My New Piercing

This morning I got my third set of ear lobe piercings. This time I did it right and got them pierced with a needle. 

Getting a piercing, to me, is personal. I tend to get an urge for a piercing after significant life events/changes. My second set of earlobe piercings was a literal mark that I was moving on in life after a previous long term relationship, and a reminder that I have value in this world as a person. I deserve to respect myself, love myself and treat myself. 

I’ve been wanting to get another piercing for several months now. So many things have happened in my life recently. I can’t help but see new chapters being formed in my life. I say chapters, even within a brief window of my life because everything that’s occurred has been radically different. 

I had a stem cell. Transplant back in March in Toronto. My mom donated some of her stem cells for my eye. We stayed in Toronto for a month as a result. Since then I’ve been on a slow recovery journey. 

In September both of my grandparents on my paternal side passed away. Before that, my grandma has fought a fierce battle with cancer. It was painful watching her deteriorate so rapidly. Next thing you know, she was gone. And my grandpa, my poppy, had such a broken heart. He followed her soon after. It’s tough losing such special people. They meant a lot to me. Grandma and poppy have always been a part of my life, almost like second parents. I’ll never forget them in my memory. 

I’ve also been growing in my relationshi with my partner. We’ve been together for more than a year and a half. Though there have been challenges, it’s been a rewarding life experience thus far. We’ve made it to a point where we have moved in together. Both of us have achieved so much individually and together, on a personal level, and on an emotional level. I’m grateful for all the new memories I’ve created and for all the new things I’ve experienced. I’ve learned I’ve really been living under a rock most of my life 😂. 

So there you have it. Two new piercings, one in each year. I partially chose an ear lobe piercing in remembrance of my grandma who loved earrings. She had drawers full of customers earrings. Previously, I got a piercing to mark that I must love myself. Now may this new, beautiful scar be a reminder of how life is rich when surrounded by loved ones, no matter what happens. I am loved. 

another chapter: limbal strm cell transplant

I guess it’s about time to write an update about a new chapter of my life that started back in February. It’s been a long journey.

for about a decade now, I’ve seen a specialist in Vancouver, who has been conducting research on stem cell transplant for cordial patients. I have Peter’s anomaly, Aniridia, and glaucoma, which has caused me to undergo 11 corneatransplants: Five in the right eye and six in the left. As a result of this, my doctor referred me to this particular specialist to see how the research was going concerning stem cells. Transplants in my case or temporary fixes to prolong vision loss. But a body can only take so many transplants before there’s a lot of scarred tissue. options become slim is more surgeries are performed. Unfortunately I still wasn’t qualified to undergo a limbal stem cell transplant procedure since it was still in its early stages. As of 2022, they finally allowed me to start looking into getting a stem cell transplant.

so I went on Google to define what a limbo stem cell transplant is for you guys and Google gave me an unintelligible answer full of words. I’ve never heard of before or even if I had, they’re definitely words no one else would’ve heard of before unless you have a PhD in the sciences. I think it makes doctors feel good about themselves having their own language. Anyway, in Laymans terms, a limbal stem cell transplant is the transplant of a stem cell from a healthy eye to the not so healthy eye. This will make the recipients eye healthier and could possibly improve vision. In my case, especially, since I have so much scar tissue, it will allow me to have another cornea transplant in the future, and it will probably not reject as quickly as my past ones have.

in Canada, they’ve only been doing this transplant for 10 years, which is probably why they didn’t consider me for this procedure until recently. Also, the only place where the surgery can happen is in Toronto. well, I live in BC, halfway across the country. Canada is a big country. lots need to happen for everything to get into motion. In April 2023 and June 2023 my mom and I travel to Toronto to meet the specialist. Our first visit was to meet the doctor and see if the surgery was a possibility for me. The second visit was to confirm that my mom was a healthy candidate to donate some of her stem cells to me. In this case, only a blood relative can donate stem cells if they are a match. lots of tests were requested. In Toronto, they were very thorough in evaluating my health before approving me for the transplant. My heart had to be checked, my blood had to be checked, all sorts of cancer screenings had to be done and I even had to get the shingles vaccine since it wasn’t a good idea to have the live chickenpox vaccine. like, things not even related to my eye had to be checked just so there wouldn’t be any complications if I had the surgery and had to take different and injection medication afterward. Long story short everything worked out. And very last minute we were given a date to go to Toronto and we had appointments throughout the entire month of March so we had to stay there for that whole time.

as I began this entry, a new chapter of my life started in late February. on February 21, 2024, I started taking preop anti-rejection, immune suppressant medication. I was requested to start taking them two weeks before the surgery date. On March 6 mom and I had our surgeries. First, my mom had a conscious sedation surgery, where they remove some stem cells from her eye. once that was done, I was put under general anesthetic, and her cells were put into my eye. It could’ve been a conscious sedation surgery, but I’ve had a lot of traumatic experiences in the operating room so I requested general anesthetic.

