The Boy Who Thought He Was An Alien

A Trip to London

2006-09-05T00:36:00.000-05:00

Visiting London has been a life-long dream of mine. Today, in the Sunday edition of Washington Post in the Travel section, I came across a bargain for a flight from Washington, DC to London. It says that I could book a flight for $410 roundtrip, including taxes, via Delta Airlines, considering I make the purchase before September 7. So I decided to check out the Delta Airlines' website and, true enough, I found one for $420 roundtrip, including taxes. That is a bargain! I started thinking about taking the trip on the week of Thanksgiving in November. I have a couple of friends in London who would welcome my stay at their places, instead of getting a hotel room. Yet... I hesitate.

Why do I hesitate? It's the currency exchange rate. If I were to spend £200 in London, it would mean I'd have to spend nearly $400, excluding the currency exchange fees I'll have to pay. If I were to stay in London for a week, I doubt I would be able to stay within the budget of £200. There's food, transportation, and some sightseeing activities. So, £300? That's easily around $571.

It's likely I'll not take upon that opportunity. *sigh* So much for the currency exchange rates.

Thought-provoking analysis: "to be" verbs

2006-08-14T13:34:00.000-05:00

Here's some food for thought. It might even boggle your mind.

Last night, a very interesting thought crossed my mind. I was thinking about the differences between the verb "to be" between American Sign Language (ASL) and many spoken languages such as English. ASL doesn't have the "to be" verb. Then it struck me that the usage of the "to be" verb is illogical. Now, I just can't stop thinking about it and had this discussion with a few people today, including an English professor at Gallaudet University. I might be taking the language too literally, but do hear me out.

The verb "to be" (is, am are, were, was, been, being) means "the state of being" or "to have an existence". Why do you need to discuss the existence of a person or something when that person or that something is already there or has been there? It is not possible to discuss about something that does not have a state of being.

Before you argue that it's possible to talk about something that doesn't exist, let look at an example that does not exist: superheroes. While it is true that there is no such a person like Superman on our world, Superman does have a state of being by being an idea, a concept. Superman exists in the form of an idea. Therefore, Superman is already there.

Here's an example on what I mean when I said it is not possible to discuss about something that doesn't have a state of being. Is it possible to talk about a color that has yet to exist, neither physically nor an idea? No, because there is no name for it or does any of us know what it looks like.

A verb tells you the action of a person or something. I don't see the action when I see a sentence like, "The leaves are green." So why is the "to be" verb in this sense a verb?

The use of the "to be" verb can be eliminated from the language. What's the difference between "he is working today" and "he works today" or "he is working tomorrow", "he works tomorrow" and "he will work tomorrow"?

Just something for you to chew on.

Movie Review: Superman Returns

2006-07-03T20:28:00.000-05:00

Superman Returns was...

boring.

I hear a collective "GASP!" from you folks (via telepathic means, that is. :) I'm still as Deaf as ever.). Yes, it was boring. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a good superhero flick. Spiderman and Spiderman 2 were awesome. Batman Begins kicks ass. And I seem to recall I enjoyed the first X-men flick, but this... Superman Returns was a bore.

The visual aspect of the film was fanastic and the directing was very good. So for the flick being a bore, I blame on both the writer and the producer. The writer for its crappy screenplay and the producer for accepting this crappy screenplay. The introduction in the movie took way too long. Taking too long to set everything up. The exciting part which was the climax was too short.

Seriously, this Superman Return hype is really overrated. Way overhyped. If you haven't seen the flick, lower your expections and maybe you'll enjoy the film more than I did.

Hopefully, the next Superman movie will be better than this one.

I give this film a C-.

Donations for AIDS Vaccine Bike Trek 2006

2006-06-29T14:57:00.000-05:00

Please help my friend, Andrew Murphy, raise money for the AIDS Vaccine Bike Trek 2006. The bike trek will be from Montreal to Portland, Maine, taking place in August. It will be a 5-day, 425 miles trek. Andrew will be participating in the trek.

Click here to go to his donation page of the AIDS Vaccine Bike Trek 2006 website.

President Bush signs law increasing indency fines

2006-06-16T17:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, President Bush signed a bill into law that boosts the FCC indecency fines up from $32,500 to as much as $325,000 per violation. The law restricts television and radio broadcasters from broadcasting obscene and indecent material between 6pm to 10pm. The law does not apply to cable or satellite services.

What prompted this law signing by the President was the Jackson "wardrobe malfuction" incident on Superbowl few years ago and ever since then the Parents Television Council has been pushing the FCC to increase the fines to crack down any broadcasters who dare to broadcast any indecent and obscenes material.

Frankly, I find this kind of censorship quite ridiculous. It just pisses me off. If you don't like what you are watching, then don't watch it. If you are concerned about what children are watching, it is YOUR responsibility to control what your children are watching on TV. It just never ceases to amaze me that people keep on complaining when there are technology provided to control what can be watched on TV (v-chips, password lock, etc) -- USE it! It seems like to me that you folks can not be bothered to take responsibility and rather put it on the government. Come on, the government has much more important things to worry about than this! Frankly, people, even children, in Europe are much more grown-up about things like this on TV that you Conversative, stupid, immature Americans are!

If I ever do have children, which I never will, and one of them saw the boob-flashing incident on Superbowl and decides to make a fuss out of it, I'd say to this child, "It's not like you have never seen a boob. It's just a boob, so get over it!" Or even better, if this child laughs at the incident, I will laugh with him. Frankly, I find the "wardrobe malfunction" incident rather funny.

With all this censorship going on and teaching our children that things like that are "wrong" and "offensive", you all are just making the US into a more tense society -- people always being so tense. Ever wonder why Europeans appear much more laid back than we are and enjoying their lives than we are with our lives?

Subtitled movie trailers

2006-06-13T18:50:00.000-05:00

Don't you get frustrated that movie trailers are never subtitled? Well, you can now check them out subtitled at a particular website. For your information, the website is UK-based. Here's a link:

http://www.yourlocalcinema.com/subtitled.trailers.html

Movie Review: Cars

2006-06-10T15:36:00.000-05:00

Pixar has done it again! They managed to pull another winner! I just can't stop thinking about this movie and I want to see it again.

"Cars" is basically about a self-absorbed race car, Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), with the Piston Cup on his mind. En route to California for a rematch to break the tie from the racing in the opening of the movie, Lightning ends up in a small town, Radiator Springs, after breaking the law there. There, Judge Doc Hudson (voiced by Paul Newman) sentenced Lightning to do community service in the town, repaving the stretch of the road he damaged. When Sally, the porsche (voiced by Bonnie Hunt), tells Lightning the history of the town, the story unfolds and he starts to look into himself, re-prioritizing his values.

"Cars" didn't try to be one of these over-exaggerated caricatures. Its strength lies in story telling. It told a story and it had morals. And the animation was absolutely top-notch: the landscapes were breathtaking! It managed to pull some strings to my heart.

I give this film an A+.

Cultural faux pas

2006-06-07T19:48:00.000-05:00

Earlier today, I spoke with a friend of mine from the UK online through the webcam. We were talking about the gay deaf festival that took place in Switzerland last week. When I asked him how many went there, he said 185. "Oh, that's small," I replied. He seemed a bit surprised by my comment. Uh-oh!

