Ahh. There is another tale about my frustrations with hotels. Actually, this happened *last* year when Mark and I went to Atlanta and Myrtle Beach for a week.
In Durham, North Carolina -- Mark and I stayed at Fairfield Inn for a night. We were bit cheapskate and wanted to feast on Continental Breakfast which was free. We were pretty tired and strolled down to the area where they provided these food. I realized that the butter packets with aluminum covered were frozen. I was not in mood to struggle putting the frozen butter on a toast. I was too tired, remember?
I threw the packets into the microwave. Turned to see Mark's face in horror as I turned to see the static exploding in the microwave. I ran to get it out. Whew. It didn't burn the hotel down.
Then in Atlanta, we had a reservation at Courtyard Hotel in Midtown, a gay section of Atlanta near Downtown. Upon arriving, we were very tired and cranky. Then we entered the hotel and saw the front desk. Mark yapped as I nodded, it was obvious that we are Deaf. HELLO, EVERYONE!
At the front desk, I requested the paper and pen. One lady stared at me, then at Mark. Mark got cranky and turned his head around. I said, "Hey, paper and pen, please." She responded, "What?"
I opened my right palm as to indicate a paper and used my left hand to point on my palm to gesture a paper and pen. She still do not get it. I yelled, "PEN!"
She flicked. She gave me the pen. I said, "And?" She just stood and stared. I got irritated and started to stomp on the desk and start writing on the desk. She panicked and ran around to get the papers and gave it to me.
Then I blasted her that it was a simple gesture for me to repeat hundreds of time! She apologized profusely. Anyway, we got what we needed and rushed off to bed for the night. Suffice to say, for few days, she was terrified of me. Of course, I am the Gay Deaf Militant Terrorist.
Good riddance.
R-
Monday, July 19, 2004
Wham-Bam
Once upon a time, there was a skinny boy that came to the Hall Memorial Building Computer Lab and asked me if I want to eat some 'Shrooms and trip on it wandering around Foggy Bottom and Georgetown. I delightfully accepted his offer.
We had the funniest time together. We laughed at everything that moved. We even VEE-VEE at the airplanes descending towards the National Airport -- at one point, I told him: "Look at this tiny plane,"
He looked upwards and nodded.
I said, "Yet, it may have 200 people on it."
That was it, we laughed our heads off. Mathematics can be so illogical at times.
So here is your link, Ben -- nice to see your blog up and running.
R-
We had the funniest time together. We laughed at everything that moved. We even VEE-VEE at the airplanes descending towards the National Airport -- at one point, I told him: "Look at this tiny plane,"
He looked upwards and nodded.
I said, "Yet, it may have 200 people on it."
That was it, we laughed our heads off. Mathematics can be so illogical at times.
So here is your link, Ben -- nice to see your blog up and running.
R-
Few Miscellaneous To Whine As Always
Purple has been my favorite color all the time, though. That is why I love Amethyst. :-)
Let's talk something about the expectations. Often, Deaf leaders took over deaf schools who had been overran by cronies who happens to be hearing (yeah, right!) for years, they weathered the vicious, tenacious and arrogant cronies (the overwhelming majority of cronies are ... hearing ones), who resisted the educational reform to improve these schools. These cronies had the worst (I will not use "low") expectations for deaf students.
When I was a student at the elementary division at a deaf school (VSD), the majority of my teachers are hearing who often left us on our own to learn. Often with basic needs, but that is it. Then I entered the high school division where nearly all of high school teachers are Deaf, graduated from Gallaudet. For the first time in my life, I had the expectations. I am expected to do this, that and there. Later, when I graduated from VSD, I talked with these teachers about the elementary division. They said with a resignation tone, "You know how it is, hearing people ruled the school for years."
It is refreshing to see a former Supreme Court Justice Charles McDevitt, himself a hearing person, acknowledged that there is a "custodial" institution at Idaho School for the Deaf when Dr. Ramos attempted to reform that into a more aggressive education. Rest assured, Idaho is not the only deaf school that has the custodial atmosphere. Very few deaf schools succeeded in removing the custodial atmosphere. Many Deaf leaders faced the formidable liars in hearing cronies who had the backings of many (again, hearing) supporters in parents, government agency, school system and so on. It is human nature for hearing people to side with its peers, rather than to side with Deaf persons when it comes to the educational system.
