Mid-Semester Vacation

I made it through my mid-semester vacation just fine! I wouldn’t have done something like that, I don’t like missing class, but there was a miscommunication and it resulted in being gone for two weeks of class. See, what happened was, in early 2007 I was planning my 10th anniversary vacation with my wife. I looked at the Gallaudet calendar and it said spring break was the middle of February. The cruise we wanted to go on was the exact same week of February, so my schedule was going to be perfect! But when I arrived for NSO in August and got the calendar, I saw…spring break was in March. Somebody must have typed a 2 instead of a 3, or something, and I hadn’t been in school since 1998, so I didn’t know what a typical spring break time was and I assumed February was normal. Once I signed up for spring classes in December, I immediately e-mailed my teachers and notified them of this vacation. (We had already paid in full, and we would only have gotten $500 back if we had canceled.) They were all okay with it.

So when we went on vacation, I brought almost all of my books with me. I kept up with all my reading and everything…well, okay, most of it! While we were in Puerto Rico, I had a linguistics test that I had to take on Blackboard, and I managed to get that done. I didn’t have internet in our cabin on the cruise, so I wrote my homework papers in the cabin, and then I went to a wireless hotspot with my laptop and emailed them. I was worried about missing quizzes, but when I got back my teachers have all said they will let me retake the quizzes I missed! I missed watching a movie in my history class, but fortunately it is available from Netflix so I’m getting it from there (as soon as I send back Animal House!). I am so happy that I was able to go on vacation and not completely mess up my semester…but in the future I will be much more careful with vacation planning!

Gatherings with friends

I don’t know about you all but I’m a big Boxing fan. So I had some friends come over to watch they mayweather fight a while back. Boy was that a good fight or what. Having friends at gallaudet allows you to get together and have some fun. I know there is another fight coming up in September sometime. It’s suppose to be mayweather vs. Oscar De loya excuse the spelling ( im not spanish ).

REAL Women, REAL Beauty

On March 12, 2008 at 7pm, we will be having our second annual “REAL Women, REAL Beauty” show!!! The purpose of this show is to change how we define beauty, to defy society’s expectations from women and to show that beauty comes in all sizes, colours, lifestyles, shapes, ages and status! This show will include dancing, skits, modeling, ranting, poetry, video clips, fab facts and so many more!!! We did this show last year and it was a HUGE success! I hope that this year will be too!

If you are interested in auditioning for this show, please contact me at fieryrosie@hotmail.com OR go to Flex A/B on Tuesday from 7 to 9pm, Wednesday from 8 to 10pm or Thursday from 7 to 9pm.

I am really excited about this show because I had so much fun directing the play last year and all ladies really enjoyed it too. In the survey I gave out last year, 92% said that after watching the show, they experienced a boost in their confidence! I hope that there will be same results this year, if not better!

Keep your eyes peeled for more details soon! 🙂

Wedding Talk: 194 Days Left!

On Saturday, I went to Rockville with some bridesmaids to choose a bridesmaid gown and we found one we all liked! It is a gorgeous dress and I know that everybody will feel beautiful in it. I am really glad that I found a dress that would look good on any shape, size or height. After choosing the dress, we all went to Barnes and Noble to browse before going to a Thai restaurant for dinner. Food and company was just perfect! We stayed at the restaurant for almost two hours!!! Then we all went to my apartment to hang out for rest of the night. It is definitely nice to have bridesmaids together and it was interesting to see what dynamics our group had! From what I’ve seen, the wedding day will be a lot of fun! I only wish that my other two bridesmaids from Canada were with us but there are plenty of opportunities in next six months for us to get together!

Bridal Gown – Check. Bridesmaid Gowns – Check. Cake – Check. Catering – Check. Ceremony Location – Check. Reception Location – Check. Photographer – Check. Bridal Party – Check. Wedding Staff (Pastors, Readers, Ushers, Etc…) – Check.

Hotels – In Progress. Registry – In Progress. Tuxedos – In Progress. Honeymoon – In Progress.

Invitations, Programs, Decorations, Flowers, Jewelery, Shoes, Make Up/Hair, Marriage License, Wedding Bands and SO MANY MORE – NOT DONE!

Whew! Planning for a wedding is A LOT harder than I thought. Even though I am having a lot of fun planning for my wedding, it is definitely stressful! There are so many details that I never thought about before and now I am terrified that I am forgetting something! My advice for future brides? Make sure you have time and the money if you want to have your “dream wedding”! Thankfully, I have bridesmaids and my family who really help out.

I am only getting married once, yep.

Back to the Beginning

This semester has been full of many new beginnings. First, and possibly most obvious, is the new Gblog site. I hope everyone found the site all right! It is set up a little different than what we had before, so I hope you will all exercise patience with me as I figure out the ins and outs of the new site.

Secondly, it is a new semester! Everyone is back to school now for the Spring semester which is now in full swing. Classes are keeping me busy as are so many other things that must be done here at Gallaudet and around DC. This semester, I am trying to fulfill all the requirements for me to declare my major in ASL.

Another beginning is one many of us have most likely forgotten. I know I have! It is still the start of a brand new year–a year with new commitments and new year’s resolutions. May I challenge you to do something different this year. Do something constructive that brings you out of your daily routine and comfort zone. Resolve to make a difference in someone’s life or in your community in general.

It is good to be back to the life of blogging! I can’t wait to share with you what God is doing here on campus and in DC! God bless you all!