I realized that the standards are different here in the US than it is in Europe. I decided to compensate my faux pas by trying to explain to him why I perceived it "small" whereas he didn't by telling him, "You'll have to remember that the US is HUGE." I went on to say that 185 is like the rough approximation of the population of a deaf school. Ouch! I think he was further offended by that. Strike two for me.

At that point, I decided to just shut up. I felt terrible. I felt bad. I didn't want to offend him any more because I didn't want to give him a bad impression of me. And he's such an awesome guy to get to know and chat with. I honestly didn't intend any offense. I wasn't trying to be arrogant either. I guess I had expected a lot more people to be there at the festival, since there was such a hype about it. I just wasn't there to truly experience all the fun that took place in Switzerland, so I only had the superficial facts to look at. I'm sure that if I were there, I'd have a hell of a good time and, hell, 185 is still a lot for a long weekend that I don't think it'd be possible for me to get to know each one of them within such a short time.

It's really interesting to see how people perceive things differently simply because of the way they were raised and taught in a certain society and culture. I've always considered myself to be a person who try to understand where one comes from in his or her life and the differences in all cultures. I've always considered myself a person who appreciates the variety in all cultures around the world. I guess even with all these traits, it can be pretty tricky to get out of the mindset of your own culture and think before speaking.

Movie Review: Poseidon

2006-05-24T21:57:00.000-05:00

Surprise! Yes, I'm back. I'm going to try and get my motivation back in blogging again. Nice to see you all again.

All right, now to reviewing the movie I saw tonight, Poseidon, which is a remake of the 1970s film, The Poseidon Adventure. Frankly, there's nothing really so special about this film. If you want to see the movie, I'd suggest you to rent it when it comes out on DVD. I'm not saying it's a terrible film -- it isn't. It's just nothing so special.

There's no story, no subplots. It's really all about nine people fighting for survival after a major rogue wave flipped the cruise over upside down, trying to get to the bottom of the boat which really has become the top and find a way out. That's it.

It's pretty much a mindless entertainment. It's nice to just sit back and just go along with the flow of the movie. The movie's good enough for one time viewing. "I enjoyed it, but it's a one-time thing, no desire to watch it again."

The characters were pretty one-dimensional. There really were not much of any background to these characters. The movie gets you to really focus on the rather consistent action - the GASP! the WHOA! and Oh-god-he's-not-gonna-make-it! moments. The only thing that I really took notice of a particular actor is that it's a surprise to see how old Richard Dreyfuss is!

I give it a C.

Can you read lips?

2006-03-02T17:17:00.000-05:00

Every time I meet a hearing person, the first thing that comes out of their mouth is, "Can you read lips?" It's one of my biggest pet peeves. I have gotten so sick of people asking me if I can read lips. You folks may not realize that but it is RUDE! Stop finding an easy way out! Not all deaf people are an expert at lip-reading and not even the most experienced lip-readers can catch everything being said. It's really rude to expect something from us Deafies that would be more benefical to you when it is not to them. (The same idea of an American travelling to another country and expect someone there to speak English. If you ask someone, "Can you speak English?" you'd be told to fuck off.) You're leaving all the burden of communication on the deaf person. Lip-reading is not easy.

Be considerate and contribute in your part in making the communication between you and the Deaf person a success. Be willing to communicate with the Deaf person via alternate means, such as writing back and forth or use gestures. Be more creative. If the Deaf person can read lips and prefers that way, he or she will let you know. Just don't ever ask him or her if he or she can read lips.

I prefer to communicate with non-signers via writing. That way it distributes the work and effort of communication between two persons equally. Plus, it reduces the possibility of misunderstanding one another.

You'd be surprised but Deaf tourists travelling to other countries have much easier time communicating with foreigners than the average hearing American would. Foreigners, especially in Europe and Latin countries, are much more expressive and are used to gesturing. When a Deaf person tries to gesture the most simplest, basic idea to an American, that person would stand there with a blank stare and goes "Huh? What is he saying?" I'm sorry to say this but Americans are STUPID when it comes to the most simplest, basic form of communication which is gesturing. Million of times I'd ask someone for a paper and pen by gesturing with my hands, mimicking the action of writing on paper and would recieve a blank stare or a "huh?" from them. How is that so hard to understand?

Like I said, BE CREATIVE! There are ALWAYS alternative ways of communicating.

Now, if the Deaf person insists to lip-read, here are some tips:

Speak clearly and slowly (nearly normal pace). Don't speak too slowly or you'll just aggravate the person you're speaking to. It helps if you gesture with your hands as you speak but don't overdo the gesturing.
Keep your hands away from your mouth, and that includes smoking while talking! It's difficult to lip-read when the mouth is covered (DUH!). It may be difficult to lip-read one with a moustache, but if you have a moustache, try to keep it clean and trimmed.
Always maintain eye contact at ALL TIMES.
If you need to get that person's attention, gently tap him or her on the shoulder. Don't wave in front of that person's face or walk around to get in front of that person. If the person is out of arm's length, don't EVER EVER EVER throw things at him or her to get his/her attention (even if you aimed for whatever it is you're throwing to miss that person). Walk up to that person and get his/her attention.

The next time someone comes up to me and ask me, "Can you read lips?", I'll respond in sign language and say, "Can you read hands?"

Movie: House of Wax

2006-02-05T22:43:00.000-05:00

I didn't watch the whole thing, so it'd not be fair for me to judge the movie. This entry is more about why I didn't watch the whole thing. When this movie was promoted before its debut at the movie theaters, I was curious about it. I originally thought it was some kind of weird movie where wax was some kind of a sentient living being. Little did I realize that it was actually a slasher movie. There was nothing supernatural about wax in the movie -- or at least not from what I have seen of the movie before stopping it. I generally don't handle well when watching slasher movies. Well into the movie for an hour or so, it became a bit too much for me so I just stopped it. It wasn't the gore that bothered me (maybe just a little). It was the violence that did.

I do enjoy some horror movies to an extent. I'm more into these that emphasizes on suspense, such as What Lies Beneath, or Saw. I don't enjoy horror movies where a madman goes on a killing spree, just for the hell of it. I simply don't understand how people could go see these kind of movies to get a kick out of the gore and violence in them.

Next time, I'll do more research on films before renting one like this.

Disney-Pixar

2006-02-05T15:04:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, Disney bought Pixar. I'm not happy about that.

First, let me explain who Pixar is. Pixar is a computer animation studio who created several top-selling films: Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc. and The Incredibles.

Disney has always been responsible for the distribution of Pixar's films to movie theaters and onto DVD and VHS.

Now, that Disney has bought Pixar and my reaction to that was a rather dismayed one. You see, I really think Pixar can go out on their own because they have been so successful. Also, Disney has been taking credit for Pixar's success in creating hit films. I have had friends who would say, "Oh, you know that Disney movie... umm... (let's say) Finding Nemo?" and I'd correct them that it's a Pixar film, not Disney. Then explain to them that Disney is simply responsible for the distribution of these films.

