Tutoring...

A big thank you to my former instructors for recommending me to tutor their current students! I have had numerous emails in the last week from ASL students wanting help preparing for their finals. This is wonderful for me for two reasons - I get to share what I have learned from my years of studying ASL & I get some cash out of the deal…

There are two students I have met with a few times now, and they seem to be inproving very well. When I first me them, before their midterm, they were on the cusp of failing. I am happy to report that they both scored over 90% on their midterms, after two meetings with me. I guess I am doing something right.

I am planning to meet two more students this weekend to prepare for their finals. Hopefully they get the same result…

Deaf Performing Artists Network

Fabulous Video for deafies and hearies both. Go see this...


http://www.d-pan.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=45

Root Canal...

Ever had one? Unless you have, then you don't realize how badly it friggin hurts!

To compound my problems, the bad tooth is #3, which means it is an upper tooth in the back next to my already ringing ear. The pain and pressure from the tooth are now intertwined with the pressure and noise in my right ear. This week I am living on antibiotics and vicodin, counting the days until my endo appointment on Monday morning.

Those of you that know me well, know I absolutely love my ASL classes. Tonight I hurt so bad that I am missing my last class at Berkeley City College. There is no way I can sit upright, let alone sit through a ride on the BART. I certainly can't drive medicated.

Therefore I will go home and whimper to myself while I wait for the next dose of vicodin to kick in...

"MindField"

I am always looking for new books relating to Deaf Culture to add to my own little library. This book was referenced on a blog I read somewhere (sorry I can't remember where). Anyway, it arrived today. I am anxious to start reading it, especially since I am 3rd in line in my house to read Harry Potter...

MindField by John F. Egbert

What would happen if most American’s became deaf almost overnight? Chaos? Financial collapse? Both?

MindField is a thrill ride, an incredible message of hope within a Tom Clancyesque novel. Perhaps the world would be better if we all had to listen with our only our hearts.

Book Description

What would happen if most of the people in America became deaf almost overnight? Chaos? Financial collapse? Anarchy? None of the above?

MindField is a thrill ride with a message; a premise torn right out of today’s headlines. A terrorist cell ignites an aerosol dispersion of what is thought to be deadly bacteria—spinal meningitis. It quickly spreads from a small town in Montana to nearly 30 states, eventually affecting more than three million people—an epidemic of nation-threatening proportions.

However, the problem isn’t death—it’s deaf. The physical symptoms of the disease disappear after three weeks, the only remaining tragedy is all those who are stricken become permanently deaf—a common side effect of spinal meningitis.

The United States is turned inside out, now a country where millions of the inhabitants can’t hear. An underground government is formed deep beneath the NORAD facilities in Colorado. A catastrophe of unimaginable proportions—or is it?

MindField is a fast paced, plot driven suspense novel with a pleasant surprising, and incredibly potent message about the way we might live our lives if we all had to listen with our eyes and hearts, and how the world might be a much better place for it.

I will post more about it as I start reading...

Child Advocacy...

Recently I was very pleased to be invited to join a new nonprofit group called SNAPS...

Please join SNAPS -- Signing, Networking, and Advocacy of Parents and Siblings, a newly formed nonprofit group -- as we welcome you to a free workshop that will teach you specific strategies for successfully parenting children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, and helping them feel like a part of the family. The event will be this Saturday, July 21st from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Rincon Valley Library in Santa Rosa.

Barbara Street, a Marriage and Family Therapist who is a parent and counsels children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing along with their families, will offer a free 2-hour workshop on how to improve communication within families with children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. At the same time, SNAPS will provide a supervised playgroup for your children (deaf and hearing) so you can focus your attention on the workshop.

Following the workshop, SNAPS will have an hour discussion for parents, teachers, other professionals and the deaf community about how our organization can better serve families with children who are deaf. Some of our ideas thus far include information regarding IEP support-learning, what you can ask for from the schools, IEP advocacy (a person to go with you to IEP meetings), sign language classes, parenting support groups, Cochlear Implant support groups, and after school care for children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing and their siblings. What do you need as a parent? How can we help you? Be a part of making SNAPS an organization that provides your family with what you need to thrive!

Unfortunately I am unable to attend this first event. I did tell the person who invited me that I am very interested in this group and the focus they are describing. Perhaps it will "catch on" and thrive enough to expand in to other geographic areas, like the Bay Area.

So I suppose if I am going to get involved with groups like this, I should temper my opinion on CI's. I still believe that deaf children need to be exposed to their Deaf community, from the earliest point possible. This means educating the parents on ASL communication and Deaf culture. I hope to someday be a bridge for these parents, helping them learn to sign to their babies and introducing them to the differences between the cultures.

Tinnitus…

Oh.My.God this is annoying! The constant buzzing and swishing sound in my right ear. The unbalanced feeling. The pressure. Learning to live with this continual background noise is becoming challenging...

