Newsweek and Sign Language

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to read, and can't stand to go anywhere without a book in tow. Riding the subway for 20 minutes on the way to work every morning seems like the perfect opportunity to get some book time in, but it's frustrating to work on settling into a book, plus there can be lots of distractions that prevent me from putting the energy into the literature (the train performers, noisy kids, crazy homeless people, the arguing couple, etc) so I usually would just listen to music.

Well this week my change of address for my Newsweek subscription finally kicked in and I had it in my purse and it has been the best reading material ever since! I've had a subscription for awhile, ever since my friend Daniel became a writer for it, and since this year they would mainly just pile up since I never seemed to have time to ever read them or do anything with them. But now all the little articles and anecdotes on contemporary global events are just perfect to take on the train. I don't know why it excited me so much. Maybe because even though Daniel covers the White House now, he had the cover story of my first Newsweek now. I'm so proud of my friends!


This is Daniel on the left, myself, and Stephan in Bamberg, Germany

On a side note, after my lunch today I was outside the building just standing in the sun and watching the passers-by when I noticed two Amish men with lots of luggage (lots of Amish come around here) pull out a map. I don't know what compelled me to approach them because I've seen similar scenes before, but I did. I asked if they needed help, and they looked at me and then answered and I couldn't understand them. I looked puzzled and they tried again, sounded like they said "F". I don't know why but I instinctively made the fingerspelling sign for "F" in American Sign Language when I asked "F?" and their eyes lit up and they got really excited and that's when I realized that they were deaf and that's why I couldn't understand them so well. I couldn't believe it! They asked if I knew sign language and I said a little and I was able to give them directions to get to the F train from where we were... in sign language! I used to take ASL classes both in high school, and again in college, but never pursued it as much as I would have liked. I still had that habit to sometimes clarify confusion with my hands, or answer with signs if someone asked me a question while I had my mouth full or was on the phone. I rekindled my passion for ASL today.

It's just so true that there are no two days the same when you live in New York City, there's always someone new to meet or something new to happen.