International white cane day

I'm sure people more or less know what a white cane is, but I know also people who have still no idea, sadly. White cane is practically eyes for someone who doesn't see. It doesn't need to be completely blind person that gets it, it can be also a person who has low vision. Even my mother has it (doesn't use it though) and it is useful because those that do know what it means, they behave differently, make space, stop the car etc. 

I'm listening to radio while writing this. "Life with white cane", almost an hour long segment dedicated to international white cane day aired yesterday and is now available online. The segment is divided in five parts. First segment is about guide dogs, their friendship and how the blind people rely on them, what is allowed and what not. Second is interview with a blind girl who used to be my coworker at the library for blind and is now living in GB. Third segment is that blindness can't be excuse for something. Story about an actress who doesn't see. Fourth is about software for blind and partially sighted. This segment is interview with a different ex-coworker of mine. He talks about software they use, braille line, text-to-voice, smart phones etc. Last segment is about employment of blind and partially sighted people. It is interesting to listen.

Here I would like to mention deafblindness as well. We all for sure heard about Hellen Keller who didn't see nor hear. This week we had a small group of people for a visit in our library. I couldn't help but watch them and be somehow amazed. I'm used to blind people, didn't really come in contact with deaf people so I also don't know sign language (should put it on my bucket list, same as braille). The introduction of library was done by my colleague and beside her stood a "translator" for sign language for those that still saw well enough but couldn't hear. What amazed me were the "couples" who held hands and through hands made the sign language or wrote on hands. One "couple" was a deaf woman who saw still well to see the sign language of translator and then through hands like walkie talkie "told" the man what was said. Just wow. Really something to see and it made me think for a while.

Love what you have, you may think it isn't much but compared to other people, you're rich.

Peace

"Some things will last forever." That kind of thinking that some people will always be beside you, help you. "It will stay the same, no matter what." It is so simple to think that way and usually people notice many things when they lose what they had. Sometimes those thoughts appear out of the sudden as well. What would I do if she/he wouldn't be around?

I had this thought this week due to various reasons. One is the following. The weather got a bit colder and there it came, a mouse to the small room beside mine. I noticed her in the evening when all became more quiet. The scratching sound... I seriously dislike these sounds and wouldn't be able to sleep in peace. This scary feeling what if she comes up on my bed hihi I went and woke up mom... The first thought wasn't to limit the animal to the small room but more like someone who would help me out. It made me think. It is not like there was a seriously dangerous animal, but poor little mouse, doing no harm beside eating what she shouldn't and making sounds I don't like. Scaredy-cat me would need to gather 150% courage to act on her own. Silly.

Recently

Past few days were hectic, going here, going there, meeting one, two, three :)

Ups and downs

I read in my favorite blog today about many different lights there exist, only if you look on the bright side of everything. That friend may not have it easy again, even happy moments are interrupted... I wish her all the well as soon as possible and also good luck next week, keep your light on. Don't let the lights dim, even if that is romantic sometimes. In your case, it's a no-go, okay?

Many things...

In the past few days some stuff happened, good or bad or nervous ones etc. Many for someone like me :) Friends know what I mean... 

For starters a dear friend had an important operation on Thursday. Man she just had to say goodbye before that, making me cry... She was not aware that I knew of her situation. Well I didn't try to make fun of it or anything behind her back, just silently supporting her without her knowledge (until she was told about it :D). I'm glad my gift for her arrived before the operation, just in case you know... yes I worried if it would come or not because I sent it some time ago, it was taking too long... And I sent that gift just like that, friend to a friend thou it got totally different and even better meaning now. So thank you dear post for the first time for being so slow and knowing when to make it reach the destination :) I hear friend is doing okay for now... no new news so am patiently (or not) waiting for more infos from her friends which update us the-far-away-land-friends who can't be there for her <3 Thank you all!

