Three years ago I started the journey of a lifetime. And here’s for all of you fellow SAS-ers out there. 🙂
Finding the words to describe a four-month around-the-world-on-a-floating-university experience is often hard. And also, expressing things in GIFs is so much fun, so here you go.
(You’re going to have that song stuck in your head all day. You’re welcome.)
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The day our interns started their internships for The Deaf Dream last year, I cried…a lot.
Since May 2012, I had been running as hard as possible to start a small non-profit organization. Amazing people have helped along the way–Elizabeth, Carol, John, Matt, Tory, Austin and my incredible family . But I never seemed to be able to do enough; never seemed to have enough energy to support the dreams of the amazing Deaf Dreamers I’ve met worldwide.
So when I sat down to my computer on the first day, opened up the TeamWorkPM program, and saw all the work that had been completed by the interns while I had been out, I cried and said gratitude prayers to my Heavenly Father. What an overwhelming feeling to realize we had finally reached the point where I could pass the baton to other dreamers like me!
The Deaf Dream is growing like crazy, built by the volunteer efforts of so many!
The Deaf Dream has online volunteer ASL internships for Deaf and hearing. As of January 2014, there are approximately 45 interns raising awareness and funds for Deaf Dreamers around the globe.
And we get more applications nearly everyday. APPLY HERE
What many don’t realize is that these internships can be done by anyone! We have many high school students who have committed to just 1 hour/week. We have older interns who have extra time at home now that their kids are grown. Some are fluent in ASL, some are ASL students. We have interns from the Netherlands, Australia and Canada. They write blog posts, create YouTube videos, find Deaf Dreamers worldwide and raise funds. The most incredible part is that these interns are volunteers–taking time out of their busy schedules to go outside their own little worlds and make a difference. I am stunned by the goodness of people in this world! [Learn more about Deaf Dream Internships HERE.]
LIFE CYCLE OF DEAF-FRIENDLY TRAVEL MEET DEAF TURKS AN ASL STUDENT
However, like most travelers, your pocket book is tight. How can the locals afford to travel Europe?
At the start of my summer in Europe, I planned on using planes and trains, just like every other backpacker. However, I asked locals how they travel without paying a fortune and this is what I learned:
Trains are over-rated.
Sure, it sounds nice to get a Eurail pass and hop around from country to country but it costs a fortune, especially if you’re in Europe in the summer time. If you plan ahead a bit…
[By Matthew West]
In my own little world it hardly ever rains
I’ve never gone hungry, always felt safe
I got some money in my pocket, shoes on my feet
In my own little world: population = me.
I try to stay awake during Sunday morning church
I throw a twenty in the plate but I never give ’til it hurts
And I turn off the news when I don’t like what I see
It’s easy to do when its population = me.
What if there’s a bigger picture?
What if I’m missing out?
What if there’s a greater purpose?
I could be living right now
Outside my own little world.
Stopped till the red light, looked out my window
I saw a cardboard sign said, “Help this homeless widow”
And just above that sign was the face of a human
I thought to myself, “God, what have I been doing?”
So I rolled down the window and I looked her in the eye
Oh, how many times have I just passed her by?
I gave her some money then I drove on through
And my own little world reached population = two.
What if there’s a bigger picture?
What if I’m missing out?
What if there’s a greater purpose?
I could be living right now
Outside my own little world.
Father, break my heart for what breaks Yours
Give me open hands and open doors
Put Your light in my eyes and let me see
That my own little world is not about me.
What if there’s a bigger picture?
What if I’m missing out?
What if there’s a greater purpose?
That I could be living right now.
I don’t wanna miss what matters
I wanna be reaching out
Show me the greater purpose
So I can start living right now
Outside my own little world.
My Own Little World Music Video
I don’t often use other’s words to express my feelings, but this song touched me deeply. This life is about so much more than staying in our “own little worlds”. It’s about going out, making a difference, and pushing for others’ dreams more than our own.
