A picture of the Barbaro Family at a family gathering, including family based in Australia and South America
A little about Geoff
I was born and educated in Adelaide, Australia and since then, have lived in Darwin, Sydney and Melbourne. I have spent a fair bit of time in South East Asia, particularly Malaysia, mostly as a visitor. I do enjoy travelling for pleasure and for work.
I have a strong interest in the world around me and try to keep in touch with happenings around the world, especially in Australia and the Asia Pacific. I am a news junkie though there’s less quality now as mass media has deteriorated, mostly due to owners axing their most valuable resources, professional independent journalists.
Reading, Watching & Sipping
I read a lot, mostly fiction or study, and have learned the joys of long-form television series, like The West Wing, Buffy, Fargo, Orphan Black, Game of Thrones and Vikings, along with various others. I have taught textual analysis at Universities using some of these shows, including a famous Buffy lecture! I'm also a big comedy fan, and attend the Melbourne International Comedy Festival as often as possible.
I enjoy the occasional red wine or other special beverages, and used to make cocktails professionally and socially, including my own concoctions.
Sports ... and more sports
I'm a bit of a sports nut, especially Australian rules Football (AFL/AFLW), basketball (which I played for 30 years), tennis, cricket, darts ... well there's too many to mention them all.
I also enjoy taking friends to sports events in style when I can. Fortunately my work has included access to stadiums such as Melbourne Park, Wembley Stadium, Etihad Stadium (Melbourne) and others, so I've been able to take advantage of corporate hospitality.
Travel and Penang
I have been very fortunate to have travelled a lot, and I enjoy travelling for both work and leisure. I hope to spend some more time overseas and would love to work in South East Asia, especially Singapore or Malaysia. I have travelled extensively in Asia, Europe and a little in North America.
I also have a long-running love affair with Penang, and try to get there often. I have some great friends there, and it's my place to relax and recharge
And then there's tea ...
I do enjoy drinking tea, hot or cold, and have many different varieties. This is a selection, though there's another couple of shelves out of the picture, plus some other teas in a cupboard or two!