Disney has bought Pixar -- would that mean people will now from on refer to any Pixar films, old and new, as Disney films?

Delighted!

2006-02-02T22:05:00.000-05:00

In a nutshell: Pleased you enjoyed my vlog in BSL! Thank you to Jen, Joe, Katrina, and Rob for your comments. My BSL skills are just ok -- need more practice, esp. with my reception skills. Never been to UK -- hope I will one day. Replied to Joe about lack of trackback on Blogger. Replied to Rob about doing a vlog in ASL someday. Replied to Katrina about why I wanted her to sign in her language on her vlogs (to learn and see the differences between BSL and Auslan since they're similiar.)

BSL and Me!

2006-01-31T23:14:00.000-05:00

When you see text in italics in this entry, it means they are comments added to the entry in English only after I have already made the video. Honestly, my BSL skills are slightly better than what you'll see in my video. I was feeling kinda giddy when I did the video. Heheh.

Hello! My first vlog in BSL! I just wanted to let you know that I'm not fluent in BSL but can sign in BSL just well enough for a decent conversation. If I signed something wrong in BSL, let me know! I probably will come across a word in my mind that I'm unable to translate in BSL and sign in a more gestural way. I'll try my best!

How did I learn BSL? Well, one day I was bored at home when I was 9 years old and decided to browse through the encyclopedia. I was looking for "Deafness" and came across two manual alphabet charts. One depicted of the ASL manual alphabet and the other of "two-handed" manual alphabet without mention that it was of the BSL. So I kept on practicing on the "two-handed" alphabet as I grew up. When I was in high school (I wasn't sure how to sign "high school" so it came out awkwardly on video), I took Deaf -- how do I sign "study"? I'll use the ASL sign for it -- Deaf Studies. A video from "Deaf Mosiac" was shown and it featured "See Hear" from England. (See Hear is a Deaf TV program in the UK -- it's not exactly a newsmagazine show nor a documentary show. Perhaps, "educational"? -- that focuses on the culture of the Deaf. We had a similiar show here in the US on Discovery Channel called "Deaf Mosaic" that sadly ended over ten years when they stopped receiving federal funding.) BSL on the show looked so interesting to me and I became engrossed with the language. For years, I've studied and learned BSL on my own from books, videos, meeting Deaf people from England and the internet.

So, that's how I learned BSL! I really want to master BSL one day.

Ethnocentrism in America

2006-01-30T19:44:00.000-05:00

Ethnocentrism means the attitude of one's own group is superior. No matter how hard the American society tries to ensure equality in this country, ethnocentrism very much exists here. In fact, it exists everywhere all over the world. There are many other countries with its population that have been on Earth for hundreds of centuries and still haven't achieved full social tolerance and understanding. America may boast its status of being a multi-cultural country, claiming that the good ol' USA is a "melting pot" but there are other European countries that are more socially accepting of others that put America to shame. In fact, we are far from being a melting pot. Ironically, sometimes the harder the American society tries to ensure equality for all ethnic groups, they're actually making things worse which results in clashes between ethnic groups.

Cultures are created from having common in backgrounds, languages, beliefs, norms, values, traditions, races, nationalities, religions, and many other factors. Our civilization is so mind-bogglingly complex that it's just not possible for everyone to learn and understand all cultures. There are 6 billion people on this planet and no two persons share exactly the same backgrounds and experiences. Therefore, removing ethnocentrism may prove extremely difficult but not impossible. We can get along with one other by acknowledging and respecting the fact we all are different. One has to understand that one's upbringing and experiences change and shape that person. For instance, countries like Mexico and Italy, where communites and families are very close-knit, might be horrified to see how cold and individual Americans may be, but the society we were raised in influences who we are. We are in a country where the quality of living is exceedingly (and in some way ridiculously) high and demanding that time isn't a luxury.

Everyone has their own prejudices. No matter how open minded one may be, one still have his or her own prejudices. Even I do too. It may be because they don't agree with what other ethnic groups are doing in their lives, but I'm pretty sure it's mainly because of what they had experienced directly or indirectly from interacting with other ethnic groups. For instance, from my experience as a former pizza delievery driver, I find the Hispanic population to be much more friendlier than the African-Americans. Perhaps a lot of African-Americans may have a grudge against the Cauasian population for oppressing them but little did they realize I am of a minority group in this society too. So one has to be careful how they represent their cultures. It's so easily to misrepresent an ethnic group by doing something wrong - adverently or inadverently.

It may seem like a lot of people are racists, but for most people, it's not hatred that's making them racists. It's fear and not understanding one another's origins and background that's feeding into their racism attitude. Most Americans are not used to the idea of a collective society. They don't understand why many minority groups "ghettoize" - as in all people of the same group getting together in one place, turning into a huge community. They are not ghettoizing to turn against the general population. Many minority groups come from a society where family matters and inimate interaction with other people are much more important. Many minority groups experience social, legal, and economic pressure and that makes it difficult for them to live in a society where the quality of living is so high. That's where the sense of community come in picture -- to support one another. Unfortuntunately, because poverty is commonplace in areas occupied by minority groups and poverty leads to crimes, the word "ghetto" now has a negative impression on contemporary Americans.

I mentioned earlier that I'm of a minority group. I might not be any different from other white people based on the color of my skin, but I'm culturally different from others by being Deaf. The Deaf community has their own language, traditions, norms, values, beliefs, and folklores. Yes, we experience oppression and negative attitudes from others. We experience language barriers and cultural misunderstandings. Many of us don't get good education because we were taught by people that don't fully understand our culture. We have been criticized by people for ghettoizing. We have been criticized by other people for making them feel unwelcomed in our community which we didn't intend to. Did you know that there's a word for oppressing and hating the Deaf community, its cultures, and its members? It's "audism". Really, I'd love to see a film dealing with audism.

We'd be much more socially accepting of others if we try to keep an open mind and try to understand where they are coming from.

Movie Review: Crash

2006-01-30T17:42:00.000-05:00

Wow...my mind is all muddled up with many thoughts, questions and perspectives after watching "Crash". The movie was not made for purely just enjoyment. Yes, it's a movie but it told a thought-provoking, controversial story and within the story held a rather very powerful message for everyone. And the message wasn't subtle at all. Very thought-provoking (and emotion-provoking too!) that I must give you my perspective on the American society's tolerance other cultures in a separate entry.

"Crash" is set in present-day Los Angeles and centers on several people of various ethnic backgrounds: a District Attorney and his wife who both are white, a Persian storeowner and his family, two police detectives who are lovers - one's black and one's Hispanic, a film director and his wife who both are African-Americans, a Mexican locksmith and his family, two black carjackers, an experienced cop and his rookie partner - both white, and a middle-aged Korean couple. All of them are connected to each other one way or another and all events occurs within 36 hours. Each of them faces situations where their tolerance of other ethnic groups are tested.

The way the movie was directed was done so well that I had to look up to find who the director was. The film was directed by Paul Haggis, a name I was not familiar with, who also wrote the story. After looking him up on imdb.com, it turned out that I've never seen many of his other works. There were many familiar faces in the movie: Sandra Bullock, Tony Danza, Jennifer Esposito, Ryan Phillippe, Marina Sirtis, Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser, Don Gheadle, and a few others. I must really applaud all the actors and actresses for being so brave to star in such a film so controversial like "Crash". And their acting were great.