The surgeries were successful. My mom healed up very quickly and all her stitches dissolved so fast. I’m jealous. My eyes is stubborn and it likes to take its time. I swear it’s just playing the revenge game with me for all the stuff that’s happened to it and that’s why it heals so much slower. well, it’s still healing even to this day seven months later, but that’s not necessarily negative thing because nothing has gone wrong yet either. I’ve continued taking post transplant medications, which are anti-rejection immune suppressant medication’s. I’ve tapered down some, but I still am taking them and getting frequent blood tests to make sure I’m coping all right. we can’t book a cornea transplant operation until the protective. Amniotic membrane covering my eye dissolves. It’s about halfway gone, so that’s good. I’m slower than most, but the doctors don’t seem too concerned. During the surgery back in March, they sewed my eyelid, half shut to keep more moisture in my eye as a way of keeping it healthy. The stitch dissolved this past week though. I’m not complaining about that though. I like having my eye open. that’s how it should be.

you can stop reading here, but just to share with those who are interested in the whole Lamble stem cell transplant Aunt procedure, I thought I’d list what medication’s and eye drops I take.

Oral: During March, I took a mouthwash to prevent fungus in my throat When I was on a temporary high dose of steroids. I forgot the name though.when I was on a temporary high dose of steroids. I forgot the name though; prednisone; mycophenolate: tacrolimus: (to prevent pneumonia while having a compromised immune system); from March until August, I took volganciclovir (again, to prevent being sick).

Eyedrops: Maxie’s and Vigamox, which is an antibiotic. I still take the antibiotic drop till this day while that membrane is dissolving. I’m also takingMonoprost and Azarga eye drops for my glaucoma.

this entries just been a brief overview since I haven’t written in a long time. I want to write an update and give a brief description of what’s been going on and what this procedure is all about. If you wanna see more in-depth information about anything whether it’s how the procedure went or how I feel taking the medications, etc.. Feel free to ask. I can also make more specific entries upon request.

and of course, a shout out to my mom she’s amazing. None of this could’ve happened without her. She travelled with me and most importantly, she donated cells to me. That’s the closest most intimate thing someone can ever do for another.

A Day in the Life: Grocery Shopping


What is life like for a person with no or low vision? Can they be independent? I started this blog years ago in hopes of answering this question. It’s up to you whether you believe it’s possible or not for a blind person to be independent. All I can do is give you a glimpse into my world. Here is a start Everyone goes grocery shopping and they need food on a daily basis to go through the day. I can’t recall whether I’ve written a post solely on grocery shopping. I know I’ve done overviews on it but not a whole entry on the matter. So sit back and watch this mundane routine unfold through the “lens”” of a blind person. 

Living with a partner requires responsibility. So does living alone but in my case, it’s living with a partner. One thing that needs to be done is grocery shopping. We need food to cook. Eating out is an option, especially if you’re blind since it saves the hassle of cooking. But realistically, the average person can’t afford to eat out every day. Going out with my partner is an option for grocery shopping. Doing this means we’ll find exactly what we need at our own pace. On top of that, we can leisurely walk through the store and look at everything and possibly find things to buy that weren’t on our list. Venturing through the store is fun. And at the end of our “shopping spree” we both can carry the grocery bags, sharing the weight. 

But some days it can’t be this way. Sometimes doing things alone is unavoidable for anyone. Can a blind person grocery shop alone? What can I do if there is no one around to help me? The real question is, do I need help? Or, am I capable? 

Capable of what?

In this case, getting groceries. I’d say I’m capable. Let’s look at how I did my grocery shopping yesterday and then we can conclude with some problem-solving tactics or alternative solutions.

