Rough Week

I love my job. I really do. I get all kinds of support, I'm free to ask all the questions I want, I have an incredible team that is willing to be patient with me while I learn the ins and outs of the place, but there are still some weeks where I feel like I've done things I should absolutely already know like the back of my hand. Am I hard on myself? Probably. But I can't even really talk about it because it's a confidential field. Siiigh.

I have class tonight. Last night I went to a Deaf event. I didn't hear my classmates discussing their arrival time being 6:30 the previous night, so I almost left before they got there. I had been sitting at Market Square surrounded by people signing a language that I have a 20 word vocabulary for. It was as bad as going to Paris and trying to buy plums (a story I'll tell someday, but it's still too soon, bro).

I didn't meet any Deaf people. Our teacher said we didn't have to because we're only in ASL 1. That's great, because I actually have a hard time meeting new people when I'm not being introduced by someone I already know. I was supposed to look at how Deaf culture is different from mainstream culture and honestly, I couldn't see much of a difference. There were many groups that consisted of people who had Developmental Disabilities and the larger crowd seemed a lot more comfortable around them than people from the mainstream culture. When people sign, they stand about a foot or two farther from the person they're having a conversation with than in mainstream culture, but that's understandable because they're using their hands to talk. I don't know how I'm going to write a whole page on that. "Deaf people in groups on outings are exactly like any other group in America on an outing except for a few minor things. But I already knew that" The end.

I've actually never been to an ice cream social before (which was what this event was) and hardly anyone ate ice cream. It really should have been a Panda Express social because that's what more people ordered. I wonder if I can put that in my paper? Oh, my poor anthropology teacher would be sighing at me right now. I'm just horrible at these kinds of observations.

It's Wednesday! The week is halfway over. I'm done and I'm over it. I can't wait for this weekend. Makeup with my big sis, hanging out, doing wedding stuff. That's going to be fun and I'm looking forward to it.