Tuesday 15 November 2011

Being Martha Steward


Bad me! I know I haven’t written for a while as it is been slightly busy here! 

A new local asda opened up recently and I love it! Got really excited by it tee hee. Halloween came and went and I was fairly ill for a while :( 2 lovely friends came and visited me and we watched horrifically cheesy horror films: D. they don’t make them like they used to anymore! 

University’s been keeping me busy. I changed my deaf studies project to a work placement instead as I felt I couldn’t do 2 dissertations. I already have lined up a work placement for history in British Deaf History Society (BDHS). 
I went to a history talk last weekend in Wolverhampton deaf club, the speakers was quiteinteresting.
David Page talked about how he wrote a book about Birmingham superprix and how he started etc. it was interesting seeing how he interviewed people without interpreters, chased down information, calling people via minicom, wow I was very impressed. 

Just to show that we don’t need to only write about deaf issues or things, we can write about ANYTHING! 

we had a female speaker, Julia Pitt who talked about her family history that spanned 5 generations, interesting and it made me think about my own family history as I’m 2nd generation Deafie and there IS no deafness recorded in the family before my parents were born, I find it strange that out of 4 children they had, only one is hearing! There has to be some deafies in the family history, sadly if you aren’t born deaf it is not recorded on birth certificates but it is recorded on censuses if you do become deaf later on. 

Finally the last speaker was John Hay who enthralled us with deaf local history, he talked about Rupert Dean, a Wolverhampton deaf painter and specialised in dogs, some of his paintings are cool with interesting titles.  I wanted to put a link about him but, I couldn’t find him on Google.  It is sad that nowhere in Wolverhampton are showing his paintings. 

There is a deaf museum in Warrington run by Peter Jackson (not the LOTR director!!), it is open mainly Tuesday and Thursdayhttp://www.bdhs.org.uk/ go and have a look! You might like learning!

For fireworks weekend I was supposed to go to Dublin for Deafhood congress but I made a mistake with the flight and couldn’t afford to correct it :( so missed it boo hoo. I curled up with Paddy Ladd’s book instead and had to say I was sadly disappointed by the book, as it talked about history of the deaf people, the campaigns and people’s experiences. I sometime couldn’t relate to them as most was Deafie with hearing families. Which lead me to realise that there probably is no book on Deaf families themselves. That is what happen when I’m in the 10%; I find it difficult to empathise at times.

Two of my lovely friends came over to visit me and my flatmate. The Lads did their own thing which mean watching the whole series of Human Nature! I baked with Fiona; we made a lot of stuff! Before they arrived I made black and white cheesecake from hummingbird book, it was a brownie style cheesecake base with white chocolate topping which was yummy, and I also prepared gingerbread dough and snickledoodle dough as they need to be set in the fridge for a few hours.
When Fi arrived we baked the gingerbread, using Pudsey bear cutter and then iced them: D.
We also did a midnight run to 24 hour Asda nearby and stocked up on things we wanted to make. The following night we made mini whoopee pies with chocolate filling and cupcake with chocolate frosting. We used marshmallow fluff in the frosting and were very impressed with how the marshmallow fluff made the frosting set, it wasn’t rock hard but it wasn’t soft either! They were an instant hit with the lads. I also made honey roasted gammon with all the trimmings which my flatmate loved and want me to teach him how to make! I’m using the leftover gammon in a pasta bake today. 

I baked lemon cupcakes with lemon chocolate icing today oops!

I got 2 tickets to BBC good food show next week and I’m so so looking forward to it! All day of FOOD. Hope I don’t go crazy and spend tooo much! :D there are many baking items I really want!http://www.bbcgoodfoodshow.com/home   tickets start from £22 but I called up the box office, due to the fact I’m deaf, they offered me 2 for 1 tickets for my ‘carer’. Disabled Bookings - 0844 581 0700
To book tickets if you require a wheelchair space or have any other specific requirements – interpreters are in supertheatre on Thursday and Saturday. I’m going on Wednesday- damn!