I went out yesterday evening with my cane and some empty grocery bags. The sun was out which made it a perfect setting for my outing. I walked with my cane to the bus and took public transit to Wal-Mart. Errands are more enjoyable if you put yourself in the right mindset, so before anything else, I grabbed a coffee from Starbucks. Anyway, the Wal-Mart I went to is two levels because it is attached to a shopping mall. I entered on the upper level and asked an employee at the self-check-out where the customer service desk was. She was not very helpful, which is a sad reality for blind people. She said it was downstairs and said that the escalator is “over there.” I attempted to get a proper direction from her by pointing and she said, “yes” to the vague area I pointed at with no further help. I didn’t want this to ruin my shopping experience but encounters like these can sometimes become demotivating triggers. I had to get going though, so I mentally pushed it aside and problem solved my way to the customer service desk. I found the escalator, went downstairs, asked for directions to the customer service desk at the lower-level self-check-out and was able to have someone walk me over there. At least I got better assistance downstairs. They gave me better directions but while I was clarifying them, they decided to page someone to help me walk there which made things go more smoothly.  At the desk, I requested assistance with grocery shopping. They paged for someone to come and help and shockingly, within a couple minutes a staff member showed up! 

I had a list on me which had what I needed written down on my phone. I showed the employee my list and told him I’d walk around the store with him while we found these products. He grabbed a shopping cart and we were on our way. Sadly, since Wal-Mart is big and a busy store, you take what you can get for assistance, which is why it is good to come prepared and know exactly what you want. It was a little time consuming, but we ended up gathering everything that was on the list. Once in the check-out line, I no longer needed assistance. This Wal-Mart I was at accepts status cards, so I was able to buy my groceries tax free. I put everything on my bed and headed back to the train. I stopped at Shoppers halfway back home and grabbed some last-minute items. I had an employee assist me there too. Shoppers is small so it’s easy to find assistance there. Just go up to the checkout counter and request someone to be paged. From there, I I was officially done my grocery shopping and headed home. 

It seems straightforward. I was able to get to the grocery store and back on my own, with all the groceries I needed. Let’s narrow this down a bit more. Call this the educational section.  That was the verbal motion picture, a glimpse of my grocery shopping journey, now we dissect it. 

It may not even cross your mind but an important factor to consider when grocery shopping with a visual impairment, and possibly any other disability, is the weather. Dry weather is preferable and having the sun out is a bonus. Going for a walk in the rain is one thing but running errands in the rain is another. It can affect mood and motivation and it can also affect the commute itself. When you’re blind you can’t drive so if it’s raining, you need to be mindful of your groceries. There are solutions for the need to go shopping on a rainy day such as getting rides or taking taxis/Ubers, but dry weather is the best. If it’s snowing or icy, not a good idea to take public transitwhile carrying groceries as a blind person. It’s not impossible but I give this advice to motivate people to be independent. Little steps are the most important when starting the journey to independence and we don’t want to hinder those. At the end of a grocery shop, no matter the weather, don’t feel bad to call for a ride. It can be tiring navigating a grocery store and having to carry full bags of groceries after can be more tiring. If you are up to taking transit though, go for it! Both are an option. Nice thing is with getting a ride afterward though is you can put all the stuff down and get from point A to point B easily. 

How did I find the customer service desk at Wal-Mart? I listened for the sound of the self-check-out and headed that direction. There, I asked a staff member to direct me to the customer service desk. Upon receiving unhelpful instructions, I walked away and kept an ear out for the sound of an escalator. If I had needed it, I could’ve asked another staff member, and continued doing so until I got the help I needed but thankfully, I was able to find the escalator easily enough on my own. Downstairs, at the next self-check-out I located, I asked for directions again. This time, without me asking, they asked someone nearby who was also an employee to guide me. At the customer service desk, I quickly cut in and asked for someone to be paged that could assist me in grocery shopping. I’m not advocating for budging in line but, in this circumstance, I wasn’t guided through the line, so I was waiting unaware I was in the wrong spot. If the question is brief, like asking for someone to be paged, I think it’s OK since the clerk can continue to help the line of customers while I wait to theside after they request someone to help me. This only takes a second. Sadly, It can take a long time for someone to show up sometimes. Occasionally, someone needs to  be paged several times before anyone shows up. I was lucky this time and someone showed up quickly. 

