20 (or so) questions on how Raluca (@RTopala) 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: Bucharest, Romania
Desired location: A combination of Bucharest, London, Stockholm and Rome (you didn’t say this place had to exist in real life 🙂
Current work title: Freelance interpreter (English from and into Romanian) and translator (English to Romanian)
Desired work title: The one I have right now is just good for me. Perhaps one or two more languages in my (advertised) linguistic combination.
Languages you have studied or currently speak: Romanian (native), English, Italian, French (my two so-called passive languages.) And I also learned Russian.
The project you’re most proud of: Hm…I’d need an entire post just to write about all of them. I’ll just mention a recent one: the launch of The NO Project (aimed at fighting against human trafficking and human slavery) in Romania.
Your current computer setup: PC when I translate, tablet/notebook/Lapdock in the booth.
Do you own a smartphone? Motorola and Samsung
Favorite time of the day: It used to be after 8-9 pm, but I think it’s changing. I’m not sure right now.
Favorite gadget (apart from computer & smartphone): eReader & this thingie called Lapdock
Next conference/event you’re planning to attend: I attended the IAPTI conference in London and the Romanian Translation Forum in Bucharest recently. Not sure about the next.
How many hours per day do you usually work: On average, about 10.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Extrovert with a (recently discovered) introvert touch.
Are you an early-riser or a night-owl? Night-owl . Trying to become an early-riser.
What do you listen to while you work? Again, I’d need an entire post just for that. I normally don’t listen to music when I translate, but if I do, it could be anything from classic rock, alternative rock, brit pop, world music, meditation music ( Entheogenic is one of my most recent discoveries) to opera and classical music. I do listen to music a lot when I deal with administrative issues, during breaks and when I travel. Of course, no music in the booth 🙂

And a few non-work related questions to get more personal.

Your babies or pets, incl. names and ages: Two female and two male cats, aged between 4 and 5. Raisa, Maysa, Jim and Zorro
Next city/country you want to visit: Not sure. I think London.
Favorite vacation place: (almost) anywhere with sun & beautiful beaches. And places loaded with history. A combination of the two would be perfect.
Favorite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez; Zorba the Greek, by Nikos Kazantzakis. Just two of my (many) faves. Plus (almost) anything by Dostoievski, Rusdhie, Amos Oz, Garcia Marquez.
Favorite song: Dance me to the end of love – Leonard Cohen. (again, just one of the many faves)
What are you currently reading? Thinking, fast and slow by Daniel Kahneman. Black Box by Amos Oz (re-reading). Plus some books for my PhD.

Author bio

Raluca-Maria Topala has worked for more than 10 years in the field of language services (full-time for the past 7 years and freelance for the past 3), specializing as a conference interpreter and translator for business and legal documents. She is based in Bucharest, but she’s willing (and happy) to travel for professional assignments. You can find her on LinkedIn, Google+ or Twitter.