More photos from the Teej Festival. Sorry for the delay, getting photos to upload here is based on sheer luck that the internet won't die while the photos are uploading, or even more maddingly, right before they finish!
Yesterday I went back to the Deaf Federation (NFDH), to see Rameshji, hopefully pick up a Nepali Sign Language Dictionary, and learn more about deaf culture and deaf education in Nepal. Fortunately I was able to walk straight there after my long winding journey to the building last Thursday. I'm finally beginning to understand the streets of Kathmandu!
I arrived at the federation about 11am and was ushered into Rameshji's office where he was meeting with a deaf man and his son, and giving them information on sign language and employment options for deaf individuals in the area. After they left, Rameshji gave me a dictionary and answered some of my questions about deaf culture here in Nepal, and how the deaf organizational hierarchy works.
Everything (deafness related) falls under the leadership of NFDH, including 24 deaf associations in various districts and the deaf schools in some of the districts (there are 15 deaf schools in Nepal). Given that Nepal is roughly the size of Kansas or Tennessee, 15 is a good number. One major difference, however, is that the education options here are different than in the States because students here are rarely, if ever, mainstreamed given the serious scarcity of sign language interpreters. Typically, deaf children, if they attend school, attend schools specifically for the deaf.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Pratigya Shatya who did all of the illustrations (as well as the cover) for the dictionary. He is deaf himself, and is working on getting to Canada to see friends and sell his art there. Pratigyaji told me how the dictionary was created and how he and other deaf individuals working on the dictionary had gone around to deaf schools in Nepal and learned what signs were used. The list of signs was then brought in front of a board whose members discussed the validity of each sign and came to a consensus regarding the "official" version for each sign. As in American Sign, I've already been taught a few variations on a number of words.
There is a fingerspelled Nepali alphabet (18 vowels and 37 consonants) as well as the English alphabet (which most Nepalis know also). After the Nepali fingerspelled alphabet was created, it became apparent that the English letter "t" had the same handshape as the Nepali consonant "ka". Thus, deaf leaders in Nepal decided that the international alphabet must be changed, and so "t" fingerspelled in Nepal is different than typically seen. For the signers among you, the English "t" in Nepali is a fist with the thumb up (like "a"), and the pointer finger pointed out (not up), rather than the traditional handshape of the thumb sticking out between the pointer and middle fingers.
I was able to talk with Rojinaji (Rameshji's wife) for a long time as well about what I'm hoping to do here and how my goals work with Nepali culture. She had a lot of good advice, and I learned much about the deaf population in Nepal from her. She has been wonderful for helping with my Nepali sign, and I will help her with her ASL tomorrow too. The constant exchange of cultural and linguistic information here is so exciting!
Please let me know if you'd like more information about the research side of my work, and I can send out more detailed research notes to those interested.
Other information:
I went on my first motorbike ride (in Nepal) yesterday with Rojinaji who brought me home from NFDH. It was actually not bad at all given that in Nepal people rarely drive over 35 mph!
Pink-eye reared its ugly head again yesterday, so I visited the CIWEC clinic this morning to get eye drops. I got a few of the vaccinations I still needed as well. I still have a few of the 2nd and 3rd shots to get for several of the vaccines, but I'm basically immune to everything now!
The other day, I made the best brownies EVER. I was so excited at how well they turned out given our oven is a tiny little thing that shocks us constantly and turns off whenever it feels like it. It is entirely possible that the brownies tasted as good as they did because we're in Nepal and rarely have treats like that, but still! They were awesome :)
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