This weekend is going to continue all the busy-ness of the week. There is a Deafness Around the World conference at Swarthmore College that I am attending. And the best part (ONE of the best parts) is that a bunch of people are coming out from Goshen! I'm so excited to see my friends and get more rejuvenation (is that a word??)!
So I'll post again next week when things are slightly less chaotic and I'll let you know how my weekend went. Talk to you then!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Coincidences
It's been a week since I last updated and a LOT has happened!
Last friday I left for Maryland to hang out with Michelle Martin and Jeff Stoez drove out from Goshen to come see us. It was great to chill for the weekend. (Even though I had work in the back of my head.) Jeff came to Philadelphia with me on Monday and we hung out a bit here in my city until he left on Wednesday. And the craziest thing happened. I was standing on the street waiting for Jeff to get on the bus and out of nowhere James Green comes running up to say hello! Behind him were Isaac and Martin and James' brother Lee. I had no idea they were going to be here and the odds of running into someone you know in a city like Philadelphia are soo slim! Needless to say I was really excited and I was able to meet up with them later and hang out. It was just what I needed. Seeing so many Goshen people in such a short period of time rejuvenated me.
Then this week was more interpreting. I did my normal college classes and slowly I'm starting to feel like I'm getting a bit better. In fact, yesterday I was in classes from 10-2:30 then I went and saw Carol Padden do a presentation at UPenn (another hour and a half). I had so much ASL all day that I dreamt about interpreting! It's the first time in a long time that ASL has been in all my dreams. It was cool, but it wasn't very restful. lol
So this week has been FULL of hanging out with people and doing work and spending any free time I have working on mid-semester papers and time logs that I need to turn in this coming Monday. WHEW! And I can't believe I have only about 4 more weeks left before I'm out of here. I haven't made ANY plans for after internship. lol. Now I gotta think about that. blah!
Okay, well, I really need to run. Thanks for reading! = )
Last friday I left for Maryland to hang out with Michelle Martin and Jeff Stoez drove out from Goshen to come see us. It was great to chill for the weekend. (Even though I had work in the back of my head.) Jeff came to Philadelphia with me on Monday and we hung out a bit here in my city until he left on Wednesday. And the craziest thing happened. I was standing on the street waiting for Jeff to get on the bus and out of nowhere James Green comes running up to say hello! Behind him were Isaac and Martin and James' brother Lee. I had no idea they were going to be here and the odds of running into someone you know in a city like Philadelphia are soo slim! Needless to say I was really excited and I was able to meet up with them later and hang out. It was just what I needed. Seeing so many Goshen people in such a short period of time rejuvenated me.
Then this week was more interpreting. I did my normal college classes and slowly I'm starting to feel like I'm getting a bit better. In fact, yesterday I was in classes from 10-2:30 then I went and saw Carol Padden do a presentation at UPenn (another hour and a half). I had so much ASL all day that I dreamt about interpreting! It's the first time in a long time that ASL has been in all my dreams. It was cool, but it wasn't very restful. lol
So this week has been FULL of hanging out with people and doing work and spending any free time I have working on mid-semester papers and time logs that I need to turn in this coming Monday. WHEW! And I can't believe I have only about 4 more weeks left before I'm out of here. I haven't made ANY plans for after internship. lol. Now I gotta think about that. blah!
Okay, well, I really need to run. Thanks for reading! = )
Friday, February 22, 2008
FYI:
Driving stick shift is hard. And frustrating to learn. I'm gonna need a few days before I can go back to it. Grrr...
The Week in Review
I've tried to write in here a few times, but I don't really feel like I have too much to say. Or maybe I just don't know how to say it.
This week was an okay week. I interpreted a few times and one time was a struggle. It was a conversation and conversations are just so hard for me. A lot of back and forth. The other time I interpreted was for a class. It was difficult but I think I did pretty well. The feedback I got from the interpreters there was encouraging and motivating. There are still so many things I want to change about myself: the way I interpret, the way I live my life, my relationships with people, sometimes it feels like I need to change everything. = P
The end of this week marks the halfway point of this whole experience. These last few weeks seem to have dragged by and so much has happened. Good things and bad things. Bad things: not being able to find people to work with when I started (getting rejected by interpeters, etc), feeling unwanted overall, feeling not ready to be here, etc. Good things: being home and getting to see my friends, digging deep and finding courage to keep going despite discouraging and frustrating occurances (like parting ways with one of my mentors). And there's more to come in the next 5 weeks!
