Want to know why my dorm room will be dearly missed?

THIS! My lovely view of the campus.
P.S I will be posting more snapshots after my trip to Washington Monument and Capitol Hill tomorrow.

Blood is thicker than water

Last night I sat motionless on my bed wondering how my life would be if my parents were not there for me. I am here today because of my parents; they mean the world to me, without them I would be nothing. My life would not be the same if it was not for them, honestly. I am more than grateful to be their daughter. They have both supplied me with food, warmth, patience, support, and unconditional love; I can not thank them more. My parents have made such a positive impact on my life. I come from a very strong family who is into the “deaf hood” and taught me to preserve the uniqueness and wonder of the deaf culture and its traditions. My dad had a rough childhood and he has taught me countless things about life through his experiences. I love those days when we would just sit in the family room and fire up the discussion regarding politics and religion. Tough topics. My father taught me to stand up for what I believe in, even if it means I stand alone. I was well disciplined, and was taught how to say ‘no’ when it comes to things that may be harmful to me after listening to my father’s childhood stories that in the end made him a strong gentleman today. What I have learned from my father will stick with me for rest of my life. I have developed really strong morals and values. My precious mother, Leisa, no one is able to replace her. She is one amazing mother and I am more than fortunate to have her as my mother and watch me grow from infant through adolescence to adulthood. She has worked so hard to ensure I live my life to the fullest. She always radiates light whenever she walks by, it was like she brought the sunshine into my room to greet me every morning of every day. I simply can not afford to lose them both. I am doing this not only for me, but for them also. I want to thank them both for sacrificing so much to send me to another country so I start to receive my secondary education at the age of seventeen. It means the world to me. Both my parents lost the opportunity to enroll at Gallaudet back in their day so this for them. I stand strong, tall and proud today because of them both.
I love you both dearly.

My parents and I on my Graduation Day

Life is full of adventure!

Sushi was introduced to me by beloved raw-fish-eating uncle Jerry couple of years ago. He travels throughout second and third world countries to teach English to the residents. Jerry has been to Malaysia, Colombia, Vietnam just to name a few. He is a committed vegetarian (other than the raw fish of course!). I had once considered becoming a vegetarian, but I could not live without white meat. To me, it’s mouth-watering and it makes my taste buds flip. I can not resist it at all! So perhaps, I should call myself a ‘half vegetarian’? I hardly consume red meat… only once a while. I remember how I refused to try new dishes such as Japanese because of the weird looking raw fish laying well decorated on my plate accompanied by red fish eggs scattered all around. I was beyond terrified! He stated how healthy it is and how it makes you smarter… simple words to convince me to consume it. Once it was in my mouth I let my teeth chomp like mad to escape the my wild imagination of how it would choke me to death. Instead, it blew me and my taste buds away! I was in disbelief and was totally, utterly speechless. The next bite I chomped carefully to let the taste absorb into my taste buds dreamily. I was addicted just like that. I would pick ANY sushi restaurant at the top of my list. My lovely roommate is from Newfoundland, where it is well known for seafood, and ironically she loathes seafood with a passion. I have been trying to convince her to try sushi, she refused until she got sick and tired of me picking at her. Finally, yesterday, I bought a package of California Rolls for her to try and videotaped her reaction. She had chopsticks with her and her arm was trembling with fear when the chopsticks touched the sushi. I was trying to persuade her that it would not kill her! She finally consumed it and I was expecting a good reaction but unfortunately she nearly puked. I was pretty much disappointed but I was extremely proud of her for trying it! Life is full of new and wonderful experiences, and you grow from each and every one of them… good or bad. I recommend to anyone who has not tasted sushi; it never hurts to try, trust me 🙂

I Heart Dirty City

I was pondering the other day about Gallaudetians complaining about Washington D.C. being the only location for a fully inclusive college, and that there should be more campuses around like it. I decided here would be an excellent place to express my opinions and thoughts regarding this issue. ‘Imagine Gallaudet in California! Oh my… no Texas!’ This kind of topic has been flying throughout the campus lately. It’s not a vacation…Washington D.C is a remarkable place! What are you guys talking about? I know there isn’t eternal sunshine, tall and lean palm trees, sandy beaches, with pina coladas, and martinis with mini bright colored umbrellas on top. It’s all about loose leafed papers, hard wooden pencils, and dull rubber pink erasers. I personally believe Gallaudet is in the perfect location, despite the somewhat trashy ghetto neighborhoods. You guys don’t realize how much Washington D.C can offer!! It provides good quality of information sources for everything not just only academic. Let me emphasis, the District of Columbia is a reasonable niche that a college student needs for college life.

