“

We didn’t lose the game; we just ran out of time.  ~Vince Lombardi

Most games are lost, not won.  ~Casey Stengel

It may be that all games are silly.  But then, so are humans.  ~Robert Lynd

”

McElroy Profile –
Arwen Tedhams - Receptionist

Texans are quite stringent when it comes to defining who can claim to be a “Texan.” So Arwen Elanor Tedhams points out that although she was born in Norman, Oklahoma she was conceived in Texas. Her parents met while attending Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth and later moved to Austin where her father taught English at the University of Texas. During her mother’s pregnancy, her father was busy working on his thesis based on the characters in “Lord of the Rings.” Her family moved to Norman, Oklahoma where her father taught at the University of Oklahoma and published his thesis. Arwen is really happy she wasn’t a boy, because her name would have been Thorin Oakenshield.

When she was two years old Arwen moved to “the Village” in New York, with her Mother. While in Manhattan, Arwen felt lucky to be surrounded by a variety of eclectic people that her mother met while pursuing an acting career and starting up an ad company. She can even claim a celebrity babysitter, none other than Julius Harris. Julius is best known for playing the dark character with a scary metal arm in the James Bond movie “Live and Let Die” Arwen really wishes that her mother had taken more pictures while she was living in New York. She learned later in life that her mom hung out at Electric Ladyland Studios and had taken her there on several occasions. There little Arwen met Jimmy Hendrix, but she has no memory of it and no photographic proof.

When Arwen was five, she and her mom moved to Costa Rica, with a group of people that exemplified the spirit of the 60s. They bought a boat and embarked on a carefree plan to sail wherever their hearts desired. It was while living off the coast of Puntarenas, Costa Rica that Arwen recalls her experience with learning a new language. Surrounded one day by servants who spoke only Spanish, it was like waking up in another world where she was an alien. Needless to say, Arwen learned to speak Spanish quickly and fluently.

A year later they moved to Colombia, S.A. and lived in Popayan, Pasto, Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Bogotá, Cali, and Cartagena and visited Ecuador a few times. She describes the experience as “kind of like living in a gypsy caravan… there were lots of friends and assorted relatives that would show up once in a while. We traveled together all over Colombia and took along various dogs, monkeys, baby leopards and snakes, babies and whatever other weird stuff those ’60s kids’ would pick up along the way.” After spending 8 years in Colombia she returned to the States with her mom and a new brother and sister, in 1977. They lived briefly back in Texas and for four years in Gulfport, Mississippi, where Arwen discovered her love for theatre. She became active in plays throughout her teenage years and pursued her dreams after high school by studying with acting coaches in the Texas and L.A. area. She spent her mid twenties getting cast over and over again as a pregnant, troubled teen. Her first paying gig was a commercial playing a pregnant teen being advised of the dangers of nasal spray. She also played a pregnant teen on “Unsolved Mysteries” and to this day she still gets a tiny SAG check in the mail at least twice a year.

When Arwen moved back to Austin from Los Angeles she spent the next 8 years volunteering for the famous music and film showcase South By Southwest (SXSW). She used her film and entertainment background to head up the “Secret Service Crew,” a special crew created to take care of individual VIP filmmakers, actors, and writers.

Arwen has worked on and off as a receptionist for 15+ years and it has proven to be a reliable and enjoyable means of work while pursuing artistic dreams. The love of her life is David, a friend since childhood. Together they have three cats, Tiger, Stickers and Spike. Arwen is currently working on two screenplays and hopes to dip her toe back into the “acting” part of the entertainment biz sometime in the not too distant future.

McElroy Translation appreciates the business of the following clients and announces the anniversaries of these client relationships:

15 Years

• Infineum (previously Exxon)
• Tarolli Sundheim & Covell - Cleveland

10 Years

• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld – Dallas
• Baxter Healthcare – Biolife Services
• Fish & Richardson - Houston
• Glaxo Wellcome, Inc.
• Siemens Corporation
• Texas Instruments - Litigation
• Venable Baetjer Howard & Civiletti – Washington D.C.
  