Come prepared, it makes life easy for both parties when you already have a list of what you need. It makes the shopping experience quicker and smoother. So, on my list, I had strawberries and cucumbers. I knew what kind of strawberries I needed. Thankfully, the assistant showed me a container and asked me if they were good enough. I had a say in what I wanted for that particular product. One lesson I learned was when it concerned cucumbers. They were pre-packaged baby cucumbers. Sure, they felt fine, but if they are pre-packaged, it’s best to know how they were packaged because then you’ll know how long they will be fresh for. I didn’t do that this time. For dairy, I needed milk. I told them the specific milk I wanted. It’s good to have a plan B and C, in case they aren’t familiar with the product, or they are out of stock. In this case, I wanted Milk 2 Go brand but they couldn’t understand my request. I went with Plan B and got Dairyland brand in a 1L Caron. One important thing to ask when getting dairy products is asking for their expiry date. A life hack I can share is to ask for a bottle further back to be grabbed. The further back the bottle is on the shelf the further away the expiry date is. You can write a note on your phone for any of your products’ expiry dates. It’s a good way to keep track of them. Let’s say you want something very specific: in our case, we wanted a specific brand of toilet paper. I took a picture of the packaging so that I could show it to my assistant when I went shopping. In this case, sadly, they could’nt find the product that I wanted. There are a couple options for this that I haven’t thought of in the moment. Mainly because I thought it was the same brand,different color. In the future, though, I learned I can phone someone, whether someone I know or using a third-party app like seeing AI or, my eyes. A video call will guarantee that you find what you need. Otherwise, use Plan B or buy the product at another place at another time. At the checkout counter, when I was finished shopping, I told the assistant I didn’t need them anymore. What I did was stand at the end of my shopping cart and pull it behind me while I went through the line feeling the person‘s feet in front of me with my cane. as they scanned each item, I put it into my shopping cart. After paying, I pulled to the side and bagged everything myself. Some tricks for people who haven’t gone grocery shopping on their own before: put the heavy things at the bottom first and the more delicate things on the top. This way nothing gets wrecked. I brought a couple bags even though my one bag would fit everything. It’s just easier to balance out the weight. I can’t find all the spots where shopping carts are kept so I just put it against the wall so that it wouldn’t be in anyone’s way. At the end of my grocery shopping, I personally chose to take public transit back. I knew I had everything under control. The weather was nice, and the bags weren’t too heavy. I didn’t have too many bags either. It saved money and I had a successful shopping trip.

I hope this is helpful. Yes, it is possible for blind people.to go grocery shopping on their own. Sure, I needed assistance finding my products but at the end of the day I still did it by myself without requesting help from anyone in my close circle. Requesting this assistance boosts my confidence in my independence. I can go out when I want to get what I need. Later in the future, I can make a post about external apps that can be used for grocery shopping. In this blog post I wrote about Shopping on my own with assistance from the store staff. But it is also possible for a blind person to go shopping without even an employee assisting them at a store. I can delve into that another time.
Stay tuned for more posts! I’ll attempt to write a series on my experiences with the lumbar stem cell transplant I had recently.

shalom

Trip to Italy

Hey!

Where are all my updates? I guess it’s about time. One thing that came to mind that I think you will enjoy me sharing, are my experiences in Italy.

On June 5, my friend, Anna, and I took off for Roma, Italia. Yes, to the shock and potentially horror of some, two blind girls travelled SUCCESSFULLY overseas and enjoyed themselves. It may appear a freaking miracle or a death wish to the sighted folk of this world, but in my opinion, I consider it just another new experience in life. Just like every human has. Suffice to say, however you interpret this, I now write about what happened, the good and the bad, and hope you enjoy what is now to unravel below. Here begins a journey I step foot in within this grand journey.

First answer to a question that seems to only lead to the answer “Impossible.” “How did you get here?” Plain and simple, we flew. Do you expect us to swim across the Atlantic? Smart remarks aside, how is the flying experience made possible for a blind person? One may call for assistance 48-72 hours in advance to the specified airline being used. Depending on the disability, one will explain their needs and they can be met at the door to the airport by an assistant or more often than not, at the gate. From there on, whatever the individual specifically requests, the airline will provide: guidance on and off the plane, through the airport, etc.  I must applaud the Vancouver International Airport for their excellent service. It is said they are one of the top 10 airports in the world. Unfortunately, Anna and I had a different experience in the FCO Airport in Rome. So, to finish up with experience flying and advice on it, let us quickly fast forward to the end of our trip.