Tinnitus: tin-night’-is or tin’-it-is (either pronunciation is correct)\ n. [L., tinnire to ring]: the perception of ringing, hissing, or other sound in the ears or head when no external sound is present. For some people, tinnitus is just a nuisance. For others, it is a life-altering condition. In the United States, an estimated 12 million people have tinnitus to a distressing degree.

Tinnitus comes in many forms:

* Some of the most common include a sound of crickets or roaring, bzzing, hissing, whistling, and high-pitched ringing.

* Other types of tinnitus include a clicking or pulsatile tinnitus (the noise that accompanies your heartbeat).

* The most common type of tinnitus is known as subjective tinnitus, meaning that you hear a sound but it cannot be heard by others.

It is especially bad in quiet environments - like trying to read or sleep. I am finding myself asking family to repeat themselves since I am just not hearing them. I need to be looking at the speaker now. I can't hear from across the room or down the hall anymore. Even if I do hear the sound from the other room, it is often mistaken for some similar word. The other day, Purina (as in cat food) sounded like urine. Also, medication became vacation. I am tired of saying "what did you say?"

I feel like I am listening to earphones with the right one malfunctioning. It is distorting the sounds I do hear. At least my exposure to deaf/hoh people has improved my natural communication patterns. I am already in the habit of looking at someone when I speak to them. I try very hard to maintain eye contact (which is hard for a hearie). I have stopped looking away when I am speaking or putting my hands on my mouth/chin. I rarely talk with gum anymore.

I already talk with my hands in loud environments where I can't hear easily (restaurant, amusement park, concert). It is just instinctual. Now I am doing it more and more. I also find myself naturally turning my head to the right, thus trying to listen with my left ear more.

I am not one to run to the doctor very often. Unless I am pretty sick, I avoid anyone who can stick me with a needle. This is getting to the point where I am going to have to break down and make that doc appointment. The pressure is giving me headaches, which I am already prone to.

I used to find a lot of comfort in locking myself in a quiet room to think or read or just nap. It was my rejuvenation. Now that is even interrupted by my noisy right ear...

Cochlear Implants in children…

This is such a debated topic in the Deaf Community. With that said, I know I have absolutely no rights or experience with which to base comments on this. My opinions are completely my own and I do not presume to judge anyone who does choose to implant their child. That said…

How on earth can people choose to cut open their child's head like that?

I do not profess to be a religious person, more of a spiritual person. I am of the belief that if _____ (insert your Deity of choice - God, Buddha, Mother Nature, etc.) wanted me to have a deaf child, then I am in no position to argue that destiny. I was blessed with two healthy children, now teenagers full of spunk and attitude. They are both hearing. Some say I should call myself lucky. I wonder sometimes, would I have done anything different of one of them had been born, or became, deaf?

No Way!

To me deafness is a character trait, like green eyes or left-handedness or homosexuality. It is part of who the person is meant to be. Does it make life harder - hell yes! I do not deny that at all. Even with the challenges deafness presents, I am still confident I would not cut open my child's head in an attempt to provide some artificial hearing. As a lesbian, my life is harder than many. I am discriminated against in many areas. But it is who I am and what my destiny is. My mother would not have put me through some unnecessary surgery to alter my hormones and make me desire men. Yes, being straight would make my life easier, but it is not me.

I have read the debates on both sides of the CI issue. I have watched "Sound & Fury" multiple times. I find it fascinating that the CI issue polarizes so many people in the Deaf community. I know the "optimum" time to implant a child is while they are young, but what if that is not what they would want? I know a few Deaf adults who were implanted as children. As soon as they could, they stopped using the CI. They told me that it was intrusive and painful. They resent their parents for destroying any residual hearing they may have had. As adults, they tell me they would have never chosen this for themselves.

Perhaps my opinion stems from the fact that I love ASL and the Deaf culture. I find it to be a robust and rich language and culture, full of life and color and history. I would be proud to have a child as part of this community. I do not see deafness as something to be fixed or cured or pitied. There is nothing WRONG with being deaf.

I wish more hearing parents would educate themselves on ASL and Deaf culture before they take the advice of medical professionals who claim a CI would make their deaf baby "normal" again. The CI does not make a deaf child hearing. The child will always be deaf. I think it does a disservice to these children to not expose them and their families to the richness that the Deaf community can provide. Not to mention, it will save them from having their skull cut open!

Teaching...

I am finding that many people assume I want to become a teacher when they find out I am taking additional ASL classes. I also know the idea of a hearie teaching ASL is a very touchy point for many deafies. Let me clearly tell you now - I do NOT want to teach ASL!

I do know that some hearies are wonderful ASL teachers. They are near-fluent in their ASL skills or are CODAs. They demand a "no-voice" classroom and provide an optimum ASL learning environment. I have no problem with this at all.

