the need for a good scrub...

After a day sharing a ply-board and glass cubicle measuring roughly 1.60m x 1.60m x 2m with a colleague, I always head to the shower first. I can assure you, this has nothing to do with the colleague at all. Rather, the reason is that in such a limited environment (especially when the door needs to be kept shut), with someone talking non-stop for as long as the meeting goes on, the air gets very stale, and consequently my skin begins to feel sticky.

As you have probably guessed - or not (no deductions) - there is an ISO standard for mobile interpreting booths. It says:

"Booths shall be fitted with an effective ventilation system, ensuring complete renewal of the air at least seven times per hour, without causing harmful draughts on seated occupants. Where higher rates of air renewal can be obtained, they shall be adjustable within the booth.

Extractor fans in the ceiling should be powerful enough to meet the above requirements as soundlessly as possible."

The truth is that there is indeed a hole fitted in the 'ceiling' of the booth where the extractor fan should be sited. On only about 3 or so occasions in my career did the booth indeed have an extractor fan. The other truth is that even where the extractor fan is installed, the interpreters will switch it off while interpreting as it does make some noise which is distracting during a job as demanding in terms of concentration as ours.

So, all that is left to do is have a long shower... Although this is not very environmentally friendly, and I wouldn't have it at home. However, I am only human, and in hotels I sometimes do spend half an hour in the shower...