*Museums – where every individual can have the access for no charge
*Metro – convenient, less time consuming trips to desired regions
*Bars and Night clubs – college nights for cheap

These are just a few examples from the top of my head. Not to mention there are another eight universities where Gallaudetians can socialize and meet a wide diversity of other students to create a whole new circle of friends. If you still think you do not like teh District of Columbia, just keep this in mind, you will be merely living here for your college years and it’s a great opportunity to experience and enrich the D.C life in short span of time. Enjoy it! Take it from somebody who ‘moved’ here from western Canada… D.C. is a great place!!

Home Sweet Home!

I am calling this campus my second home already… There’s no place like home at Gallaudet. Crossing a big fat red ‘X’ over the little box on the calendar and sighing ‘what a spontaneous day eh!’ Nothing beats being a Gallaudetian. Each day is filled with classes and afterwards volleyball and basketball games to watch along with loud, and high spirited and sometimes slightly luncatic fans painted in yellow and blue. The walks to the cafeteria still give me chills up my spine. Every time I take a glance through the window it’s always crowded with energetic, dynamic students with their unstoppable moving hands. The cafeteria continually leads you into stimulating conversations with random new faces; talk about networking. It’s one of the biggest advantages that Gallaudet offers with a smaller student body. Random warm hellos in hallways are inspiring and can make you feel welcome, no matter how new the experience here is. I love how American Sign Language is a priority on campus, and not something only a few people know. It’s such a blessing to know it’s a place that could supply everything a deaf individual needs. Everyday this campus is filled with adventure! Sitting at home eating dinner with my family made me realize how quiet it is compared to Gallaudet. It’s something that you will never have in your own home. I am going to cherish every second while living up my college years at Gallaudet, no joke!

Flurries – Spring?

I am mentally out of shape! Thanks to midterms that took up my life for the entire week. I was in my books and notes and let me tell you… it was  very exhausting.  I look back at my high school days and I remember how I used to whine about midterms and finals. All I can say is jeez, I have wasted all my breath on this. College is absolutely brutal! I wrote my Deaf Studies, Biology, and Math midterms. I am positive I have aced them all. Let’s see the aftermath once I step back into the classrooms after the short and simple vacation. I am so thrilled it’s nearly spring break but I will feel like an albino compared to other students who will return from their warm and sunny spring break destinations. I’ll be heading to the shiny white flurries of Canada and warm myself up with the love from my family members and of course I could not forget blankets and hot apple cider.

Enjoy the paradise and stay safe! =)

Explore a little about Luba

Just some random facts about myself:

1. My world’s favorite ice cream flavor is bubble gum, believe it or not!
2. I am the only child in my family
3. My natural eye color is dark hazel but when my eyes leak it turns into deep green
4. My lovely ink is placed in the most unique location  If you want to find out where it is, come and see me! 🙂
5. Any chocolate related desserts are not kind of my thing
6. Addiction: Gums. I could finish a pack of gum daily
7. I never once traveled outside of North America.
8. I possess scars all over my face, nothing else not even below my head
9. I never once believed in those celebrity crushes so therefore I never had a male celebrity
10. I once had a septum piercing and I am planning to get my hip surface piercings later in the summer.
11. I will never get sick eating seafood, while growing up I was always envious of Asians because they were able to consume them daily. P.S I embrace how they breathe with true sense of fashion too
12. One of my major goals that I do want to accomplish is to work in Australia for a year after my studies at Gallaudet

Biology + Valentine’s Day = Reproduction

I am typing this blog on my laptop sitting against my window watching the droplets of rain hit the pane. Thousands of words running through my mind, pondering, and trying to get my fingers to express what I’m feeling. I am simply speechless how it’s halfway to March. Everyone is getting all hyped up and recently I started to notice how a few students are getting darker and darker. Then I realized…they are hitting up the tanning salons and preparing for their future warm destination for spring break! SPRING BREAK! I never thought this day would come that soon. Time sure flies. Professors are throwing last minute assignments, projects, and exams at us to prepare us for midterms which are about less than two weeks away. My schedule is all packed, and I’m still hoping to squeeze in some space for other significant things occupy me. I am currently multitasking by typing back and fourth on this blog and cramming for my last minute biology assignment which is due in several hours. I love writing! I have stacks and stacks of colorful, scribbled ink all over loose leaf papers in a dusty box back at home. Reading and writing are my favorite thing to do. For me, it is an easy way to escape from reality and reflect my abstract thoughts and feelings through ink.