What does strike me as odd is the hearing teacher who takes a handful of ASL classes and then professes to be an ASL instructor.

My first two classes were from a hearing teacher who was not a native user. It was a noisy classroom with instruction often in spoken English. I know enough now to know that there is no way you can learn ASL properly if you are hearing English at the same time.

I have a deaf friend who teaches ASL. She is a native user and is a wonderful teacher. My friend expressed a common feeling among her community about hearies teaching ASL:

Some deafies are curious why hearies are learning ASL. Some may be offended if you want to teach at deaf school because they feel that hearies take away jobs from deafies. Sometimes I get irritated when some hearing ASL teachers who are NOT native ASL. They teach at public school or community college. That is not right. Just because they completed a few semesters of ASL classes does not mean they are Fluent.

However, I know a few hearing ASL teachers who are near native and do follow the NO VOICE philopsophy but most don't. What's the point of teaching ASL if English is used in the classroom??

I completely agree with her assessment. From a hearie student perspective, I can tell you that learning ASL in a no-voice environnment is the only way to do it right. I would never dream of attempting to teach ASL. I am not qualified nor would I want to take a job that a native user could do so much better.

So if I am not going to teach (which I am not) then the question remains. Why am I so drawn to ASL and why does it get under my skin so much? What am I going to do with the language skills I am learning…?

Check them off my list...

So the meeting with the Ohlone counselor turned out better than expected. She said that I was fortunate to have taken so many gen ed classes 20 years ago. All of my classes transferred and almost fulfilled all of my gen ed requirements. Thank God I finished the math, english, history, psych, etc. I do have to take about 4 classes (2 of which are PE - which is completely screwed).

Once those are done, I can focus on the additional ASL/Deaf Culture classes I need to get the AA in Deaf Studies. I am already 12 units into it, so it is better than starting fresh.

This Fall I am registered for ASL 103 on Tuesday AND Thursday nights. I am also taking a Nutrition class online since it meets a Science requirement. I will also need a Fine Art class (one of the online classes was History of Rock Music - how this will help me in my job I dunno...)

The remaining classes I need fall under Cultural Diversity, but those can be the two Deaf Studies classes I need anyway - Deaf History and Deaf Culture.

Still not sure if I want to pursue interpreting or perhaps something else related to working with the Deaf community. The Ohlone ITP Program is very intensive and not something I can do while working during the day. Plus, being a Terp does not feel do-able yet. Perhaps when I am more confident in my ASL skills.

It was nice to learn that this will not take me another 10 years to complete. The counselor said that I was in better shape returning after 20 years than anyone she has seen before...

Idioms...

Like any other thriving and evolving language, ASL has its own share of idioms.

Idiom - noun: A speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements.

In English, we use idioms all the time. I never realized how often until I started learning ASL Idioms.

Imagine for a minute English was not my primary language. It would be quite hard to understand phrases such as:

bite off more than one can chew
don't count your chickens before they're hatched
make a mountain out of a mole hill

ASL idioms are no different. Idioms were the topic of my first two classes at Berkeley City College, as well as a 3 hour workshop I attended over the weekend.

I especially like learning the idioms because they are not in any of my textbooks. Knowing not only the specific signs, but also the meaning helps when I am at a Deaf Coffee night or some other event. If someone signs “train go sorry” or “funny zero” I now know what they mean. The idiom sings make sense if I am able to understand them conceptually, and turn off the English grammar in my head…

Alphabet Soup...

A.A.
B.A.
B.S
B.S.Ed
Ed.S
M.Ed
M.S.,
M.A.
Ph.D
M.A.T
M.A.T.E.S.O.L

MJ Bienvenu, Associate Professor of ASL & Deaf Studies; B.A., English, Gallaudet College, M.A., Linguistics, Gallaudet College, Ph.D., Union Institute & University; Special Student, Gallaudet University; Special Student, University of Maryland

John B. Christiansen, Professor of Sociology; B.S., Carroll College; M.A.T., Antioch College; M.A., University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Ph.D., University of California, Riverside

Cynthia Edwards, Assistant Professor of English; B.S., State University of New York, at Geneseo; M.A., Ed.S., Gallaudet University; Ph.D., University of Maryland

Paige Franklin, Assistant Professor of English; B.A., M.A., Gallaudet University; M.A.T.E.S.O.L.; American University

Kurt Metz, Assistant Professor of Psychology; B.S.Ed., Shippensburg University; M.A., Gallaudet University; Ed.S., Auburn University; Ph.D., University of Kentucky

I am really struggling with this need for a degree. I know all the arguments – I work in HR. It all just seems akin to a hamster running on a circular wheel. I take all of these “general education” classes because some decision maker says I need them for my degree. I fail to understand what impact a class on astrology or bowling or history of rock music has on my daily life.

