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Dear whoever stumbles upon this note,
Last Saturday at a coffeeshop, when I was preoccupied drawing a compulsive artwork (still not even close to finish by now), my two accompanying friends handed me a small card. Written on one side was a short message on Indonesian, on the other English. It says (something like this): “Hi, I’m deaf and mute… and bla bla bla… souvenir… bla bla bla… helping… bla bla bla… Rp.20.000… bla bla bla. Thank you” (bla-bla-blas added by the nonmultitasking, preoccupied author).
All I got is deaf and mute. I looked higher to my friends about to ask what it was and, to my surprise, found a girl sitting near us, apparently have had joined our table. Still preoccupied with some elements of the previous compulsion, my attention-limited mind tried to made the math of the situation: she is the deaf-mute, the bag on the her right arm are the souvenirs, priced for Rp.20.000.
I have been a fan of human intelligence --creativity, arts, tool invention, culture, and the sorts-- for as long as I can remember. Language has been on the top of the list, and sign language and the culture than come along with it have been on a reserved special spot.
Seventeen years ago, lack of learning materials, I learned sign language watching a TV series Reasonable Doubt. I made my own picture dictionary, illustrating more than 100 words the main characters --the deaf lawyer and signing detective-- signed. It brushed my drawing skill more it did my language skill. I got my first sign language dictionary at a used book store. It was in an extreme, inappropriate condition when I found it and is still in my over protective possession, more as a memento than a resource. Come Amazon.com and I made sign language dictionary one of my earliest purchases. Come YouTube and the earliest search I made was sign language. To present day, I subscribe to more than thirty channels belong to deaf users, checking up on a regular basis for the stories they have to share and songs they interpret (awesome stuff!).
I have stumbled upon numerous friends who found signing is interesting and asked me to teach them. Even after convincing them that I was nowhere near a qualified source, they still managed to coerce me to say yes. And so I shared them what I know. The self-guilt of teaching them false signs and grammar I paid by putting in their heads the amazing human mind and the culture that goes naturally with it that the deaf people possess. I made sure they get it, and so when their days of finding sign language interesting have passed, I can assure myself that the days they realized the deafs are amazing will not.
In the coffee shop, all I got is “deaf and mute” and I was excited. Very excited. But my introversion kicked in hard. I muted (that’s a error right there, but in the spirit of just-get-on-with-it, I’m getting on with this). I didn’t say anything. All I did to show I’m interested was taking out Rp.20.000 and take one of the souvenirs (it’s now tied to my shoulder bag). She moved along after honoring us with a gratitude gesture, not a sign. I should have signed thank you, but I didn’t. The way home that night was filled with me being unable find excuse for my being stunted.
Had I signed that ‘thank you’, this note would have been about me having a conversation with a deaf girl. With my limited signing skill, we would have probably written our talks back and forth with my iPad. Wouldn’t that make a much more interesting note, better yet, an iPad advertisement? (nah, the conversation alone would be as much interesting). Even if the whole deaf and mute thing was a scam, me being duped would still make a much more interesting story than this one.
I’m planning to go back to the place, hoping for the luck of bumping into her again. Chances are slim, so I’m asking you, whoever you are who kindly reading this note, a favor. If you happen to be around Pondok Indah Mall and got approached by a deaf and mute girl who fits my story, please tell her that I would like to learn everything there is about sign language and deaf mind WITH ALL DUE RESPECTS, please emphasis on: WITH ALL DUE RESPECTS. Tell her my name is adih and my cell number is 0818120241 and I’m not dangerous.
If I’m lucky, then you will be reading a note about me learning sign language and deaf mind from a deaf girl.
Anyway, thank you for reading.
Sincerely
Adih
Last Saturday at a coffeeshop, when I was preoccupied drawing a compulsive artwork (still not even close to finish by now), my two accompanying friends handed me a small card. Written on one side was a short message on Indonesian, on the other English. It says (something like this): “Hi, I’m deaf and mute… and bla bla bla… souvenir… bla bla bla… helping… bla bla bla… Rp.20.000… bla bla bla. Thank you” (bla-bla-blas added by the nonmultitasking, preoccupied author).
All I got is deaf and mute. I looked higher to my friends about to ask what it was and, to my surprise, found a girl sitting near us, apparently have had joined our table. Still preoccupied with some elements of the previous compulsion, my attention-limited mind tried to made the math of the situation: she is the deaf-mute, the bag on the her right arm are the souvenirs, priced for Rp.20.000.
I have been a fan of human intelligence --creativity, arts, tool invention, culture, and the sorts-- for as long as I can remember. Language has been on the top of the list, and sign language and the culture than come along with it have been on a reserved special spot.
Seventeen years ago, lack of learning materials, I learned sign language watching a TV series Reasonable Doubt. I made my own picture dictionary, illustrating more than 100 words the main characters --the deaf lawyer and signing detective-- signed. It brushed my drawing skill more it did my language skill. I got my first sign language dictionary at a used book store. It was in an extreme, inappropriate condition when I found it and is still in my over protective possession, more as a memento than a resource. Come Amazon.com and I made sign language dictionary one of my earliest purchases. Come YouTube and the earliest search I made was sign language. To present day, I subscribe to more than thirty channels belong to deaf users, checking up on a regular basis for the stories they have to share and songs they interpret (awesome stuff!).
I have stumbled upon numerous friends who found signing is interesting and asked me to teach them. Even after convincing them that I was nowhere near a qualified source, they still managed to coerce me to say yes. And so I shared them what I know. The self-guilt of teaching them false signs and grammar I paid by putting in their heads the amazing human mind and the culture that goes naturally with it that the deaf people possess. I made sure they get it, and so when their days of finding sign language interesting have passed, I can assure myself that the days they realized the deafs are amazing will not.
In the coffee shop, all I got is “deaf and mute” and I was excited. Very excited. But my introversion kicked in hard. I muted (that’s a error right there, but in the spirit of just-get-on-with-it, I’m getting on with this). I didn’t say anything. All I did to show I’m interested was taking out Rp.20.000 and take one of the souvenirs (it’s now tied to my shoulder bag). She moved along after honoring us with a gratitude gesture, not a sign. I should have signed thank you, but I didn’t. The way home that night was filled with me being unable find excuse for my being stunted.
Had I signed that ‘thank you’, this note would have been about me having a conversation with a deaf girl. With my limited signing skill, we would have probably written our talks back and forth with my iPad. Wouldn’t that make a much more interesting note, better yet, an iPad advertisement? (nah, the conversation alone would be as much interesting). Even if the whole deaf and mute thing was a scam, me being duped would still make a much more interesting story than this one.
I’m planning to go back to the place, hoping for the luck of bumping into her again. Chances are slim, so I’m asking you, whoever you are who kindly reading this note, a favor. If you happen to be around Pondok Indah Mall and got approached by a deaf and mute girl who fits my story, please tell her that I would like to learn everything there is about sign language and deaf mind WITH ALL DUE RESPECTS, please emphasis on: WITH ALL DUE RESPECTS. Tell her my name is adih and my cell number is 0818120241 and I’m not dangerous.
If I’m lucky, then you will be reading a note about me learning sign language and deaf mind from a deaf girl.
Anyway, thank you for reading.
Sincerely
Adih
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:')
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