Looking forward to the future 😊

Us interpreters are ‘people people’ by nature, and it’s been a long haul for many of us switching from booths and plane journeys to our laptops at home! I for one have missed the feeling you can only get from working around others.

So, imagine how delighted I was last week when I got a call offering my first in-person assignment for a huge commercial organisation in months! 🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏽

Although it’s fair to say there’s not quite as much hustle and bustle we’re used to seeing in London, I couldn’t wait to go and loved the feeling of stepping off the tube and walking the familiar streets 🏙️

Although the national picture in the UK has taken a bit of a shift since then, this reminded me of what we’ve missed and what we’ve all got to look forward to again.

Zoom interpreting : Francesco Totti

I’ve been incredibly fortunate during my career to have had the privilege of meeting a great number of people with international standing, and one of the most memorable of my career came over the summer with a true footballing icon who re-wrote footballing history – and more – of the Eternal City.

I am referring, of course, to Francesco Totti, who I met virtually in a ‘room’ on Zoom a couple of months ago.

A request came through for an interpreting assignment at a few hours’ notice and, late that afternoon,

I had the exceptional professional opportunity to meet a footballer who has clocked up an impressive set of statistics in his career: 786 matches played and 25 seasons in Serie A, and all for the same team of Roma.

The list could go on…

Totti is not only an icon of modern football but a star who lends his image to numerous good causes, including the Uefa Europa League Driven by Kia project, which donates football boots to Syrian children in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan.

Amazement and coincidences were the order of the day.

Certainly, my afternoon with Totti was an extraordinary occasion in my life and work.

READY … STEADY … RE-START! ☀️

Ready: writing the stories that inspire our future as well as our present.

Steady: confidently facing the challenges that lie ahead, armed with good practices and fine examples.

Re-start: with the optimism of a start-up that innovates and ‘renews’ the market.

Made in Italy: the re-start.

In 2020 the #MadeinItaly story will be told and innovatively re-told at physical venues in London and Milan, and virtually on the web.

To be precise, it’s “Made in Italy: the restart – Relaunching the Italian Economy in a post-Covid world.”  Sponsored by The Financial Times and Il Sole 24 Ore, the initiative runs from 6 to 8 October.

Three days of digital events, chaired by top-flight journalists from both financial newspapers, will be live-streamed from London and Milan, complete with simultaneous interpreting between Italian and English.

This digital event promises to be unique of its kind.

It will be a great opportunity to tell the real “made in Italy” story and swap ideas on forthcoming development strategies.

What better way to re-start?🤔

Take a deep breath and take a moment to pause 🧘

I think it’s fair to say that this year has taken a toll on everyone’s mental wellbeing and we’ve all had to adapt and work in new ways that we’re perhaps not used to.

Your work takes up a large part of your identity and your time, but it’s not just who you are. Always remember to take time to focus on other hobbies and interests that make you who you are.

This weekend, my challenge to all of my fantastic connections is to get back in touch with something that work might have gotten in way of recently.

Whether it’s spending some time outdoors, picking up a book or even just taking some time to unplug the electronics, make some time for you 🥰

Never stop learning, because learning never stops 👩‍🏫

Yesterday I had the pleasure of participating in a demo for QuaQua meeting, an online meeting platform which offers the functionality for RSI.

(Very responsive, attentive and problem-solving team. I experienced a problem which was immediately solved in a speedy one to one session!)

Qua Qua describes itself as “a user-friendly meeting platform for both large and small meetings. For interpreters, the user interface is familiar and effective. For participants, it is intuitive and easy to use.”

I love discovering new platforms to try and to use for assignments and I’m really looking forward to using Qua Qua in the near future – personal development never stands still!

Have you used Qua Qua? Let me know what you think below 👇