Greetings from NOT the sunny part of Cali.

MSmiles

MSmiles

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Hello, yes, I’m from California the easy breezy (often times chilly) part of the Bay Area. I am hearing. I was always curious about deaf culture and ASL, but I didn’t really jump into it till "Switched at Birth" first aired summer 2011. Right away I signed up for ASL at a local community college.

I made a lot of hearing ASL friends and two deaf friends. One being my tutor and the other a close friend of his. I absolutely fell in love with the language and continued on up to ASL2. I admit that I was quite dependent on my two deaf friends for practice signing, but I never immersed myself to the culture as I should have :Oops:. They wanted me to go with them to deaf events, but I was always so busy with my current-at-the-time biotechnology degree.

When the "Switched at Birth" episode made a whole episode in ASL, I was very close (and I mean REALLY close) to dropping my biotech degree to become an interpreter. But in reality, I just really enjoy getting to know people from different backgrounds of life, and ASL happened to expand that. Therefore, I continued on with my biotechnology degree with continued hopes to keep up with ASL.

OK! Present time. It’s 2014 now. . . I finished my degree, but my continued hopes to keep up with ASL wavered. SO HERE I AM at AllDeaf.com. :aw: In the past, taking an ASL class was the central place where I got comfortable with signing and rarely used it outside of class. I’m done with school and all my ASL friends have moved on to their own things and I only keep up with one deaf friend ONLY through text as he has moved on from school as well. I’ve reviewed my books and remembered many signs, but I’ve always been terrible with my receptive skills. (which was why I was so dependent on my only deaf friends, I felt they were VERY patient with me).

I just discovered that my local Starbucks has a Deaf Chat Coffee every month that I am determined to go to. So I am here to make friends, but also build confidence in signing again and properly immerse myself by going to deaf events. (In which I should have in the past because I had company:doh:, but now I’ll be going by myself. . . I’m nervous :Ohno:).

If there are students who need practice through skype or oovoo, I’m willing to help (I still have my ASL textbooks, maybe we are using the same ones?).
Or just make a genuine good friend on here.

Hello again!

Woah, I didn’t mean for my intro to be that personal and lengthy for my first post. :type:
 
Hello and welcome to AD. I'm in southern CA....
 
Hello! I like visiting SoCal. Any time I go, no matter the season, it's always shorts and tank top weather. :D
 
:welcome: from the Bay Area too. :)
 
:welcome: to AllDeaf Forum. I hope you enjoy reading and posting here. See you around here. :wave:
 
MSmiles said:
HAHA. that means I need to get my personal life in check if I want to stay here. :giggle:

You from SF! I work in SF :D
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San Francisco is definitely have its own world. How do you like working in SF? I work for a company in SF too. What's your favorite place in SF? :hmm:
 
authentic said:
San Francisco is definitely have its own world. How do you like working in SF? I work for a company in SF too. What's your favorite place in SF? :hmm:
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I know you are asking the question to the OP, but I have to mention this. I have gone to San Francisco so many times as kid and one of my favorite places is Pier 39!
 
respectyoda said:

I know you are asking the question to the OP, but I have to mention this. I have gone to San Francisco so many times as kid and one of my favorite places is Pier 39!
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Pier 39 is definitely a tourist place. :laugh2: Looks like I need to give you a tour to see the REAL San Francisco.
 
authentic said:
Pier 39 is definitely a tourist place. :laugh2: Looks like I need to give you a tour to see the REAL San Francisco.
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I am not sure how much of San Francisco I have seen as a kid, but I know they have really awesome big parks!
 
authentic said:
San Francisco is definitely have its own world. How do you like working in SF? I work for a company in SF too. What's your favorite place in SF? :hmm:
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Actually, I work in South San Francisco for a biotech company. It took me a while to figure out that South SF and SF are two separate cities. But they seem the same to me. lol. always full of traffic.

My favorite place is Japan Town. Especially on Halloween when everyone cosplays. :D or driving down lombard street really fast.
There is a lot I haven't seen in SF.

respectyoda said:

I know you are asking the question to the OP, but I have to mention this. I have gone to San Francisco so many times as kid and one of my favorite places is Pier 39!
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Pier 39 is a great tourist attraction, very expensive for souvenirs though. When I go there, it is only to eat and window shop.
 
MSmiles said:
Actually, I work in South San Francisco for a biotech company. It took me a while to figure out that South SF and SF are two separate cities. But they seem the same to me. lol. always full of traffic.

My favorite place is Japan Town. Especially on Halloween when everyone cosplays. :D or driving down lombard street really fast.
There is a lot I haven't seen in SF.


Pier 39 is a great tourist attraction, very expensive for souvenirs though. When I go there, it is only to eat and window shop.
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Is there any real benefit in driving down Lombard Street really fast? We don't need people to unnecessarily risk their lives speeding down city streets. Take the case of Paul Walker!

Of course, Pier 39 is an outstanding tourist attraction next to Alcatraz, but as a kid, I didn't care how expensive souvenirs were because my grandparents would buy them. :giggle:
 
respectyoda said:

Is there any real benefit in driving down Lombard Street really fast? We don't need people to unnecessarily risk their lives speeding down city streets. Take the case of Paul Walker!

Of course, Pier 39 is an outstanding tourist attraction next to Alcatraz, but as a kid, I didn't care how expensive souvenirs were because my grandparents would buy them. :giggle:
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well, its impossible to go Paul Walker fast down that street. There is always tourists there. I guess I should correct myself, not the fastest but most "thilling" you can possibly go without hurting anyone is 10 miles per hour and still get a good whip lash from the turns.

oh lucky. Did you see Alcatraz? I haven't seen it at yet. I remember riding the ferry going to Angel Island when I was 10 and passing Alcatraz, and wanting to go there instead of Angel Island. I guess its about time. . . hmm.
 
:welcome: to AllDeaf Forum. I hope you have fun reading and posting here. See you around here. :wave:
 
MSmiles said:
well, its impossible to go Paul Walker fast down that street. There is always tourists there. I guess I should correct myself, not the fastest but most "thilling" you can possibly go without hurting anyone is 10 miles per hour and still get a good whip lash from the turns.

oh lucky. Did you see Alcatraz? I haven't seen it at yet. I remember riding the ferry going to Angel Island when I was 10 and passing Alcatraz, and wanting to go there instead of Angel Island. I guess its about time. . . hmm.
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A good whiplash at 10 mph? I am not sure if that'd equate to pure adrenaline, but if it works for you, then good for you. Ha.

I have only seen Alcatraz from a set of binoculars. I want to go back to SF and take a ferry to Alcatraz and go on a tour of the prison.
 
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