Male interpreter

Right now, a new trainee is working as Sign Language interpreter this week and next week. Sometimes trainees come here and work as trainee interpreters. They are studying to become qualified interpreters.

But my deaf friends seems to think that this trainee is very special, they almost jump for joy and are very surprised. Why? Because this trainee is male.

Have they never seen a male interpreter? Sure, there are more female interpreters than male interpreters, but it's not that unusual with male interpreters.

I have lived here and there and moved around to different places, so for me, male interpreters are not unusual. Maybe my deaf friends in this town haven't seen any male interpreters? That's why they are so overjoyed with this male trainee? Hmmm... interesting...

Well, just my thoughts for today...

Learn Swedish Sign Language

Still snow...

23 March: We still have snow here in Sweden right now...
Here are some pics from my beautiful Sweden! Me and my work staff made an excursion today. Lovely day, + 5 C degrees and sunny!

What Sign Language do we sign here in Sweden??

Last night, I chatted with a deaf guy from Canada. I showed him my Sign Language videos in Youtube. He watched them, and then he asked me:
"I don't understand your ASL. You sign too fast" he said.

What?? ASL??

"Excuse me! My videos, I didn't sign ASL in any of them!"

"Then what is it? Greek?" he asked.

"No, it's Swedish Sign Language. We sign Swedish Sign Language here in Sweden!" I told him.

"Huh?" he said.

I had to explain to him, every country has it's own Sign Language. Here in Sweden we sign Swedish Sign Language, and in USA and Canada they sign ASL, which is very different from Swedish Sign Language. He didn't know it before?

Anyway, later we chatted some about traffic and cars. He said to me: "Europe is very strange, you in Sweden drive on the wrong side of the road, you drive on the left."

WTF?? We drive on the left side of the road? Sigh... I had to explain to him again, here in Sweden we drive on the right and in England they drive on the left.
He seems to mix up all the countries in Europe. Thinks that Europe is only one country...

Annoying... sigh....

Deaf people from 1913

Deaf people in USA is now discussing the sign "deaf-close". Some don't like this sign, other thinks it's ok, other says it belongs to Deaf history. Lots of discussions over there.

Anyway, we here in Sweden don't use this sign, so it doesn't relate to us. The most interesting thing here, is this old film, with deaf people signing in American Sign Langauge. I "borrowed" this film from Barb.

This film is from 1913!

Wow that old film! I'm surprised deaf have filmed themselves that long ago, and saved it until now! Very important to preserve Deaf History for the future. And in this film you can see how deaf signed a long time ago, very interesting!

I wonder if UK or Sweden have that old films of/by/from deaf people here?

My introduction in BSL

I've made a BSL video as a test, enjoy! What do you think of my BSL? Is my BSL OK or is it crap? Please don't be too hard to me if I made some mistake of some sign or grammar! lol

My weather diary

Translated from my Swedish Sign Language:
"Today 11th March. Today now -2 C cold. Last night have been snowed. Now fog. White everywhere. See lake there. Ice there. See you later,have a nice day, bye!"

Here's another pic of that day. With fog and everything.