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: Far North of New Zealand
Desired location: Although I wouldn’t mind some snow in winter, this place is hard to beat in summer!
Current work title: Freelance Translator & Interpreter (English, Russian, German)
Desired work title: Quite happy with the above at the moment
Languages you have studied or currently speak: German (native), English, Russian, French, Italian
The project you’re most proud of: I enjoy all my Russian projects and those where I can work closely with a client, receiving input and making suggestions to create a final product we’re both very happy with!
Your current computer setup: Dell laptop
Do you own a smartphone? Yes. Essential for checking emails while traveling and after hours.
Favorite time of the day: Evening after a productive day (and a run/swim) with a glass of wine.
Next conference/event you’re planning to attend: NZSTI Annual Conference in Auckland in 2014. Non-translation conferences in my fields of specialisation if a suitable one comes up.
How many hours per day do you usually work: 7-9 hours on average, but can vary according to demand.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? A bit of both…
Are you an early-riser or a night-owl? Early riser.
What do you listen to while you work? Silence. I couldn’t concentrate with music in the background.
And a few non-work related questions to get more personal 🙂
Your babies or pets, incl. names and ages: A bity and scratchy cat, Django
Next city/country you will visit: NZ’s South Island
Favorite vacation place: I tend to prefer discovering new places to going back to old ones, but I really like the West Coast of the US all the way from Vancouver to LA (excluding LA), Rome, and European cities in general – there’s always something to discover.
Favorite book: A hard one. The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood are definitely on the list.
Favorite song: Depends too much on my mood and the situation.
What are you currently reading? The view from Castle Rock by Alice Munro.
Author bio
Karoline Spiessl is a full-time freelance English/Russian>German translator and specialises in Marketing, IT and Software translations. She also works as English<>German interpreter in NZ. Karoline obtained her translation qualifications in Germany and the UK. She worked in-house for a digital marketing agency in Edinburgh where she lived prior to moving to NZ in 2012. Karoline is a member of ITI and NZSTI, and translates for Translators without Borders. You can find her on LinkedIn, Google+and Twitter, or join the G+ Community for Translators and Interpreters in NZ.
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.
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