Monthly Archives: Mar 2019

Lisa Wright, centre, helps students Gwendolyn and Zac from Houston’s Down Syndrome Academy prepare a smoothie at SmooTea Cafe on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, in Houston. Helping Hand at the cafe in Houston, USA

Wow!

Today it is a special day for awesome and cool people who have a disability as I do not use the word – Down Syndrome. Give them something like a reward, a helping hand in your cafe, helping any staff in return at work. Do not be afraid of them and just be patient while they are learning in the processing of communicating with you or doing something like a photocopy, cleaning up, making a cake for you!

This morning I went to the Hamilton Central Library for NZSL games/lessons and to meet several groups of awesome young people and their support workers from the organisations. My basic teaching sign language to these people including the staff is to help them to open up and allow them to communicate with their friends, family and staff easily. Each time the group of people with disabilities came to see me at the library, and their lives were shelled and unable to communicate or to express their feelings even very shy. within 6 to 9 months later, they open up and lit up their lives more easily because they overcome the barrier of shy, able to communicate with other members instead of frustrated or temper. Of course, they become a great friendship along with their new friends and people in the library.

I created games such as bingo, learn to communicate with other people across the table in sign language and allow them to take a turn when someone can do a caller of the bingo games. The staff learn from us so they can relax and watch us by doing the games. Sometimes, we sign a song – just simple, clear and slow not too slow and they like it because it is more fun and confident to sign, sing a song and able to speak like us.

These people with difficult or behaviour or learning disabilities can do anything even to communicate, to have an impressive job or just to make friends.

Just give them a chance and allow them to work for you in a cafe, supermarket or in a family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waking up this morning and found the sky with a grey cloudy morning and light rain. It is a sign from Allah or God is sad – I am a Christain Deaf person living in Eureka, Waikato. Last Friday it was a tragedy afternoon in Christchurch, New Zealand. I received a couple of texts from one of hearing friends who work in CHCH (Christchurch), around 230pm and he was working toward the end of his shift until the tragedy started. I did my best to inform the Deaf community and the person I am supporting/assisting in Hamilton. The person is a Deaf Somalian lady live in Hamiton 8 years, and she moved here from CHCH after the violent earthquake in 2011.

The message had not gone through Facebook for the Deaf community until too late. I knew the Government staff had been working very hard to find an interpreter so the interpreter will be available on TV Broadcasting such as breaking news to everyone including the Deaf community. For me, I tried to contact this Deaf Somalian lady through Viber for I am not keen on Viber network because of the poor quality technology. I can say her name BUT a fictional name only – Mary. Mary received my video call, and we spoke through sign language late Friday afternoon. Mary was with her brother and his family in Hamiton, and she was a bit confused about the location. Mary thought the tragedy happened in overseas and I explained it happened in CHCH. Her family does not communicate in NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language) to Mary, only me and two of her good friends who are Deaf.

We made another video call last Saturday because it is essential for Mary to understand what happened and how she is feeling. She told me that all the mosques were closed for security reasons and the fear of another attack around New Zealand. I said it is okay and stay with your brother and his family if need to be safe. I spoke to Mary that she is welcome to call me by video conferencing tomorrow or leave to Monday. Then I received another video conferencing from Lahore, Pakistan – a Deaf adult “Ryan” – fictional name (for his privately) and he was my ex-student for 5 and a half years. He was asking if I see the people listed on the death or missing from Pakistan. I checked and discovered there were 9 people were killed, and 1 or 2 were injured. I came across 2 persons from Lahore and the name “Rashid” was familiar to me. But another name was also familiar – Mahmood. I just could not believe it when I check for this Deaf man of Pakistan. I signed to Ryan through video conferencing. My heart sunk for these people.