5 Years

• Alcon Laboratries – PreClinical Science
• Bristol-Myers Squibb – International Medicine
• Cenetron Diagnostics
• Cirrus Logic
• Fitch Even Tabin & Flannery – Washington D.C.
• Howard & Howard – Lansing
• Konrad Raynes & Victor LLP
• Texas Instruments – Digital Camera Division

Turkey

The People

Turks are extremely patriotic. They are proud of their ancestors and of the achievements of their modern society. The family is the most important social unit. Each person is dependent upon and loyal to the family. Rural life is still traditional, but in cities women frequently work outside the home.

Meeting and Greeting

• Shake hands with everyone present—men, women and children—at a business or social meeting. Shake hands with elders first. Shake hands again when leaving.
• It is common for Turkish men and women to cheek-kiss one another when meeting and parting.

Body Language

• “Yes” is a slight downward nod of the head. “No” is a slight upward nod of the head while making a quick, sucking sound through your two front teeth (like “tsk").
• Turks generally have a small area of personal space and may stand closer than most foreigners are used to.
• Never point the sole of your foot toward a person.
• Turks, most of whom are devout Muslims, may avoid looking into your eyes in a display of humble behavior.
• Do not stand with your hands on your hips when talking to others, especially older people or superiors, or put your hands in your pockets.
• In Turkey, putting your thumb between your first two fingers is the equivalent to raising your middle finger in the United States.
• The “O.K.” sign in Turkey means that someone is homosexual.

Corporate Culture

• Turks take punctuality for business meetings very seriously and expect that you will do likewise; call with an explanation if you are delayed.
• Consideration, politeness, respect and courtesy are very important to the Turks. Shake hands with each person upon arriving at an office. When visiting a factory, shake hands with all the workers when you arrive and again when you leave.
• Turks engage in small talk before they begin business discussions.
• Decisions are made at the top.

Dining and Entertainment

• Be punctual for a dinner party. 7:00 p.m. means 7:00 p.m.
• Business can be discussed at anytime during the meal, but you must get a feel from your business counterpart.
• Some Turks who are Muslim drink alcohol, but those Turks who are strict Muslims never do.
• Hosts will probably expect you to eat a great deal and may be offended if you don’t.
• When finished eating, leave no food on your plate, and place your knife and fork side by side on your plate.
• “Dutch treat” does not exist in Turkey. If you invite someone to dine, you pay the bill.

Dress

• For business, men should wear conservative suits or a sports coat and tie. In very hot weather, men may go without a jacket, but they still wear a tie.
• Women should wear suits, dresses and heels. Avoid short skirts, low-cut blouses or shorts.

Gifts

• Always bring the hostess a gift when invited to someone’s home. Do not bring a gift that is too lavish. Give: flowers (roses or carnations), candy, chocolates, wine (if host drinks). Do not give alcohol if you are not sure whether your host drinks.
• Don’t expect your hostess to open a gift when presented.
• Gifts may be exchanged in business. Give gifts made in America that are not expensive, i.e. crystal, desk accessories, pens, gifts with company logo. Do not give overly personal gifts.

Helpful Hints

• Turks ask even casual acquaintances what Americans consider to be very personal questions (age, salary, etc.). However, do not ask such personal questions until a friendship has been established.

Especially for Women

• Foreign women are very welcome and accepted in Turkey.
• In general, conservative attitudes toward women exist in Turkey, but Turkish men tend to be very respectful.
• It is acceptable for a foreign businesswoman to invite a Turkish businessman to dinner, and it is easy for her to pay.

-- Excerpted from the “Put Your Best Foot Forward” series by Mary Murray Bosrock. These publications are available for the U.S., Asia , Mexico/Canada, Russia, Europe and South America.

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