Oh my gosh..talking about learning ASL, it looks like every ASL students decided to hang out at the same place. From about 30-50 people seating at the food court area of the shopping mall, maybe 5 were really Deaf and another 5 maybe HOH, I know most people would say they are the same and belong to the same community, yes, I got this part, but the HOH people hanging at the mall all could talk, so there were no real reason to force us (learners) to use sign, so I will consider 5 Deaf to 40 people just o round the numbers her.
It was so many people, so many different conversations and so many different levels of ASL knowledge that was incredibly difficult to follow any of them. Again, I could give credit to practice perception of the signs and get use to see the signs being done fast as regular Deaf people would use.
Other than visual "training" that event is not made for the beginner, lost on ASL and no friend to talk to, but I need to give a HUGE credit to the Deaf people there who were the most amazing people and SOOOOO willing to help the students, teaching them and so patients to understand the ones who didn't sign much, like me. I was actually surprised that it is called Deaf Coffee when there are bearelly no Deaf people there in comparison with the amount of hearing people. I was always thinking it would be a bunch of Deaf people hanging out chatting and a few hearing ones, friendly talking and having "coffee", but instead I saw the opposite, which is why I came out with that great impression about the ones that were there. They weren't there to hang out with their Deaf friends ans socialize with other Deaf, they were there knowing that they would be meeting a lot of hearing students and teaching them, freely teaching them.
Funny thing, even though I am from another community and speak another language, I never heard of any kind of social event or hang out place where people would go to practice talking another language. Most people who are learning another language they just go to another country to practice. ASL, they don't have another country to go practice, but there are many schools where people can take a course and be immerse into the language, but instead, they just find places to gather some people who "talk" the language to practice with them. That is something incredible, it seems that the Deaf community is much more organized, willing and able to provide training and practice to those willing to learn ASL than any other community or language. KUDOS, for the organizers and the Deaf people who goes there and help, teach, practice and donate their time.
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Do you want to play Dingo?
When I first heard about Dingo it sounded like a very boring and old people thing. Well, I won't say it is not old people thing, I found out later that mostly older than me people are the ones that go play it, but it is actually quite fun. Most important, there almost no hearing people there.
This time I went late and as people were already sat down I was put into a group of all Deaf with only 1 person from a group next time mine that was HOH and could talk and she helped me interpreting a little when people from my group signed something and I couldn't understand. My first game and I made it to the 1st person to be on the finals. Although I didn't win any game, it was pretty exciting to see all those people in my group rooting for me. The most amazing feeling was that even though I had very little ASL knowledge and could barely communicate with them, I was one of the few hearing there, I could feel that all those Deaf people in my group were excited that me (an stranger, out of their community, out of their world and language) After one of the first experience where I was "shut down" from the group site where ONLY Deaf people can be in and/or are welcomed, there I was not just welcomed but also an equal and someone thy would be proud of just for running for the winning place.
The thing with Dingo is mostly, we don't really talk a lot with each other, or maybe because I was new and not good at signing, but during the game the focus is on the cards and not on each other's hands. Other than that, it was a great experience to practice seeing signing from the "host" while announcing things about the game and other events they were planning.
One thing I definitely learned was that, this community IS diversified and HUGE. At least just a few of them (in comparison with the amount of Deaf people around the country) are the ones against hearing people. Granted, they are not all arms wide opened, but most respect us hearings as people just like them and if we do the same, the mutual respect goes far as a great conversation, into something that can be even more.
This time I went late and as people were already sat down I was put into a group of all Deaf with only 1 person from a group next time mine that was HOH and could talk and she helped me interpreting a little when people from my group signed something and I couldn't understand. My first game and I made it to the 1st person to be on the finals. Although I didn't win any game, it was pretty exciting to see all those people in my group rooting for me. The most amazing feeling was that even though I had very little ASL knowledge and could barely communicate with them, I was one of the few hearing there, I could feel that all those Deaf people in my group were excited that me (an stranger, out of their community, out of their world and language) After one of the first experience where I was "shut down" from the group site where ONLY Deaf people can be in and/or are welcomed, there I was not just welcomed but also an equal and someone thy would be proud of just for running for the winning place.
The thing with Dingo is mostly, we don't really talk a lot with each other, or maybe because I was new and not good at signing, but during the game the focus is on the cards and not on each other's hands. Other than that, it was a great experience to practice seeing signing from the "host" while announcing things about the game and other events they were planning.
One thing I definitely learned was that, this community IS diversified and HUGE. At least just a few of them (in comparison with the amount of Deaf people around the country) are the ones against hearing people. Granted, they are not all arms wide opened, but most respect us hearings as people just like them and if we do the same, the mutual respect goes far as a great conversation, into something that can be even more.