I'm taking Monday off because I deserve it and because I have the opportunity to see Michelle and Jeff! We are converging in Maryland (I'm actually already here) and spending the weekend hanging out. I go back on Monday and those two get to hang out even longer. It should be refreshing and chill. And I may not sound excited, but I am. I think I've just been so focused on doing my work that I haven't even really taken the time to realize that it's happening. So I better get with the program before this passes me by! I'm gonna go do that! Thanks for reading!
This week was an okay week. I interpreted a few times and one time was a struggle. It was a conversation and conversations are just so hard for me. A lot of back and forth. The other time I interpreted was for a class. It was difficult but I think I did pretty well. The feedback I got from the interpreters there was encouraging and motivating. There are still so many things I want to change about myself: the way I interpret, the way I live my life, my relationships with people, sometimes it feels like I need to change everything. = P
The end of this week marks the halfway point of this whole experience. These last few weeks seem to have dragged by and so much has happened. Good things and bad things. Bad things: not being able to find people to work with when I started (getting rejected by interpeters, etc), feeling unwanted overall, feeling not ready to be here, etc. Good things: being home and getting to see my friends, digging deep and finding courage to keep going despite discouraging and frustrating occurances (like parting ways with one of my mentors). And there's more to come in the next 5 weeks!
I'm taking Monday off because I deserve it and because I have the opportunity to see Michelle and Jeff! We are converging in Maryland (I'm actually already here) and spending the weekend hanging out. I go back on Monday and those two get to hang out even longer. It should be refreshing and chill. And I may not sound excited, but I am. I think I've just been so focused on doing my work that I haven't even really taken the time to realize that it's happening. So I better get with the program before this passes me by! I'm gonna go do that! Thanks for reading!
Monday, February 18, 2008
The way it is
Hello. It's Monday morning and my plans to interpret today got cancelled again. I guess it'll be a professional development day. I wish I could go to the library, but it's President's Day. Boo. Everything's closed.
Other than that, things with me have been interesting. Frustrating. I'm pretty set on staying in Philadelphia. I think it may be the wrong choice, but I feel like it's the only one I can make. *shrug*
Yesterday was Deaf Church. My third time being there. And it was the best time so far. The people are starting to be familiar and conversation comes just a bit easier.
The other thing that has been good is seeing my friend Mary. I've been able to voice some of my fears and frustrations to her, not looking for answers or solutions, but just able to say them aloud and therefore release some of their power. It was healing. And we laughed and made plans for our lives well into our 80s. And I could breathe. It was nice. = )
Other than that, things with me have been interesting. Frustrating. I'm pretty set on staying in Philadelphia. I think it may be the wrong choice, but I feel like it's the only one I can make. *shrug*
Yesterday was Deaf Church. My third time being there. And it was the best time so far. The people are starting to be familiar and conversation comes just a bit easier.
The other thing that has been good is seeing my friend Mary. I've been able to voice some of my fears and frustrations to her, not looking for answers or solutions, but just able to say them aloud and therefore release some of their power. It was healing. And we laughed and made plans for our lives well into our 80s. And I could breathe. It was nice. = )
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Hmmm...
This is the third time I've gotten cancelled on this week. For various reasons, all good ones. It's just a little...interesting? I guess that's a vague enough word.
Quick question, has anyone of you done an internship before? Good experiences? Bad experiences? I have some quick questions I want to ask you if you have internship experience. Like, what is the point of an internship? Send me an email and I'll send you some questions. Thanks.
Currently, I'm dealing with lots of pessimistic feelings towards this internship and towards life in general. I'm not sure how to be eloquent about that so I'll just say it. That's pretty much the only update right now. That and Hilary (that wonderful woman on internship in Belize - orangewalking.blogspot.com) has been kind enough to let me use her car which I should be picking up this weekend. Will be nice to have that mode of transportation. I'll have to learn how to drive stick shift. Should be fun.
Quick question, has anyone of you done an internship before? Good experiences? Bad experiences? I have some quick questions I want to ask you if you have internship experience. Like, what is the point of an internship? Send me an email and I'll send you some questions. Thanks.
