I live in a small house on the hillside in the Rhondda and love the hills and the people. I have four cats, all black, and am generally a crazy cat lady. I am a freelance medical translator. I translate out of Polish, Serbo-Croat, Slovenian, French, German and Spanish into English. I can read and understand these languages, but cannot write or speak actively in them very much.

I like much classical music, folk and world music. I also sing and play in Immanuel's Ground Quire, a group performing West Gallery and Shape Note music. If you think church music is boring, you should listen to this - and performing it is even more fun!

I tend to dislike mainstream jazz, but love Jacques Loussier, Stephan Grappelli and strange fusions such as Indian jazz, some of the songs of Sabina Yannatou. For those of you familiar with Radio 3 in the UK, I hear things like this on "Late Junction", a programme that sometimes has me squirming with revulsion and other times lost in ecstasy. I tend not to like most pop music, loathe the Beatles, and I am also not enamoured of country music.

I prefer fantasy, crime and mystery, as well as serious novels and non-fiction books relevant to my interests when my brain is not too addled from work. Books written from a quirky or whimsical viewpoint are especially appealing. I cannot abide most of what is classed as women's fiction, romance and chick lit.

I now try to release as many books as possible through Bookcrossing (URL above), so no book received will ever go to waste.

I'm trying to learn to knit, and I do some crochet, although time is lacking to do any major projects. I have made gemstone jewellery, small "ancient Egyptian" amulets from Fymo and a 3-foot tall Anubis mask from chicken wire and papier mache.

I want to expand my creativity, although I am the kid about whose creations the art teacher always said, "Hmmm, interesting... "

I am also interested in astrology, tarot, the Western mysteries, Ancient Egypt, mythology and psychology (especially Jungian).

I like being out in nature and am just starting to get involved in geocaching.

I finally found a belly dancing class in my area!!!

Cats, frogs, Marlene Dietrich, purple, pink, turquoise, also the sort of faded, dusty pastel colours when used in a vintage nostalgic style (shabby chic?), shiny and glittery things, nice smelly things especially if fragranced with essential oils - send me a soap with fragrant oils and I'll love you for ever!, sequins, ancient Egyptian things, anything to do with the Goddess in any of Her 10,000 forms, incense (but not vanilla or fruit, I LOVE aloe wood), fantastical and beautiful things, quirky and whimsical things and things that make me laugh, beautiful old things, things made from ribbon and lace, wasabi peas, saltine crackers (sounds mad, but I love them and they are not on sale in the UK)), hot tamales (the candies), I'm always on the look out for any stickers, embellishments, ribbon, etc that can be used for cards, ATCs etc, because I cannot buy any of this locally. I would love to get anything that could be used in belly dancing: veils, scarves, jingly anklets, bracelets, armbands, etc.

Anything that could be seen as evangelical Christian, slushy romantic stuff (only acceptable when received from my beloved), anything connected with TV programmes, pop music or "celebrities".