on sign language

For the past few days, I've been putting off interviewing the Dumaguete District Superintendent of DepEd because:

a. it's far
b. it's so warm these days
c. the topic is boring

But since I have the deadline looming over me, I forced myself to go there and talk to him this morning. My, my, my. I didn't know the public h/s system in Dgte could be interesting.

We actually have a night school for working youth (most as domestic helpers). We just started with the Open H/S last year, for drop outs to learn through modules instead of going to class, and still be competent enough to move on to the next level.

But by far, my favorite is the SPED (special education) which has around 24 mostly deaf students who warmly welcomed me in the middle of their break to talk about being deaf and being a student at the same time.

Clea, my featured interviewee and the smartest in the class, told me that she liked school because it got so boring at her home in Siquijor. NO ONE COULD UNDERSTAND HER AT HOME. Her parents didn't know how to sign, and she could barely read lips. They just wrote what they wanted to say.

No wonder she loved school, with her crushes (in fairness, bitaw. naa man diay mga shukeks na deaf) and barkada.

The deaf apparently seek out other deaf people as well. Maybe they find it too hard to venture out of their comfort zones. Maybe they just don't bother anymore after the taunts Clea told me she always gets from "normal" students.

Next Saturday, I told the class I'll come back to learn sign language. The teachers decided to give Saturday lessons for the parents so they could communicate with their children. This last sentence, I still can't fathom. How could any parent not properly communicate with their child? How so against my idealistic notion of families, whatever that means.

When I left, Clea made sure I email her and text her. I signed "thanks" to her, a kind of touching the tips of my right finger to my chin, and left with the image of her smile on my thoughts. Kinda cheesy, I know, but it made my day.

All I know is, for now, my Saturdays will be divided between Litcritters and City High. Food for the brain and the heart. It might do me some good.