I have to spend my time and money on classes and be away from my children, just to tick a requirement off a sheet of paper. Tuition, books, parking, gas – all things I have to invest my limited resources in to meet this societal expectation.

It has been 20 year since I graduated from HS. I have had 20 years of life experience molding me into the tax paying citizen I am today. I have run a house, bought and sold property on my own, had children, accepted and declined jobs. I have single parented my children. I have been a nurse, a counselor, a chauffeur, and a cook – often times all in one day. I have no fancy piece of paper with my name on it and those coveted abbreviations. Is my life and my experiences and my time any less valuable than those highly educated folks above who do have the degree? Now don't get me wrong, I respect those people who have the drive and energy to continue learning. They work hard for their degrees and I applaud their accomplishments. I just think there needs to be some credit for "life experience" in the absence of the degree.

Working in HR, I see that many people hold degrees in fields of study that have absolutely nothing to do with their job. A close friend in the IT world has her degree in early childhood education. Perhaps the tolerance she learned at school while studying the best approach for teaching toddlers helps her with the stubborn IT egos in the office. My former Vice President for a medical IT solutions company had his degree in zoology. I can’t strike any parallel between selling hospital data infrastructure solutions with the study and care of zebras.

Yet I keep running up against the same wall – I need a degree in order to “progress” in my job. I need to get this damn piece of paper in order to gain the higher credibility and paycheck.

So tonight I am off to Ohlone to meet with a counselor. Hopefully some of the 38 units of school I finished almost 20 years ago will be transferable. It would be nice to have a bit of a head start ticking the classes off that requirement sheet.

Tonight I will talk with the counselor about their A.A. in Deaf Studies. Hell, if I do have to spend my time and money on the piece of paper it may as well be in something I value. Bossman would challenge why I would waste my time in Deaf Studies. He would probably prefer I take Business Administration classes or at least Liberal Arts. Screw that. Realistically the AA Degree will not benefit me in this current job at all. (HR VP even frowns on people who get a Ph.D. from University of Phoenix. It is not a “good enough” school)

At least the Deaf Studies focus will keep me in classes on a topic I care about. Then I can get that coveted piece of paper and perhaps move into a field that values me for more than answering the phone.

I love these lyrics from a song by the Indigo Girls:

I went to see the doctor of philosophy

With a poster of Rasputin and a beard down to his knee

He never did marry or see a B-grade movie

He graded my performance, he said he could see through me

I spent four years prostrate to the higher mind, got my paper and I was free.

Tonight I start on my journey towards that freedom…

Crossroads...

At the age of 38, I still don't know what I want to "be when I grow up." Is that normal? For various reasons having to do with money and family, I did not go to college right after high school. Rather I went to work full-time and took some junior college classes at nights. I was 18, and like most my age, thought I knew everything. I was making really good money and had my own apartment, plus a new car. Why on earth would I want to quit work and go to school full time?

Now I know why.

To go to school now is a pain in the ass! There is no winning lottery ticket in my pocket, so school has to fit around full time work and two teenagers. The thought of writing papers and researching and reading and studying - oy!

I did crank out about 38 units at the junior college, before I got married. At least SOME of it is out of the way. But - get this - I still need to take a PE class! Pleeezzz. Can't 15 years of chasing children count as phys ed?

I am really enjoying my ASL classes, and am starting to look at continuing education past the ASL classroom. I took the plunge and registered for ASL and something else this Fall. Cultural Anthropology. Apparently it is something I can mark off the requirement list somewhere.

So I finish the general ed classes I need for a 2-year degree - then what? My boss here in the HR department is not going to do anything different or pay me any more.

I need to find my passion, and then perhaps the required education will seem worth it. Maybe a mentor who can help me define what it is I want to do. For right now all I want to do is learn to sign...

Summer Enrichment 2007

Now that I have finished ASL 2B at LasPo, I have maxed out on classes available close to home. It is important to me to keep my signing skills current, so I enrolled again in a summer series at Berkeley City College. This is the same school had a vocabulary class with in Summer 2006, just a new name and fancy new building.

This class is intermediate level conversational skill building. The 5 week series is taught by Ramona Galindez, the same instructor I had for vocabulary class last summer. Ramona is like a Deaf Whoopi Goldberg, dreadlocks and all. She is funny and has the best facial expressions. I really enjoyed my classes with her last year, and look forward to this year as well.

I am taking the class with a very dear friend of mine. We spent the 45 minutes or so on the BART laughing and signing. We got a few looks from the weary evening commuters, but not many. Signing in public helps me to get more comfortable with my facial expressions and body language. I know that some people will be curious and look, which I am learning is fine. Since I am a basically shy and introverted person, it is a bit of a stretch for me to sit there making "funny faces" during my conversations.

