Attention, people of the world:

I just bought my first piece of propaganda!!! When I'm done with school, I'll be blogging longer, more thoughtful things. Right now this research project, work and school has me swamped. Go to another blog if you want to read something interesting. Or Ebay. Ebay always has something interesting.

And we're back online...

This blog has been out of commission for nearly a week, and blogging will continue to be light until this blogger finishes her final exams. Also, it has come to my attention that blogger.com is banned in China. There are ways around internet censorship, but just in case something doesn't work right, I'll be setting up a continuation of the blog on Livejournal or something similar. I'll continue to post here until just before I leave the US. At that time, I'll post a link to the new blog. If I find that I can still use blogger in China, I'll let you all know ASAP. I don't want to change anything if I don't have to...

I'm going to go to bed now. I'm sick; really, really, really sick. I just wanted to post this little note before I forgot or puked up my brains. This will explain everything.

It's Saturday!

This blogger spent all morning at a study abroad orientation with her school. There was probably 500 people at the orientation, with about thirty going to China. Of the thirty, I was the only one going to Chengdu. The other people I will be traveling with are all attending a later orientation. I was hoping they would all attend this morning, so we could go out to breakfast and get to know each other a little better, but no such luck. There is one student that I have been chatting with a lot. She and I seem to have much in common. We both like languages, we both secretely want to be spies, we both love to travel, and we both have an interest in sign languages. We've been discussing different places we would like to see while we are in China. My fantasy trip would be to take the Trans-Siberian railroad into Moscow at the end of the school year. I'll be buying two one-way airline tickets anyway, why couldn't one of them be from somewhere in Europe? I checked the ticket prices for the railroad; it's not too expensive if you buy them yourself. I'll have to see if I can convince her of how cool this trip would be.

The above link will take you to a website about the railroad.

Dude, that is like sooo totally gross...

It's been a few days since posting. I'm busy and stressed. Anyway, I mentioned a few weeks ago a new "friend" that I made at the bus stop. I'm not sure, but I think he may be following me. I spent all of today at school, and after finishing some homework, I decided to walk to a nearby drugstore and pick up soda and candy. I searched the aisles until I found what I was looking for, and joined the line at the counter. Behind the counter were two cashiers. I didn't bother to look up as I greeted the woman ringing up my stuff. Suddenly, the second cashier started shuffling stuff around on the counter. I glanced up. His name tag read 'My Name is Alex.' I looked at his face- it was my friend from the bus stop! He had taken a sudden interest in lining up the rolls of breathmints. I pulled my sunglasses down over my eyes, and bolted from the store. A coincidence? I'm not so sure.

Research (again!!)

Woohoo!! I just received a reply from one of my random emailings. The reply was from a woman who works at the school for the blind in Chengdu. She will be putting me in touch with a teacher at the school for the deaf. Needless to say, I am so totally excited!!!

I have found out what vaccinations I will need before taking off to China. I had to make a phone appointment with a travel nurse, who described in horrible detail all the diseases I don't want to get. She told me, and I quote, "you'll need to go to the Injection Room to get these shots."

I said, "the Injection Room? Isn't that a horror movie?"

I'll be making the appointment for my vaccinations sometime soon. I've been really busy with work and school and planning and research and friends and family and blogging and everything else. If I don't return from my visit to the Injection Room within a reasonable period of time, please send someone in to find me. And bring guns. Lots of guns.

Research

Another research update!

-I just finished sending several emails to people who are involved in deafness, sign language, and/or deaf education in China. I'll let everyone in blogland know the results of this effort as soon as I hear back.

-I have a large stack of books that I have gathered from various libraries about sign language. I just finished the first one, a book about the development of a deaf community and sign language in Nicaragua. Judy Kegl, a researcher involved in Nicaraguan Sign Language has made the assertion that NSL developed in a school for the deaf from nothing within a very short period of time. Laura Polich, the author of the book I just finished reading, challenges that view. She claims that the emergence of NSL was in fact a very long process, starting in the 1940's when the first school for the deaf was established in Nicaragua. Polich claims that a system of gestures and home signs developed at that school and was passed down to the present. She also claims that the influence of outside sign languages (ASL, Swedish Sign Language) may have played a role in the development of NSL. Why exactly NSL developed from a system of gestures to a full blown sign language in such a rapid period of time (late 1980's to early 1990's) and not before, she cannot answer.

-I finally received my copy of the book "Deaf Children in China." I'll be reading it soon.

-Several professors who are involved in my study abroad program came to my home university to meet with my class. I was unable to make the meeting, so I sent an email detailing what I will be researching. The purpose of the meeting was to allow us (the students going to China) to discuss our research topics. Upon return to China, the professors will take the information and help us find advisors and research contacts. I have pasted the email below:

"I tried to trade Thursday for Friday, but no can do. Let me know if we will have class on Friday.

Here's a short summary of what I would like to do as a research project.