Basically, you can see why I often had an attitude with a hearing person when they said they wanted to work in Deaf education. I'm like, "Get the fuck out of our lives." They think they knew the best means to teach, but they simply do not. The majority of them, that is. Not all, but the majority.
It is interesting to note that many Deaf students who went to a deaf school that also has a facility for blind students. These schools often comes up with *SDB like FSDB, VSDB, ISDB, WVSDB, et al. But many Deaf alumni deliberately omitted the "B" part when it comes to the conversation with each other. I do that, too. I just saw Jeff doing that.
It is interesting that Marvin Miller is working to set up a town for signers (only), will there be an ordinance where one wanted to move in, one has to prove themselves that they can sign? Cool. The name of a new town is Laurent. It will be located in McCall County, South Dakota -- about 20 miles west of Sioux Falls -- the home of the C-S-D. As you can see, Miller works with the CSD and I won't be surprised that CSD would contribute a great deal of money in Laurent, then move there from Sioux Falls.
Why Laurent? Of course, named after the nation's first Deaf teacher in Laurent Clerc.
R-
Let's talk something about the expectations. Often, Deaf leaders took over deaf schools who had been overran by cronies who happens to be hearing (yeah, right!) for years, they weathered the vicious, tenacious and arrogant cronies (the overwhelming majority of cronies are ... hearing ones), who resisted the educational reform to improve these schools. These cronies had the worst (I will not use "low") expectations for deaf students.
When I was a student at the elementary division at a deaf school (VSD), the majority of my teachers are hearing who often left us on our own to learn. Often with basic needs, but that is it. Then I entered the high school division where nearly all of high school teachers are Deaf, graduated from Gallaudet. For the first time in my life, I had the expectations. I am expected to do this, that and there. Later, when I graduated from VSD, I talked with these teachers about the elementary division. They said with a resignation tone, "You know how it is, hearing people ruled the school for years."
It is refreshing to see a former Supreme Court Justice Charles McDevitt, himself a hearing person, acknowledged that there is a "custodial" institution at Idaho School for the Deaf when Dr. Ramos attempted to reform that into a more aggressive education. Rest assured, Idaho is not the only deaf school that has the custodial atmosphere. Very few deaf schools succeeded in removing the custodial atmosphere. Many Deaf leaders faced the formidable liars in hearing cronies who had the backings of many (again, hearing) supporters in parents, government agency, school system and so on. It is human nature for hearing people to side with its peers, rather than to side with Deaf persons when it comes to the educational system.
Basically, you can see why I often had an attitude with a hearing person when they said they wanted to work in Deaf education. I'm like, "Get the fuck out of our lives." They think they knew the best means to teach, but they simply do not. The majority of them, that is. Not all, but the majority.
It is interesting to note that many Deaf students who went to a deaf school that also has a facility for blind students. These schools often comes up with *SDB like FSDB, VSDB, ISDB, WVSDB, et al. But many Deaf alumni deliberately omitted the "B" part when it comes to the conversation with each other. I do that, too. I just saw Jeff doing that.
It is interesting that Marvin Miller is working to set up a town for signers (only), will there be an ordinance where one wanted to move in, one has to prove themselves that they can sign? Cool. The name of a new town is Laurent. It will be located in McCall County, South Dakota -- about 20 miles west of Sioux Falls -- the home of the C-S-D. As you can see, Miller works with the CSD and I won't be surprised that CSD would contribute a great deal of money in Laurent, then move there from Sioux Falls.
Why Laurent? Of course, named after the nation's first Deaf teacher in Laurent Clerc.
R-
Sunday, July 18, 2004
Donna's Luau Party
I got together with few friends of mine to head out to Massapequa Park in Long Island yesterday to be part of Donna's Luau Party at her magnificent home.
By God, Donna is an excellent event planner! She could feed the United States Armed Forces on her own! We swam, chatted, drank, chatted, ate and chatted all day long. It was absolutely great to get out of Manhattan for a day.
