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, email us at info@linguagreca.com for the Word template where you can fill in your answers & bio (incl. site/blog/social media) 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. Check out the previous interviews here.
Location: Warrington, UK
Desired location: I’m fine where I am for now
Current work title: French & Spanish to English translator and interpreter
Desired work title: Translator extraordinaire
Languages you have studied or currently speak: English native, French and Spanish
The project you’re most proud of: I am really proud of when I worked at the UN as an interpreter for an NGO.
Do you own a smartphone? Yes, Samsung Galaxy S5
Favorite time of the day: Coffee breaks!
Favorite gadget (apart from computer & smartphone): My red pen! I would be lost without it, I have to print everything out and use my red pen to proofread.
How many hours per day do you usually work: 8-10
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? It completely depends. If I don’t know someone too well, I am definitely more introverted, but as soon as I am comfortable around someone I switch to being extrovert!
Are you an early-riser or a night-owl? I try to be an early-riser. I try so hard; I force myself to wake up early most days and feel tired for most of the day – PM hits and boom I’m wide awake. Definitely a night-owl!
What do you listen to while you work? Depends on my mood and what I’m doing. If I’m translating I like to have either music with a high beat or just TV noise in the background. When I’m proofreading, I need absolute silence!
And a few non-work related questions to get more personal.
Your babies or pets, incl. names and ages: No babies of my own! Nephew called Archie who is 18 months old.
Next city/country you want to visit: Our next trip is going to be a two-week flydrive around the West Coast of USA. I want to see LA, the OC, San Francisco, Phoenix, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon…
Favorite vacation place: I don’t have a favourite, really. I like to explore new places so rarely go back to the same place. Anywhere with a bit of culture and history will be fine. Sun is always good, too!
Favorite book: I have a few. All time favourite is Of Mice and Men. A recent favourite is the Bone Season and of course the Harry Potter series…
What are you currently reading? Game of Thrones and The Wealthy Freelancer
Author bio
Sam Nairn is a translator and interpreter of French and Spanish into English with an MA in Interpreting and Translation from the University of Salford. He’s been translating professionally for two years for a number of agencies and direct clients. He is a full member of IAPTI and Proz, as well as a local translation network in the UK. You can find him on 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.
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