Anyway, last night we covered ASL Idioms. I especially like learning things like this - things not in the text books. It is the "real life" slang and phrases that I want to understand. Helps me keep up with the conversations at Deaf events.

Next week is going to focus on fingerspelling and ASL numbering systems...

ASL 2B… (Rated PG for content)

Approximately 2 years from my return to Las Positas for ASL 1A, I started what would be my last class as LasPo. As it turns out, mine would be the only ASL 2B class as they are not keeping it available due to lack of enrollment. Spring 2007 rounded out my 4th formal semester of ASL, again with Melinda teaching.

This class was more challenging than the others, but then it should be. Melinda would remind us that we are in our 4th class and should be challenging ourselves!

The big shocker came when Melinda told the class that we had to do a midterm presentation to last 45 minutes! Okay so let me say now that I have NEVER stood up in front of a group and talked for 45 minutes, with my voice or hands. This freaked out a lot of the students, and was the first real assignment we have had. Melinda was pretty flexible on the topic and content. She wanted to see proper ASL grammar and signing (no voicing!). She wanted the presentation to demonstrate something and required it to have class interaction.

Most students chose to do a PowerPoint presentation with either still images of them signing (which was ineffective) or with video of them signing. A few of us stood up in front of the class and presented live.

Fortunately for me, I had recently attended a workshop by Sandra Amundsen on a topic that I could use for my midterm. (See Sandra's link in my Distractions section). So lucky me, I was the very first student to present and had to stand up in front of the class and demonstrate the material from the workshop.

My topic was “HANDSHAPES: COMMON MISUSES IN ASL” Below is the text from my midterm handout listing the signs I had to demonstrate and use in a sentence or story. I am amazed I was able to pull this off!

Sharing of information learned at “HANDSHAPES: COMMON MISUSES IN ASL” workshop. This workshop was taught by Sandra Amundsen, owner of Sandra’s ASL Services.

Sandra explained common misuses of handshapes, where the signs are similar but have hugely different meanings.

Please note: Some signs are of a graphic nature, but necessary to show the vastly different meanings for similar signs. If you are uncomfortable with signs of a graphic or sexual nature, you are welcome to skip this presentation.

Common Misuses of Handshapes

1. APPLE / COOL
2. BLACK / SUMMER
3. BREAKFAST / BITCH
4. CHEESE / MOVIE
5. CHURCH / CHOCOLATE
6. DUTY / DOCTOR
7. EXCUSED / EXCUSE ME
8. FRENCH FRIES / PEPPER
9. HUNGRY / HORNY
10. JAPAN / VAGINA
11. MEET / FUCK
12. MUMPS / MEASLES
13. ORANGE / BLOW JOB
14. PINK / PENIS
15. POPCORN / STRIPPER
16. RECENT, RECENTLY / SEX
17. RETIRE / VACATION
18. SALT / VOCABULARY
19. SHY / PROSTITUTE
20. UMBRELLA / MASTURBATE

Well I lived through the "colorful signs" and got the class to participate with me and sign sentences back using some of the words. Melinda gave me a near perfect score, which is always nice. More importantly, this presentation taught me that I could stand up in front of a group of students and spend 30+ minutes signing coherently...

Name Sign…

One thing that many hearing signers don't understand are the "rules" which govern the granting of an ASL Name Sign. Within the Deaf community, there are certain traditions and guidelines which must be respected. Name Signs are one of those things that hearing people absolutely should not take upon themselves to make up.

Following are two quotes which illustrate my point very well:

"Culturally, Deaf people are the only people who should make up any sign. It doesn't matter if it is a name sign or any other sign. We hearings are not natives to this language and should not take it upon ourselves to create any new words even if it is our own name. Culturally, Deaf people are the only ones who should give you your name sign. If you wait and get to know a Deaf person, then it will feel more special having your name sign come from someone who is a native speaker. Being an interpreter, I was taught about the importance of NOT crossing cultural lines in the Deaf community." --NTIDDEARIE

In the Deaf world, assigning name signs is generally considered to be the prerogative of Deaf people. The word prerogative means "an exclusive right or privilege held by a person or group" (dictionary.com). Which is to say, traditionally "Hearing people" should not give themselves name signs. Instead they should get their name sign from a Deaf person skilled in ASL and active in the Deaf Community. This helps insure that the new name sign doesn't conflict with existing local name signs. --Dr. Bill Vicars

So imagine my surprise one night in when Melinda referred to me with a name sign! I actually was not sure that is what she signed, so I emailed to ask. Since I knew the *rules* about name signs, I wondered if I had been officially granted my name sign. She said that she used it without even realizing it. ("I use it as you have a "Deaf Heart" and very passionate about learning our culture. That probably why I signed it without thinking it. Hope you liked it.") Melinda's comments made it all the more meaningful, especially since she was able to see how much ASL has grown to mean to me.

