When I stand before thee at the day’s end, thou shalt see my scars and know that I had my wounds and also my healing. – Rabindranath Tagore
Waking up each morning to see the garden through open windows
“The sun shall always rise upon a new day and there shall always be a rose garden within me. Yes, there is a part of me that is broken, but my broken soil gives way to my wild roses.” ― C. JoyBell C.
Reflecting on the afternoon of the result of the people involved and assistance at the accident site three weeks ago. I was talking to my pastor (colleagues at work) this morning. He asked me how I am faring through daily life, saying that my strength builds up very slowly. Because when I travel out to work and visit the persons, I am supporting by leaving the intersection where the accident took place from our home, which is next to this site.
”Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” – Helen Keller.
Some days I am okay, and other days, I am quiet and reserve my time out in the garden with our three dogs. Our dogs are brilliant, keep me company and comfortable to stand beside me. My partner is great support for he went through the same experience as a motorbike accident and crashed into a large tree. When I found my time to do reading books, tidying up the work at home office, doing jigsaw puzzles online, I do the blog by writing down as a way of philosophy which I love.
”Meditation can help us embrace our worries, our fear, our anger; and that is very healing. We let our own natural capacity of healing do the work.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
Found this card from my brother in my home office recently. This picture of a duck bought humour.
Mindfulness mediation is an excellent way to do this way…
“Right at the depth of the human condition, lies the longing for a presence, the silent desire for a communion. Let us never forget that this simple desire for God is already the beginning of faith.”
Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
(Thank you, J. C. for this verse, and this is a good one. Because she went through the same experience – witnessed someone killed in front of her happened quickly in the past.)
If any of you like me got involved with assistance to many shock and injuries people from the serious car accidents, life would not be the same as before. Everyone’s lives go on as usual daily commutes in the rural from the city of Hamilton or other places. We witnessed two people who have died there – a 10 weeks old baby and a young mother, and our memories are raw and never goes away. At the moment, the sound of the car/truck/motorbikes traffics passing beside our property remain the same noise, and there are many different vibrations of the speed by the drivers who are driving the vehicles continuously over a period of time; always remind me and our neighbours through daily reunite Our families recently have newborn babies – one was born in late December 2021, just under 10 weeks old, and the second was born last month. My partner became a grandfather eight times, and I became a great-grandaunt for the seven-time.
“In a time of trial, we can sometimes latch onto a verse from a psalm or from the gospel as to a life preserver. And perhaps the more the words we are using are simple and direct, the more helpful they are. One person may say: “The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear ?” Another will remember the words Jesus spoke during the storm on the lake: “It is I. – Do not be afraid.” Each one of us perhaps can think of a text that provided support in a time of need.” from Brother Emile to Brother Roger – Taizé.”
My favourite times are spending solitary hours in the garden, reading books and the Bible, spending time with my partner and three dogs, and talking to the people/the pastor I trust at the workplace, my neighbour who is a Christian and my family. Our three dogs are the best comforters, keep company and stay by stay to ensure I am okay. I spend time writing notes, blogs and stories in my own time. I came across my note mark from the book I was reading many years ago for someone who lost a grandfather. Here is the quote from Mother Theresa.
“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… the more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life. We need silence to be able to touch souls. The essential thing is not what we say, but what God says to us and through us. All our words will be useless unless they come from within—words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness.” – Mother Theresa, Something Beautiful for God, p. 48
This morning, a little girl of my neighbour who was with me to witness the accident came over and suggested, “Why not grow sunflowers in our field?” She wrote it down in her own handwriting so I could read. there are three different ones –
“If Sunflowers Grow in Heaven Lord, please pick a bunch for me. Place them in ……’s arms and tell … they are from me. Tell… that I love and miss … and when she turns to smile, Place a kiss upon her cheek, and hold her for a while. Because remembering her… is easy, I do it everyday. But there is an ache within my heart that will never go away….. Names of the person/people passed away can be add and the date/year underneath this quote” This quote is familiar to me, but I have not seen this one for such a long time.
