About Me

OI was born in Cagliari on 26th April 1966: given my Zodiac sign, Taurus, and Scorpio rising I am obviously stubborn, magnetic, willful, persuasive, sunny, energetic, ambitious, helpful, altruistic, generous and very, very proud!

Since my father was an air-pilot while my mother was an interpreter  I had the opportunity to travel extensively with them and with my sister Katia who is two years younger than I am: from the United States to India, from Mexico to Malaysia, from Spain to Singapore,from France to the UK.

I lived a few years in Cambridge, a spectacular English town famous throughout the world for its university, and I fell in love with the Anglo-Saxon style of life which, at the time, was well-organised, respectful and regulated.

After attending Liceo Classico (a grammar school) I graduated in Lingue e Letterature Straniere (Modern Languages) in 1989: during the University years I worked as an interpreter in English and Spanish and as soon as I completed my course I started teaching English, at first at a private high-school, Liceo Alle Stimate, in Verona and later, after passing the public selection of 1990, in several high-schools in and around Verona.

On 17th April 1993 I married … my webmaster and life-long companion, Paul, an angel (at least that’s what he says…) who tolerates “patiently” all my excesses: hard to believe in a Sagittarius with Leo rising, so… well…  don’t !

We have two sons, Joshua Martin, born in 1995 and Shane Michael, born in 1998.

Joshua was born under the sign of Pisces: he is dark-haired, like me, a bit shy, serious, steady, reserved, determined and proud.

Shane, instead, was born under the sign of Aries: he’s brown-haired, lively, generosus, affectionate, outgoing, stubborn and proud (I wonder who they take from!).

In between I decided to start studying again the classical world I had loved so passionately during my teens and in 2001 I graduated in Lettere Antiche (Classical literature – Greek and Latin).

I continued teaching English for 15 years but also kept up my activities as translator and interpreter.

In 2003 I became deputy-head at Liceo “Guarino Veronese”, a high-school of S. Bonifacio, and Liceo Roveggio, another high-school of Cologna Veneta.

I resigned on 12th July 2007 for incompatibility with the headmistress and I went back to my real vocation, i.e. teaching, and that saved me: thank God for my students!!! What a year!!!

In 2008/2009 a new life began for me at Liceo “Galileo Galilei”, a high-school of Verona: school representative for problems pertaining to SLD (Specific Learning Disorders) and SEN (Special Educational Needs), creator and supervisor of the project “English or… NOTHING!” conceived to draw young people toward experiences of use of English in an intercultural vision using two of the arts which fascinate them most, that is to say music and drama, coordinator of the Committee for the “50th anniversary of Liceo Galilei” celebrations.

Since 1 September 2026 I have officially been retired from teaching. My career in school has come to an end, but certainly not my desire to study, explore new ideas, write, share and keep learning.

What more to add? I love studying(!!) and putting myself to the test, I adore travelling and meeting new people, I enjoy singing and dancing, I like swimming and horse-riding, I play the piano and keyboards and in 1988 I became radio amateur with call sign IW3GJH, a passion I share with my husband (whose passion dates back to a long time before – his call sign is IK3ITB).