Rue @ Work!

Mindfulness

When I was younger, I always say, “I go wherever the wind takes me” and it had been proven true to date – and I remember a teacher/friend who asked me a rhetorical question in response to my above statement, “What if your sail dropped its anchor, and what would you do with yourself?” Well, after approximately ten years, I still do not have an answer to this question and do not think I would ever come up with one (don’t question my ability to think rationally and logically). There are places we never pictured ourselves in, yet, we find ourselves in these places as time passes by.

I would like to quote Buddha:

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

Faith & Trust in People

I hauled a cab after an interview in Kuala Lumpur with a couple of people from the Dharma of the Deaf. I could have taken a bus with someone from the DD but I had my luggage with me at the time. Anyway, while in the cab heading towards Bandar Puchong Jaya (where my apt is located in), it became apparent that the driver did not know how to reach my address, and he asked me to give him directions. Given that people from the MFD usually drive me everywhere, I am unable to give him exact directions. It was pouring outside – the driver constantly gestured (pointing his hand towards the sky) for God’s help (I figure its because of our communication barrier and the rain) – he then asked me to sit in the front (I was in the back at the time) and gestured for me to give him directions. To my best ability and judgment, I decided to move to the front, offered him a cigarette, and after several roundabouts, traffic, flooding, etc., we eventually arrived at my address. The faith and trust we have in people! I am even more surprised by the fact he had his faith in a deaf person (and a tourist!) to guide him especially when attitudes and approaches towards deaf people here is not exactly transformative like elsewhere.

Teluk Chempedak

While in Kuatan (Pahang State) for the ten-year anniversary banquet, deaf people frequently sign, “Let’s meet at TC!” “TC!” and “Let’s talk more in TC!” This beach obviously is a hot spot where both locals and tourists gather to relax, chat, steal a bite, or play on the beach. After my interview in TC (of course!), I decided to look around and took some photos of the China Sea – all by myself! Rarely goes by a minute that I spend some time alone. Generally, people frequent in collective groups here, and hospitality is very important to Malaysians so if I am left behind (by request), other people will ask my hosts where I am and why they left me alone at such places.

Kuala Terengganu and Books

I am in Kuala Terengganu currently because there was a grand opening of a communication center at the POPT (Terengganu Association of the Deaf) yesterday. People from different DPOs and NGOs were invited to this event along with other representatives from the Department of Welfare. It was a simple and beautifully decorated affair. PUSKOM (communication center) now has several locations in Malaysia serving the deaf communities run by deaf people. Interpreting services, career development services for the deaf (more of accessibility) and awareness are three of several features at the PUSKOM. After the opening, we were invited to hang out with the deaf Terengganu community for a barbecue dinner. Fish, prawns, squids, and… chicken (for me) were cooked under a couple pits of fire – overall, it was a nice night. POPT is located maybe 3-5 minutes walk from the beach – so you could feel the cool breeze during nighttime if you are able to ignore the flies/mosquitoes that would pester you.

Books! I've read more books here than I ever did in the last two years. In the last two years, I had the time to read maybe one or two book(s) of my choice every now and then. Strangely, I find more time to read while traveling – given that I am on the go constantly here. Maybe it is because I don’t watch TV here. Paulo Coelho, famous for his book called the Alchemist, is simply a fantastic author.

10th Year Anniversary Banquet

I traveled approximately 260 km west of the Selangor area to attend an anniversary banquet hosted by the Pahang Association of the Deaf. To my surprise, around 450 people attended the banquet from different states of Malaysia. There were two attendees from Singapore as well. Exceptional food was served (omitting the err…fish but I’m more than certain it was exceptional anyway) along with delicious selections of dessert. Naturally, I especially enjoyed the chocolate cake.

Throughout the dinner, presentations were given by the president of the MFD and Pahang Association of the Deaf along with several other “important” people, and numerous door prizes were given out. In all, the best thing about this event was meeting people and of course, hilarious beauty contests that included both male and female contests.

This and That

KFC: I went to the world’s first KFC run by deaf people in the Kuala Lumpur area! Be sure to stop by at this establishment and support local deaf workers.

Research in Melaka: I went to Melaka, also known as Malacca, with Sazali and Zu to present on my research and recruit participants. Having said that, I was able to reach six participants – all women! Most of deaf people were out and about because there were other scheduled events/meetings out of the state, and it was great to learn from these participants who were able to attend my presentation – their needs were completely different from other participants I met to date. After meeting them, I am more enthusiastic about my further research activities in other states, and especially when I analyze the data.