This weekend I’m heading to Manchester for a girly weekend and for several birthdays as well! I’m looking forward to this and already am deciding on what clothes to wear for the weekend! I will be taking my new PINK 2 view Samsung camera.

I’ve been struggling with the way I have been feeling lately; I have generally been feeling sad lately. So I hope what is coming up will perk me up and remind me that there are so many things out there to be done. Guess the essays’ been stressing me out lately and by this Thursday it will be over and done with for a few more weeks and I can focus on my practical assessments. I proudly can do the deaf blind manual alphabet. Last night doing 150 words took me 5 minutes; average time is 15 words per minute so I was kinda of proud of myself. I’m more worried about the guiding bit as I have rubbish eyesight and tend not to notice things! *fingers crossed*
I’ve also been working on ideas for IUK camp so watch this space :D

BSLBT have a feature called Zoom and it encourage people to make short films by giving them bursaries to make them, I’m pleased to see some of my talented friends getting interviews for it so fingers crossed they will do well and we can look forward to brilliant Deafie films soon. You can look at some zoom films here shown earlier this year-http://www.bslbt.co.uk/zoom/
I highly recommend ALL of them!

Interesting fact about me: I like baking a lot! It relax me. 

Monday 24 October 2011

Overwhelmed by Magic


A few days ago, I was told I would need to hand in a proposal for my deaf studies project the following next day, which eventually got extended to over the weekend. 

Zipped off some emails with some titles in mind… no one replied. Yay (!) I wasn’t given enough time to research and define my areas of interest. I finally settled on the concept of Deaf CODAs (child of deaf adult) and their concept of identity, do they form their own Deaf identity or is it forced onto them? Well something like that. I need more time to think to define the meaning. 

I went to see a friend for lunch because I needed some time to think and because I was feeling a bit confined where I was. I got stuck on a train for 2 hours getting back home. luckily I had my netbook so I worked on the proposal using my blackberry to access information and details given to me by some people. 

I have to admit I’ve been struggling with my thoughts for a while now and don’t know how to deal with them. They are distracting and affect my train of thought when trying to focus on writing. I seem to be feeling overwhelmed today. I got cancelled on twice today which I was really depending on for a wee chat and some support regarding work, it sort of threw my plans for the day and I couldn’t deal with this. 

I’m writing this with tears and snot down my nose… attractive! At the moment I’m wondering if I can form bubbles with the snot… seem like I can. I’m stuck at university for another 2 hours for 15 mins tutorial!

I’m being stupid; I found this article earlier today which I can’t link to this as I used my university account to open the e-articles. It is called
“Understanding Harry Potter: Parallels to the Deaf World” by Todd A. Czubek- Scranton State School for the Deaf & Janey Greenwald- Scranton State School for the Deaf

Here’s an extract- (bear in mind this is written by Americans)
“The following is a list of the institutions of the Wizard World and their parallels in the Deaf World:
• Hogwarts is the wizard equivalent of residential schools for the deaf.
• Ministry of Magic is the wizard equivalent of the National Association of the Deaf.
• Daily Prophet parallels the NAD Broadcaster and formerly Silent News.
• The sport of Quidditch is one of the major institutions in the Wizard World. This parallels the significance of sports in the Deaf World. In both the Wizard and Deaf Worlds, there are significant long-standing rivalries between schools.
Diagon Alley has special stores that sell wizard equipment and clothing that are required for wizardlife at Hogwarts. This parallels the necessary purchasing of TTYs, light systems, baby cry signalers, pagers, and so forth in the Deaf World.”

Interesting? There are other examples such as
·         Squibs- Hearing CODAs
·         Pure-Bloods- Generations of Deafness
·         Mudblood- deaf children born to hearing parents
·         Half- blood- one hearing parent & one deaf parent

it would be great if we all were deaf and doing magic!

Accio hearing aids!