A weekend of Deaf Expos (DeafNation NY & Deaf Fest NJ)
Call me crazy if you would like, but I did that, left at 7am from Newark,NJ airport to go to Rocherter NY on September 21, 2013 to attend the Deaf Nation Expo in RIT/NID. One of the best and worst place I went to. Well, it was great to see such an organized event and so full of cool entertainment, but worst for the part that, for a beginner, the dimension of the event and sudden knowledge of how huge the world is and the Deaf world is made me really scared and I felt like giving up.
Remembering that I started to learn and getting involved with ASL and Deaf culture on August 2013, so 1 month after being alone in an event of that dimension it was really overwhelming for me. One of the few Deaf personality I knew about was Joel Barrish, one of the founders of DeafNation, and leaving my fears away and the embarrassment of not knowing ASL, I was able to express myself to him and even took a picture. There, my trip was satisfying for that. I was understood by a Deaf person. That opened my shyness a little bit when on my way out I was also able to communicate with one of the vendors and bought 2 DVDs of movies made in ASL only. Yes, I saw both with subtitles, no way I could understand the dialogues with out it at that time.
So after the whole day walking around the expo and seeing only sign language, on my way back to NJ I met one of the sales associate from Purple ( a company that provide services such as VRS among other things). Now I felt more comfortable, it was one on one communication and we both had to wait for the plane anyway, so..there I was trying to talk to the guy and practice my ASL once again. I now feel bad for him, poor guy had a huge patience with me, I was really bad on ASL..come on, 1 month beginner. Turn out that the same person was going to NJ as well for the Deaf Fest event happening on the following day.
Well, on Sunday September 22, I was really tired from the 1 day in NY trip, but there I was in the NJ Deaf Fest. In comparison with the DeafNation Expo I was just in a day before, this event was very small, but huge for the NJ area. The entertainment was great and the technology for the non-ASL knowledgeable people was amazing with interpreter and a screen with the transcript of what was being said on stage, something that DeafNation Expo does not have. The amazing Douglas Ridloff was on stage when I got there, and it was a real treat to see him performing and understanding everything from the screen transcript. There were, however, fewer vendors and the food was only carts as street food, meaning, no option of purchasing with credit cards even though it was so expensive. But into the reason why I'm writing this, seen and meeting a few Deaf people around was really interesting again, but the very best was to pass by the NY Deaf Theatre booth that was there promoting their next production. One poor guy alone was giving out some flyers made of black and white copies and the note pad where we could sign up to receive emails updates. My life was done there. I got to find out that my past passion just met my new passion (theatre meets ASL) and even though I was mostly lost on the whole signing my hope was restored and my eager to keep learning moved me to the next stage.
Remembering that I started to learn and getting involved with ASL and Deaf culture on August 2013, so 1 month after being alone in an event of that dimension it was really overwhelming for me. One of the few Deaf personality I knew about was Joel Barrish, one of the founders of DeafNation, and leaving my fears away and the embarrassment of not knowing ASL, I was able to express myself to him and even took a picture. There, my trip was satisfying for that. I was understood by a Deaf person. That opened my shyness a little bit when on my way out I was also able to communicate with one of the vendors and bought 2 DVDs of movies made in ASL only. Yes, I saw both with subtitles, no way I could understand the dialogues with out it at that time.
So after the whole day walking around the expo and seeing only sign language, on my way back to NJ I met one of the sales associate from Purple ( a company that provide services such as VRS among other things). Now I felt more comfortable, it was one on one communication and we both had to wait for the plane anyway, so..there I was trying to talk to the guy and practice my ASL once again. I now feel bad for him, poor guy had a huge patience with me, I was really bad on ASL..come on, 1 month beginner. Turn out that the same person was going to NJ as well for the Deaf Fest event happening on the following day.
Well, on Sunday September 22, I was really tired from the 1 day in NY trip, but there I was in the NJ Deaf Fest. In comparison with the DeafNation Expo I was just in a day before, this event was very small, but huge for the NJ area. The entertainment was great and the technology for the non-ASL knowledgeable people was amazing with interpreter and a screen with the transcript of what was being said on stage, something that DeafNation Expo does not have. The amazing Douglas Ridloff was on stage when I got there, and it was a real treat to see him performing and understanding everything from the screen transcript. There were, however, fewer vendors and the food was only carts as street food, meaning, no option of purchasing with credit cards even though it was so expensive. But into the reason why I'm writing this, seen and meeting a few Deaf people around was really interesting again, but the very best was to pass by the NY Deaf Theatre booth that was there promoting their next production. One poor guy alone was giving out some flyers made of black and white copies and the note pad where we could sign up to receive emails updates. My life was done there. I got to find out that my past passion just met my new passion (theatre meets ASL) and even though I was mostly lost on the whole signing my hope was restored and my eager to keep learning moved me to the next stage.
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