Category Archives: Uncategorized

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Oh, we would like to visit the Chatham Islands one day, and anyone wants to learn the experience of people living there, what life was like in the pre-1860s.

Why would the deaf blogger/researcher want to learn the experience of living there? Mm, the researcher is in the middle of doing researching one particular woman who travelled from Scotland via London and Queensland to Canterbury and Otago before the 1900s. For some, reason, Ms Mitchell chose to travel to the Chatham Islands and got married to a German chap was looking for a bride through newspaper advertising. This woman knows a few people through her brother who was a minister, involved with the church in Queensland, Australia and Charteris Bay, Canterbury.

The researcher was reading one of the diaries, and the diary was fascinated life by a young man – Mr Spencer. He lived in the island for one year because his contract expired and the life was very harsh due to lack of foods, meats and the weather conditions. This Spencer man came from a Spencer family who came out from London, the UK to Christchurch, New Zealand.

How does the connection between Ms Mitchell and the Spencer family back in London, the UK? Ms Mitchell was a servant to the Spencer family according to the census record in 1861 in London, UK. There is also a connection to Scotland and a Mrs E Spencer came from Scotland where Ms D Mitchell came from Scotland.

The Chatham Islands bear rugged landscape, and several small islands are surrounding the main two inlet islands which inhabited.
The Chatham Islands is a 920 sq km, also called Rēkohu (by Moriori) and Wharekauri (by Māori), and Pitt Island is a 7.7 sq km, also called Rangihaute (by Moriori) and Rangiāuria (by Māori).

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Jack the frost came in the early hour of this morning. Brr what a chilly rude waking us up as it was -1.5oC in the morning!

Our dogs huddled together except our older dog – Joseph slept on the other side of the bed. Wondering why my ass were partially cold for the blankets and duvet was only resting on top of the bed due to dogs hogging blankets to themselves.

Checking the time for our dogs go out for their daily runs and off they took off through the open door and chilling airs crept in. Just in the nick of time before the children and a couple teenagers were walking down the private road then across the main State Highway Road where they waited for their school buses. There is a special rule for all school buses as we are in Level Two now. The buses carried limit number of students per 2 metres/1metre spacing inside the bus.

Walking around the house in my dressing gown and pondering where to start for I am currently working from home in Level Two. Texts alerted in my work mobile from the Deaf Persons and their requests were when the bank are opening, what is QR barcode tracking and contact tracking? Mm, time to make a video and off to change into ordinary clothes before entering the home office. Blast, the home office was cold, sigh as it was time to turn the heater on.

Young mischief pup – Nova running around with her favourite toy and barking at poor Joseph as he was sleeping in his dad’s chair until he growled back to Nova as to hushed her to be quiet.

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Hours had passed as I was working in the home office until the beautiful sunshine came out at last.. Stepping outside in the courtyard and sat down in the chair to enjoy the warmth and comfort of sun ray as vitamin D played an important role for health. Watching the bees dancing over the shrubs in the garden and what a sight to see them buzzing over the lavender shrubs. Pleasure and enjoyed for the moment of time… The sun going down sooner and it was time to go back inside before mad hours start…. Until Nova decide to pick out the firewood to chew…. Oh bother her!

Nearly time to stop working for another day and let start making a heating fire for it gonna be a cold freezing night. Let the sleeping dogs lie on the sofas as it is their favourite places while Nova munchies a piece of fire wood! My partner – Rusty makes the fire for heating the house while I check final emails and reading newspapers in the office. Rusty yelled out “Mummm”, did you buy Lotto?” My replied was “Yes I am going to get one through online.”. Sooner gonna make the tea – Satay Chicken with rice tonight.

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While waiting for the repair job at one of the people I know who will be able to fix the problem.

Standing outside abide by the lockdown rule – 2 metres from the door of the house yesterday.

Admiring the colour leaves on many trees – brown, orange, yellow, fade green and burst red colours.

You may hear the wind and other strange noises in the video for I can hear a bit through vibrating echo sound of the wind.

All I can see the leaves on the branches bending forward and backward for I know which way the wind were blowing.

There were so many fallen leaves on the ground for many people clean up the leaves by rakes or even mow over just like my partner who mowed the fallen leaves on the ground. Bear not!  It is good for the soil as composting – did you know that?

 

One thing that took my mind off was having the tooth extracted and had a nasty pain for I can not ask for a glass of water from the person I know. I had the tooth extracted done before I started working yesterday. What a way to start having a toothache during the lockdown!

 

Sitting out in the sunshine – waiting for a moment when the lockdown ends!