“And that will be heaven,
At last, the first unclouded seeing,
To stand like the sunflower
Turned full face to the sun
Drenched with light
In the centre held
While the circling planets
hum with joy.
Seeing and knowing
At last, in every particle
Seen and known
And not turning away
Never turning away again.”
The last quote, I know this one as well.
“Keep your face to the sunshine, and you cannot see the shadow,
it’s what sunflowers do. Helen Keller”
Mm, I spoke to my partner about this little girl’s request, and he said, “Why not, because I (partner) know and believe you (Jean) loves sunflowers along with flowers in the garden.” That is a brilliant idea, and I will start planning this after our Deaf Christian Fellowship this afternoon.
One of our field will be decide for the sunflowers section.
Since a week ago, Tuesday has been the first day of the second month, and it is more complicated to move forward by looking out through the windows. But to see the temporary road speed signages standing on the edge of the roadside is a constant reminder of two people who died as a result of a severe cars accident. The Police and the Investigation team are still working on the accident site. Two people’s names were released through Police’s email and in the Waikato Times newspapers last Thursday.
From our kitchen windowFrom our laundry room
“Time has stopped. How can it possibly carry on when the sudden loss of my loved one has overcome me? Darkness fell. Where is the light they brought each day and the warmth of their embrace? Joy buried. My heavy heart feels empty, lonely, frozen by the fragility of life taken. And yet I still come to you Lord in this timeless, dark and frozen place where my heart resides. Time stopped when you took your final cry, your last breath of great suffering. Darkness fell, as your Father had to turn, to wait, to suffer a separation from you his beloved son. Joy buried with you in the tomb, hopeless, finished cold. And yet I know that you arose from that heartless, lonely and frozen place. You rose to life and extinguished the power of death. Thank you that my loved one has arisen with you into heavens glorious light. Thank you that right now they are alive in this place of incomparable beauty and eternal love. Lord Jesus, in you I trust. Amen.”
The main road is a state highway between Hamilton to Tauranga, Te Aroha, or other villages. We notice many different drivers in cars, tankers, transport trucks, couriers, motorbikes travelling between 100 km and 120km. The road code states that anyone must reduce the speed when driving near the curve bend and not overtake any vehicles. There is a stop intersection from the rural road before the state highway road. A stop sign means to stop and check for clear of traffic coming and move onto the state highway road. The last accident was not severe approximately three years ago. It was further up the state highway road in the early morning hour. Nobody was injured, and the drivers were shocked, except one of the vehicles hit our previous dog and killed the dog.
We have travelled back to Hamilton three times since a week ago, except my partner go out to work and travel home five days a week. There was nothing usual but seeing the temporary speed signs up on the roadsides bought the memory of my afternoon at the accident site. And to see a family with a two-month-old baby in the shopping centre. Yes, it is bare a raw scar memory that will remain in my heart and thought; my neighbours have this memory too. Of course, many drivers who travel past here were not aware of a severe accident by their driving speeds since the accident.
My newfound cousin who lives near here decided to rally or meet at our local hall as a neighbour. The foursome of the neighbours (cousin, farmhand staff, neighbour and I) combine as one team and invite councillors, MPs, Land Transport New Zealand manager, Police and local community for the public meeting. Time will tell as long we are not giving up. My family and close friends know me as a deaf with disabilities advocator. They think I will do this action plan with the neighbours in our local community as a deaf with disabilities/local person advocator here.
“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” — Helen Keller
Regarding the families who have lost their loved ones, we, local neighbours, emergency staff, and Police, worked hard to do our best to assist on the road.
