20 (or so) questions on how Anastasia (@InGreekT) 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: Chalkida, Greece
Desired location: Chalkida, Greece. It’s no secret that I’m in love with London, but my heart belongs to the sea; so I don’t know if I could live somewhere far away from the deep blue. It would be dreamy to spend my life between Chalkida and London.
Current work title: Freelance translator and a business owner
Desired work title: Anastasia + Translation = Love For Ever 🙂
Languages you have studied or currently speak: I work with Greek (native language) and English. I also studied Italian (fluent speaker) and French (used to be a fluent speaker). Studying Russian is one of my next goals.
The project you’re most proud of: I am actually proud of each and every project I have undertaken. But, one of the projects I enjoyed most was a series of tourism translations for the European Federation of Promoting Hellenic Tourism.
Your current computer setup: I am a Dell fan. I usually work on my PC with a Dell UltraSharp U2312HM 23″ Monitor with LED and I am desperately in love with my Pinky (a Dell Inspiron of 17” laptop in pink).
Do you own a smartphone? Yes, a Nokia Lumia 630 and an MLS iQTalk Rock (the first Greek smartphone, which, by the way, is great!).
Favorite time of the day: Early in the morning and late at night (when there is peace and quite and great ideas are born).
Favorite gadget (apart from computer & smartphone): I know you may think I’m weird, but I am not a gadget person. If they count as gadgets, I always carry with me an old notebook and my Canon camera (also in pink!).
Next conference/event you’re planning to attend: I am planning to attend the Fifth Meeting of Greek Translation Scholars in my home town, Thessaloniki, Greece. Then, I am aiming for the 3rd IAPTI conference in Bordeaux, France.
How many hours per day do you usually work: Mostly 6 to 8 hours a day, but this really depends on the workflow as I may work around 10-12 hours a day when things get really crazy.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Definitely an extrovert! Even when I’m moody! If you see me not smiling, something really terrible has happened! 🙂
Are you an early-riser or a night-owl? Both. It depends on my mood and the deadline. I prefer early mornings though.
What do you listen to while you work? The only time I don’t listen to music is while working. I work in absolute silence, otherwise I get distracted. Only at nights when I need to stay awake and alert, I listen to Greek old comedies or Disney movies (Ariel is my favourite princess!).

And a few non-work related questions to get more personal.
Your babies or pets, incl. names and ages:
Oh, this is a quite long list! Well, let’s start:
Dimitris: My precious little boy: almost 2 ½ years old
Mayia: My black and white feline beauty: 8 ½ years old
Haris: My amazing, almost 7 kilos, orange cat-tiger: 3 years old
BMW (Baeba): My Black Magic Wolf-like dog: almost 12 years old
And about 11 stray cats that I feed every day.
Next city/country you want to visit: I’d like to visit Iceland, Sweden and San Francisco, CA.
Favorite vacation place: Greek islands!
Favorite book: I really love magic realism and my favourite writer is Angela Carter. I think it would only be fair to say that I equally love all of her novels/stories.
Favorite song: Definitely Clocks by my beloved Coldplay and Aisha by Death in Vegas (especially when I work out).
What are you currently reading? Unfortunately, there is no reading time for me these days. I usually read the ITI Bulletin, the ATA Chronicle and a few translation blogs that I follow. However, I managed to finish The Business Guide for Translators by Marta Stelmaszak, which I think it is a MUST-READ book for all translators.

Author bio

Anastasia Giagopoulou is an English – Greek (native) freelance translator with more than 10 years of experience. She offers translation and business services with specialisation in technical and commercial texts. She is an Associate of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI), an Associate of the American Translators Association (ATA), a member of International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters (IAPTI) and a member of the Panhellenic Association of Translators. She holds a BA degree in English language & literature (AUTh, Greece), a Master’s degree in Translation Studies (UMIST, UK) and she has recently graduated from Marta Stelmaszak’s Business School for Translators (online course). For a closer look of who Anastasia is and how she can help your business make the difference in the Greek market, you can check out her website at www.ingreektranslations.com. You can find Anastasia on Facebook and Twitter where she shares articles, posts, reports on translation events and conferences, and anything interesting that happens in the world of translation.