How’d I end up in the Land of Enchantment?

I was reflecting earlier on my experience here in New Mexico thus far, and thinking about how much I’ve gained from my internship experience already. I am eagerly anticipating what the next few months will bring me. I officially graduate in May, but I decided to stay at the school until they break for the summer in June. I don’t like the thought of leaving the school a month before seniors graduate and before students go home to a no-communicatin zone… I want to be there ALL the way, and well – I’ve got no solid plans after I graduate anyway 🙂

I think I’ve had the quite-common experience of nearly being overcome with anxiety when thinking about what I’m going to do and where I’m going to end up after I graduate. I mean… I’ve lived my entire life in routine and security. I attended school in the same school district in the same town from preschool to high school graduation, and I immediately attended college. I stayed until I graduated – then I immediately attended graduate school, which happens to be at the same college. Now that I’m nearing the end of my collegiate years, I’m kinda freaking out.

Of course, I’m ready to move on and actually get a job or be led whereever I should end up. I’m becoming more and more curious about where I’ll end up… I just have NO idea where that will be, and that is a cause for anxiety for the anal-and-always-planning-way-ahead-of-time lil ol’ me. I could return to Michigan – but I’d be bored and I wouldn’t gain the new experiences that I could get in other states or countries. That leaves about 49 other states and tons of other countries. Yep. I also got curious and explored job postings – do you believe that I’ve only found one school for the Deaf that has advertised for a school counselor?! Anxiety galore!

I ended up in New Mexico for two main reasons: (1) I love the Southwest and (2) the stories that last year’s intern shared with me convinced me to contact NMSD. I was quickly accepted and welcomed to the school. So far, I feel I’ve been truly welcomed here and fully involved in the system at the school. Due to this, I’ve learned SO much about the system and I’ve been able to reflect on the areas of interests I’d like to pursue.

I really want to pursue play therapy and advocacy for Deaf children. New Mexico is one of the poorest states and I’ve been observing how much that has impacted Deaf children throughout the state. I’ve also been observing the impact of the lack of resources for Deaf children with other needs, such as vision needs. It is quite difficult to find specialists for Deaf-Blind children here, and it bothers the hell out of me. Finding such resources is probably more of a social worker’s expertise, but I believe school counselors can play a role in becoming an advocate for children’s needs and providing support for them and their families.

I’ve been thinking less about where I’ll end up after I graduate and focusing more on the present happenings… I wouldn’t mind staying in the Southwest. It’s too soon to make any promises, but I really like how I feel here and I’m beginning to search for my options here.

I miss Gallaudet greatly so I’ve made plans to visit during Rockfest weekend, which will add to my weeklong visit during graduation week. It’s going to be tough to “let go” during graduation… but I suppose it’s time 🙂

Why I Love Living Here

Over here on the left you can see one of my favorite reasons for living in the District of Columbia (click to make it bigger). That is, of course, the Capitol – the home of the United States Congress. For most Americans, the Capitol is what they see on the back of a $50 bill, or that mythical place where federal laws are made. For me, the Capitol is a building I drive past five days a week. Not only do I have this lovely view down Pennsylvania Avenue (I took the picture myself on the way to Gallaudet), but I also drive right up Constitution Avenue, directly over Capitol Hill, passing the Capitol on my right and the Russell, Dirksen, and Hart Senate Buildings on my left. Very often I find myself stuck behind a cab who is dropping off someone who works at the seat of our nation’s government.

But seriously, this is one of my absolute favorite things about living in Washington, DC. Also on my way to and from Gallaudet, I pass the White House, Washington Monument, and Kennedy Center; on my way home I can see the Air Force Memorial, and if I take a slightly different route I can pass the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery. Only in DC can you have so many amazing national monuments in one place! Even though Gallaudet itself may not be in a great neighborhood – the area has never recovered from the 1968 riots – coming here still brings you to the most awesome city in the country…literally. I mean the city that is most inspiring of awe! Sure, New York is big, Los Angeles is famous, but no place compares to Washington DC!

First blog as “GURosie”!

Hello hello!

So, here it is, my first blog as a Gallaudet blogger! Before I start blogging my thoughts, opinions, observations or blog about life, I’ll go ahead and introduce myself!

I’m a senior at Gallaudet hailing from the true north, Ontario, Canada! Youngest of 7 kids and an aunt to over 20, I was born and raised in a cool town, Barrie, where there is a huge lake, several ski resorts and plenty of Poutine stands. In case you don’t know what Poutine is, it is a Quebec cuisine; french fries, cheese curds and gravy! Although I grew up in Barrie, I spend a lot of time in a small town, Milton, where I went to Ernest C. Drury School for the Deaf. From kindergarten to 12th grade, I lived at the dorms during the week and went home on weekends. After I graduated from high school, I lived in Erfurt, Germany for an year as an student exchange where I lived with three host families and went to a Deaf school. When my year in Germany was up, I enrolled at Gallaudet University and have been here ever since!

2008 is a big year for me. I will be graduating with a degree in English in May and I’ll be getting married in August! Between wedding planning, finishing up my last semester at Gallaudet, raising 3 feline boys, directing the second annual “Real Women, Real Beauty” show, working for Orientation Programs and making plans for “life after Gallaudet”, there will be plenty for me to blog about!

Keep your eyes peeled for my next blog! Next time though, I’ll add some pictures to bring me to life!