I was out working and had one physio appointment in the city of Hamilton yesterday morning (1/2/2022). After my physio, I popped to New World to get my partner’s basic grocery and lotto tickets. Heading home along the State Highway 26, from Newstead, the traffic of the cars pass too quickly and overtake for some reason. Every day, it had been like this I went to work or came home from work for a while. But yesterday it was different, and I got home at last. I made a late lunch after 1.30pm and let our dogs out for their run. I went into my home office and was just about to sit down while looking outside; Jazz, the dog, came back with a concerned look, and I heard a thunderous bang and crashed out there. I looked outside from the field while calling our young dog to come home. Oh shit, a serious cars accident at the intersection.
From Jean’s mobile camera 1/2/2022
I called our dogs to come back inside, grabbed my mobile phone, which had emergency text direct to 111TEXT (Emergency Services) and put on my gumboots. Out of the door, and close the door to prevent our dogs escaped from the house.
Prior arrived at the accident site by foot walking, my neighbour was standing at the driver’s side where another local woman was talking calming to the injured mother who was the driver. I noticed the male person presumed a partner or a husband of the injured mother trying to hold the head, and I called out not to move the mother’s head. I spoke to the woman aware I have First Aid and Health and Safety Representative skills. There was unexpectedly to see the young baby, approximately 2-3 months old and unresponsive, in the baby car seat in the back seat. Not many words to say except whisper quietly to my neighbour. A black car that flipped side up and burned away into flame. The workers of the transport trucks from the other side of the road put out the ignited flame by the fire extinguisher.
I walked around the accident site to check everything in order while motorists made mobile calls to the emergency services and other businesses or friends. Mind you, I am a deaf owner who lives near this accident site. I returned to the car, a young family, until emergency service arrived. Polices arrived first, followed by ambulances and fire engines and reported to them. My neighbour and I waited at the spot where our rural mailboxes are next to the field owned by us. I am not keen to type more details here. We witnessed everything from the start to the end. We are still trying to work out how the three cars accident happened, and we did not see the accident happen. The local woman and her husband were travelling behind these cars. They witnessed the accident. The transporter truck from the other side noticed too. It happened quickly.
The road was blocked for several hours, and I texted my partner about this accident. I suggest he come home on the back road from Ruakura, where he works at the Waikato Expressway Motorway. I went back home and continued eating late lunch and drinking my cold coffee. I texted my sister, mother, two bosses and of course, my partner.
My partner came home early via the back road and cuddled me, knowing I was okay and in disbelief over the accident. Then I got an email from the Police centre saying two people died, leaving two other people moderately injured and one person injured.
I did not sleep much that night and the morning came, I decided to stay home. Three local neighbours texted me about having the blessing at the accident site in the morning. I texted my fourth neighbour about this. We talked about the accident, so we recapped the previous afternoon. Then the blessing took place and placed flowers at the accident site. Except for the fourth neighbour, we walked back to one neighbour’s house for a cuppa.
Currently, there are several speed signs set up at the main State Highway road 26 and the road where we are living. We are trying to get back to our regular routine, and the memory of this accident will remain permanently in my mind, the neighbours’ minds.
Too many young drivers/young generations choose to ignore the speed, overtake or pass the car at the bend intersection, failing to slow down. Yes, other young people behave the same when driving along the State Highway road. We, local people, will be calling for a local area meeting and discuss with the MPs, our local councillor, Waikato District Council staff, Police and the Land Transport New Zealand Authority staff about the plan to reduce the speed.
There are two articles printed in the Waikato Times. See the link as follow here. Note in the second article that a first man arrived at the site, mentioned, “He said maize obscured the view of people coming around the corner from Morrinsville and turning into Hinton Rd.” He did not live here long, as he said four years. My partner and I have lived for more than 6 years, along with our neighbours. It may not cause by the maize obscured the view. We assumed the speed factor made the severe impact of damage to all cars and failed to watch the oncoming vehicle by slowing down if anyone could not see. We do not have the answer for this accident, only the survivors, Police and Traffic Accident Investigation team will tell.
