BLACK… that’s how the movie described the alphabet of a blind and deaf-mute child. Imagine a world without sound, without light, its just like leaving dead. I experienced teaching deaf-mute and its difficult, how much more is a blind and deaf-mute person.
This movie touches my heart. And you must also.
It was Friday, people are busy in going to malls and on the street. Yes! Everyone is aware of the storm. It was announced on the news and radios that a signal no. 1 storm is coming on its way to northern Mindanao. Yet, not all are prepared. Hundreds of lives are taken -mostly are children and many are missing until now. I would like to share some of the photos captured after the storm.
Drawing 101
The best way to convey simple, understandable and meaningful messages is to draw it. I experienced it many times. Before, I was wondering why I’m not so successful in teaching deaf-mute people. I taught them sign language in a word-for-word basis. But they easily forget most of it and they find hard to understand even the word itself. At the moment that I used pictures and drawings they tend to understand it more quickly and easily. I was so amazed to their progress.
Take a closer look at the drawing below. This is how I managed to teach them about the planet Earth. The drawing may looks unprofessional but it convey more definition and meaning than a word-for-word definition. And it takes a lot of time for me think of how to make that word-for-word definition of Earth into a single page drawing. Maybe for an artist, it would only take a few seconds or a minute to think of it. But, I’m not that kind.
Struggle really! A lot of nosebleeds and a lot of Drawing 101 exercises. It was so hard for me, because I’m not that drawing fanatic guy or have gone to any proper art schools. Lately, I realized that it is not necessary to undergo those time consuming challenges in order to become a good artist.
It doesn’t matter how beautiful or ugly the drawings will be. The more important thing is that, if it convey the whole meaning and description of the thing that you’ve trying to explain. Even the famous stick man is enough to make it understandable.
Wacky Face
Most photographer would say: “be at your best shot”, ”be at your most beautiful smile”, “say cheese”, “smile”, etc.. Those are common pictorial terms anywhere in the world. However, there is such a term that you could hardly imagine, that will ultimately produce a beautiful and unforgettable memories - One, two, three “wacky!!!”. Its funny to see wacky, distorted and unimaginable faces on a picture. The wackier the face the more enjoyable are the pictorials.
Some people are not really that handsome or pretty on the picture when they are serious. Some are pretty only when they smile, when they don’t show their teeth, when they are in the good angles and others don’t have a chance. It would be very disgusting and painful looking at your own ugly picture collection. In order to minimize such negative feelings, “WACKY FACE” picture was invented. By whom? We really don’t know. It is a type of photography were the subject people give their ugliest or distorted faces and pose instead of giving their best to become more beautiful.
Instead of trying hard to make yourself beautiful or pretty on the picture, why not try to make a wacky pose. Be at your wackiest pose, and you will find it out that it really give you satisfaction and positive memories. In this manner, there will be no more depressing memories stored on your albums. It is very simple and very easy to do.
Try to test this hypothesis on yourself. “Friends and family members are more likely remember you, because of your unusual or wacky pose on the pictures”. Honestly, I tried that once and it really work.
Sign Language
How can we convey messages if we don’t have the ability to speak? Wouldn’t we try to make signs by moving our hands, head, and the rest of our body. In many movies and even on the streets, we encounter signs: example are the traffic signs, curve line, and stop or go military sign. It’s just that we don’t mind them at all but they are everywhere. But there are also experts on this field that are hardly recognized by our society, they are the deaf-mute people.
When I was on a street, I saw two people communicating using signs and body movement. My first thought was, could they really understand each other? I tried to observe them and they really do. They laugh, move their heads up and down and give each other an approve hand figure. I laugh at myself, I couldn’t believe it, I can understand some of their signs.
I was looking for a teacher who could teach me sign language. Fortunately, there were volunteers who patiently spent their time to teach us . First day of the class, I was amazed sign language is really that difficult. My hands become numb and tired and that was just an alphabet a,b,c,d simple alphabet sign but with much struggle. Later, I realized that the best way to learn sign language is to communicate with the deaf-mute people. What makes it more interesting is that they are also trying to lower themselves just to make me understand them. They are more willing to teach me their language even I myself do not have such great interest on it. That was really a turning point of my life. Now, sign language become the most part of my life and together with deaf and signer colleagues, we expand the work of teaching deaf on a distant territories.