End of the day, Sign Language is our magic   

Your in BSL/ISL

p.s interesting fact 4: I lose my hearing aids often

Thursday 20 October 2011

Baby, it's cold outside


The weather certainly is getting colder and it is a ‘look for a jacket’ season which is an excuse to shop… 
Growing up in Scotland I usually can shake off the coldness that set everyone reaching for a jumper. I recall a housemate shouting at me because I went out in the snow wearing a cardigan. I naturally am warm bodied with very cold feet; I put this down to the excess fat I have stored in my body all ready for winter.

Autumn is one of the best time of the year where the leaves start falling and the colours are amazing golden reddish, for me this mean more hot drinks and more reason to stay indoors eating home-baked treats whilst watching nonsense on Sky. Most of the good TV series start in autumn so there’s plenty to watch during the long & cold nights which bring me to my favourite hobby in the winter… BATHS! 

having a bath is a form of art, you must have the bathwater at the right temperate, candles lit in positions that you can see where the shampoo, condition, soap and razor are but not in a position where you can close your eyes and think (or in my case catch up on e-mails). We cannot forget the most important question for the bath… 
What to put in the bath?!
This is a very, very important question and requires planning, a great deal of thought and products from Lush (www.lush.co.uk
One of my favourite cocktails in the winter is Blue Skies bubble bar, butterball ballistic and tramp shower gel along with Lily savon soap.

Here’s one you lot might like… mermaid cocktail (thanks to the ladies who rocks) 
Big blue balletic, some Sunnyside bubble bar, some you’ve been mangoed bath melt and something I’ve forgotten! It makes the bath look pretty and smell lovely.

I have a small(ish) collection of Lush mainly stored on the top of my wardrobe and lot of shower gels that I keep in the bathroom for my moods. Today I used candy cane soap with glogg shower gel from Lush’s limited winter range in the shower. 
I have very dry skin in the winter so soaps from lush the mainly the only things that help me a lot and I’ve met a lot of people and been told I smell lovely :D 

I’m in university today and been sniffed by some strange people…. I’ve decided on the question for the history dissertation which is on Milan 1880. This will be strictly ‘desk’ research meaning I can’t go around asking people or send them questionnaire. Just good old fashioned research! Still this should enable me to visit the action again hearing loss library in London (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/rnidlib.shtml) and the British deaf historical society in Warrington (http://www.bdhs.org.uk/). 
I’m sadly looking forward to learning more about Milan in 1880 and the stories surrounding oralism and the banning of sign language. 

I came across an interesting article and this is one of the good examples of why sign language is fun and unique-  http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/features/sign_names.shtml
I was at university today working on an essay but my mind wandered off and I started to listen to my ipod, muttering Westlife lyrics to myself and started to think about being a teenager again madly and crazy about Mark Feehily!

I’m going on a hunt tomorrow for a new coat.. Wish me luck as I’m fussy!

Wrap up warm as I’ll be staying indoors indulging in my favourite winter hobby!

Interesting fact 3: I like marshmallows dipped in chocolate with a smartie on top

Thursday 13 October 2011

Wandering about


Recently one of my lovely, fantastic & wonderful friends just moved to Oz to start a new life, I am extremely jealous of him and wish I could join him like a shot at his urging!

This however makes me think of all the friends I’ve known and miss all over the years I have wandered about meeting people. This is heavily reflected on me on this day as I buried my grandmother 11 years ago on this date and it hit me hard for a long time. I hope I’m doing her proud each day.

Do I miss my partying phase when i was younger and the people I met? Sadly I don’t as I’m glad to have moved on but it was nice to have people who indulged in my passion for drinking my arse off! Do I miss wandering about the UK for the next event or party to attend? I’m much more of a homebody now and prefer parties nearby where I live so I can head off home early as fashionably allowed to be! Sometime I feel so old, feeling like I’ve lived my life when it’s just barely begun!
I have many friends I met through my wandering phase and I am so happy to call them my friends… You lovely people know who you are and if you don’t…. silly sods!
I’m honoured to have lived in Nepal for 3 months; this finally engulfed my desire to travel but more strongly a desire to settle down somewhere new away from the UK where I can discover the real world and the people out there!  Travelling sound amazing but is it just really skimming the cultures you visit before moving onto the next one? Photographs bore me as most of the times I want an explanation for each shots mainly what I see is beautiful sunsets, sunrises, landscapes but with no stories behind them. Photographs of people smiling rocks as long they aren’t posing in a vain-ish way.