Now, over 20 years after I started learning this language, I officially had my own Name Sign. While there are others that select name signs for themselves for a variety of reasons, I respect the Deaf Culture and traditions enough to wait until I "earned" it from a member of the Deaf Community. It means much more to me that way. Of course that is just my perspective, but given the fact that I am an outsider in THEIR community, I would never presume to step on their customs or traditions...

ASL 2A...

Finally, Fall 2006 semester was open for registration. I was able to get back into my routine with the ASL 2A class back at Las Positas. Melinda was again teaching which was wonderful for me. I felt like I was just getting to know her, and looked forward to the review of materials learned in the ASL 2 combo class. Back at LasPo, the 2nd year of ASL is broken up into two semesters. I hoped to have a chance to dig deeper into the material from the spring class.

Melinda was charming and effervescent as ever. This class was much smaller and felt more connected. Some of the same ladies were still in the class with me, along with some new folks. Again, I hoped that the people taking their 3rd semester of ASL were in it for serious study. Most of them were.

We went through more of the vocab in the book, and spent time learning the associated signs for the Fall and Winter holidays. More Deaf Community events were required and an extra credit project. I did mine on a "Deaf Culture Trivia" type of slide show.

For our final, we had a written portion and then had to stand up in front of class and sign "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" This was not only amusing, but gave me a chance to compare/contrast my signing style and skill with my peers. Some students were really good at it, some sucked. I was starting to see that signing comes more naturally to some people, and thankfully I think I am one of them...

Summer Enrichment 2006...

I found myself really missing my ASL class once the Spring semester ended. Las Positas did not offer any ASL summer class at the 2nd year level (and goodness knows I didn't want to take ASL 1 for a 3rd time) so I started looking around for some ASL summer enrichment. I found it through Vista Community College's summer class series. The only down side was that the class was quite a way from home in Berkeley.

I enrolled in a "conversational vocabulary" class that met one night a week for 5 weeks. It was a no-credit class, but thought it was a good opportunity to keep practicing and keep my fingers limber. The class was scheduled to be taught by Jennifer Ann Cook (JAC) but ended up with some sort of scheduling change. I was delighted to meet Ramona Galindez, a wonderfully funny deaf woman.

The format of the class was to pick a topic each night, then brainstorm vocabulary related to that topic. One night was medical signs, the next legal, etc. There were no tests or homework, just a few hours to sit and learn some new vocab. I also got to meet some new students from another ASL program, and reconnect with a few ladies I had met previously at the ASL Immersion Weekend.

This week (tomorrow in fact) I start another summer enrichment series at the same school. This class is "intermediate conversational skills." Hopefully I can keep up! It is a good way to keep practicing over the summer months…

Meetup.com

A friend told me about a social group website called Meetup.com. There you can find a vast array of monthly social gatherings on tons of subjects right in your own area. I did a search on ASL and found a few different groups. One in Sacramento, but they meet for breakfast and that is too far to drive. There is another ASL Meetup in the San Francisco area, but again that is a bit far.

I registered on the site and asked to me notified if any new ASL groups were started in my area. Apparently there were about 35 other people that wanted an ASL Meetup in my area also. A few months went by, with all of us waiting for someone to start a group. I thought it would be a great tool to connect with other ASL students and kept hoping there would be enough interest to start a group.

I got tired of waiting, so I started it myself. (See link in my "Distractions" section)

Now I host a monthly ASL Meetup group at our local Starbucks. There is a nice group of "regulars" that tend to come, with some new folks sprinkled in from time to time. It also helps that Ed will give his ASL 1 students credit for showing up to fulfill their deaf event requirement.

At most of the gatherings, we sit and chat (in ASL) about what classes we are taking, talk about instructors, and answer questions from the new signers. Last month we all played an ASL card game loosely based on the game UNO. The two hours flew by while we socialized and learned more about handshapes and signs with this game.

I can't believe it was March of 2006 that the group started - time has passed so quickly. I am very thankful to have this group, as it gives me not only a place to practice, but an opportunity to meet some amazing people...

Queer Deaf Community Exposure...

Unlike any other culture, the Deaf Community is comprised of people from all races, religions, ethnicities, countries of origin, and sexual orientation. Of course there would be a GLBT Deaf Community!

I remember seeing a Deaf/HoH area at SF Pride in recent years. I knew there were interpreters at Pride and spent the prior year watching the Queer Deaf folks and interpreters. When Pride 2006 came around, I decided to volunteer. I figured it was a good way to meet some members of the Deaf Community, plus I got more of the unneeded class extra credit.

