Ireland in 2008, Tuomas enrolled in evening classes, wanting to improve his English skills. That decision ultimately transformed his entire life.

"I became passionate about studying. It was amazing to read psychology until ten in the evening and discuss ideas. I could have continued those conversations all night."

In a few years, Tuomas earned his high school diploma with top marks while working. Personally he feels his most significant achievement is the high grade he received in basic syllabus Portuguese.

"I was allowed to take Portuguese in the matriculation exam, even though I hadn’t officially studied it but learned it on my own."

Ultimately, languages as well as religious and ethical studies completely captivated him, leading him to apply to the University of Helsinki to study English. Tuomas had just started in a customer service position at an energy company when he heard he had been accepted.

"I was 34, about fifteen years older than the others and also a man, so I felt completely out of place. But that wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling for me," he smiles.

Motivation carried him through, and Tuomas eventually completed his master’s degree in English in four years. He also studied Portuguese, psychology, religion, philosophy, and ethics as minor subjects. In English, as in language studies in general, the career paths were teaching, translation, or research. Tuomas decided to specialize in teaching. His favorite teacher in evening school had been his English teacher, who became a role model for his own career.

Tuomas also had different types of experiences with teachers. Once in a university Portuguese class, the teacher asked if the students had woken up gay that morning. The absurdity of the question made Tuomas laugh, but it also pointed to a bigger problem.

"The teacher didn’t intend to ask about our sexual orientation but used a word that meant something completely different in European Portuguese than in South American Portuguese. Her cultural knowledge wasn’t very good."

Tuomas points out that European and South American Portuguese are like Finnish and Estonian; they have practically diverged into separate languages.

"Anyone working with languages should understand such cultural differences and consider them to avoid misunderstandings."

As an interpreter, Tuomas emphasizes the importance of keeping his own cultural knowledge up to date. This means staying informed and continually developing himself.

Finding purpose after initial struggles

Tuomas ended up in interpreting in 2019 during the final stages of his studies when he was looking for a way to finance his education. He came across a recruitment ad from Youpret and, after some hesitation, decided to apply to work part-time as an interpreter.

"Especially my Portuguese-speaking friends encouraged me to pursue interpreting."

At first, interpreting was not easy. His initial assignments were challenging and stressful, and Tuomas often doubted whether he was doing his job correctly. Over the years, however, he gained confidence in his work.

"Nowadays, interpreters are trained through recruitment training in addition to formal education, so they don’t have to figure things out alone. Of course, I also received support whenever I needed it from the start, but interpreting is certainly independent work," Tuomas says.

At the moment, Tuomas's friend and colleague is studying to become a public service interpreter, and they contemplate interpreting situations together.

"We can give each other feedback and encouragement. It’s really important for both of us," Tuomas says.

According to Tuomas, interpreting situations are always exciting and unpredictable. For someone who likes to stay in control, this unpredictability can be difficult to handle. Sometimes it is practically impossible to prepare in advance.

"The client may not always know what they are ordering. If the process involves multiple people, the information provided to the interpreter may be very incomplete."

At its best, interpreting can be incredibly meaningful, sometimes even deeply moving. Many foreigners living in Finland have a great need to express something weighing on their hearts, to be understood and acknowledged.

"I sometimes pause to think about how long someone has had to hold onto an important question or story inside them until that first minute of interpreting begins. During the call, I can feel how this hour is the most important hour of their year – if not their entire life – and I have lived every second of it with them."

The importance of adaptability

According to Tuomas, the most important quality for an interpreter – and perhaps for a person in general – is flexibility. When working with people and words, it is crucial to be able to read the situation and adapt to it. If the other person is crying, soften your voice, he advises.

"Meaning is much more than words, tones, emphasis, and pace. Anyone can learn an extensive vocabulary but giving a good impression in an interpreting situation requires connection, and connection requires interpersonal skills. This applies whether it’s with a client or an official."

Tuomas sees the interpreter as the guide of the interpreting situation, who, however, cannot correct the parties even if they know things are going wrong. It's a bit like in role-playing games: the game master cannot influence the outcome but facilitates the players’ own choices.

"That’s my role, which I just need to keep in mind. I’m a lifelong learner trying to understand the world from many different perspectives, and that’s my special ability."

And is there ever a situation where even a seasoned interpreter’s special ability might fail?

"Of course there are things you wouldn’t want to interpret. Sometimes when I watch debates between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, I think how awful it would be to have to interpret that," he laughs.

We’ll see how Tuomas resolves that dilemma if he ever becomes the interpreter for presidents.

Text: Annika Lius
Pictures: Antti Rintala

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