How grateful I am to have examples all around me of people putting aside the cares of this world for the hopes of the next. How grateful I am to meet wonderful people that grow the population of “my own little world” to more than just me. How grateful I am for the opportunity to grow The Deaf Dream, a project that I know is being guided and helped along by the divine.
Want to make a difference?
Become an Intern at The Deaf Dream
I hate to admit it, but I am kind of grateful to Thamsanqa Jantjie. Call me crazy, but he has done something for (to?) the Deaf community that seemed unattainable last week: He unconsciously brought Deaf rights to the world stage.
When else have the eyes of the world, hearing eyes most especially, been on the global Deaf community? Sure, sometimes deafness pops up in the news here and there with a publicized murder or Switched at Birth or Miss America Heather Whitestone, but this is surely one of the first times (second only to DPN) that the ENTIRE world has seen Deaf for who they are: human beings deserving the basic right of communication.
“Communication apartheid”, as stated by Braam Jordaan, was made evident at the Mandela Memorial this week. Cathy Heffernan pointed out that “poor quality sign language interpreting is a common problem.” The divide between hearing and Deaf worlds has been disclosed. How exciting is that?!?
I am saddened by the fact that Nelson Mandela’s memorial was tainted by this so called interpreter. However, I have a feeling that Mandela wouldn’t mind that his funeral marked the advent of social change for Deaf. What do you think?
Same Old Oppression Thank You Mr. Mandela! Life Cycle of an ASL Student
Just for fun, a friend of mine posted this and I thought it was hilarious. 🙂
In my rush to write about the fake interpreter yesterday, I failed to express my gratitude for a great man. He truly was a symbol to the world that oppression will not last.
I think of Nelson Mandela as more than a name, as more than a South African. I’ve been to South Africa and saw Robbin Island from the coast. I read his account and saw him as an imperfect man with big dreams stuck in a tiny cell. He made social change step-by-step with no fancy connections and no trust fund. He’s not some YouTube sensation that became popular because enough he got a lot of views. He’s not a celebrity that helps orphans with a small percentage of his income. For most of his life he was a nobody, a criminal. He spent a lifetime making a difference in the smallest of ways. I doubt he ever thought millions of people would watch his memorial when he sat, stuck in his 8X7 ft prison cell.
So, thank you Mr. Mandela. Thank you for showing the world that oppression is limited, that evil has an expiration date. And, yes, thank you for even letting your memorial be the source of social change for Deaf worldwide.
This is a beautiful poem by a Deaf South African in South African Sign Language:
I figure I should make my opinion known while the earth’s eyes are open to the Deaf world for a moment. A fake interpreter reveals a deeper, darker problem in the world at large: Deaf are still oppressed.
Destiny Yarbro
Founder & CEO
In the tumult of this week’s news, many may wonder why a fake interpreter at Nelson Mandela’s memorial was such a big deal. After all, the memorial wasn’t for Deaf people, it was for Mandela. Right?
Wrong.
Why did millions, perhaps even billions, tune in to watch the memorial this week? Nelson Mandela wasn’t just a good South African. He was a symbol to the world. He represented FREEDOM. Freedom from OPPRESSION.
How ironic, then, that a fake interpreter would attend.
The thing is, Deaf are very familiar with oppression. We have been fighting an apartheid of our own. Braam Jordaan from the World Federation of the Deaf Youth Section, was the one to ask for an “end [to] communication Apartheid”. [Read more here.]
So when a fake interpreter stood before a worldwide audience and made up gestures, he was saying…
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You’ve discovered the magic of ASL.
You’re the teacher’s pet in your class.
You watch ASL videos on YouTube like a fiend.
You even go to an occasional Deaf event.
(Well, no one said you actually had to go in and meet people…)
You know you’ve found your life calling.
But it hasn’t always been this way. You’ve paid your dues and survived the life cycle of an ASL student. It’s been a hard road getting here.
Remember your first day of class, when you looked like this…
And facial expressions didn’t come easily…
…at all…
…No matter how hard you tried.