The Prime Minister – Jacinda Ardern announced from next week Monday 27th at 11:59pm, the Level four drop down to Level 3. It is the reality of not knowing how far we are improving, and the number of Covid19 cases is slowing up by 1445 in New Zealand. Today there was one death which added to 13. The data can be found on the website here – Ministry of Health

As you can see that in Waikato, there are two significant clusters which are from Matamata – Hospitality Venue and between Eureka and Cambridge – Matangi (Aged residential care facility). There are no increasing cases of Covid19 around Waikato since I stopped travelling to Matamata three weeks ago. I made the decision through self determine whether I will be carrying the ‘community transmittal’ or not. I chose not to visit and arranged one of the nurse for I know, who lives near Matamata. Four days ago, the elderly man who linked to the Matamata clusters passed away, and he was linked to the hospitality venue that happened on the night of the lockdown. The number of significant clusters can be found here – Covid19 Health Govt.

I continue to work from home, and there is so much to sort through for the people with disabilities and D/deaf people’s need. There is one problem which has been not resolved, was the Deaf man finding challenging to connect his mobile (Android) to the broadband provider. My work Ipad (Apple) worked well BUT why Android mobile does not work well. We were told that there is no need to pay for the contracts, no need for the landline and it is good to use $5.00 of 30Gb for anyone who is on benefits, seniors and people with disabilities. I made two trips to visit him under essential services and tried my best to resolve the problem, however, from my last visit, I took my work Ipad (Apple), and it worked fine. I MUST find another option for this Deaf man and his mobile android. He can not afford to get any computer/Ipad under Apple technology. Is there anyone who may have a spare Apple laptop/Ipad that will help him within the Deaf community?

I received a friendly email from my manager, and she confirmed that the funding will pay to me for my work from home. That new was an excellent result and lighten my burden of working hours here. I often try to switch my mind off away from all the media and crisis, so I can do things around the home and in the garden. My partner has been very supportive, and he often noticed that I have been working long hours during the day, not at night. However, there is a piece of good news for us – my partner received a call yesterday, and I will have to shift from ‘working from home’ to home role sometimes in the next couple days or next week.

We are entering eighteen days of the lockdown due to COVID 19. The lockdown date was on the 25th of April at midnight.

Today it is an Easter Sunday, and I am enjoying the break from home business, for I am an essential worker under three organisations. I did have a good break on Good Friday the day after my birthday, and I was working on my birthday day.

There are so many things to do around home and in the garden BUT can not decide where to start. Today the weather is becoming an ‘early winter’ because there is a storm coming tonight or tomorrow.

Books to read, tidying up the office, cleaning out the pantry even cupboards, throw out old wear clothes, re-arrange the furniture or to do vegetable seedlings and plant cuttings and keep in the greenhouse over the Winter season and the list go on.

What up with my partner and our three dogs so far?

MM, my partner, did some carpentry in the garage for the last few weeks, did house cleaning, bringing the washing in, and cooking while I was working. Watching any programmes on the television does not convey any exciting for it was plenty of old rerun programmes and we got tired of it. My partner gets fed up with rubbish programmes and kept flicking through all channels. Yes, we do have DVDs but can not be bothered either. Our dogs knew something strange for we are home all the times and they love to prank or ask us to let them out for more runs around the fields. Our dogs notice peculiar sounds and increasing more wild rabbits for they love to chase and try to catch it. Our older dog – Joseph is getting old and resorting himself to a quiet space as he is reaching 11 years old.

Today Joseph found a perfect place to have a nap – on a bed which he did this regularly while we are out. My hubby was going to have a rest after his carpentry and found Jospeh taking over the bed. SO he ended up sleeping on the sofa along with two young dogs. Yep, taking all the space on one long piece of the four-seater sofa.

How much longer do we have a lockdown? I know it is dangerous for everyone who may do foolish to creep outside the bubble or have breach the rule in New Zealand if anyone ignores the lockdown.

These photos were from Te Ara Sallies

When the Great Depression Years started, and where was the first place that causes the problem of financials?

The Great Depression started on September 4th, 1929, in the USA, and it was the result of the stock prices fall quickly. Then on October 29th, 1929, the share markets became crash throughout the world, and it was formerly known as the Black Tuesday. Many countries, including New Zealand, were severely affected from 1930s to 1932 because we, New Zealand, sent many farm exports such as butter, milk, sheep, frozen meats, timbers.

Then there was a Great Recession from 2007-2009, and the result was from the bursting house bubble in the United States between 2005 to 2006 and the financial crisis from one country to another country between 2007 to 2009.  Many businesses forced to closed down the company, house prices from high to low, closing down several banks, and several companies went bankrupt.

I recalled this Great Recession when I was a bank officer/data entry operator and continue to work there until I choose to resign by reaching 20 years of banking experience. Why did I choose to quit at the bank? The manager and HR would not give me a higher level, such as manager or supervisor due to my disability – deaf for they know I was very excellent worker for all departments with four to five human errors within 20 years. I recalled my ex-work colleagues made more human errors and unable to reach the deadline to completed the workloads. Of course, yes, it was discriminated against in my banking experience.