Currently, I'm dealing with lots of pessimistic feelings towards this internship and towards life in general. I'm not sure how to be eloquent about that so I'll just say it. That's pretty much the only update right now. That and Hilary (that wonderful woman on internship in Belize - orangewalking.blogspot.com) has been kind enough to let me use her car which I should be picking up this weekend. Will be nice to have that mode of transportation. I'll have to learn how to drive stick shift. Should be fun.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Another beginning
I'm starting week four tomorrow and I still feel like I'm trying to figure things out. Maybe that is part of the reason why I feel so tired and not excited. Because it still feels so up in the air.
I just feel like I'm going to mess up. I've had opportunities to interpret and I'm just so scared of doing it. I'm trying to make myself do it in spite of that, but well, I guess I just want to be good at it already. I just feel like I mess up so much. And I'm kind of tired of getting things wrong all the time. I wish I had more support out here. For times such as this.
But anyway, I gotta go to bed so I can get on the bus at 7 in the morning to get on the subway to get on a train to arrive by 8:25 to get in a car and ride with the interpreter I am working with to arrive by 9. (I bet this appointment won't equal even half my traveling time.)
******EDIT******
I ended up getting a ride that morning, which is a shorter ride, but of course it was only like 20 degrees if not lower when we tried to leave and the car wouldn't start so I was going to end up being late. Wonder of God's wonders, it turned out the student I was going to interpret for had decided not to go to class. It worked out.
I just feel like I'm going to mess up. I've had opportunities to interpret and I'm just so scared of doing it. I'm trying to make myself do it in spite of that, but well, I guess I just want to be good at it already. I just feel like I mess up so much. And I'm kind of tired of getting things wrong all the time. I wish I had more support out here. For times such as this.
But anyway, I gotta go to bed so I can get on the bus at 7 in the morning to get on the subway to get on a train to arrive by 8:25 to get in a car and ride with the interpreter I am working with to arrive by 9. (I bet this appointment won't equal even half my traveling time.)
******EDIT******
I ended up getting a ride that morning, which is a shorter ride, but of course it was only like 20 degrees if not lower when we tried to leave and the car wouldn't start so I was going to end up being late. Wonder of God's wonders, it turned out the student I was going to interpret for had decided not to go to class. It worked out.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
The Title
The title "Chocolate In The Morning" comes from a song on Mandy Moore's new CD 'Wild Hope.' The song is called "Can't You Just Adore Her?" and the first two lines of the song are:
"She likes chocolate in the morning.
She drinks her coffee late at night."
You can look up the lyrics (or even the song) if you want. But that's not what you came here for. Let's get to it. = )
I've been on internship for almost 3 weeks now. My major is American Sign Language/English Interpreting. My internship is basically to get out into the real world of interpreting and spend time observing, learning and actually interpreting to get some life experience. So far I've been observing and interpreting in college classes and spending most of my time making contacts of more people I can work with.
The first 2 weeks here were pretty horrible, for a lot of reasons that would take too long to go through. (That's part of the reason I didn't start this blog until now. The first posts would all be sad and frustrated.) I'm semi-past that feeling now. (Yay!) I'm starting to find interpreters who I can tag along with and learn from which has been one of the most difficult parts. But it's starting to come together a little bit and I'm actually looking forward to an event this weekend at The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (PSD). It's called Kenya Safari Acrobat something-or-other and it sounds great! = )
Well, it's only Thursday and I need to get to sleep so that I can get up and go tomorrow. Byes!
**happy birthday Michelle!**
"She likes chocolate in the morning.
She drinks her coffee late at night."
You can look up the lyrics (or even the song) if you want. But that's not what you came here for. Let's get to it. = )
I've been on internship for almost 3 weeks now. My major is American Sign Language/English Interpreting. My internship is basically to get out into the real world of interpreting and spend time observing, learning and actually interpreting to get some life experience. So far I've been observing and interpreting in college classes and spending most of my time making contacts of more people I can work with.
The first 2 weeks here were pretty horrible, for a lot of reasons that would take too long to go through. (That's part of the reason I didn't start this blog until now. The first posts would all be sad and frustrated.) I'm semi-past that feeling now. (Yay!) I'm starting to find interpreters who I can tag along with and learn from which has been one of the most difficult parts. But it's starting to come together a little bit and I'm actually looking forward to an event this weekend at The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (PSD). It's called Kenya Safari Acrobat something-or-other and it sounds great! = )
Well, it's only Thursday and I need to get to sleep so that I can get up and go tomorrow. Byes!
**happy birthday Michelle!**
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