This film represents how the American people really are when it comes to cultural differences and how we understand it. There were a lot of conflicts, prejudices, anger, misunderstanding, fears and maybe some hatred -- all from how we tolerate other ethnic groups. It might shock you, but you cannot possibly deny that it's true. We are not truly a "melting pot" as we would like to think. The only disappointment I had with this film was that the cultural differences it represented were based on color of skin and nationality. Not all cultures are distinguished by the skin of color and nationality. It'd be nice to see a Deaf character in the film dealing with the same oppressive attitude from the society that other ethnic groups had dealt with.

This is not a film where one would want to watch repeatedly. Remember, it's not made for enjoyment. But it's a must-see film. Highly recommended. I give this film an A.

Movie Review: The Brothers Grimm

2006-01-28T19:45:00.000-05:00

This movie bored me to tears! "The Brothers Grimm" centers on Will Grimm (Matt Damon) and Jake Grimm (Heath Ledger) as legendary brothers who travelled around the country of Germany in the late 18th century, tricking people with their fairytales and vanquishing fantasical villains in exchange for money. They were eventually forced by the French authorities to investigate the forest of a small town where young girls had vanished. The forest indeed was enchanted and malevolent and the Brothers had to try and find a way to break a spell set by a cursed queen living in the forest.

Honestly, the film was filled dodgy CGI effects and carried a very muddled story that had me yawning from the start to finish. The comedic bits of the film failed to be funny -- Matt Damon and Heath Ledge acted so badly when trying to be funny. Guys, stick to more serious roles in the future! I might would have appreciated the film more if it was more of a serious fantasy film. I give this film a F.

Movie Review: Dark Water

2006-01-20T03:36:00.000-05:00

I watched the unrated edition of "Dark Water" on DVD and much to my disappointment it wasn't that good. Perhaps I should have had expected that since "The Grudge", which was written and produced by the same people of "Dark Water", sucked. It's basically a ghost story that centers on Dahlia Williams (Jennifer Connelly) as a struggling divorced mother trying to start a new life with her daughter, Ceci (Ariel Gade) by moving into a rather run-down apartment building on Roosevelt Island which she could afford. As soon as they move into 9F, Ceci befriends with an imaginary friend and Dahlia is on the verge of a major break down as she is being haunted by leaking ceilings and whispers, all coming from 10F, the apartment above them.

After the first 10 or 15 minutes, I told myself that it was a very slow introduction and the pace of slowness just kept going much to my irritation. The movie should have been directed by someone else other than Walter Salles because I found it to be overly glum and depressing. Too much rain and water, too much grey, brown, and green, and too much run-down feelings. To top it off, the mother was depressed! I have never been impressed with Jennifer Connelly, with the exception of her role in "Labyrinth". Ariel Gade did very well in the movie, that I have to admit. She could act and I just simply thought she was cute. John C. Reilly made his character, Mr. Murray who was the manager of the apartment building, a dislikable one and at the same time, strangely, made me dislike him as an actor. Tim Roth, who played Jeff Platzer, Dahlia's lawyer, didn't do much in the film that he didn't really shine. Hardly a scary film. I give this film a D.

TV cartoons for kids

2006-01-11T18:41:00.000-05:00

Once in a while, I'll have a conversation with someone about TV cartoon shows from the 1980s, just for the sake of nostalgia. Looking back, I'd remember so many shows like G.I. Joe, He-Man, The Littles, Voltron, Thundercats, Rainbow Brite and so on. One night I asked my 20-year-old sister (I have three sisters) if she remembered many of the TV cartoons from her time. She said she doesn't. So, eventually one night I picked up the TV guide and looked through it. To my surprise, there are not many TV on terrestrial channels today. Just on Saturday mornings only. Yes there are cable channels with tons of TV cartoons, but not everyone has cable. It's really sad that there's not much emphasis on TV cartoon today as opposite to the 1980s. During the 80s and early 90s, cartoons would be on in the mornings before school and in the afternoons after school. Really sad.

Should vlogs be subtitled?

2006-01-11T02:51:00.000-05:00

Recently, someon in the

complained about the lack of subtitling on vlogs of deaf bloggers. Apparently, that person thought all deaf bloggers' vlogs should be subtitled so everyone else who doesn't know sign language have the same access.

Well, my opinion: TOO BAD! Blogs are designed for people to express their thoughts in any way they want to. First language equals true expression. There are tons of blogs that are in English, a foreign language or even spoken vlog, and I don't see any of you complaining for them to be translated in your first language. The reason why I'm providing English translation on my blog is because I just want my blog to reach to a much wider audience, not because I feel everyone should be given the same access to my blog. If I could care less about the number of people reading my blog, I would have done my blog entirely in ASL without any English text in it. It just is so much easier to express in my language.

Vlog and Deaf Blogs

2006-01-07T03:07:00.000-05:00

Hello! My first vlog! Vlog is short for videolog, which is video equivalent of a text blog. The reason why vlogging is awesome is because I can express my thoughts and feelings in my primary language, American Sign Language -- in its truest form. Vlogging is starting to catch on in the Deaf community in the United Kingdom and I have yet to see that happen in our Deaf community here in the US. For those of you who don't sign, or at least don't use ASL, I have provided English translation for this entry and will continue to do so for all my future vlogs.

Now, I would like to mention about a very unique site called Deaf Blogs. It's an aggegator of blogs, well, blogged by deaf people from all over the world. To those people who created the site, I really applaud for their efforts into creating such an awesome site. Check it out at www.deaf-blogs.com!

Happy 1st Anniversary!

2006-01-01T22:15:00.000-05:00

It made sense to return to my blogging activities on the first anniversary of this very blog, which ironically happens to fall on the very first day of the new year. I have finally settled down in Alexandria, Virginia and now have a lot of time on my hands before I return to work as the university's spring semester begins. I'm surprised that this blog has gone this far, despite infrequent entries. Before this one, every time I try to start a journal - be it in hand-writing or electronic - they never get very far after a few pitiful entries. So this is a big achievement for me! I am looking forward to make the most of 2006 because I'm very certain there will be some big changes coming in this year. And with that, you should be seeing more frequent posting on this blog this year.

I'm keeping this short tonight because I need to get in the mindset of blogging again. I want to wish you all a Happy New Year! May 2006 be good to you!

Quick update

2005-11-22T00:01:00.000-05:00

Hello everybody! I know I haven't updated my blog in a long time now. That's because I have been very busy with my two jobs and I'm in the process of moving to Alexandria, Virginia next week. I apologize for keeping you, my readers, hanging in suspension as you all await for the next update on this blog. I just wanted to drop by quickly to let you all know I am still alive and kicking and don't have the intention of abandoning my blog. However, I won't be updating my blog until everything settles down after the move to Alexandria.

Regarding my two jobs, I never did quit my pizza delivery job but this coming Wednesday will be my last day at that job. Frankly, I'm so glad to be leaving that job. I assure you there's no way I'll do this kind of thing again!