Our dogs are great comfort and company and they stay beside me by checking me in my home office and around the garden. Our dogs are loyals to us.
One day, two young children walked down the private road, passing our home to the rural mailboxes. The children’s names are Victoria and Charley, and they live with their parents – a father as a farmhand worker and a mother as a housewife/part-time worker across the road from us. Charley said, ‘Cor blimey’ when they opened the mailbox door flap and found a mess of straw flattened down. Victoria said, ‘ what on earth is that?’
Let run back and tell mum and dad; off they ran home, passing me in the car arrived home in our driveway. I wonder what the children running back in such a hurry. That is not usual for them to run back quickly.
The next few days by, I was outside doing the pruning deadhead roses near the rural mailboxes. Victoria waved in front of me, for she knew I was deaf. Charley was saying something and pointing at their bright red rural mailbox. Mm, I began to chuckle by knowing it would happen every year. I realised they were not living here for a long time as they and their parents moved recently. I went over via the gate of our driveway and walked up to our mailboxes. Charley and Victoria were afraid to open the flap of the mailbox. I placidly to them by carefully opening the flap door to disturb any baby birds inside the mailbox. Ahh, yes, definitely three tiny baby birds are hugging together quietly.
Charley and Victoria peeped to look at the baby birds quietly. Ohh, cor blimey, awe came out from their voices. I assure them and remind them to check daily when their dad comes home from farming.
Day by day, Charley and Victoria love peeping to see the baby birds growing, BUT one day Charley came to see me when I came home from work. Where are the baby birds now? What happening? Did the wrong people take them away? I found it was amusing to see Charley worry about the baby birds, and it repurchased my childhood memory. Victoria came along in a hurry to see what the fuss was about and felt sad that there were no baby birds in the nest. Oh, Charley, they grow big – remember them when you and Victoria watched every day, and now they flew out from the nest as they were strong enough to fly out to explore over many farms.
Mind you, Charley and Victoria, there will be another birds nest next year sitting in the same bright red mailbox. Victoria told Charley, Better tell mum not to move and sweep the grass bits, straw bits and rubbish papers out of their mail box. Charley said, ‘well dad said it is nusiance and bird nests taking over everywhere.’ I chuckled at them quietly and assured them that we have plenty of bird nests in our many tall trees and make loud noises where our dogs hear them. If you look up high and spies carefully where the hidden nests shelter between branches where mother birds fly in. Thank you, Jean, and off Charley and Victoria went home peacefully by knowing the baby birds are adults now.
This Labour Weekend was shocking, disheartening, and frustrating for everyone in Eureka, partially Newstead and Tauwhare. Everyone, including dairy farmers who collect data numbers from cow tags during milking hours, was unable to use WIFI, broadband internet and landline – copper lines over 48 hours today. This incident happened on a Saturday at 2.25 pm without warning and cut everyone off from contacting or using the internet by watching Netflix, playing internet games and social media. I could not work from home during Level 3 to keep in touch with D/deaf people, disabled people and email reports out. Using my work mobile was no help because of the Gb size and data Gb to check on social media, work, and personal email accounts. I was able to text the people I am supporting from my work mobile because I have a job to do for Sunday afternoon.
Spark NZ and Chorus NZ were not helping because Spark NZ gave everyone a 20Gb data promise, and the lack of communication from Chorus was not very helpful. First, the Chorus staff said there was a malfunction at the local where there is a cable line station last Saturday evening. They promised us to hope to hopefully restore within 24 hours, which is due yesterday afternoon. Time past Sunday afternoon, I got home from working as a deaf essential specialised worker for a Deaf CP elderly man for his grocery. Nothing happened as the Chorus team promised. They failed to deliver the restoration to everyone here. I used my work mobile to check email accounts, Chorus outages and Facebook. I came across several comments in our local community that one person was missing Netflix, and she does not know how to use the standard television programme. I told my partner about this comment, and we found it hard to believe this person does not use ordinary television other than Netflix channels. Many of my neighbours were finding frustrated and posted comments on the Facebook local page.
