Sense

With Shannon

View from the Infante Bridge

At the top of the Clerigos Tower in Porto

I've been reflecting and wondering about what I should use this space for. I'm still undecided. A personal diary? A work related chronicle? Should I explore my life as an "expat" and talk about culture and language from that perspective? Or should I "specialise" and focus on one of my passions: food, music, film, travel???

I am at a loss. I feel that I will probably continue to use it as a little bit of a dumping ground for a little bit of everything. Somewhere to record different thoughts and ideas and to record my influences, comment on my work and to generally comment on my life and the lives on those around me. Which sounds vague. But I quite like the scrapbook approach to blogging. It's unpredictable and eclectic. Which can be interesting. What I am concerned about is privacy and intimacy- and as this is not a professional blog, the impact it may have on my professional standing in the online world. Which, after all, is essentially where my business exists. However I have decided to continue to write here as I feel that what I have produced and pasted here so far is in no way too revealing or invasive in terms of my life nor is it detrimental to my career. It's simply what it says it is:

"A SERIES OF MUSINGS AND RANTS ON THE LIFE, EXPERIENCES, IDEAS AND INFLUENCES OF A FREELANCE NORTHERN IRISH TRANSLATOR LIVING IN NORTHERN PORTUGAL."

Now that we have established what I am to use this space for, I'm going to get on with doing just that. I've been mostly absent from the online world, both in terms of work as well as social media as of late. I've decided to enjoy the quiet periods with regards to work and take advantage of the time to enjoy the summer. Of course, I also have to use the time for all of those adult duties I have to fulfill i.e. managing my own life and career! Which can be a full-time job in itself. I've finally moved. Marcia and I are now resident in the parish of SE (meaning Cathedral), the oldest parish in Porto. We still have a few loose ends to tie up with regards to the move but we're basically done. The difference it makes to me, mentally, emotionally and even physically, being somewhere I feel happier and more settled and comfortable is immense. I feel like I am finally where I wanted to be when I moved to Portugal. Location-wise and apartment-wise. It's perfect for us. Now we just have to enjoy it. Work and be productive during the working week and relax and enjoy life in the evenings and on weekends. I am looking forward to our new life here.

We had a visit from some friends from London two weeks ago which was great. So nice to see them again and show them Porto. And then my parents and little sister came for a week and also stayed with us in the new apartment. Which was also nice. I think that they found Porto to be very different from the typical Portuguese/Spanish tourist resorts they have holidayed in, in the past. It has so much more to offer in terms of culture, gastronomy, history and variety than the Algarve or the Spanish costas. And I think that they enjoyed it. We did a lot when they were here and they saw as much of the city as is possible to see in a week.

So now. I'm planning to work and enjoy the summer. Marketing is something I need to focus on, as I've been too busy working to market my services, which is something that freelance professionals need to constantly spend time on. I've been very happy recently to have received very positive feedback on my work from my clients. It really makes all the difference to know that your work is appreciated. At the end of September I am spending a week in Cologne studying German at the Tandem school and then I will probably study another course in the Goethe Institute in Porto beginning in October with the aim of eventually working professionally from German in the near future. I am also keen to sit the DipTrans exam in the near future (either from French or German to English). Those are the plans. :)