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This lovely video from a deaf and very talented TLC alumna and Wellesley grad is a submission to the CouchSurfing "Get Inspired" contest -- and it ends today! "Like" the video on YT to give her a shot at winning.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ux2BOn4QWw[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ux2BOn4QWw[/ame]
*Captions can be seen if you close the pop-up advertisements* Please watch in HD!!
This is a submission for the CouchSurfing "Get Inspired" contest. Please "like" or comment on this video if you can! The contest ends on NOVEMBER 30 at 12pm GMT!
I'm a 21-year-old who recently graduated from college in America. I've been traveling solo in Europe for the last couple of months, touching Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, and France. And I have more adventures yet to come.
I am Deaf, and identify myself as being part of a cultural and linguistic minority in America. Since we are such a small, but diverse group of people who tend to have mediocre access to resources like translation services and a uniform educational system, the feeling of isolation is all too common.
After being immersed in a predominantly hearing environment with minimal exposure to other Deaf people for many years, I have always aspired to travel to other countries and meet others who not only share this unique perception of life, but also could introduce me to their own cultures and languages. However, it seemed like a daunting task due to the cultural and language differences that traveling tends to involve.
The admirable CouchSurfing project has allowed me to connect with local Deaf and signing folks from four different countries, and my expectations of the possible communication challenges were defied by my hosts' willingness to communicate with me in all ways possible. By inviting me to their homes, teaching me how to cook their local foods, and showing me their cities, my new Deaf and signing friends have imparted me with valuable knowledge - academic, emotional, and artistic - and have exposed me to sign languages of their countries that would have otherwise been extraordinarily difficult to discover if it weren't for this project.