20 (or so) questions on how Charles Ek works
This series of posts was inspired by Lifehacker’s How I Work series, which I’ve been reading for quite some time and thoroughly enjoy. It’s about time we discover how our colleagues work and get to know them a little better.
If you want to participate in this fun series, send us an email at info@linguagreca.com so we can send you the Word template where you can fill in your answers and your bio (incl. your site/blog/social media links) and then send it back to us as an attachment along with your photo (optional but preferred). If you don’t like any of the questions, just delete them and add your own. You can read the previous interviews here.
Location: Rio Claro, Brazil
Desired location: Nowhere else. Although I do plan on traveling around Europe for a year, living and working in/from one country per month (Greece is definitely on the list).
Current work title: Brazilian Portuguese translator
Desired work title: Can’t picture myself being something else.
Languages you have studied or currently speak: Brazilian Portuguese (mother tongue), English, Italian, French. I also have some knowledge of Greek, which I learned in my master’s.
The project you’re most proud of: My blog, Carol’s Adventures in Translation. I find blogging quite a challenge, so starting one was a real accomplishment. I’m still getting the gist of it, so I don’t post as frequently as I’d like to, but I hope I can turn it into a successful translation blog one day.
Your current computer setup: A pink 4-year-old Sony Vaio laptop I’m postponing to replace.
Do you own a smartphone? I sure do! A beloved iPhone 5.
Favorite time of the day: Mornings, when I’m at my fullest.
Favorite gadget (apart from computer & smartphone): I don’t have any other gadget apart from my computer and smartphone. I plan on buying an iPad in the future (yes, I’m an Apple lover). However, I’d like to acknowledge my appreciation for my pink laptop. It has endured so much with me, helping me getting in touch with family and friends during the year I lived in England; helping me write my master’s dissertation; and now allowing me to do what I love – translate – wherever I want. It’ll be a shame to retire it soon.
Next conference/event you’re planning to attend: I’ll definitely attend a few next year, but since I don’t know the dates yet, I’m not sure which ones.
How many hours per day do you usually work: Around 9, but I could easily work more than that, because time flies when we do what we love.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? It actually depends. I consider myself to be extrovert, but in some rare occasions, people say I’m introverted. So I guess it depends on the situation.
Are you an early-riser or a night-owl? Neither. I used to be a night-owl when I started out, working late into the night; but now I have a more balanced work time, waking up at 7h30 and sleeping at around 23h.
What do you listen to while you work? Nothing. Any kind of noise really distracts me. If there’s any music around, I’ll start singing and stop working. Not good. 🙂
And a few non-work related questions to get more personal.
Your babies or pets, incl. names and ages: I’m a very unusual person – and especially translator – because I don’t like pets. Wait, please, don’t hate me. I am not fond of them, but I do think some are cute and hate when they are mistreated. Besides, I’m single, so no children.
Next city/country you want to visit: Poland. I had it all planned to travel in October, but some unfortunate personal issues had me cancel everything. Looking forward to the next opportunity.
Favorite vacation place: As it will always be, lovely London.
Favorite book: The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank.
Favorite song: Ironic, Alanis Morissette.
What are you currently reading? Everything I Learned about Marketing I Learned from Google, by Aaron Goldman.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? When I would call my mom crying that things were difficult or that I missed my family/friends/hometown/home country, she used to ask if I wanted to give up. Of course I always said no. So she would say: “Then take the bull by the horns and go through with it.” That’s how I learned to be brave and face difficult situations.
Author bio
Caroline Alberoni is a professional Brazilian Portuguese translator with three years of experience and a full educational background in the area (BA and MA in Translation Studies). She translates from English and Italian, and specializes mainly in IT, but also in marketing and business. Caroline is the head and heart behind Alberoni Translations, a company she runs with dedication, commitment, professionalism and the deepest concern for the client’s needs. She is a member of ProZ, Sintra (Sindicato Nacional dos Tradutores, Brazilian translators union) and Abrates (Associação Brasileira de Tradutores e Intérpretes, Brazilian translators and interpreters association). Her blog, Carol’s Adventures in Translation, is her latest project, where you can find some interesting posts on translation, both in English and Portuguese. Caroline Alberoni is a social media lover, so you can find her on Google+, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About the author
Catherine Christaki has been a full-time English-Greek translator since 2001 and co-owner of Lingua Greca Translations since 2012. She specializes in Information Technology, Medical, and Technical texts and loves writing for the Adventures in Technical Translation blog. She regularly shares her experience and insight on social media and blogging for translators, giving interviews and presenting at conferences. Connect with her on Twitter @LinguaGreca.
You may also like
Thanks a lot for the pleasure of being interviewed in this lovely series of yours, Catherine! 🙂
Thank you too for participating Caroline 🙂
It was really lovely to read your story, Caroline. It seems we have a lot in common 🙂
Do you really live in Rio Claro S.P.? I have friends there and visit them from time to time. He has a “paulistinho” small private plane at the local aviation club and I try out my Microsoft flight simulator “training” with him.
Kind regards
Roderick Hunter