Then my work mobile was unable to use overnight because it would not shut down or reboot without warning. I was planning to clear cache from internet history and delete photos and videos. I could not send out or receive texts from my work mobile, and I was annoyed with this.
I used my partner’s mobile to check our email account, the Chorus outage, and a quick look at the NZ Herald. Nothing is exciting apart from too much news about COVID-19 and cases increasing in Greater Auckland, two new cases in Waikato.
Today is Monday; my partner rang Chorus staff and told me that Chorus staff found the problem with the copper lines. The copper lines will restore today… Mm, I’m afraid I have to disagree with them. My work mobile is not working at all. The next step is we are waiting for the Spark NZ hour and ring them if the shops are opening during Level 3 in Chartwell or in other areas where it is Level 2 is open or not. Why? My work mobile needs to be sorted out or need replacing for me to continue to work through Level 3 with the disabled people and D/deaf people through every level as a deaf essential specialised worker. The weather was not great as we have been partially unable to do the gardening and outdoor works during the wet miserable weather for the last three days. The hours I worked for one and a half only during Level 3, I went out to Hamilton city for the Deaf CP elderly man, and the weather was cloudy yesterday (Sunday). This morning came at 945am, and my partner rang Spark NZ to check any shops open on public holidays. Not one in Chartwell Westfield Mall, only in Cambridge, but it requires booking and going in to sort out my work mobile today or tomorrow. It is not helping because there is an appointment for one Deaf Somalian lady to visit her new GP and the interpreter. I need to test out a reminder text from my mobile if I found the interpreter’s contact detail from the invoice I put in the file. The main problem is to have a video chat – Viber with this Deaf Somalian lady. I cannot use my mobile because it is prepaid, and it had not been top up the cost to use data over WIFI/Mobile Data.
Did we have a great weekend? The answer was a big NO, and we are finding it frustrating along with our neighbours. We pay for the landline as we have got a fax machine to communicate with D/deaf elderly people who do not have their internet and mobiles and ADSL broadband line nearly $190.00 a month. Yes, that is a lot of money for the broadband – 120Gb, out of our incomes. Nothing will be cheaper, and having a fibre line will cost too much money to spend on. But almost every household have got fibre line, and it weakens and reduces the capability of speeds in the rural area. It is not helping us at all.
Good news, at last, copper landline and wifi internet are back on more than 48 hours of waiting through a whole public holiday weekend! The time is 3 pm Monday 25th October 2021.
Life harmonises through the pace of our daily lives here. We, Waikato people, are going through Level 3 from Level 2 by joining the Greater Auckland since Monday 4th October. Dated: 8th October – informing you that an update about the Northland area is moving up to Level 3 from Level 2 because two women from Auckland are carrying the virus and refusing to work with MOH (Ministry of Health) and Police. These women had not been cooperating with contact tracers.
Why that? Recently a small number of the family went down to Waikato, including Raglan from Auckland. It appeared one of the family members did not have a vaccination jab nearly two weeks ago. Now there has been a talk about the gang of Hamilton visited someone in Auckland, and one of the gang members used the letter permit through the border. I am not interested in these topics because many people lead their lives in different activities, works, frustrated to escape from Greater Auckland and boredom in their household. I stick with the Lord above, and I have true faith in Him through my life as I am a deaf Christian person.
“When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways–either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.” ― Dalai Lama XIV
There are many global warmings around the countries, increasing crimes, violence bringing more wars, increasing protest marches against vaccination, bush fires, droughts, and the beautiful sights of the La Pama volcano eruption in Canary Island. Technology changes a lot faster for everyone; even most people fall victim to hackers, scams, money laundering, and many other barriers for disabled people and D/deaf people while more sophisticated and flexible use of technology. We genuinely don’t know what is around the corner. I see more worry, more depression, but some positive changes in our daily lives when I am working out there as a deaf essential specialised worker.