Sunday came, there was no video call from Mary while my partner and I were out for a day visiting friends of my partner in Mangkino – roughly 85 kilometres from the city of Hamilton – southeast, but more than 85 kilometres from our home. It was a lovely day for us and my mind of the tragedy set aside. On the way back home, we stopped in Te Awamutu and shopped around for my partner’s grandson’s present. We found something useful for his grandson who is 3 years old. It was a child go-kart – not the plastic type or a cheap one. We went ahead and bought it. Mmmm, there was one thing which was the postage or to deliver during our next visit to his son. The answer was to provide by a courier from Hamiton to Auckland. I helped my partner wrapped the child go-kart. I was completely forgotten about the tragedy until we turned the tv on. We were not in the mood to see all the repeating drama unfoldings and to hear the updating news. Yes, there were so many bitters, anger, frustrated and looking for an answer. Why did this happen?

Monday came today – it was a grey morning, and there was light rain in Hamilton and here. I took the parcel – go-kart to the NZ Post Shop if the NZ Courier can deliver or not? The answer from the staff for I know them over many years and his reply was too big for the NZ Courier. He suggested I can to go Mainfreight out in Te Rapa, and it is the only option. Mmm, another trip further out to Te Rapa from Hillcrest and Eureka – Why not!

Before arriving at the Mainfreight Depot Office in Te Rapa, first I went to the main reception because I could not work out where is the drop-off/pick up depot. I told the staff that I am deaf and use lip read. The staff was helpful, and she advised me to go outside the building via the visitor’s car park and follow the green line toward the back of the large building on the ground in the car park. I followed the staff’s instruction, and it was so easy… arriving inside the drop-off/pick up the office, I have to wait because there was someone in front of me, picking up his two substantial long oblong parcels. The guy on the forklift was putting the package onto the trailer which will be the risk to the owner of the containers. Mm, not my problem. I enjoyed watching them by loading and tieing up the containers to the trailer. Finally, it was my turn…My mind was focused on our parcel, not the tragedy, Mary and Ryan so far.

Walking up to the guy who did the forklift, he was at the counter, and we spoke until he stopped me. He asked me what was my name twice and I thought that was odd. He asked me if I remember Joanne (real name) and my replied yes I remember Joanne as more than 2 people in the past and present. He said Joanne was his partner and she worked at the BNZ in the days. I realised this chap is definitely linked to this Joanne where I used to work at the BNZ in the old days. It was many years ago – over 32 years…. I did not recognise him in the first place because he has plenty of grey curly hairs under his cap for he is almost the same age as me – 55 years old. After we sorted out, the parcel sends up to Auckland, and I asked him “did I change over the years or not?” His reply was simple – not really, and my face has not aged a lot. On the way home, I began to recollect the memories of my work as a deaf Bank Officer/Data entry officer at the BNZ for nearly 20 years. Joanne and I worked together for 9 years, and her partner met her there while he was a courier – not under the Mainfreight company. I recalled that he was a small time actor by wearing several costumes in a battle and one of the Hobbits in the village in the biggest selling movies – The Lords of the Ring and The Hobbits.

Arriving home and having a cuppa then a video conferencing rang, and it was Mary. I updated information about the tragedy and the latest news through sign language. I asked Mary if she is okay, sad or confuses. I learnt one sad new – a 3 years old boy killed and he was with his father and the other brother at the time of the shooting. His father and brother were okay. His family came from Somalia, and their village was closed to Mary’s mother’s village before the Somalian war. Mary’s brother spoke to me through video conferencing while I lip read him carefully. He replied that this boy, his father and the other brother were related to Mary and her brother for it was the largest families back in Somalia. Here is a lovely smiling boy from the NZ Herald- Faces of the dead, missing and injured and his name is Mucah Ibrahim. Then Ryan called me about the Rashid family from Lahore, and he said this family are planned to have the bodies return to Pakistan by Wednesday.

What a busy day for me today and hopefully tomorrow will be better BUT I have to visit Mary in the morning as it is my role as a deaf community support worker in Hamilton.