Additional Skills & Hobbies
Languages ('Natural' and Computer)
- Good modern French and Italian (approx. CEFR C1 French, B2/C1 Italian, both spoken and written), functional comprehension of spoken Venetian (dialect of Veneto region).
- Studied Latin, Old and Middle English to graduate/post-graduate level.
- Studied Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin/汉语) and Ancient Greek to high-school leaver/first-year university level, and Modern Icelandic and academic reading German at introductory levels.
- Extensive experience with computer languages, particularly Python, Java, XML/XSLT/XPath, assembly languages (65C02, 68HC11, some 68000 and Intel MMX), and ANSI C and C++.
- Extensive experience with UNIX (primarily Solaris), Linux (primarily Ubuntu/Debian, formerly Red Hat), MS Windows and MacOS.
- Some current or past experience with JavaScript, XQuery, Perl, SQL, ASP, Cold Fusion, JSP, sh, Visual Basic, Visual C++ and Verilog, as well as Django and Cocoon frameworks.
Other Non-Professional Skills and Certifications
- Amateur (Radio) Operator's Certificate of Proficiency (AOCP) at Australian 'Unrestricted' level (see list of international equivalents).
- Full, clean driver's licence (French); have held clean US, Australian, UK and/or French licence continually since 1992.
For professional certifications see Education and Training.
Hobbies
- Active member of Tennis Club de Tours (FFT, highest classement 30/5).
- Experienced active hiker, including basic mountaineering, particularly in the French
and Italian Alps:
- Active member of Club Alpin Français (Grenoble Isère) (FFCAM); formerly also of Club d'Escalade Atoutprises (Île-de-France) (FFME).
- Certified (validé) by the FFCAM for 'la formation UF vers l'autonomie en terrain montagne et assurage en mouvement'.
- Intermediate level (autonomous) in via ferrata (D in Alpine system), lower intermediate in sport climbing (lead at approx. 5b in French system), bouldering (approx. V2/V3 in V system).
- Intermediate cross-country skiing in 'classic' style (red routes); advanced beginner in 'skating' style (blue routes); beginner in downhill skiing (easy blue routes, certified ESF level '1er ski').
- Basic level (under supervision) in multi-pitch climbing, rappelling (abseiling), progression as roped teams, en corde tendue in glacier traversals, and with anchored ropes in rock (level PD in Alpine system).
- Other recreational sports include regular running, occasional swimming and cycling.
Hikes and selected cycling and cross-country ski traces since August 2016 are available here; selected photos are available on Flickr.