We also can suffer the calamities of past eras, like the economic meltdown of the Great Depression. Now, the 1918 flu pandemic is a sudden spectre in our lives. From 1918 to 1920, it was a most extended flu pandemic, and it was called the Spanish Flu, which knows as The Greatest Influenza epidemic. In the timeline, there were four different waves of virus sweep through people’s lives between 1918 and 1920. The virus strain was A (H1N1) pandemic similar to the 2009 influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (A/H1N1) is a subtype – swine flu. In New Zealand, the flu killed an estimated 6,400 Pakeha (or “New Zealanders primarily of European descent”) and 2,500 indigenous Maori in six weeks, with Māori dying at eight times the rate of Pakeha.[203][204] during the second wave of a new strain in October 1918. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/influenza-pandemic-reaches-peak-mortality
There are many disabled people facing hardship, barriers getting through services, technology, the lack of home helps carers, and many other issues in the community today. Many D/deaf people are finding it challenging to communicate in their daily lives out in the community.
The history of the new virus strain is repeating today.
Looking at the current of the water flowing down the river remind me of the river of life. The channel of the flowing water runs smoothly in one direction. While the other track of the flowing water runs wildly or roaring down. What about the calm of the day into a violent storm? These kinds of weather and the river of life make sense in our daily lives. Every morning, we wake up to find another day to keep moving through the day to night – no matter nothing will stop us from doing things except if there is a Level Four, and we will find something to catch up around the home and our property to make up for the lost time.
I don’t know how long the virus of the pandemic will last or going to end. Everyone keeps asking me daily – how much longer? When it will end? I don’t have the answer, but I keep saying, “stay positive, stay strong, keep moving forward and safe.”
Times are challenging for a lot of people at the moment – including our members. But we know that our members also do unique and beautiful things with the time given to them. And that’s always worth celebrating.
Kia kaha, e nga hoa. ❤️
“Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.” ― The Dalai Lama
“People like us, we think differently, don’t we? We are different. We do all the things that others do. But when it comes down to it, we don’t need anyone else. We’re happy doing what we do and having obligation interferes with that. And sometimes I think we don’t even need ourselves. What’s most important is to find out whether we’re right or not.”
Waking up in the morning today as the weather is not so nice to bring the sunshine yet. We are amid the lockdown for the second time in New Zealand. Why? Recently there was a new variant, COVID19, officially called Delta COVID, in greater Auckland early this year.
Many people’s lives have burdens by the guidelines of Level 4 and are forced to close many businesses, work, and follow restricted rules in public Hospitals, Polices, Fire departments, and the list goes on. The most significant impact of the loss is financial, getting food suppliers to deliver to each household, especially elderly people’s homes and disabled people in Greater Auckland regions. Many essential workers are working from home, in the hospitals, Fire Departments, Police, in the Resthomes, and the list goes on while others are not ‘essential’ workers stay home with their children and try to find something to do home.
The most significant impact is the social services such as Budgeting and Food Parcel services. They are seeking out more foods coming in so the team can continue to deliver to the people who can not come to supermarkets in the Greater Auckland regions.
While the rest of New Zealand are in Level 2, they are doing well except for the lack of awareness where many disabled people and several elderly people can not wear cover masks in public. Several outcries were harassed and bullied by other people, telling them that disabled people must wear masks or not come to the supermarket. Many D/deaf people face difficulty lip-reading or seeing other people’s facial expressions with a cover mask. Also, the lack of awareness in NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language) in public shops, supermarkets and pharmacies. It has been a constant battle between D/deaf people and people in public places through communication.