Communities of deaf and hard of hearing people are found in many parts of the world. In the United States, there is a large deaf/hard of hearing community that uses American Sign Language as their primary mode of communication. Members of this community often see themselves as part of a Deaf Culture; having their own language, stories, and traditions. While studying in Chengdu, I would like to conduct a research project focusing on the prevailing view of deafness in China, and how this is reflected in deaf education. With this as my research topic, I will be looking into deaf identity (how deaf children and adults view themselves and their place within society), language and culture.

I have already contacted a consultant with the Hilton/Perkins Program, an organization that establishes and runs schools for the blind. Their website lists the Chengdu School for the Deaf and Blind as one of their model school programs. I was given the email address of a preschool teacher who teaches in the school for the blind (the school for the deaf and the school for the blind are on the same campus). I will be emailing her to find out who the best person to contact is at the school for the deaf.

I have also found a website for the Chengdu Children's Welfare Institution. It appears that the Institution's main focus is to work with mentally retarded children and orphans in need of special education. The website also has a gallery of photos, one showing a deaf child receiving speech training. I'm not sure how helpful this lead will be, but will be looking into it. On their website they list an address for the Institution in Chengdu. The website is here:

For some more background on this topic, I've provided a link to an article in the current issue of "American Annals of the Deaf." You will need to access this article from a UW linked computer, or sign in first.

Alison Callaway has written a book titled "Deaf Children in China." I will be receiving my copy in the mail soon.

There are several other people I have yet to contact, including Yang Jun Hui, a researcher involved in Chinese Sign Language. Her website is here:

I've attached the bulk of this email as a Word document. Let me know if I can provide anything else. I hope this gives the faculty from Sichuan some good background information."

I realize my research updates aren't very interesting. Sorry.

It's Friday! (cinco de mayo)

Work, work, work, work, work, sleep, work, eat, work, cram for test, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, cram for test, eat, sleep, work, research, starve, starve, starve, starve, work, margarita, work, oil change, eat, eat, eat, work, work, cram for test, research, work, sleep, sleep, sleep, margarita, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee, sleep, research, work, eat, cram for test, research, sleep, work, eat, eat, eat, margarita, coffee, deal with weirdo, eat, sleep, sleep, research, work, work, work, work, sleep, work, eat, work, cram for test, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, cram for test, eat, sleep, work, research, starve, starve, starve, starve, work, margarita, work, oil change, eat, eat, eat, work, work, cram for test, research, work, sleep, sleep, sleep, margarita, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee, sleep, research, work, eat, cram for test, research, sleep, work, eat, eat, eat, margarita, coffee, deal with weirdo, eat, sleep, sleep, research, research, blog.

Oh yeah, don't click this link. Or this one.

Hi, my name is Laura. I'll be your server today.

I spent all evening at work waiting tables. Business was slow, giving me ample time to create mischief. As I was taking an order, I looked up and saw two customers seat themselves in my section. I finished scribbling the order in my notepad, sent it to the kitchen, and headed off in the direction of my new table. Approaching, I noticed that the two customers were wearing the same outfit. They were in fact, identical twins. I said hello, and went through my customer service formalities, rambling about the evening's special and the soup du jour. Finally I asked if they were ready to order. They were, and one of the twins ordered identical meals for the two of them. They ordered the same drink, the same extra side, the same salad dressing.

Now, let me clarify things here: these are two grown men who are in their mid to late 30's, and they're wearing the same outfit??? They order the EXACT same meal??? They want the same drink??? I thought people grew out of this sort of thing when they turned twelve...

But, like I said, business was a little slow and I was feeling the need to make things interesting. I decided to play a game, a test of sorts to see which twin was the evil one. First, I made sure to give them had an uneven number of dinner rolls. I theorized that if one twin took the extra roll, he must surely be the evil one. I took the rolls out to the table, and about a minute later came by to see the results of my experiment. Not wanting to hover, I discreetly walked by, offering to fill their water glasses. I glanced at the bread basket: empty. I looked down at their bread plates: empty. Then I looked at their salad plates. On each plate sat an uneaten dinner roll, and a neatly cut half of a roll. Damn. I needed to try something else.

After they had finished their salads, I brought out the main course. With it, I brought three extra lemon wedges. Again, I came by about a minute later to see the results of my experiment. On the edge of each plate sat a lemon wedge, and a neatly cut half of a lemon wedge. I couldn't believe it! My hypothesis was sorely in need of revision.

The twins finished eating (each leaving the same size portion on the plate), and I brought the check. I was half expecting them to request a split check, but they didn't. I wished them a good evening, and they left to pay at the cash register. I watched them walk out the door, and then came to collect my tip off the table. They left me $1.00.

$1.00...???

$1.00...!!!

I wasn't too far off with my hypothesis that there must be an evil twin. It turns out there were two evil twins. My coworker laughed, she said they must have each left fifty cents.

Yet another post about China-

Sorry folks, you have to put up with me posting a lot of strange things. I'm just trying to mentally prepare myself for the upcoming year.

I'm not sure how I could live without these sort of things.