03_2024
Hello again! I started off my morning being absolutely furious at the New York Times Connections game for April 1st. iykyk.
Anyway! I hope you all had a great month. I’m typing this out as I sit on the couch in new pajamas as Piper purrs besides me. Best setting to reflect on the past few weeks. Thank you for following me on this silly Substack journey. It’s fun typing thoughts into the void.
March Highlight Reel
I caved in and purchased a pair of cotton pajamas from Muji that are extremely comfortable and cozy.
I read some old FB messages from high school (honestly, I wanted to see if I was problematic). Turns out my group of friends and I shared a love for multigrain Cheerios.
I finished ASL level 4! Level 5 starts up next week :)
Anya taught me and some other pals how to book bind! It’s so fun dating a creative person.
I requested my old school records and received a box of over a thousand pages of speech, audiology, and IEP evaluations that span over 18 years. I have no memory of this but I was quite speech delayed and difficult to understand up until about age 7 (sign language certainly could have helped me but that’s another convo). My mom served as my interpreter when people couldn’t understand me. What I gathered most from these records is that I was always eager to learn, adorable and funny (I’m serious, all the evaluators loved me), and my mom was my biggest advocate.
After reading my school records, I was wondering how I had the ability to have thought processes and an inner monologue. I still don’t know how I did it but whatever I was delayed in cognitively, I caught up quickly with overwhelming external support. But it turns out that while language is not directly involved in the process of thought, it is crucial for setting up other cognitive domains (i.e., the ability to think about other’s intentions), which I was delayed in for a hot sec. For a minute there, I did not understand gender and pronouns (so slay of me tbh), since I was delayed in “symbolized thinking,” which can only be developed by words.
I got a raise! Now to try to avoid becoming a victim of the Diderot effect: making more = spending more. A big incentive for me to save money is the exorbitant price of a green card.
I went to my first ASL Slam event. Before the event started, there was a meet-up and I signed with other Deaf/HOH people. My brain really has been wired for visual language. It’s cool to see how quickly I’ve been picking it up. The event consisted of Deaf artists sharing their poems and stories, with an open mic after. There is voice interpretation at these events, so my fellow hearing friends won’t be left out. I thought the interpretation was phenomenal.
I discovered BearSalonASMR on YouTube, which is this Korean lady who does “spa treatments” on her very cute cat.
Lowlights
The battle for new cochlear implants continues…
I attended a rock-climbing competition that was overpacked, preventing me from getting adequate time on the walls. I left the event placing 22nd in my category and being reminded that I do not like to lose. It is frustrating to work hard at something and leave with a sore body with minimal reward. However, I do need to give myself some grace. It was my second time participating in a comp and my first time in the intermediate category. Next comp is in May in Brooklyn.
Visa battles. I won’t go any further in case the federal government decides to read this but man, it is difficult to live in the US if you were not born here.
Things I watched
The Holdovers. Charming, cozy, and fun New England representation.
The two weird lesbian movies: Drive Away Dolls and Love Lies Bleeding.
Problemista. I can’t believe this was Julio Torres’ debut!! So good.
Julio Torres’ comedy special My Favorite Shapes on HBO. You can see where he got the inspiration to write Problemista.
Whale Rider. A humble film portraying Māori culture in New Zealand in the ‘90s. Like a Disney-adjacent coming-of-age about a girl trying to find her place and purpose within her family and community. Thanks to Anya for watching this with me :’)
Happy Death Day. The protagonist’s name is Tree and I wish I was kidding.
Anatomy of a Fall. This was SO GOOD!!!!! I watched it twice in two days. The French justice system is so crazy.
Derry Girls. Deeply funny, deeply enjoyable.
Shanspeare’s video essay on tradwives.
Contrapoint’s The Witch Trials of JK Rowling. No one is allowed to tell me they love Harry Potter.
Things I read
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. Queer masterpiece.
True Biz by Sara Novic. This was a reread via audiobook. I hadn’t last read it in over two years and now that I have a more robust knowledge of ASL and Deaf culture, I thought it deserved a reread. The signing was included in the audio recording, and you can hear the hands whooshing in the air. It was a smart accompaniment considering the audiobook limits the ability to see the totality and beauty of sign language. Kissfist!
Rouge by Mona Awad. I’m giving this one 3.5/5 stars. Started off slow but certainly picked up and gave me this Lynchian, surrealist feeling. Definitely have never read anything else like it.
This Letterboxd article on subtitles in film. The writer met with captioners to discuss accessibility and what gets lost in translation when films/TV shows aren’t captioned correctly.
Things I listened to
Chappel Roan’s Tiny Desk Concert.
The New York Times’ podcast series Rabbit Hole, which discusses how people can become far-right radicalized on YouTube.
You’re Wrong About episodes on Balto and The Oscars Streaker.
Settle for Me: A Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Podcast. And the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend cast music…
You are Good’s episode on the movie Frozen.
Cinderella by Remi Wolf.
Poison Poison by Reneé Rapp.