SIE: Google-translate your year of pandemic

There are so many languages in Europe, and so many borders which are closed right now. Let's write to each other about how are we doing during this pandemic!

For this swap, you need to be fluent in two languages - English and some other - enough in both for a penpal letter.

First, write a letter to your partner in the non-English language. I recommend typing it into computer. Typewritten, it should be about a page long, not (much) more, so as not to make second step too time-consuming. Free feel to use idioms, slang, etc, to make translating more fun!

Second, translate that letter into English, not necessarily word-for-word, but precisely enough to count as a translation of a literary work. Do not use Google Translator in this step! You may use dictionaries, of course. You may want to use footnotes if some phrase needs a longer explanation, just like sometimes one can see in translated books.

Third (and please do it after you have translated your original letter yourself, so as not to have unwelcome influences!), copy your first letter into Google Translator and let it translate the letter for you. Don't change anything. If it leaves some words untranslated because it can't chew through a composite word with two suffixes, so be it.

Send to your partner all three versions of the letter. Don't forget to mark which one is which! Most comfortable way for fulfilling the swap is obviously to have the letters printed from computer, but if you have no possibility to do that, you may also write by hand.

Please be sure you don't mind receiving typed letters.