While waiting for the hopefully good or best news there can be, I do many things but am slightly reluctant to share it all... There is this habit of mine to spend time on things so I don't constantly think of bad things... usually could sound wrong or misunderstood... Can't actually say I had much fun on same Thursday... but I did... I haven't had so much fun lately than on that day... I feel a bit apologetic towards it but when I came home that day (it was too late for my likings already) but I went to check the news! And I am glad I did because I got for now good infos and I was able to chase the lil guilty feelings I had for having fun while my friend had tough time... 

To explain further that Thursday: 

- in the morning I went to swim with sister, some bonding time as usually and I totally like it + spent some time with the little nephew too :)

- lil bit of helping out at the library

- called a friend in ages (the new mommy), just felt like it and had really nice chat about this and that, listened to her worries and so on, lovely bonding time again. 

- met a friend I sometimes meet in the capital. She is few years younger than me but sometimes gives me a feeling of being older than me :) But we are both kids, both liking asian things so we have a lot in common to talk about, never ending stories :) We went for lunch and a drink. More bonding time. 

- met two ex-coworkers for a drink, one is blind btw. Haven't seen them in a while, it felt nice to hear what they do now etc. Anny did even more bonding time. 

- with same last mentioned people we met some other ex-coworkers for a theatre. We have this paid yearly ticket for 4 shows and sadly we don't pick the dates (or wouldn't have picked that day because of my friend from start of the post). And the show was too hillarious, best of the 4 we have seen this year. What is even better is that we got always the first row seats because half of the "gang" doesn't see well or is blind so it is easier for them + for me too, to see expressions as well. Anyway the show was really enjoyable (okay the end was just wtf?? but nevermind). And after the show we all went again for another drink in the old part of the capital :) Came home at midnight and managed to go to bed around half 1 lol I can see someone smile at this as it really is late hour for me :) Many many bonding time :D

Today more stuff happened, interesting and fun ones too... I helped around at a Braille reading and writing competition. I met more blind or partially sighted people I haven't before or knew only from the phone and first time I saw how such a competition happens. You have two groups actually. First is those who read Braille from paper and write on the old typing machine. That machine is not the normal one we know but Braille typing machine with only 10 buttons or so. 6 buttons are for the combinations of Braille dots, the others for new row, corrections etc. The second group is the "modern" group that reads with Braille line from a computer and writes with normal keyboard. When it comes to reading they are time limited to 2 minutes and they should read as many words in that time and also nicely and understandable. When it comes to writing there is one who is telling them sentences and they write it down then the mistakes are checked. Then all points get joined together. As I said it was interesting and fun, mostly because you are amazed again by the abilities they show you and good energy through the whole day. Completelly worth it :) And I helped ex-coworker friend that was there as well. How? I put make-up on her (she is blind) as she had some lunch with someone later hihi Also really something completelly new for me :)

Ah the guilty feeling is kicking in again... shoooo~! Go away... 

Today...

... it was another swimming-in-the-morning day. Met with my sister again. :) It is lovely to go actually as we can talk this and that but also do something for ourselves. I might wanna keep this routine of swimming once per week at least until I get steady job ^^ It feels great :D

... I held my second nephew for the first time <3 Little boy looked at me with those big curious eyes, with that small baby smile hanging on his face, gurgling something as if trying to talk to me :D Lovely to see him getting stronger and bigger after first complications after his birth... He will get to be a big man soon :) Curious ones I can share picture somewhere private hihi Some already got it :D *proud*

... me and mom hid from older nephew when we came to sister's house. And it was right we did. Around that time his dad takes him to kindergarten and if he were to see us, it would be tough for him to go. Even better decision was it when sister said he protested from going to kindergarten today, didn't wanna wake up, eat, dreass up :D Little kiddo causing little problems :)

... I sent two applications for open jobs, need to do some others on Saturday too, these two were more urgent to do today because of due date :) Have my eyes on four others too so will have enough time to think about them till Saturday :)