Friday, June 13, 2008

Updates and more!!!

Hello All!!!

I have been extremely busy working non stop, hit over 70 hours in the past 2 weeks and a half. I should know, just got paid today woo hoo! Friday the 13th IS good for something! :)

Just wanted to update you guys a bit in what has been going on lately. I have been practicing my signs a lot, and encouraging my close friends, all whom are hearing to learn ASL with me. Couple of my friends have been very encouraging and are just as enthusiastic to learn with me. In fact I went to a concert with a friend of mine, and he has always been fascinated by ASL. He never really had a reason to learn it until he met me. Of course I don't claim to be fluent in ASL myself but I definitely knew a lot.

He told me to talk to him in ASL as much as I can so he can pick up as we communicate. I said no problem I'd be happy to do so. At the concert, it actually became useful as the music was so utterly loud, he could barely hear me talk, and he cannot read lips. So what to do?! We whipped our hands out and started signing!!! For the first time I actually thought "damn this is just cool!"

I never really had a full opportunity to communicate in ASL fully, except when I went to visit Geo, and found myself really enjoying this new language and sharing it with my hearing friends also.

We found ourselves really relying on the ASL usage during the 2 hour concert, and I left with my friends and even after the concert was over, we kept signing on the way back to his place. I just thought it was so damn cool!

It is always fun to learn new languages with your friends and using ASL as one of them is an excellent way to become close with current friends, deaf or hearing and it just gives us something else to talk about, or rather Sign about! Like I said it definitely came in handy during the concert.

Some other things going, for those who had not heard, I am traveling back to Pasco to visit Geo and Jes again for an entire week. Will be flying on American Airlines via Seattle, out of St. Louis and my hometown, Marion, so I have 3 flight legs to get on before arriving! I arrive at close to midnight his time, which is two am my time. I am gonna be so tired after traveling all day I don't think anything is gonna wake me up, well except a few things like a can of COKE!

A cousin of mine who has been serving with the air force and stationed in Italy is coming home near end of June for a couple of days before he goes back to Italy! I am very excited and have not seen him in a long time. Will be a ton of fun!

I have a prospective job with Southwest Airlines, that I am checking out. It is a computer job, and basically no phone usage in the job except the usual to pick up and make a phone call here and there. In other words the phone should not really be a heavy burden for me if I chose to interview for the job. I do not know the pay just yet, am currently conferring it with the manager right now, and if I chose to continue the interview, it is done in Dallas and I would have to move to Dallas if I am offered the job and would be working at the Southwest Airlines Headquarters. I don't usually like to announce any prospective jobs that I am researching, but at this point It is like what the hey. I will let you know if I chose to actually interview for the position or not.

Also, finally, SUBTITLING!!! I have hit over 100 videos for me to subtitle. I realize some don't really care, and some do, but even if one person enjoys my subtitling the videos, that is good to hear! I realize not everyone shares my taste of music and artists and singers but I still have a lot of fun and enjoy doing them. There is one video I did not do, and I want to thank Abbie for doing so and that is "Ring the Alarm" by Beyonce. Thanks Abbie!!! As of now I have 117 videos as of now subtitled. Many different songs, and artists. So here is a link... Alex's subtitled Videos.

Please enjoy the songs and videos! More will be coming later!

Hope everyone has been having a great Friday the 13th and have a great weekend everyone!!!

Alex

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Alex,

Thanks for all updating! Good to see you on here again and that was awesome about you and your friend communicated in ASL, I am delighted to know that with your visit back in May made the difference that got you into ASL more now. That made me happy! Soon in no time, you will be fluent in ASL! ;-)

I went to the concert once with Jes to see his favorite band and he was like.. wow that was awesome we can actually communicate via ASL because it was never easy trying to talk in voice, it was too loud to hear.

We are definitely look forward to your visit again and we will have a lot of blast going to Seattle and such and of course to teach you more ASL! :-)

Good luck on the job you plan to apply if it comes to that and keep us posted!

By the way, congrats on subtitling over 100 videos!! Soon before you know it, you will be subtitling my videos *grins*

-SG

Anonymous said...

Wow great job.

I remember watching Hit Me Baby, One More Time few months ago without subtitles/caption....liked the beats. Now I see you subtitled it so watched it. Cool!

Was it hard subtitling Beyonce's song called "Ring the Alarm"? I notice it was a really FAST song!

Haven't been to any concert yet, but SOME DAY.

Alex said...

Geo-

Thanks for the comment! Yes I cannot wait until I become fluent in ASL!!!

It is so much easier to use ASL or in my parent's case Cued Speech to communicate because we didn't need sound, could be visual with the cues/signs and lip reading!

Looking forward to the trip!!!

Lane- Thanks for the comments and thanks for watching I am glad you enjoyed them. You also reminded me, Ring the Alarm was actually done by Abbie! So I am giving her credit for that Video, thanks Abbie!!!

Alex

Jes said...

Hey Alex, i have to agree that learning any language, especially ASL, is incredibly fun! I'm glad you're spreading ASL and at the same time practicing what you know so far (which is a lot!). You will learn so much more of it too when ya visit us again in late July.

Geo is right, ASL did come in handy at the concert too! just like it did with you and your friend.

You know that i am one of your fans for the subtitled videos! 117 is quite a lot! i have not seen all of them, but most of the music vids on there i like. keep'em comin!

Anonymous said...

126 and counting??? great! yeah I came back.

Just finished watching "These Boots Are Made For Walking" by jessica simpson.

I'm going to refer your overstream videos to several of my friends.

Anonymous said...

Well done alex for keeping up your ASL wish i could but going to take me longer :P

Keep up the music with subtitling as i enjoyed it.

YOu know me im 80s music buffs so i gotta give you some to find them :P

Will be in touch havent seen you around lately so here is the grope (_!_) hehe

Anonymous said...

I hope this weekend is full of well deserved rest and relaxation for you :)

Abbie said...

Would you believe I am just coming around to your blog NOW?

I'm swamped! I am wishing you the best of luck with the Southwest Job. I know how much you love to work for them! That is a really cool experience that you had with your friend at the concert. I am looking forward to the local ASL Expo that is going to be taking place this weekend. It will give me a chance to stretch my fingers somewhat :)

Lane - I listened to Ring the Alarm over a hundred times so it was burned in my mind. It is one of my favorite :)

PS: I didn't forget crazy in love!