Jean with N95 mask
The DPAs (Disabled People Assembly), DPOs (Disabled People Organisation) and Deaf Aotearoa have not done much action. This year, MOH and DPAs have exemption cards to allow anyone who has difficulty breathing, health condition even D/deaf can not wear the mask. It is not really working because there are still messages such as disabled people have been hurt, harassed or bullied by other people in public shops. DPAs asked the journalists to write an article and printed it in the media to spread around. Not everyone has read the article. I have been in touch and inform the staff at the high level in Waikato Hospital. They ARE looking at the option of wearing a clear transparent mask to meet their financial budget, staff training and ordering the number of clear mask boxes annually. They have a transparent shield that works well if any nurses can remove their cover mask in their comfort zone.
The hospital and the mask manufacturing are working on a clear/transparent mask when anyone wears glasses to prevent fogging up the cover. I ordered two masks from the company which I am happy to pay for this. In many companies and the mask manufacture business in New Zealand, I suggest you consider making one available in New Zealand.
The next step was to start teaching people in public about wearing masks and the ability to communicate with any D/deaf people through sign language, gestures, and writing down or using mobile notes. I give you an example of yesterday activity in Chartwell Westfield Mall with an elderly Deaf with disabilities man while I am a deaf essential worker.
I took a deaf elderly man – Henry (not real name), to the bank while he was not wearing a mask, and I wore a mask until I removed my mask for him to lip read me. Henry was using the shopping trolley for his support balance. The staff knew us well. Prior arrived at the desk to make a cash withdrawal, one staff where we were standing was not know to us, but the other staff stand next to this staff spoke and explained we were deaf. This staff removed the mask, and we lip read. This staff made the cash withdrawal processing and used gestures while wearing the mask. The people who came inside the same room overheard while I was working and communicating with Henry. These people realised how important for D/deaf people and the need to lip read/gestures/write down anywhere we go. Two people said they never thought about this or met any Deaf people before, which is different from Hard of Hearing elderly people.
After leaving the bank, we walked to the next shop as I wore a mask, and Henry did not. We approached one queue line at the entrance of the Books Shop. Henry does not want to wait in a queue. I walked along the side of the people who stayed and saw one of the staff at the counter, for she knew Henry and me. I wore a badge of my workplace and my first name on my lovely jersey. She let us in and explained that I am a deaf essential worker for Henry. Surprised that these people who waited in the queue accepted us to walk through and continue doing a quick shop around the Books Shop. Then the next shop was the Money Exchanges, a Fijian Indian chap who had his own cultural perspective. I explained to him that we are deaf and the need to lip read or gestures. He politely accepted for we are Deaf and a new experience for this staff. He used gestures and exchanged Henry’s NZ notes for UK pounds plus a little note to say, please, 50cents required.
Henry and I walked on to the Pharmacy to get a bottle of showering cream while Henry walked on to the supermarket. I told Henry to wait at the entrance of the supermarket. Before arriving at the entrance of the supermarket, where is Henry? I asked the staff who keep the ‘counter number crushing’ hand device of the people inside the supermarket. I told this staff I am deaf and have you see a deaf elderly man with a grey jacket. This staff said by pointing toward inside the supermarket but asking about using mobile COVID tracker. I told this staff that Henry hated mobile, but I have one with me wherever I go and make a note for his niece, and of course, I said Henry is deaf. The staff was surprised for not knowing Henry is Deaf because he did not tell this staff. This staff let me in until I found Henry with the mask on poorly fitting. I recorrect his mask fitting properly, so he was comfortable with it.
Henry and I did not have any lousy drama, no received abuse words, people who saw us and they were respectful to us by learning how to value we Deaf people need to lip read, sign language, gestures even write down.
Next week something exciting and to share more stories. It will be an International Week of Deaf People, and there are different themes each day.
Admiring late winter flowers are out while bees dance from one flower to another to collect pollen on a beautiful sunny day.
It is time for Spring to come sooner and later. Birds such as fantail birds swooping down the cherry flowers for nectar and up in the air.
How bless the sunny day bring joy and brighten up the gloomy cold winter!