Central Melaka: Starting in the 16^th century, Melaka faced a series of external takeovers; yet, it flourished into a charming town -- colorful tuk-tuks were decorated with roses and parked around the centre, locals selling different items (mostly souvenirs), stalls selling cold juice and light meals, Malays in traditional costumes danced to the music, and a canal snaked its way through the town. You will also find an abundance of flowers and trees while driving towards the town center and that won me over.

Durio Zibethinus: an oval and spiny tropical fruit, native to Malaysia.

Andrew Zimmerman, the host of Bizarre Foods, could literally eat anything! I watch his shows with admiration because there are numerous of food I could not be able to try – usually meat or these little critters. Yet, I set an objective to taste a durian because it is native to Malaysia, and secretly, I wanted to outdo Zimmerman by being able to eat durians and I did! Truth be told, I was worried about my OWN reaction once I am given the chance to taste a durian because I did not want to offend anyone with a bleeeecccchhhh-like expression and it was nothing like that. The stench was not that foul like described elsewhere, and it was creamy and somewhat sweet.

Be sure to try it.

BIM Dictionary - 2nd Ed.

An article from the Globe and Mail

In Angola, health does not follow wealth

Research & Working with Coco

To conduct a research of a good quality in a place unfamiliar to the researcher, it is indeed important for him/her to spend a certain amount of time in that area/country/region to become familiar with the localities, language, culture, and political climate if he/she is to work independently. Since I will remain in Malaysia for a short time, I am fortunate to find a facilitator to work with me to go past the language barrier, and I am able to inquire him/her about the political climate/culture/trends unfamiliar to me. I can communicate using basic BIM, but it is difficult to communicate with some people because some people use a mix of KTM (proportional to SEE) and BIM in some regions. With that being said, I have reached 32 participants for my research to date, and will continue to reach other participants from other states. Also, my research activities will be able to move forward more efficiently from now and on because the Ministry of Education (Malaysia) sent a letter of approval for my research and gave me the permission to interview teachers of the deaf among other participants.

Most importantly, I am more than grateful for the MFD’s extensive [and reliable!] network with the schools, communities, etc.

Other than the research activities I have had done to date, being an intervenor/interpreter of the deaf-blind is indeed a remarkable experience – I’ve known Coco since I was little, but I never had the opportunity to work alongside her for a whole week and half. Truth be told, it was mentally exhausting, but it gave me the chance to gain knowledge and skills if I am ever to work with one in the near future.

Coco is now in Nepal studying Buddhism and taking a breather before she continues her journey in India.

Retreat

After a hectic week, we decided to go to a farm managed by Sazali’s family just outside of the city. It was GOOD to be back in the nature - time stood still for the first time since I arrived Malaysia. Coco and I sat under a gazebo made by tin and wood. Plants and trees surrounded us, kids swam in a man-made pool (a portable dam allowed the stream to raise its levels periodically), and men fished at a pond just across the stream. Coffee, fresh fish, noodles and noodle soup were served for lunch. Naturally, I avoided fish, but the hosts were kind enough to prepare yummy and fish-free noodles for me.

Batu Caves

Coco and I went to the Batu Caves, a well-visited spot for tourists and Hindu devotees alike. From afar, a grand staircase is visible, with 272 steps to the caves. Limestone dropped and shaped the cave walls, monkey jumped about and bats (three types) flying over people’s heads, and shrines/temples stood upright with colorful figurines or deities. The Batu Caves was discovered in 1891 by the American explorer William Hornaby. Ten years later, “local Indian dignitaries convinced the British colonial authorities that the caves were ideal places in which to worship. Soon ever-increasing number of devotees were visiting the caves to pray at the shrine established here to Lord Muruga; later the temple complex was expanded to include a shrine to the elephant-headed deity Ganesh” (The Rough Guide to Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei, 2009).

Coco’s Seminar on Deaf-Blindness

Coco had a seminar on deaf-blindness last week. Like mentioned earlier, there are nearly no programs for the deaf-blind in Malaysia. Someone suggested via this blog site for us to check with the Perkins International to find out how this organization serve the deaf-blind population in Malaysia – it turns out that the Perkins International works with a school of the blind (St. Nicholas) in the Penang state by training deaf-blind people to gain independent living skills. In this case, the Perkins Intl serves approximately 6,500 deaf-blind people in some countries of the SE Asia and Asia region annually [please double-check for the accuracy of this information if needed]. However, the MFD is unaware of any education program of/for the deaf-blind and there are no programs serving the deaf-blind run by deaf people. With that being said, approximately 40 people, including some government representatives attended Coco’s seminar on deaf-blindness. At her seminar, she gave a monologue on her experiences as a deaf-blind individual and shared few communication techniques, and showed the audience some devices for the deaf-blind people. I attended her seminar as an interpreter, and I am more than certain that it was an eye-opening experience for some individuals at the seminar to watch us communicate via tactile.

