Meet Alex P., a Senior APAC Lead and Resourcing Manager in the Translation Units for Lionbridge. Alex is a Romanian native living in Japan and enjoys feeling connected to her industry peers all over the world through her work. Read more about Alex below.

What do you like most about being a part of the Lionbridge Community?

It makes working in this industry feel less lonely and it helps me feel more connected to peers all over the world.

How did you get into this field?

I was 16 and was looking to earn money to go to summer camp. I took a translation test for a publishing company and got my first job. The camp is history now, but the job turned out to be a turning point in my life.

Describe a day in the life of a Lionbridge partner.

I manage translation projects, so my usual day starts with waking up early to check the jobs pending assignment; lunch catches me emailing my wonderful linguists spread across the world; at dinner time, I am coordinating with my colleagues in Europe; and I respond to last-minute emails just before wrapping up the day with a nice cup of sake.

Tell us about some of your hobbies and interests.

I like playing igo, which is a tactical board game slightly similar to chess. It is mostly played in Eastern Asia and the most thrilling aspect to it is the hundreds of sequences you need to think of before making your move; plus, I get to compete against really brilliant, yet merciless kids—which is really good fun.

How many languages do you speak, and do you want to learn a new one?

I speak Romanian, English, Spanish, and Japanese. I learned Russian, Korean, and Basque many years ago; if time allows, I'd like to start all over again with these three.

What do you like most about the country you live in?

I love the food and the appreciation they have of nature and spirituality, as well as the respect they show towards their elders. I also find their culture and their way of interacting with each other very different from the European culture in which I was brought up, so it is a great learning experience.

What country would you like to travel to and why?

I would love to visit New Zealand. I want to see the glaciers and a go to a rugby game while I'm at it. I am into forces of nature!

What, in your opinion, makes your field special?

Borderless communication and artistic selflessness. It might sound a bit pompous, but I really think that localization is the real engine for wide-spread communication across all frontiers. It gets different peoples talking to each other, it brings cultures and societies closer, and it spurs human development and collaboration. And unlike other arts, (good) translations focus more on users' understanding and cultural appropriateness, and less on the writer's ego.