Donna is hearing woman but she is pretty much accepted by Deaf peers mainly because she works with Deaf people, not for.
She has three sons, when Mike came out to greet himself before the party attendees, we all turned our heads and gasped in lust. Mike is to die for, my friends! All women lusted, all gay men groaned, all straight men felt awkward by the presence of Donna's son, Mike.
Ahh. Thanks for the party and Mike, Donna!
Looking forward to the next year, don't you, KB?
R-
By God, Donna is an excellent event planner! She could feed the United States Armed Forces on her own! We swam, chatted, drank, chatted, ate and chatted all day long. It was absolutely great to get out of Manhattan for a day.
Donna is hearing woman but she is pretty much accepted by Deaf peers mainly because she works with Deaf people, not for.
She has three sons, when Mike came out to greet himself before the party attendees, we all turned our heads and gasped in lust. Mike is to die for, my friends! All women lusted, all gay men groaned, all straight men felt awkward by the presence of Donna's son, Mike.
Ahh. Thanks for the party and Mike, Donna!
Looking forward to the next year, don't you, KB?
R-
Few Things To Say
When I cooked ground beef with baked beans last Wednesday, I took small bits of raw beef. It was a bad habit that my mother always scolded me from the day I could reach the "roof" of stove to snatch the raw beef. Well, karma came by and gave me painful cramps in my tummy few hours later after the feast.
I thought I had a gallbladder. Hernia! Oh, lord, a miscarriage of some sorts?! But it was a case of food poisoning. I thought I can handle it at work the next day. For a half-day, I could handle it. It became too worse for me to handle. So off to the apartment I went and languished in my bed. On Friday evening, it subsided. Thank God. Which is why I was unable to write up an entry or two.
I absolutely loved The DragonTales of PBS when I'm sick. It is so positive. So innocent. So cute.
Speaking of cuteness, when I walked home last Thursday at 2 PM, I saw three kids (1 boy, 2 girls) about 4 or 5 years old staring at the posters by the wall on Avenue B and East 13th Street in New York, they were staring at a movie named Touch of Pink ... the poster showed a guy smiling as another guy kissed him. I was stunned. The kids did not snicker, they were just staring at it while their mothers stood and talked with each other. I passed by them with a smile on my face. Such a hope for our future.
R-
I thought I had a gallbladder. Hernia! Oh, lord, a miscarriage of some sorts?! But it was a case of food poisoning. I thought I can handle it at work the next day. For a half-day, I could handle it. It became too worse for me to handle. So off to the apartment I went and languished in my bed. On Friday evening, it subsided. Thank God. Which is why I was unable to write up an entry or two.
I absolutely loved The DragonTales of PBS when I'm sick. It is so positive. So innocent. So cute.
Speaking of cuteness, when I walked home last Thursday at 2 PM, I saw three kids (1 boy, 2 girls) about 4 or 5 years old staring at the posters by the wall on Avenue B and East 13th Street in New York, they were staring at a movie named Touch of Pink ... the poster showed a guy smiling as another guy kissed him. I was stunned. The kids did not snicker, they were just staring at it while their mothers stood and talked with each other. I passed by them with a smile on my face. Such a hope for our future.
R-
You Are Finished, Chlms!
There were an episode on Will & Grace where Grace eloped with the doctor and came home. Grace told Will about it. Will was not happy that he was not included nor informed in advance about this. The whole episode ended up having Will arguing with Grace about it, but eventually, as always, they made up.
Such is inevitable that happened to me and Chlms last Thursday night.
Chlms is finished. She is hitched. First Delanne, second Rayni and now third, Chlms.
Of course, I was bit upset, but not as upset as Will, but more than baffled and flustered. Not only that, she also dropped a MOAB (Mother Of All Bombs) on me. She is pregnant. Is it me or everyone is getting pregnant and married? Must be the age thing. Give me a fucking break.
Well, I checked the pictures of Chlms and her beau. Cute. Jonathan, your VISA application has been approved. Congratulations.
Here is the odd thing: The guy I am seeing in New York is ... Jonathan.