Volunteering at Pride was such a cool experience. I got to work at the main stage area, which afforded me a great view of the entertainment, and help the interpreters and staff. I got to see Sherry Hicks again (met her at the ASL Immersion Weekend) and meet Michael Velez. They are both fabulous CODA interpreters. This was my first chance to see the interpreting process in person and up-close. The trade off was a horrible orange t-shirt, but it was still great to get to hang out with the group...

Deaf Community Exposure...

Part of the ASL class requirements are to attend an outside event in the Deaf Community. This was a scary proposition at first. It was one thing to sign with the instructors, who knew our skill levels and experience. It is a completely different scenario to take my few semesters into THEIR world and hope to be able to communicate.

More than anything, I have always been afraid to sign something wrong or embarassing! Looking back now, it was a valid fear as there are many many signs that look the same but mean something completely different. I did my whole midterm presentation on this very topic (which I will save for a later post).

I feared I would stumble my handshapes or sign something insulting. I had already read where some Deaf folks are resistent to the hearies "invading" their communities and space. While this was a generalization, it is the one that substantiated my fears.

Thankfully I have come to find that most Deaf people welcome the genuinely interested hearies who are trying to bridge communication barriers.

Towards the end of my ASL 2 combo class, I learned about an "ASL Immersion Weekend" to be held a few hours drive from home. Melinda said she would give me extra credit if I attended - not that I needed the extra credit because my grades and participation level were always really high.

ASL Immersion 2006 was great. I met some wonderful people and got to spend a whole weekend signing. It was great for my confidence. I attended workshops, socialized, and shared meals - all in ASL. It was over much too quickly, but thankfully it is a yearly event...

ASL 2 Combo...

When I had finished Ed's ASL 1B class, I presumed I could continue to ASL 2A in the Spring of 2006. Unfortunately, Las Positas did not offer 2A that semester. That was a huge disappointment, because until this point I had taken the same two semesters I took so many years earlier. I so wanted to move on to new material and feel like I was advancing.

The solution was an ASL 2 class at the community college in another town. This ASL class was the highest this school offered, which basically merged the materials for ASL 2A and 2& together. I was happy the did have the class as night (all my classes are at night) taught by instructor Cole.

Cole! How lucky for me. I did great in Rick's class a year earlier so I was ready to see him again and continue.

Surprise - surprise... The instructor was not Rick, but rather his wife Melinda.

I had heard about her previously. Supposedly she was a much harder teacher, who signs beautifully yet really fast. Looking back, I am not so sure she is that much harder than Rick or Ed. Her style is different, but I find that to be a good thing. Just like hearies have different vocabulary and speaking styles, deaf folks have the same variations in their communication. If I wanted to move forward and learn something, I figured that a different set of hands to watch could only be beneficial.

The first night of class, I sat with a group of ladies who had taken the previous two classes with me. ASL 1A & 1B are typically fuller classes because they fulfill a language requirement for students. Moving on to ASL 2 meant that the students would be (should be) genuinely interested in learning, otherwise why would they continue to study it??

Melinda came in and her hands started flying right away. She had an interpreter the first night, which was almost more confusing. I have a hard time learning the signs by watching, only to have the English equivalent filter through my ears two sentences behind.

Melinda's style was graceful and beautiful, and fast. I don't know if it was her signing speed, or knowing that I was in the land of "new material", but I started second guessing whether I could keep up. It reminded me of how I felt back in 1988 when I started my 3rd semester of Audiology, only to drop the class. I had always regretted that, so I was determined to stick it out.

Once she ditched the interpreter, class was much easier for me. I enjoyed learning the new material and getting some Deaf Culture info sprinkled in.

In stark contrast to my sign semester in 1988, during the DPN Protests at Gallaudet, this semester Melinda shared with us the new protest happenings at Gallaudet. I was able to follow along with her stories, supplemented by reading blogs and vlogs. It felt good to be able to talk with Melinda about the current situation. I enjoyed adding her perspectives to the ones I was collecting. I think Melinda was pleased that I cared and spent my own time learning about her culture...

ASL 1B...

So where did I leave off? Yes, I finished my first semester of ASL with Rick Cole and was ready to move on to the second semester, ASL 1B, in the Fall of 2005. I was anxious to learn some new material, since everything the previous semester was really a review for me. Most of the vocabulary I already knew, but the review was good (and it assured me a good grade in the class!)

ASL 1B was taught by Ed Copra. Now Ed is a character. I adore him. At the time I knew a little about him from a friend who had taken his classes before. I knew ahead of time he was hearing. I also knew he did not want the students to know he was hearing.

Ed's class was a bit of a review in terms of vocabulary, but at least we started learning some real ASL grammar. We also had to attend a Deaf Culture event and start to get out and use our hands. It was in this semester I attended my first DINGO game and started joining web groups. I also started watching vlogs and reading blogs of deaf folks. This semester also began my collection of books related to signing and Deaf Culture. (More on my ASL library in another post)

I have never known a teacher like Ed. He is quirky and funny and holds your attention. He has a way of getting his message across by having fun. He is the first person to make fun of himself and lets me tease him unmercifully.