Anyways, back to the point, this homework I am currently working on is a biology worksheet. I am currently taking Biology 105 (Introduction to Human Biology). It’s one of my prerequisites for a Psychology Major. I am considering majoring in Psychology and doing a double minor in Sociology and Family Studies. I never did really well in Biology during my senior year, I bombed the final exam and even worse failed the overall course with forty-nine percent. Biology was never my kind of thing. I once thought it was a pointless waste of time to learn. Then I met Dr. Jane Dillehay. I could not ask for a better teacher. I must mention how thick the textbook is… filled with countless content and course related vocabulary. I also must emphasis how I loathe memorizing everything all at once. I swore to God when I first had the book in my hand! The first thing that went through my head was, ‘ I am going to fail this!’

Guess what? I aced my first exam with 105% Yes, that’s correct. A five extra percent. I was beyond thrilled, my highest mark ever in Biology. We are now focusing on the specific chapter of reproduction: from life to death and the dreaded HIV/ AIDS chapter. Oh my, REPRODUCTION!! I wonder if my professor decided to work on that chapter specifically during Valentine’s week? Smart choice!

Oh goodness, I have got to spill how the weather is torturing the city of District of Columbia these past few weeks. It has been very uncooperative. It’s super sunny, with perfect temperatures averaging in the 60’s and then all of sudden it drops to the 30’s with ice freezing the ground and a snowstorm the next day. I am starting to get annoyed with having to switch back and forth from my summer jacket and shoes to my winter jacket and boots. Hurry spring… I am opening my arms for your warm welcome.

Gotta jet to hand in the worksheet!

Bonjour

Wow, I’m back at Gallaudet! All the way from the beautiful Rockies on the west coast… Canada! Nothing beats the feeling of being an international student at Gallaudet University. When I first set foot on campus in fall 2007, I became part of the 2011 graduating class. Everything was quite overwhelming during the NSO week. I didn’t know anyone here; there were numerous new faces swarming all around me. Not even one face that I recognized. There were groups of females screaming, hugging, jumping, and telling the how much they’ve missed each other and how thrilled they were to spend all their college years together, of course to create more memories. I stood there… bewildered. I had all eyes on me [the new girl- not so ‘americanish.’] I learned to push my shyness out and step out of the box. I made new friends eventually through classes and some on-campus activities & organizations. Once you’re in the deaf world, everyone knows everyone. I love how the networking is out here, it’s beyond unbelievable. I recall when I found out there was only one other Canadian who enrolled Gallaudet at the same year I did; Ashley Osborne, all the way from Newfoundland in eastern Canada. She is currently my roommate for the spring semester.

The fact regarding the amount of deaf and hard of hearing students on campus made an enormous impact on me. Being the ONLY deaf student in a mainstreamed school back home was all I knew. I grew up knowing that I was alone and had to adjust my communication methods to interact with my hearing friends. Now, I didn’t have to; I could use my hands anytime, anywhere, whenever I wanted to. I smelled FREEDOM! Not to mention it was also a huge culture shock for me. Ironically, I was raised in a deaf family but was never once put into a deaf institution until Gallaudet. My DEAF parents [I must stress the term ‘deaf’] made a decision to send me to a mainstreamed school. This was my very first experience with a deaf institution that included deaf teachers, and peers, meaning what? Classrooms where interpreters were no longer needed! Thanks to the direct communication of sign language.

During the fall semester of 2007, I was befuddled with everything and did not know what I really wanted to do in life. Even though I received so much support from my loved ones back at home and of course new college mates here; I battled major homesickness and I was simply not ready for the college lifestyle. I decided to take a year off and ponder what I really wanted to do in life in general. I knew inside, from the very bottom of my heart, that I will return to Gallaudet once I departed the District of Columbia. I had an urge to take some time off from school and roam the true legal Canadian life, so I did.

This semester is about to kick off with five courses packed into my schedule. I am so looking forward to make this memorable for the remainder of my freshman year.
Will post more later on y’all!