Two hours into your class’s “Deaf Day”, you resorted to writing everything down just to achieve basic communication.
Remember the first time a Deaf person signed to you…
…and uncontrolled panic took over…
…and you couldn’t even remember how to sign “HI”…
…so you resorted to your “fail safe” sign.
When you watched two Deaf people chat, you looked like this…
And when you finally understood enough to try to join the conversation,
…you always felt like you were interrupting.
And you were terrified some Deaf person would do this…
…or this…
…so when you didn’t understand, you tried to fake it…
…and silently prayed for someone to come to your rescue.
Then, of course, there were those moments when no amount of faking would work…
…and you wondered why you took ASL in the first place.
You wanted to give up…
…even though you finally conquered one facial expression.
But then, the magical day came, when you understood your first Deaf conversation…
…and it took everything inside of you not to do this…
…or this…
…or this…
(Though you did do a happy dance when you were alone.)
So now that you’re over the hump and improving day-by-day,
though you may still have a long way to go before fluency…
And there may still be times that you still need to resort to your “fail safe” sign…
…you do it with a lot more confidence…
…and you feel like you’ve conquered the hearing world…
.and entered the Deaf world.
.gif "The Life Cycle of ASL Students, ASL Student Problems, Trouble with ASL, ASL Student Internships, The Deaf Dream, ASL GIFS")
Why You Should Hire History Majors 10 Reasons Why Deaf Cherish ASL
[The Deaf Dream organization has internships for Deaf and hearing ASL students to empower Deaf worldwide. Click here to learn more.]
We all know undergraduates with history majors are very unlikely to get employment. Forbes says history is one of the top 10 worst undergrad majors to get. Yet, we still choose history: our favorite subject, our love, our passion; and quietly hope that we’ll be one of the lucky ones who actually score a job.
The thing is: companies should hire history majors. In fact, they’re crazy not to! Here are 6 of the many reasons to take a chance on one of us lowly history undergraduates.
1. History majors love things others hate.
History majors are used to digging through dusty books in the library that have never been checked out before. We live in the creepy archives under our university. When our classmates were falling asleep in 8th grade history class, we were eagerly taking notes. Stick us in the mundane job, we’ll love it!
2. If a history major doesn’t know something, they research until they do know.
What company wants an employee who runs to the boss every time there is something new? History majors are quick learners. We are used to hard, mind-numbing research concerning every topic under the sun. But that’s a good thing, right? Companies want independent thinkers in employees who are willing to go the extra mile to learn a new skill or procedure.
3. History majors get really excited about little things. (Even when no one else does.)
Imagine combing through documents for days and finally finding a primary source that you can use to prove your thesis. Sound exciting? No? Well, to history majors, it’s huge; like break-out-into-the-hallelujah-chorus and dance like fat Monica huge. Call us crazy, but we have trained ourselves to get excited about nothing. Every company needs that kind of enthusiasm in an employee.
4. History majors have amazing memories for detail.
Call it a stereotype, but it’s true. History majors have incredible memories for dates, names and events. Whether or not we remember our father’s birthday is irrelevant, the point is we are capable of remembering enormous amounts of work-related information.
5. History majors are creative thinkers.
If you think all we history majors do is pull facts out of a book and write them down, think again. To stand out in our field, we must come up with a unique perspective on subjects studied over hundreds or thousands of years. For example, you can’t just write your thesis on the events of the Peloponnesian War or even on the weapons used in that war. You have to somehow find an unknown fact that thousands of historians throughout the ages somehow missed. No big deal.
If employers want creative thinkers, look to history majors who have to provide new perspectives on well-worn topics. We live outside the box.
6. History majors are loyal employees.
We’ll stick with your company no matter what…yes, probably because we know we’re lucky to have a job at all…and we’re desperate enough to stay at one job forever. But, the point is, if you want an employee that won’t leave the second they can, hire a history major!