I now have a valid excuse to party around the UK again as seeing I’m a student again at 26 but I won’t and will be sensibly attending events I really want to attend. I have booked some that I’m really looking forward to such as Deafhood Congress in Dublin -http://irishdeafyouth.com/deafhood-congress/ and the BDA conference in Belfast - http://www.bda.org.uk/events/bda-conference-belfast both in November. It is a chance to meet new people, network and to let your hair down (in a non pisshead way). What do I expect to gain from these events? I have no fricking idea so I’m going in with an open mind and to learn (hopefully).
My dissertation questions were submitted and now have been registered with University of Wolverhampton so any bright sparks out there who want my questions… too late! The History dept here didn’t want me to do the questions I submitted as none of the staff here is a specialist in the area I want to work in so I’m very lucky that there’s a well know Deaf Historian here who have agreed to be my supervisor  :D

I’m sitting in my lecture room now ready for a BSL class which is similar to BSL Level 2.. This is a yearlong class and I attend when I feel like it, today I don’t feel like it but I’m attending so I can brush up on my fingerspelling skills as honestly it sucks.

I’m going to a quiz night tomorrow! I love quizzes and I generally can be found in bars/pubs playing on quiz machines… I look anti-social/savant-ish.
Interesting fact 2- I’m a savant (not really! More of OCD-ish!)

Saturday 8 October 2011

An addled attempt


I love reading by candlelight and do it when I have the chance to do so.

I am not a literary genius and nor I claim to be one. I just simply enjoy reading books and my guilty pleasure is chick lit novels. Nothing beats a good book; candles lit everywhere and a mug of mulled cider… Yes mulled cider!
I’m a university student who’s on brink of madness with craziness going on around me. Where can I start? Do I ramble off a book list miles long as M25 or film/TV series I’ve seen? Talk about my family, my friends or what make me tick?

I have no frigging idea so I’m going to pick a safe topic… the weather! October is my favourite month; it is when everything is in autumn-y colours. I’m no artist so I can’t really describe colours; those really vivid colours that makes me dream of curling up on a sofa reading my kindle… I ashamedly own one but I used to be on the go and moved around so often I was dragging books around so a kindle was deemed easier and I get to download books at all hours which tend to leave me in my own book world.  Books are better company than men in the autumn/winter time.

I have someone. who people could loosely describes as ‘Mr Big’  as any SATC fan will know as the man Carrie eventually marry alas for me he’s isn’t the one but the constant presence in my life that I yearn to be rid of but I can’t as at times I’m not sure about how I feel about him. For now the term ‘best friend’ will do. I’m ‘not’ allowed to write about him so I’m moving onto something else now.

I’m supposed to be starting an essay on: What are the essential skills that a historian should possess?  A library card is my shortest answer. From this essay question you can see I’m a wannabe historian who really sucks at being one… Good job I’m doing a combined degree with the other part being Deaf studies where I excel in. I hope to rock the Deaf world with my choice of questions for my dissertation-
1. How did the decisions of the Milan conference in 1880 affect the outcome of Deaf education from 1880 to the present day? (in terms of sign language and oralism methods in schools for the Deaf in Britain)
 OR
 2. On what basis was the BDA (British Deaf Association) set up? Has the BDA benefited the Deaf community as it developed since its foundation or has it lost touch with its fundamental purposes?

Boring but it seem interesting enough and maybe I will gain better knowledge in my chosen question once approved.
Looking at what I have written so far, I seem superficial and maybe a bit weird as well as I veers off topic and babble. I’m sure one of these days I actually can write something.. for now it’s nonsense

Interesting fact -          I’m not interesting
Off to read James Corden’s new book ‘May I have your attention please’

Goodnight