Hello everyone!  I am a Senior Trainer here at Smokeball.

1. One of the wonderful things about working with people all over the world has been introduction to new music!  Powderfinger is very well known in Australia, but not in the US for some insane reason.  Someone shared this song recently and I have been hooked ever since.  I have been listening to a ton of 80s, 90s, and 00s Australian rock.  So much fun.  I will share one of the songs with you all.  

    

2. I love science fiction and fantasy books.  I have way too many favorite authors to list, but one of my favorites is Orson Scott Card and Ender’s Game.
3. My favorite family holiday tradition is that my family makes sushi on Christmas.  I am half Jewish and half Christian.  My husband is Jewish.  He decided Christmas sushi makes sense .  

1. I’m bringing back the Smokeball Community Playlist. Share a song that you’d like others to here and I’ll add it to the playlist!  
   • 'Broke by Teddy Swims'  - Trying to manifest this energy

      

2. Who is your favourite author and what book of theirs would you recommend we read first? 
   • Big fan of Ernest Cline especially "Ready Player One". Some nostalgic references to pop culture. 
   • Kobi Yamada's "What do you do with a chance?" and the rest of the What do you do book series, it's a children's book but it still relates to the big kids. (Bonus: Great gift for the book worms)
3. What is your favorite family holiday tradition? 
   • My nationality is Filipino and Christmas is in my blood. I absolutely love getting together and spending time with my family and friends. Family tradition is that we start xmas decorations in October. 

I’m bringing back the Smokeball Community Playlist. Share a song that you’d like others to here and I’ll add it to the playlist! 

It’s been a year since Brazilian artist Anitta released the song Envolver, which made Anitta the first Latin solo artist to reach #1 on Global Spotify. I am definitely celebrating by blasting this song!

Who is your favourite author and what book of theirs would you recommend we read first? 

My favourite author is always such a hard question for me to answer! I am currently reading “A Hundred Other Girls” by Iman Hariri-Kia. It is a contemporary Devil Wears Prada, and it starts with the Iranian-American protagonist landing her dream job at a feminist magazine. I recommend the book if you are a fan of easy reading women’s fiction.

What is your favorite family holiday tradition?

Christmas is on January 7 for us Slavs. So my favourite family holiday tradition is celebrating Christmas twice!

Share a song that you’d like others to hear and I’ll add it to the playlist! 

It’s nearly Christmas! So here’s a very strange (but wonderful) version of Danse Of The Sugar Plum Fairies on...Banjo!?
 

Who is your favourite author and what book of theirs would you recommend we read first? 

There’s a lot of authors out there that I have read every book of from cover to cover. I think the author that ignited my love of books has to get the recommendation though,Terry Pratchett. I’ve read the entire Discworld series three or four times now! 

Start with either Guards Guards! , Mort or Equal Rites. That’s where he really started to really craft great tales and nail the world building. 
 

What is your favorite family holiday tradition?

My wife’s family meet every year for a week long stay somewhere as an entire family over the Christmas break. It’s full of great food, lovely conversations and relationship straining board game sessions . 

Hi!  I am Jennifer, I am a paralegal in Illinois - 

This is hard, I cannot just pick one song - but I guess, I will go with Sweet Child O Mine by Guns N Roses - it should wake people up!  LOL!

I have not read anything in a long time - but I do like true crime and crime stories - I love anything by Michael Connelly or James Patterson - I love the Harry Bosch character by Michael Connelly and have watched the series on Amazon - lately I am getting more into self-help and just finished reading “Buy Yourself the Fucking Lilies” by Tara Schuster and it was awesome!

As for a favorite family holiday tradition - we do not really have one - we change things up all the time.  The only thing I think that is a constant is on Christmas Eve we go to my mom’s house and every year we start our meal with my Baba’s (my great grandmother’s) chicken soup (the recipe has been passed down so that now my mom makes it since both my great grandmother and grandmother are deceased).  I have the recipe, but have not attempted it yet 

@JThiery, welcome! It’s so great to have you here. Thanks for sharing with us. I’m a big fan of Guns N Roses and definitely needed to turn up Sweet Child O Mine today to wake up . I’ll add it to the playlist :) 

I’m going to check out “Buy Yourself the Fucking Lillies” sounds like it’ll be hilarious and also probably very good for me too . 

Thank you for the recommendation!