I’ve done more in the last couple of weeks than the majority of my travels this year. So I decided to be a little lazy and throw some of the random activities into one blog post for those of you who enjoy posts with little flow. 🙂
1. Sarcophagi
Efe and I looking at the incredible sarcophagi.
My Turkish family recommended I go into the Museum of Archeology. To be honest, I kind of went to the museum simply to please them. No offense to America, but our archeology museums tend to be FULL of arrowheads, pottery pieces, feathers, and perhaps a weapon here and there. I was SHOCKED to walk in and see rows and rows of sarcophagi in the museum. What blew me away even more was that they weren’t covered in glass! They were standing in the open for me to examine closely. Even saw some mummies incased in glass from thousands of years before Christ! My little historian’s heart was in heaven!
My little heart was bursting! 🙂
2. Harems
Every wall covered in intricately handpainted tiles.
I don’t know why, but my travels seem to take me to harems or brothels. From China to Germany to India and now Istanbul, I’ve toured quite a few. 🙂 These were, by far, the most exotic and luxurious harems I have ever seen. Located in the Sultan’s palace, the walls were COVERED in hand painted tiles that went on for ages. Rooms and rooms were coated in carpets, couches and elegant decor. The ceilings were perhaps my favorite part because of the untouched details.
[A funny side note: I TOTALLY got lost in the harem and couldn’t find my Turkish family who were waiting outside wondering where I’d gone… Eventually, they found me wondering around one of the many courtyards. 🙂 ]
The Sultan’s Palace
RAMAZAN DINNER WITH MY TURKISH FAMILY
3. Moses’ Staff and David’s Sword
It was pretty cool to go into some of the palace and see some religious relics. I was able to see Moses’ staff that divided the Red Sea, King David’s sword, and a myriad of relics from Muhammad. Whether they are legitimate or not, the point was they have been passed down from generation to generation for quite some time and were exciting to look at.
4. Underground Labyrinths
Before I try to explain these, let me just show you a picture:
One of the most awe-inspiring experiences for me. It goes on forever and the lights make it surreal.
This is Istanbul’s Basilica Cistern: huge underground caves/aqueducts where water was kept and filtered for the entire city. It was built around the year 500 AD by 7000+ slaves of the Byzantine empire. It was SO cool and all I could think was that I wanted my family there with me to take it all in! 🙂
5. The Christian-Muslim-Cathedral-Mosque
Standing in front of the Hagia Sofia.
Built as a Eastern Orthodox cathedral in 537, the Hagia Sofia was then converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral and then to a mosque. As a result, there are Eastern Orthodox paintings of Mary and Christ next to Muslim calligraphy! Where else can you see something like that? I LOVED IT!
Efe and I inside the main hall. Behind us on the ceiling is a painting of Mary and Jesus. Also Arabic calligraphy for the mosque.
Also, there was a place where you can get good luck or blessings by seeing how far you can twist your thumb in a hole in the wall. My Turkish siblings and I did it together. 🙂
Trying to rotate our thumbs to get good luck.
6. Swimming in the Aegean Sea
Swimming in the Aegean Sea!
A week or so ago I woke up, found out we were going on a drive, grabbed my camera and a swimsuit, and 3+ hours later found myself on the Turkey/Greece border. Haha, maybe they spoke in Turkish rather than English when they let me know exactly how long this trip would be. 🙂 I just went with the flow and took lots of pictures in the meantime 😉 It ended up being a GREAT trip. They have a farm there and so we stopped by to check on their new calves. Then we made our way to the Aegean where I swam in the beautiful salty, turquoise/teal sea. The sunset was incredible.
Incredible Sunset
7. Dancing in the Streets
After Ramadan there is a 3-day holiday or Bayram. On one of these days I walked to the bank, met a Deaf Turkish family, and also watched a huge group of people join hands and begin dancing in the street. Everyone is so happy for the holiday and it was awesome to watch people who didn’t know each other previously join the circle and dance, clap, and laugh together. My friend Melissa got this great video below while we stood in the crowd and watched:
Bring Me That Horizon 