Here are the pictures of Chlms and her beau.
Why smile so hard that you could just crack your teeth apart?
Ahh, your butt is showing, Chlms. Jonathan, your job is to take care of her. I'm done with her. Thank God!
Ahh. Here is the certificate that Chlms was sold as a slave to Jonathan.
Such is a life in this world. I knew Chlms for 13 years. She is insane girl from Conway, Arkansas. Her parents are charming fellows that I enjoyed chatted from time to time. It is remarkable that there is an open-minded folks in the midst of Arkansas countryside. Thanks for allowing me to be part of your Abrams' family.
Cheers,
R-
Such is inevitable that happened to me and Chlms last Thursday night.
Chlms is finished. She is hitched. First Delanne, second Rayni and now third, Chlms.
Of course, I was bit upset, but not as upset as Will, but more than baffled and flustered. Not only that, she also dropped a MOAB (Mother Of All Bombs) on me. She is pregnant. Is it me or everyone is getting pregnant and married? Must be the age thing. Give me a fucking break.
Well, I checked the pictures of Chlms and her beau. Cute. Jonathan, your VISA application has been approved. Congratulations.
Here is the odd thing: The guy I am seeing in New York is ... Jonathan.
Here are the pictures of Chlms and her beau.
Why smile so hard that you could just crack your teeth apart?
Ahh, your butt is showing, Chlms. Jonathan, your job is to take care of her. I'm done with her. Thank God!
Ahh. Here is the certificate that Chlms was sold as a slave to Jonathan.
Such is a life in this world. I knew Chlms for 13 years. She is insane girl from Conway, Arkansas. Her parents are charming fellows that I enjoyed chatted from time to time. It is remarkable that there is an open-minded folks in the midst of Arkansas countryside. Thanks for allowing me to be part of your Abrams' family.
Cheers,
R-
Thursday, July 15, 2004
"Wake up. It is 7:30 AM."
This happened 10 years ago in Knoxville, Tennessee. I went to NAD (National Association of the Deaf) Conference for a week. Knoxville sucks. The Sunsphere has been always closed each time I visited or passed by (5 times so far!).
However, more than 4,000 deaf people flocked to the NAD Conference at a hotel not far from the Sunsphere. I stayed at Radisson Hotel with two gals. It was fun, though.
My first night at the hotel was bit frustrating. I went to the front desk and expressed the concern about waking up at 7:30 AM but the room has the alarm clock designed for hearing people. Well, I need the vibrating equipment or flashing light to wake me up. The front desk said that so many deaf people requested the same thing and they ran it out. But they suggested that they come to the room where I stay at 7:30 AM to wake me up.
I thought it was odd but fine with me. I went off to bed. For some reasons, my guts said to wake up. I woke up at 7:45 AM. Oh, fuck. Damn the folks downstairs. I strolled to the bathroom which is right next to the door into the hallway. I noticed a white paper on the floor.
I picked it up and groaned.
It reads: "WAKE UP. IT IS 7:30 AM."
They did not enter the bedroom, they slipped the note under the door in an attempt to wake me up.
Hearing people do amaze me sometimes.
R-
However, more than 4,000 deaf people flocked to the NAD Conference at a hotel not far from the Sunsphere. I stayed at Radisson Hotel with two gals. It was fun, though.
My first night at the hotel was bit frustrating. I went to the front desk and expressed the concern about waking up at 7:30 AM but the room has the alarm clock designed for hearing people. Well, I need the vibrating equipment or flashing light to wake me up. The front desk said that so many deaf people requested the same thing and they ran it out. But they suggested that they come to the room where I stay at 7:30 AM to wake me up.
I thought it was odd but fine with me. I went off to bed. For some reasons, my guts said to wake up. I woke up at 7:45 AM. Oh, fuck. Damn the folks downstairs. I strolled to the bathroom which is right next to the door into the hallway. I noticed a white paper on the floor.
I picked it up and groaned.
It reads: "WAKE UP. IT IS 7:30 AM."
They did not enter the bedroom, they slipped the note under the door in an attempt to wake me up.
Hearing people do amaze me sometimes.
R-
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