August 18, 2008

#22: Back in America: Part One

NYC, Ottawa, Vermont, NYC

It's so nice to be back on the keyboards, at last. With a little more comfort this time. I'm about to unleash a bit of what's been stored in my memory onto this, after three weeks on the road and away from the computer. Irony is, I am readily devoted to the computer with access to one often, but here in America, that's nearly impossible.

The last time I really doted on a Mac Apple computer was in grade eight, in the age before internet. I was obsessed with Oregon Trail and typing pen pal letters to print, mail and send to kids around the world.
Then I turned to PC and indulged in fifteen years of PC lovin'. Since my laptop burned and crashed literally, out of service since May, I have gone on the road without my own personal laptop. I had borrowed laptops from my hosts, but three out of four had Mac laptops. Imagine the awkwardness of hitting Ctrl Apple in the wrong place and having sneaky windows swipe away from my sight. Frustration, indeed. Then my fourth host had a PC, I was thrilllllllled - meant catching up on uploading vlogs, writing blogs, and catching up on work. But as soon as I got to Zach's in Portland, I was bummed to see that his PC had this weird ambidextrous keyboard, split n half. You know these weird things that help your wrists? That. I struggled with it for so long, it made doing emails daunting. So, the fifth host has a mac, but it seems to be a bit more manageable. Here I am, writing.

The past three weeks since July 23 has been what would be summed up as crazy, torrential, emotional, uplifting, fun and full of tactile love. You would not believe what's happened to me - but I'll try to sum it up :)

When I flew in New York City, I was hit with culture re-shock, the icky smell of smog and sewage, busy people around 34th and Penn in Manhattan and a dose of my first full-on tactile experience with Shane, a former colleague at Lighthouse, Inc, in Seattle, and a friend for life. He works as an interp at the Helen Keller Center and lives in the hood of Brooklyn. It was a good and bad visit, the latter with me being very sick with a head sinus cold. My body functioned just fine, but the difference in climate and environment was affecting my allergy reaction. I had a day's visit at HKNC in Sands Point, NY, and needlessly to say, I was NOT impressed with the center - I had not gotten a tour, and they failed to arrange an important meeting in which I would have asked for them to sponsor a Nigerian student to come and be trained at the center. I had requested repeatedly, but the administrators didn't pay any attention to it. I sincerely hope that the Center will be undergoing some serious, serious changes soon. Students' futures are at risk there - that's how much I can say for now.

I rested a while, ate some Jamaican roti, hung out with the Boys of B'klyn, and set off to Vermont on Sunday the 27th and was greeted by my best friend, Keri Ogrizovich. The pregnant sweetheart drove me home to Canada direct from the airport, and in two and half hours, I was reunited with my dad. It was wonderful to see him again, and put his worries at ease for a bit. I was standing in front of my house, intact and alive, so that really overjoyed my dad.

On Monday the 28th, I shopped, indulged in some spa therapy, and saw my mom. My mother is, sadly, a serious alcoholic. Her beauty and energy was robbed by the bottle when I was very young, and her mind is going, too. I had this urge to see her, immediately, and as soon as I saw my mom, it dawned on me that it would probably be the last time I'd see her. Jill's fraility shocked me, her skin so gray and her signing had become incomprehensible. My mom and dad took sign language courses when I was young, and my mom was a better signer than my dad. But now, I had to rely on Keri, a certified Deaf Interpreter, to interpret for me in tactile. Mom said she had "bad blood" flowing in her veins, and she could barely walk. Mom broke her hip at 63 years old this past December, so she walks like a 90 year old.
It was a very emotional day for me, my mom and Keri. Mom gave me a picture taken when I was three, and asked me to keep it. I had lost most of my childhood pictures when my box went missing last February enroute to Nigeria. So Mom's gift was something special. I told her I loved her very much and let the elevator door close between us, maybe for the last time.

Later that night, Keri and I went to the Perkins Restaurant to jumpstart my fundraising drive for Deaf Nigerians. I saw many old friends, and a lot of my family came. I gave a kick ass presentation, and held a silent auction. I raised $1,400 with the love and support from the Ottawa gang. I want to thank especially Christine Wilson for coordinating the interpreters, my family for coming and cheering me on, Darryl Hackett and Sarah Colbeck for hosting and moderating the event, VSO Canada for their support and presence, Eveline McNeil and family for their amazing love, and everyone for coming.

Keri and I went back to see Dad one last time, and I went through my boxes from childhood as Dad was moving away from the house as he's sold it. I had another emotional time reliving my childhood, all good and bad parts. I found my mom's beautiful opal diamond ring and the bracelet Dad bought her from his trip to Nigeria in 1973 to visit my aunt.

Keri and I set off for beautiful Vermont in her Subaru suv - the view is so gorgeous in Upper NY on the way to the mountains. Keri and Nick celebrated their son Lochlan's third birthday surrounded by friends and family, with delicious salads, wine and burgers. Nice R and R.

I was still feeling horribly, sneezing so much mucus, and wasting so many kleenex and seeing the world through foggy glasses. It was off to San Diego, indeed. But first, I went to a barbeque hosted by a cool friend of HKNC's and I met some cool Deaf Blind people. I sold my African Kebbi bags and raised $173.00 - thanks, NYC!

Then it was off to sunny San Diego on August 4th.. but that story deserves its own part, so this is to be continued.........

tactile love, coco
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