On a short note, I want to point you all over to this blog: Starving for Access. Ryan Commerson has gone on a hunger strike to demand a change in the education for the Deaf in Michigan. He's fed up with the lower standards of education for the Deaf, which is common amongst other deaf schools in this country, due to lack of support in ASL (American Sign Language) and English literacy. Very few schools for the deaf are slowly introducing bilingual education. Ryan, I want to let you know that I'm with you every step of the way.

Til next time, you all take care.

Television Review: Supernatural

2005-09-14T03:13:00.000-05:00

A new WB TV series that also premiered last night. It was a nice change from "Bones" -- much easier to follow and the visuals were easy on the eye as well. Supernatural centers on two brothers, Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), who go out ghosthunting, searching for answers to their mother's murder when Sam was a baby. Their mother's murder was of a supernatural occurance.

First, I want to express my love for entertainment of the supernatural genre. I have always enjoyed a good supernatural show, but unfortunately, of all the recent ones in that genre really stink. I could give you a few examples in the movie category: "White Noise", "Hide and Seek", "Darkness Falls"... need I go on? As for the pilot of this new TV series, it reminded me of "Freakylinks", a short-lived supernatural TV show on FOX several years ago, but only better. Better in the telling of a story. Better in the concept of the show. However, the pilot wasn't so great, but it wasn't so bad either. I didn't find the paranormal occurances in that episode realistic -- it was a bit too unrealistic -- for I tend to prefer my supernatural shows a bit realistic because it's more spooky that way (take "The Sixth Sense" for instance). Yes, I'm saying that this pilot wasn't as spooky as I'd have liked it to be. Though I confess the opener was a bit creepy. "Supernatural" still showed a lot of potential that I am wanting to continue following this series and see how it develops and evolves. Frankly, in my opinion, this show have better chances of staying on the air longer than "Bones" would.

Television Review: Bones

2005-09-14T02:54:00.000-05:00

"Bones" is a new FOX TV series that premiered last night (as it is 3:35AM Wednesday now). The series featured two main characters, Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and FBI Special Agent Seely Booth (David Boreanaz). Dr. Brennan is based on the character of the same name of Kathy Reichs' novels (her books are good -- recommended) who is a forensic anthropologist that deduces clues the bones of the deceased. She was assigned to work with Agent Booth, who finds himself relying on Brennan's expertise in order to solve murder cases.

When I first heard about this series, I found the concept rather attractive and was looking forward seeing the show. I found the pilot rather disappointing. The story was a bit bland. There was hardly any climax. There was so much dialogue that it's so easy to get lost, thus making it difficult to concentrate on the logics of resoluting the murder case. There were very little background on the characters that I find myself unable to identify with anyone.

However, the concept of the show has potientials that I'm willing to give it a few more chances and see how it develops through the next few episodes.

Your Tipping Manners

2005-09-02T00:04:00.000-05:00

First, before I go into talking about people's tipping manners here in the US, I want to let you all know that it's offical that I've turned in my two-week notice of my resignation at a pizza place. Yes, that's right, I'm quitting my delivery driving position there. My last day will be on September the 13th.

Now, about people's tipping manners, they are terrible! I am extremely angry about that! I frankly am surprised at all the lousy tips I've been getting from delivering pizzas to their houses. I have been tipped about $2.00 or less per delivery order on most deliveries. I even get that kind of tips from rich people. And it's not uncommon to get no tips at all. What do you take us for, you fuckers! It seems like you folks take delivery drivers for granted.

Getting $2.00 or less per delivery order in tips is an insult! Didn't it occur to you that we are putting miles on our cars to bring your food to you? Didn't it occur to you that we are spending money on gasoline so we can deliver your food to you? And didn't it occur to you that gasoline is now so fucking expensive! Especially in the aftermath of Katrina's destruction upon Louisana and its neighboring states! In my area, it is now about $3.50 per gallon for regular gas and the prices will continue to increase daily.

Parents take advantage of the fact that little kids wouldn't understand the concept of tipping the driver for gratituity and appreciation, so they send their kids to the door to get the food and pay. That just pisses me off.

Please have some respect for these people delivering your food. Or you just can get off your lazy ass and go get your food yourself, you lazy fuckers!

Movie Review: The Skeleton Key

2005-08-26T01:05:00.000-05:00

The Skeleton Key is a supernatural thriller that centers on Caroline (Kate Hudson), a 25-year-old blonde, taking upon a caretaking job position in the private home of Ms. Violet Devereaux (Gena Rowlands) somewhere outside New Oreleans in a secluded wooded area. Upon Caroline's arrival at the house, she was to take care of Violet's husband, Ben Devereaux (John Hurt), who suffered a stroke and was given a skeleton key which gives her access to every room, except a room in the attic. Curiosity naturally got the better of her, she managed to open the door, just to find a lot of hoodoo stuff -- which, Violet explained, is not to be mistaken with voodoo and is an American folk magic. She eventually discovers that this very room harbors a secret that puts her life in danger.

Frankly, at the beginning, I thought it was trying too hard to be a suspenseful film. The direction of the film seemed cliched and seemed as if it was rubbing the fact it's a suspenseful film in your face. There's a first 10-minute rule for movies where it should grip you into the story and this movie failed that object.

However, as the movie progressed, it started to get really interesting. It gets your mental wheels churning. You begin to appreciate the fact the movie isn't trying to be scary just for the sake of it and is trying to tell you a story. Kate Hudson really shines in her role as a serious character where she generally is known for her comedic roles in other films. John Hurt, while given a very few spoken lines, was very impressive in expressing his character through body language and facial expressions. While I am not familiar with Gena Rowlands, making it hard for me to compare her role in that movie against her previous work, Gena made her character believeable.

I enjoyed the movie. I don't think there is much to disappoint supernatural thriller fans like me. I really liked the fact it had an unique concept for a story that revolves hoodoo. I'd buy the DVD when it comes out. I give this film a B-.

Other Countries' Economies

2005-08-25T13:00:00.000-05:00

Often when I chat with my British friends online, I'd mention the cost of something in US Dollars and they would ask me how much it would be in UK pounds, in order to understand how expensive things can be here in the US. A thought struck me: most don't realize that using a currency converter doesn't represent the true economy of their country. The exchange rate only represents the value of the US Dollar in other countries and versa vice.

For instance, if I said to a Brit that a Ford Focus would cost around $14,000 (which is inexpensive), most would look at the current exchange rate (which is about £.56 per US Dollar as of today) and say that it's nearly around £7,760 and say "Wow, that's cheap!"

Hold on! If you decided to buy the car here in the US, using British Pounds and convert it in US Dollars, then yes it's cheap. However, that doesn't represent our true economy. Actually, a Ford Focus in the UK would cost about £11,200.

To compare the US and the UK economy, look at the minimum wage for both countries. Here in Maryland, the federal minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. The National Minimum Wage in the UK is £5.05 per hour (as of October 2005). So that should tell the Brits a $14,000 car isn't as cheap as they think it is but yes it's pretty inexpensive compared to other automobile makes and models.