He also has an addiction to chocolate and beer! Every test or quiz, the first question revolved around beer. He also always incorporates chocolate into his tests and stories. It is what makes him "famous" in ASL student circles, he is the teacher who always talks about beer...

One night, after class, we were chatting outside and he spoke! You know how your mind's ear sort of assumes a voice for someone, based on their characteristics? Well Ed's voice certainly did not fit my imagined voice for him. It was my secret, as he continued to maintain a no-voice classroom.

I learned a lot from Ed and still see him. At least once a semester I pop in to one of his classes for a visit. We also keep in touch via email. Ed made the class fun, which is an important part of the learning process.

My first exposure to signing...

It seems like ASL has been an important part of my life for such a long time. I am not Deaf. My parents are not Deaf. I have no deafness in my family (aside from late onset hearing loss due to age). Until recently, I had no Deaf friends. Yet I have ASL under my skin.

It has been over 20 years since the first time my high school friend showed me some signs she had learned for a song. I thought it was so cool. She began teaching me the alphabet and some very basic signs. A couple more friends learned the alphabet with us. It was like a fun “secret code” we had between us for talking in class. The more I learned, the more I was hooked. I even took a semester class in the Adult Ed department to learn more. Soon I knew more than my friend.

In 1988 I took my first official college ASL class at Las Positas College in Livermore. It was called “Audiology” then and taught by a hearing teacher, last name Slack. I had to go home and look it up, because until I saw it on my transcript, the name completely escaped me. It was taught in voice, and basically showed vocabulary only. Looking back, this class was happening at a hugely historic time for the Deaf Community (the DPN protest at Gallaudet), yet this hearing teacher never shared any of that. If memory serves, the instructor was normally a science teacher, but knew enough vocab signs to “pass” as a Sign teacher then. I say “Sign” because we were not taught ASL then. I finished Audiology 1 & 2, which basically gave me a year of Sign vocab, but no exposure to ASL grammar or Deaf Culture.

Yet it still stuck.

It would be 17 years until I went back to an ASL classroom…

ASL 1A...

Once the kids got a bit older, and my life settled down, I decided to have a look at the Las Positas catalog for any sign classes. It was Spring 2005. Now the classes are not called “Audiology” but rather ASL.

I re-enrolled in the same school I had taken the classes at so many years earlier. I think they had to dust off my file from some store room. I seemed to take forever to dig up my student number so I could register. Once the hoops were jumped through, I was able to register for ASL 1A. I did not know what to expect after so many years away from a classroom. I did know they were using a different textbook, which was good. I was desperately hoping for a better instructor than the last one.

I did not know anybody who had taken any classes with this instructor. The first night of ASL 1A we met Rick Cole, a Deaf instructor who teaches not only the local community college class, but also full time at the School for the Deaf in Fremont.

Rick was a wonderful instructor for us “baby signers”. I sat back a bit and watched him teach the alphabet and basic signs to students who had little to no prior knowledge of ASL. I did not tell him that I had taken classes previously, but I am sure he picked that up after the first few classes.

Rick was patient and animated, and not hard on the eyes! Many of the ladies in class thought he was quite handsome, perhaps even gay. He had a flair in his step and dressed so well. His wife calls him “metrosexual”

metrosexual (met.roh.SEK.shoo.ul) n. An urban male with a strong aesthetic sense who spends a great deal of time on his appearance and lifestyle. A man who seems stereotypically gay except when it comes to sexual orientation.

Yes, wife. He is married to a lovely Deaf woman named Melinda, who I am proud to now call my friend. More on her later…

Signing hiatus...

During my signing “hiatus” I never really stopped signing. Just couldn’t take any classes or pursue it further. I continued to sign to myself here and there, often to music in the car.

It was a busy 17 years. I got married at the age of 20. Not my brightest move, but hey we learn from our past! I had my son when I was 23, daughter at 26, and divorced at 29. All during this time, I continued to use the sign vocabulary and alphabet I learned as a teenager. Just a little here and there, nothing much. Still no Deaf friends or any “real” reason to keep signing.

Looking back, I wish I had taught it to my kids when they were toddlers. Now “Baby Signing” is all the rage, but not in 1992. Parents are fortunate now to have the resources available to teach signs to their babies, and all the benefits and research that have come from recent years.

When my daughter was 5, she had her tonsils removed. I took this opportunity to teach her some basic signs ahead of her surgery, knowing she would not be able to talk for a while. She learned basic signs (mommy, daddy, water, tired, hungry, potty, hurt, etc.) It was very useful to have her be able to tell me what she needed. She has kept it up ever since. Now my daughter is almost 12, and signs with me quite often. It is a bond I cherish...