Our dogs love running and chasing odd cars with trailers, tractors, heavy farming harvesters, hay balers machinery that goes past our property and of course, the joggers. Oh, what fun to see our dogs chasing them around the field. Surely their running days will give them exercise daily when mum is home while dad is at work during the day.
Oh, what a way to see many cows on our neighbour’s farmland as it was their time every Spring time rotation to another most extensive farmland. Being cautious by our young dog inspecting cows grazing grass on the neighbour’s property.
How cunning are the rabbits! Dogs love to hunt them down by chasing around the fields and gardens but always fail to catch any rabbits. Where are the rabbits popping up from nowhere so far, for we know there are baby rabbits and adult rabbits out there.
Ah, oh, what lives do we have in our home and gardens that bring us joy, laughter, tears, and, of course, gratitude?
Surely for one thing is the bugger weak wifi reception out here since Spark NZ upgrade fibre line – 5G since Christmas 2020. It is not really helping us and our neighbourly around here as we lives in the rural country. It is life.
Friday – Day Three (20/8/2021) Yep, we are bracing for the second time around the battle – between human and Delta Variant strains from COVID19. This time it is a huge battle to fight back by going through Lockdown for the second time round in New Zealand.
Our lives are just ordinary daily lives such as cleaning, working from home, gardening, doing woodwork, resting, even reading books while our dogs run and rest out in the courtyard or on mum and dad’s bed. There is nothing good programme to watch as there are too many reruns programmes and old programmes which are no use for us to watch again. But we like to watch two or four channels – House Restoration, Escape to the Chateau DIY, gardening programmes, and The Repair Shop’s popular programme.
A Day out to work during Lockdown Four – 20/8/2021
Sunday – Day Five What a fantastic way to relax and wind down on a beautiful day today! I have been sitting out in the sunshine while dogs basking in the warmth of sunlight on them. My partner humming away, making something in the double garage. No social media or to watch t.v. so far, just reading the book I am trying to finish, and finally, I finished reading the book by lunchtime.
Future Girl by Asphyxia
The night came, a text chimed, and it was from a Deaf elderly man who asked me, “Hi Jean, please let me when all shop open let me know then mobile ok Er.” Oh sigh, this chap is very stubborn and still can not understand the severe virus, Level Four, and does not follow any update about banks and shops. Last year, he did not ask for help through me until he had a mild heart attack and was fitted with a pacemaker during the Lockdown 2. Before the Lockdown, I asked the Deaf elderly people and disabled people, including him and his Deaf wife, that I am there to help, assist, and deliver any groceries as a deaf essential worker. He had the overdue bills for three months of Lockdown until his Deaf wife asked me to do the online banking to pay their bills and, of course, cash as reimbursed to my account for them at last. Mm, tonight I texted several clear messages back to him, “Banks closed, shops closed. Supermarkets and Four Squares are open BUT strict rules and wear masks and use EFTPOS card only. Level Four mean closed.”
Monday – Day Six Woke up to find a chilly, frosty morning and wishing the sun would come out sooner than later. Clicking, tapping, typing and slurping coffee in the home office as the noise of the ride-on mower went past the home office. The sun shining through the long narrow window at last and looking at the clock just after sending off the message. Mumbling, annoying the wifi while using ethereal cable still playing up and gonna have a break to do roses pruning. Lunch arrives, and having a break while flicking through T.V. channels. Oh, bland and nothing fancy to watch. Time to check messages, video messages. Yeps, several letters to sort out.
Rolling on to 4pm, it is time for the breaking news about lowering the Level Four to Three or not from tomorrow night. Dang! Nope, and better safe than sorry. Auckland cases rise, and many new locations increased, and in Wellington, cases slowly increased.
The result is we remain in Level Four until Friday 27th while Auckland remains until Tuesday 31st. Better to stay safe, isolated from any family members from outside Auckland/in a different suburbs or friends.
Life in Eureka 
You must be logged in to post a comment.