Here's another example. Regular unlead gasoline in the UK costs about £3.41 per gallon (they actually do it in liters which is about £.90 per liter but I had to convert it to gallons and figure out the price to help our American readers understand better). The average cost for that here in the US is about $2.75 per gallon so that means we are paying about $.70 cents per liter. Based on the fact the UK's minimum wage is £5.05 per hour, their gasoline prices are pretty high compared to ours. If you look at the exchange rate for £3.41, it'd be $6.14 -- which is way too high and doesn't make sense. The exchange rate does not represent the American equivalent of other countries' economy or vice versa. Again, it only represents the value of the US Dollar in other countries and vice versa. So that would mean, yes, a trip to the UK would be an expensive vacation for the Americans.

I certainly hope I didn't make all this confusing for you!

House designs for Deafies

2005-08-22T00:10:00.000-05:00

Today, while driving around in my local area doing pizza delieveries, I was looking at various houses and their designs. A very interesting thought occured to me: in a Deaf world, how would all kinds of housings be designed? I would often think about how certain things would be like in a Deaf world, such as how would a language be born and evolve or how would the world look like technology-wise?

My theory is that some of the rooms in the house would have to be circular or at least semi-circular. The dining room would have a round table where all the people sitting would be able to see each other when talking. Another table would have to be set up in the dining room for all the food dishes because if the dining table was all cluttered up, it becomes a "signing" danger -- one would knock things over when signing. In Deaf culture, center pieces are forbidden because it is very visually distracting, and at times blocks the listener's view of the speaker opposite of him. So how would the set up I just described affect the dining room design? One would think it has to be circular.

The living room obviously would have to be semi-circular where all the seats can be arranged in a U-shape, enabling everyone to see each other. It is widely known in schools for the deaf that seats and desks are to be arranged semi-circularly in classrooms.

So externally, there will be convexes protruding at certain sides of the house. Perhaps an architect could take upon the task of designing a house specifically for the deaf? Anyone?

Life sucks

2005-08-19T20:19:00.000-05:00

Tonight I am feeling really depressed. There are several factors that contribute to my depression tonight, but to sum it up, I'm depressed because I'm struggling with life right now.

I am nowhere close to where I want to be in life. I am 28 years old now and don't even have a Bachelor's degree yet. I am at the point in my life where I am realizing that I am not getting any younger and I only get to live my life just this once. When I was in high school, I had never thought that I'd end up like this. I thought I'd have finished college, have a great job and settled down in life way long before I hit 30.

Frankly, I miss school. I miss sitting in a class room, listening to the professors and learning new stuff. I miss feeling the weigh of all the textbooks I have to carry around. I miss doing big projects and assignments. All pure academic. What I'm saying is that I miss having all the stimulations I recieve in an academic way and I long for more of that.

What is preventing me from being able to go back to school to finish my undergraduate study right now is my financial status. I still have to pay Gallaudet University $3,000 before I could go back to school. This is my third time leaving school due to financial dilemmas. And I'm tired of this. There are also other debts I'm buried under as well and I estimate that I am probably around $30,000 in debt -- many of them I couldn't afford to pay right now, not even in small installments. My credit history is really screwed up and I'm longing to clear that up and rebuild my credit history. I'm truly terrified that one of several collection agencies that are after me will end up taking me to court and I'll end up having to file bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is something I truly want to avoid.

I have two jobs. I'm a freelance interpreter during the day and a pizza delievery driver in the evenings. I just started that evening job last week and I'm already having second thoughts about that job. A friend of mine told me today that delievery really wears out the car because her husband used to do that kind of job before. I became very concerned about that because my car isn't exactly perfect. I pretty much have a lemon car and realized that it is not worth wearing out my car. If I end up not having a car, I'm pretty much doomed, considering I live 40 minutes from DC and my interpreting job is in DC. And with the gas prices so high today, is it really worth it? Think about all the miles I drive everyday to DC for my interpreting job and all the miles from the delievery. People don't tip their pizza delievery drivers very well, really.

The working environment at my second job contributes to my having second thoughts about that job. It's very clear that people, including the managers, aren't trained to work with disabled people. For instance, I am required to go to a team meeting tomorrow morning so I spoke with my manager that if it is possible to do this one-to-one and he said yes but he still wanted me to be there for the meeting tomorrow. Do you think I really appreciate the fact I'm going to sit at the meeting, not understanding one word and sit like a fool? That kind of situation is uncomfortable and unfair to me.

I have noticed that many college students wait tables to put theirselves through college. They make good tips when they work at a flagship restaurant. I'd not mind working as a waiter but how the hell am I suppose to communicate with the customers? There are so many jobs out there that involves communicating with people and that poses a problem for the deaf population. I find myself having to narrow down to limited selections of jobs I could apply for where I am able to make some good money while putting myself though college and at the same time able to make ends meet.

Would not it be so nice if I could win the lottery?

Experiences of the Unexplained #1

2005-08-18T00:11:00.000-05:00

For the last few Wednesdays I have been following the second season of the TV series on Sci-Fi Channel, Ghost Hunters. This TV series follows upon the investigations of the paranormal done by The Atlantic Paranormal Society -- TAPS. After tonight's episode, I decided to do a little research online to see if there is a ghost hunting organization in Maryland. True enough there were a few. I'd like to go on a paranormal investigation some day.

Now, for whether I believe in ghosts or not, I actually neither believe or disbelieve in ghosts. I have never saw a ghost before. I just try to keep an open mind. The only thing I can tell you is that there are things that do happen without any explanation. I have had experiences that couldn't be explained. Those experiences I had all occurred at an old house my family and I lived on Tom Hunter Road in Charlotte, North Carolina. The house was built in 1945 and was on the verge of falling apart when my family finally moved out a few years ago.

I'll share the first experience I had of the unexplained at that house in tonight's post. You will get to read my other experiences in future posts. I can't remember how long ago the first experience I had was, but remembering how young my brother was around that time it must be sometimes in the mid-90's. My brother and I were staying up late in our bedroom one night when we were supposed to be in bed, sleeping. We decided to go downstairs to the kitchen to get something to drink. After pouring us two glasses of milk, we were having a conversation in the kitchen. Suddenly, my brother looked up at me with that oh-shit! look on his face and said he heard Dad getting up. Keep this in mind that I am Deaf, so I couldn't hear. I looked across the hall from the kitchen to my parents' room and could see their TV on. The TV screen was all static-snowy, meaning that particular channel the TV was tuned to has gone off-air. I did not see Dad getting up. He was still asleep. My brother decided that he must have been hearing things and we resumed our conversation. My brother heard the exact same sound the second time, saying that it must be Dad getting up. I looked across the hall again and Dad was still asleep. I told my brother to stop teasing me and he said he wasn't. He said that it was so strange because it sounded exactly like Dad getting up. And he heard it again the third time, I looked across the hall once more and Dad was still asleep. We were so freaked out that we went back upstairs to our bedroom.

Though I have never experienced it first-hand due to the fact I couldn't hear, I knew my brother wasn't teasing me because he was clearly getting freaked out. What freaked me out was that I couldn't hear and wasn't seeing any evidence of what my brother was hearing and was at the same time reading my brother's facial expressions and body language. Spooky!

Saving Account a Blessing!