Now today, with the COVID-19, we are facing lockdown in our country along with other countries and some of the businesses such as supermarkets, petrol stations, bus transport, social services, continuing to work for everyone. It is called essential services. The kind of companies as construction works, Sawmills, schools, veterinary are not under essential services. Many of the workers under non-essential services will stay home and able to receive the help of finances during the lockdown, such as wages.  The unemployment rate has gone up, no exports to other countries, the economy fall even share market tumbling down.

I am working as a deaf specialised worker for the D/deaf/Hard of Hearing people and people with disabilities in Waikato while my partner is not working. We prepared for our mortgage/loans to holiday periods by our bank, which had approved, and we are living under my only income.

Have you done the holiday period time for your mortgage or loans?

Have you applied for the help of finances through WINZ?

If not, THEN better to do.

Are we going to recession or not?

Time will tell………

Never stop working within days or two days around the city of Hamilton.

I have been receiving several shopping lists from the Deaf/deaf with other disabilities through faxes and through Viber video conference along with photo attachment at our home.

Waiting at one of the Countdowns Shopping Centre, I was waiting in a short queue and admiring the beautiful sunny early hour of the morning. I realised several trees – changing of colours into Autumn already. Yep, Autumn is a sign of the season now.

I was grabbing one glove for handing packets, fruits, and vegetables after entering the building while a pen and shopping lists with names of the persons I am supporting, on the other hand.

Smooth and walk around by ticking off the request lists of fruits, vegetables, and items.

Arrived at the checkout, I put every product onto the slider and packed it into the shopping bags. I paid and walked back to my car.

It is a safe way of handling products and delivering to every person I met, and I dropped off at their doorsteps. It is to prevent from COVID-19 spreading around, and OH, I drive with the two windows down in the front to allow fresh air circulate the car.

It is my routine works under the essential services. Sometimes it is a hassle or quiet time to see how many people waiting in the queue when I drive to the supermarket before entering the car park. The times’ changes on depending on how people come in to do the shopping.

How Deaf People manage to follow breaking news or social media throughout the world today?

In the past, there was a huge barrier which many Deaf people did not know or follow what happened out there. Many hearing people told them there was an earthquake in Bali, or a mountain eruption in Chile by hearing the radio talkback or watching television. Yes there was some Deaf people watched television BUT they still do not understand what was going on.

Deaf people asked their family members or friends to explain while watching television. Often hearing member get fed up or keep telling their Deaf member to wait until at the end of the breaking news.

For many years, Deaf people request a sign language interpreter anywhere around the world while waiting for our sign language become official language under the Government bill via Human Rights Convention People with Disabilities.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is important because it is a tool for ensuring that people with disabilities have access to the same rights and opportunities as everybody else. There are around 1 billion people with disabilities in the world. They are often the poorest of the poor

On 25 September 2008, the Secretary-General received from the Government of New Zealand the following declaration:

“…..consistent with the constitutional status of Tokelau and taking into account the commitment of the Government of New Zealand to the development of self-government for Tokelau through an act of self-determination under the Charter of the United Nations, this ratification shall not extend to Tokelau unless and until a Declaration to this effect is lodged by the Government of New Zealand with the Depositary on the basis of appropriate consultation with that territory…..”

Every social media and television media MUST deliver news along with Sign Language Interpreters during the breaking news like today – COVID-19.

Today the breaking news with NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language) Interpreters deliver words from the Prime Minister – Jacinda Ardern to many Deaf people daily. The messengers help many Deaf people.

Of course, there is a small issue from social media where many hearing people labelled interpreters in funny messages on the hearing people’s Facebook pages, Twitters and other kinds of social media. My answer is clear “don’t discriminate or think it is funny” to many hearing people as they may not know about us – D/deaf people and Hard of Hearing people out there.

One message responded from the Prime Minister and here is the article.

Jacinda Ardern gives sign language interpreters well-deserved a shoutout

 

Despite the COVID-19 this month, my birthday is approaching in a week time for we can not go out to celebrate my birthday.

Having a quick look through many photos while looking at pictures of our mother’s upcoming birthday in a couple months away.

I have not changed much except my hairstyle and colour – not a full head of grey hairs insight.

Reflecting some of the photos I posted here until this morning, has made me wonder some of the long lost friends’ mentions I had not to change my facial appearance when they recognise me straight away.  I did nothing to make my face looking younger, I am just a natural person who spends so much time travelling, working in the garden, in the office and anywhere else I went.

 

Here is my current photo with a small scar that our pup Nova accidentally scratched my philtrum area and lips this morning. Nova’s request was time to go for her toilet. Ouch!