The Terengganu School of the Deaf

While at Kuala Terengganu, we took some time to visit a school of the deaf, and the layout of this school was unbelievably superb. Colorful signs decorated the roofs of walkways connecting buildings, the signs displayed different pictures/words/numbers/signs so the students would be able to learn/review what they learned while walking to the cafeteria, dorms, et al. Classrooms were cheerful and colorful. Frankly, the layout of this school is one of the best out of all schools of the deaf I had seen to date. We also met with cheerful boys at dorms (quoting Coco: I was definitely out of my element while I interacted with the boys – usually, I am uneasy around children). After our tour at this school, we headed back for Puchong.

Kuala Besut and Kuala Terengganu

To reach Kuala Terengganu, our next stop as we headed for Puchong, Sazali drove us on a breathtaking coastal route, which overlooked the China Sea. The winds swayed the palm trees that lined the deserted beaches; locals minded their own businesses at the markets and stalls. We stopped at Kuala Besut and watched fishermen at work before we stayed at a nearby resort (run by local people, thank goodness) for late lunch. After lunch, we dropped by at a beach for a stroll under the hot and fierce sun. No one swam and so didn’t we. Instead, people sat under palm trees and picnicked, or rested inside the nooks of caves overlooking the sea. After our beachside break, we arrived Kuala Terengganu and met with the president of the MFD at Terengganu and his wife (The MFD has 14 regional affiliations) for dinner before hitting the sack.

I was unable to reach any participants because people were out and about at the time, and it was suggested for me to return later in the month when they open up their one-stop communication center. I doubt I would be able to return due to other scheduled visits.

Kota Bharu

Sazali and Zu took us to the capital of Kelantan, Kota Bharu, which sits on the Northeastern tip of Malaysia to attend an AGM run by the MFD affiliation office so we would be able to present on our work in Malaysia. We left Kuala Lumpur late in the evening, and headed up north via a bumpy “snake” route winding between the Cameron Highlands and the foothills of Taman Negara. I am more than certain that the sights were awesome and unfortunately, we went through this pass during nighttime.

It was a long drive, and we were exhausted that we showed up few hours late for the meeting. However, many people attended the meeting (maybe 50+) to vote for new executive board members to run the office. By the looks of it, the meeting was productive and a new group of members was selected to run the necessary positions. Coco and I was able to share on our work in Malaysia, Coco talked about deaf-blindness, and I presented on my research activities in Malaysia. I was able to find several interested participants afterwards – and we headed straight for the beach after my interview with a couple of other people. We dined on crab, fruit, and drank coconut water. It was definitely a nice change from being in the city for so long – kids were flying their kites, parents looking over their shoulders for their children, and snake charmers attracted a fairly large group in order to promote their product. Stalls stood and sold corn among some other stuff. The atmosphere was very laidback, more of my style. We then stopped by at a nearby shop to purchase local caftans (a loose dress), and Malaysian-style batiks (piece of cloth [dresses or shirts] with colored designs by dye – having first applied wax to the parts to be left dyed [MAC dictionary, 2010]).

Diversifying Participants in Malaysia

Source: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/asia/malaysia/

To date I've observed and reached participants for my research from Kota Bharu, Kuala Terengganu, Kuala Lumpur, Puchong and Georgetown (Penang) areas. Prior to the most recent meeting with the stakeholders, I will travel to other states this month: Malacca (sp.), Kedan, Penang, Johor, Sabah, and Sarawak to reach other potential participants. In this case, it is important to diversify the stakeholders to understand their fundamental root and needs because the needs may vary within different locations.

MA in International Development @ Gallaudet University

Congratulations, Arlinda and Coco! I’m more than certain you’d have fun and learn SO much from this program.

To pursue a MA degree in ID from GU will allow students GAIN skills and knowledge related to development work, especially if one is truly interested in working with PWD. Go to http://edf.gallaudet.edu/internationaldevelopment-MA.xml if you are interested in learning more about this program.

In my opinion, it is complicated to achieve an effective and sustainable development because there are numerous factors (cultural context, political climate, economics, et al) one has to consider before enforcing development. Many communities in developing countries are vulnerable, and problems may escalate (worsen) if an uneducated development worker is onboard. If you need examples of this, open your eyes and you'd see evidences of this happening in this BIG OLD world.. For starters, let's check Africa out... Oh! What about Jamaica, Nepal, India, Thailand, and sadly, the list goes on.

Simply put: Educate yourself.

Having said that, I'd like to share a quote I saw at a school of the deaf in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia:

Everyone think of changing this world but no one think of changing himself – Tolstoy.