2005-04-09T13:30:00.000-05:00

Today, I had to pay $596 for repairs done on my car. It turned out that the power steering pressure hose and the return hose needed to be replaced, both rear tires replaced, and the left inner brake light replaced. Having a car sometimes really suck. Having a car is a privilege but with that comes responsibility.

I would not have been able to afford in paying for the repairs if it was not for the saving account I had. So having a saving account is a blessing. It's always a good idea to have a saving account in case any kind of emergency happens. Now that I have less than $50 in my saving account, I got to start putting money in the saving account each time I get a paycheck.

It does not hurt to have a saving account. Look for a financial institution that has the best interest rates and open a saving account. I can suggest you an excellent one - ING Direct (www.ingdirect.com). If you open a saving account at ING Direct, you earn an interest of 3% Annual Percentage Yield. Then each time you get a paycheck, put in an amount of money you think you can afford putting away, in the saving account and watch it grow. It really pays to save your money than spending it on things you don't need.

Blog update

2005-04-08T18:22:00.000-05:00

My blog is long overdue for an update and I apologize those of you who have been eagerly anticipating for a update on my blog. For the past two months I have been telling myself that I need to update my blog but did not have the motivation. I know that does not sound good but at least I am being honest. During these two months, I have also been thinking about what I want to do with my blog.

I truly want this blog to reach to a much wider audience and give you people a fresh perspective on life and things that are happening around the world. I truly want this blog to one of the most entertaining and interesting blogs on the internet. Honestly, it is difficult to keep the motivation in posting here on a frequent basis when I am hardly getting comments and interaction from you folks. I want to be able to enjoy doing this, knowing that people are reading my blog with interest and enjoying it.

Right now, I am facing some financial dilemmas and trying to get myself back in school so I could finish my bachelor's and work my way up to Ph.D. I'm up to my ears in debt. So, I have thought about how nice it would be to get some small donations for taking up the time to do this blog and striving for this blog to be one of the best through my writings (though I can not assure you that it will be an eye-candy graphic-wise because my HTML skills stink.). So, which I am sure you have already noticed, I have added a PayPal "donate" button on the right side of the blog. Small donations would be greatly appreciated.

I will try my very best to make new posts on a frequent basis, if not daily basis. I would love to hear from you on what you would like to see on here. Tell your friends, family, co-workers and other people you know about this blog! There is a "comments" link on the bottom of each post, so comments, suggestions, feedbacks, and questions are welcome.

Valentine's Day Can Be Cruel

2005-02-14T18:51:00.000-05:00

Remember in my last post that there are people out there who feels unwanted and unloved and Valentine's Day would just make them feel worse? Well, check this link out:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/12/valentine.suicide/index.html

On the subject of suicide, don't even consider committing one, folks! A few years ago, I wrote my own quote in a journal and it said: "If you have the capability of acknowledging your being dead, you'd regret you committed suicide." Life has a funny way of kicking you in the butt and bringing you back on track. If you are not happy about something in life, DO something about it, but don't kill yourself. That won't solve anything. If you are feeling rather very depressed, go seek for help. Not many people, unfortunately, realize this but there is help for EVERYTHING out there. Talk to your friends, your family, and any other services that provides help. You'd be surprised at all the ideas, suggestions, AND help you can get from them!

Valentine's Day

2005-02-13T14:59:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. I don't believe in Valentine's Day.

Why?

Why do you have to do something special for someone on that particular day? Why can't you do something special for that person on any day? You can always do something nice for someone any time and there's not a limit on how many times you can do something special for someone.

On Valentine's Day, people have expectations of getting something nice from someone else. You feel obligated to do something nice for someone on that day, regardless the mood you may be in. You shouldn't feel that way -- being obligated, that is -- and other people shouldn't have that kind of expectations. That's selfish.

Also there are many people out there that feel unwanted or unloved and Valentine's Day will just make them feel worse.

That's why I don't believe in Valentine's Day.

Gender Identity

2005-01-31T10:33:00.000-05:00

This morning, I was driving to work at my university and on the way I was in deep thoughts about a friend of mine. For confidential purposes, I will call him "Simon". Lately, he has come to realize this that he is actually not "gay" but a "woman trapped in a male's body". He has began to embrace the fact that he is really a woman. He has been going out as a woman when he goes out to the bars or clubs. He seemed happier that way and I think it's great. I can actually see him as a woman. Frankly, he looks better as a woman and I have started to like his personality as a woman better. It just suits him so well. And I fully support in whatever decisions he make about his gender.

Then my thoughts shifted to the science points of gender identity. It struck me that one's personality - one's traits - is a part of the DNA make-up. Masculine and feminine genes can be dominant or recessive. Could it be possible that Simon's feminine genes are dominant while his masculine phenotypes are dominant? Come to think of it, the terms "masculinity" and "femininity" aren't accurate within themselves. Males can be either "masculine" or "feminine" and the same goes for females. Look at these types of intimate couples out there (yes, they do exist!):

Masculine guy with a feminine girl.
Feminine guy with a masculine girl.
Masculine guy with a masculine girl.
Feminine guy with a feminine girl.
Masculine guy with a masculine guy.
Masculine guy with a feminine guy.
Feminine guy with a feminine guy.
Masculine girl with a masculine girl.
Masculine girl with a feminine girl.
Feminine girl with a feminine girl.

So being feminine does not make a guy gay nor being masculine makes a woman a lesbian. These terms - "masculine" and "feminie" - shouldn't be associated with their genders, or at least, define their genders. These terms rather define their personalities. These terms should be eliminated from the English vocabulary and new ones devised.

It's rather sad how society for centuries has tried to define the male gender and the female gender. Take this for instance: boys don't play with dolls. Are we really born with that kind of instinct or because society told us not to? Some people just don't realize this but the human race is far too complex to just define what we should be. The human race is a very unique species. The human race is just like this old saying: "No two snowflakes are alike."

A Word from the Blogger

2005-01-30T19:18:00.000-05:00

Many apologies to my fellow readers who have been eagerly anticipating for a update on my blog. I get lazy too easily when it comes to maintaining something such as this blog but rest assured this blog won't see its demise any time sooner.

I have been thinking about several approaches I should take in making this blog interesting where readers will want to come back here for more. I really don't want to turn it into a soapbox because that approach is very common in thousands of other online journals and that gets rather boring. Why should I talk about people you barely know? How would my daily activities benefit you? I know people are more interested in useful information because I am one of those people. I know discussing perspectives on life would interest you readers because it may give you some insights and may have some effects on your decision-makings in life and how you look at things. However, I realized that discussing about things I do in life also gives perspective on life and it also gives you a better idea of who I am. I realized that it is possible to discuss events in my life without turning it into a soapbox and still provide philosophical perspective on them. For instance, discussing about my frustratations with the world as a deaf person may help you understand how a deaf person in general deal life, but I won't discuss about how frustrated I am with, let's say, how stinky a friend's attitude is.

Needless to say, this blog will be under constant changes as I come up with new ideas. However, the original goal for this blog remains the same: keep it philosophical and interesting.

