First and foremost I'm passionate about language and communication. I've been a self-employed translator and interpreter for over 20 years, with all the ancillary roles that that entails: client relations, research, coordinating schedules, making polite conversation at the water cooler (if only I had some employees). I work across the full spectrum from economics and technology to fashion and art, from copywriting to website localisation; and sometimes I go out into the fields with Japanese potato farmers who want to study irrigation techniques in the world's driest continent.I've also been involved in volunteering in various capacities over the years, including school councils, sports clubs and the Sacred Heart Mission. I'm currently with the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, delivering presentations to school groups, and I tutor on Saturday mornings at SAIL (Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning). In 2008 I published a book... just the other day a royalty cheque came in for $4.06! Move over JK.And finally: I love baking muffins, walking in the countryside, playing in a 70s band and having chooks in the backyard.