Death

2005-01-07T19:34:00.000-05:00

Readers, please be aware that this post is about death and is a sensitive issue. If the idea of death makes you uncomfortable, then I suggest you not to continue reading, but rather skip to the next topic down below (which would be "Magic"). Also, I should let you know that this is not any kind of sudicial note nor am I having any kind of sudicial thoughts. This is not a religious debate, for I am not religious nor practice any kind of religion. It is simply my own pondering about how death plays a role in this universe. For several years I have been fascinated with how death is portrayed in our lives.

This morning I was laying down in bed, wondering about death. I wasn't wishing death upon myself. Just was wondering. I was thinking about stories I have heard of people choosing the moment to die. I am not talking about people committing suicide and I do not encourage that kind of activity. I am talking about people being aware that their death is nearing, just from old age or any kind of illness. Take this story as an example of what I'm precisely talking about and it is a story told by a friend of mine. For protection and confidentiality reasons, I will name her "Teresa".

One night, Teresa's grandmother decided to go to bed. She told her daughter, who is Teresa's mother, good night with a soft smile on her face and went to bed. It was not just like any other night with a "good night" from her. It was the way she said "good night" and the way she wore her expression on her face that puzzled the mother. I do not know nor remember when this happened but I do know that it was at some time after the grandmother went to bed that the mother found her dead. The grandmother had died in her sleep peacefully. Died of natural causes. Realization dawned on the mother that the grandmother knew her time has come.

Is it really possible for people to choose when to die when they know their day has come? Take this story for example:

My grandmother died two years ago from cancer. On that night before she died, my mother and my aunt went into her room to change her bedsheet (or was it to get her into her bedtime clothes, I'm not sure). My aunt had my grandmother turned on her side on the bed, and while holding her, rubbed her back in a clockwise motion, counting one... two... three... When the aunt reached to five, my grandmother took her last breath and died peacefully. Just right on the count of five. Was my grandmother waiting until the right time to die by having someone from the family being there? It's possible.

The next thing I thought about was what happens after death. Is there an afterlife? And if there is, in what form is the afterlife in? I don't believe in heaven and hell, so I rule that out as an afterlife. However, I do believe there is a place all the deceased go to. John Edwards, renowned for the ability to communicate with the dead (whether I believe that is another story), calls that place the "Other side". Or does afterlife exist by being born again? I believe that'd be called "reincarnation".

When reincarnation crossed my mind, I wondered why I do not remember any of my past lives, that is if I had one. So that questions the possibility of reincarnation. Does it exists or not? Or is there a reason why we can't remember our past lives?

Death will always be an aspect of our lives which we will never fully understand.

Magic

2005-01-07T19:13:00.000-05:00

I have often thought about how cool it would be to have magic powers. And I have often wondered why magic doesn't exist in this world. When I am talking about magic, I am speaking of sorcery powers, such as those of the Harry Potter series, the tv show "Charmed", or the character Willow in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". If other habitable worlds out there with civilization do exist, do magic exist on some of those worlds?

Of course I wouldn't want unlimited magic powers. Having magic powers should have its limits. Life would be boring if you had unlimited powers, wouldn't it? Perhaps the reason why magic don't exist on this world is because we are human and being humans we have the ability to abuse the priviledge of having powers if we had one.

Having magic powers would be nice. :-)

Checking Cute Guys Out

2005-01-03T22:43:00.000-05:00

Have you ever find yourself in a room full of people, checking out cute guys or girls and wondered if anyone was checking you out? Today I went to the Motor Vehicle Adminstration to exchange in an out-of-state driver's license for a Maryland one. After given a number ticket, I found myself sitting down and waiting for about an hour and a half. While waiting, I looked around at people. Didn't really see that many cute guys. Suddenly I found myself thinking if anyone in the room is gay (yes, I am gay) and how would I know it. If there were any, are they checking out other guys there? If there was one checking me out, why do I not acknowledge it? Are they afraid to establish eye contact, thinking I may be straight?

Just a random thought. :-)

Recognizing Sign Languages

2005-01-02T23:13:00.000-05:00

Earlier tonight, a Deaf Australian friend of mine, John, and I chatted online about Deaf hertiage. We discussed about today's education for the Deaf and its influence on language skills. We both share the same opinion in sign language being the only way for a Deaf person to be more effective in life. John brought up the fact that Auslan (Australian Sign Language) was officially recognized by the Australian government in 1987. I was also aware that British Sign Language (BSL) was officially recognized by the British government in 2003, which was very recent. The Deaf community in the United Kingdom has campaigned for BSL to be recognized for several years that led their government to finally recognize their language.

After the chat, I did some research online to find out if there were other countries that had their government recognizing their sign languages. To my surprise, there were, such as Venezuela, the Czech Republic, Thailand, and a few others.

Alas, the government of the United States doesn't recognize American Sign Language. However, there are several states by law that do recognize ASL. Few other states only recognize ASL as a foreign language for college credit purposes.

Last June, I met Julian Peedle-Calloo (Deaf) who is a presenter of "See Hear", a TV program in the United Kingdom which gives scope on the Deaf community. He was astonished to find out that ASL is not officially recognized by the American government and asked a deaf woman sitting next to me why. She replied that the Deaf community here in the US is more focused on eliminating oppression and discrimination upon them. Julian said, "Don't you think that if ASL is recognized by the government, it'll reduce discrimination and give the Deaf more opportunities and more access?"

I believe the answer to that is yes. The United States may be number two in the world in being the most accessible to the disabled (Sweden being the number one), but the Deaf community in the UK is doing much more to make information and communication more accessible to the Deaf in their own language than we are here in the US. They have signed TV programs. The TV news are even signed. They even have a service where they provide BSL translation for television, video, CD-ROM, DVD, film, and the Internet.

Here in the US, the government is actively making communication and information accessible to the Spanish-speaking population in their language. We have Spanish-speaking TV network. TV programs on English-speaking network can be heard in Spanish if the SAP feature on your TV menu is turned on. DVDs in Spanish can be seen in stores for sale. Why not ASL? True that we have closed-captioning and subtitles, but English isn't our first language. Even though I do have good English skills (though it's not perfect), there are times I do struggle to express my thoughts and feelings in English. There are times I struggle to understand English idioms, expressions, and slangs. There are jokes I don't understand but the hearing does.

The Deaf community is a linguistic minority group rather than a disabled community and they have their own culture and history.

Introduction

2005-01-01T23:22:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my blog! Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I am a Denver-born 27-year-old Deaf guy from Charlotte, North Carolina. I currently am residing in the surburbs of Washington, DC, in Silver Spring, Maryland. I am attending Gallaudet University in DC, and I am considering a dual major in French and Spanish. Career-wise, I am an interpreter for deaf-blind clients. My interests include languages, books, TV, movies, and travelling.

The purpose of this blog is to, of course, bring in my perspective on life. I am aiming for this blog to be philosphical -- no dramas. Also, I hope blogging will help me improve my writing skills and my use of the English language, that is if I am successful in maintaining this blog on a frequent basis. English is not my primary language, so my English skills may not be sophisicated but I will try to be very clear and direct on what I want to say.

As for what the title above means, well, you will have to become a regular reader of my blog to figure it out.

Happy New Year to everyone and here's to a better year!