Two days before our flight home, Anna phoned the FCO airport in Rome to notify them of our departure from Rome and to confirm our need for provided assistance. The three times that Anna called saying this, they simply said, “We don’t provide this service” and hung up on her those three times. I decided to call the specific airline in Canada to confirm our assistance and ask if they can notify the FCO airport we would like assistance finding our terminal gates. Unfortunately, other than confirming we will be provided assistance once at the gate, they couldn’t think of a single way to help us find the gate. Not even by contacting the airport for us. So when we got to the airport on June 15, we found a random stranger that spoke English who directed us to the customer service desk. They looked so confused repeatedly asking if we made a reservation. I pointed out, “Well, we tried phoning several times but you guys said you don’t provide this service and hung up.” We ended up sitting for an hour with the people running around talking to other staff trying to figure out, how, for the life of them, to use their two arms and legs to walk some blind girls to their flight gates. They even tried charging us for assistance saying we needed a porter. I adamantly refused saying, “I have one arm for my suitcase and you have one arm for my other suitcase. You are not charging me for assistance.” As I said though, this took an hour to solve and we then made off for our gates, free of charge.

Forgive me for elaborating on the what’s and how’s in this blog. I want my blogs to be informative as much as they are meant to be enjoyable. Scroll below for the fun stuff if you wish.

Now, how did Anna and I possibly get around in Rome? The same way we got their from the airport. We used taxis! In Rome, after so far a distance, they charge a flat rate of 48 euros per trip. In my opinion, considering they don’t use Uber in Italy, their taxis charge reasonable prices and we never got ripped off. One taxi driver was nice and let us ride for free because his card machine wasn’t working. Aside from taxis though, during our free time, Anna and I walked around the general location our hotel was. Doing this allowed us to learn about other shops, sites and restaurants we probably would have missed out on if we only hid in our hotel room outside of booked tours. Our hotel was very close to the train station and an old church. The train station was more than just that though. It was a mall and food court too. Lots of restaurants, shops and phone companies were in there. That ended up being a major go-to for meals, though we also went to a few other restaurants around the blocks surrounding. One street we visited during our walking adventures was Via National (my computer won’t let me spell it right). Down this street were many vendors and nice shops. There was a tea shop in particular that caught our eye there. It was our goal to find some Italian tea to enjoy so we ended up going there twice.

Amusing story: Our second time going down Via National, I bought 3 pieces of jewelry off of a vendor with Mirano glass. I put my things in a bag and we continued on to the teashop. Once there, I could only find two of the pieces we bought. Ever since we arrived, we were constantly warned of pick-picketers and people taking advantage of those who don’t manage their money well. So, I though he must have over-charged me. I got up from my seat and ran all the way back to that vendor. I made it back to the teashop looking so red and sweaty from the jog. They were concerned and constantly asked if I was OK. I think they felt sorry for me because they ended up giving us our pots of tea for free. The conclusion of this story was that the man didn’t want to get into it and let me take a new ring. Well, back at the teashop I found the third piece so I gave him the ring back once we walked past his booth on the way to our hotel. Embarrassing.

Preparing for a trip is always tricky and requires research. I suppose I didn’t plan well. Like the last time I travelled to Europe, I thought, I’ll just bring 4 outfits and pack light. BAD IDEA. When I was in Germany, it was early spring that still felt like winter. Italy is a fricken tropical climate in the summer! It was so humid, if I had it my way, I would have changed twice a day. On our last full day there, Anna and I found a laundry mat and we filled my suitcase, to bursting point, full of our clothes there. It smelt SO BAD. The man was so nice though and sprayed the suitcase for us once the clothes were clean. One thing I did that was good in planning for the trip though was bringing a theft-proof purse I invested in before going. Because I can’t see well, I know it will be harder for me to spot out interesting characters on the street so I did my best to be as secured as possible. And I was. The biggest obstacle though was the language barrier. Thank God for google translate is all I can say.

Another amusing story: This has a sad beginning for a stressed individual. If people tell you there are lots of people who know English in Rome before you go, THEY ARE WRONG. Ya, they can say “hi”, “I don’t speak English” and money amounts, but that sums it up really. All Anna and I needed was a laundry mat. The hotel clerk said there was one literally just down the road. Took us 20 minutes to find. We walked up and down the street asking people for help and they looked at us and kept walking. No joke. One lady actually grabbed my hand and shook it when I had a pleading look on my face while reaching for her to stop. After shaking my hand though, she kept walking so I motioned for her to stop again. And she reacher out to my hand again! Just around the corner, we happened to find a tourism centre. They’re helpful people right? NO. The lady straight up told us, “I’m sorry, I don’t know where that is.” Like, doesn’t she have a computer or phone? I even showed it to her on a map and she barely showed interest, like she wanted us to leave, and said again, “I don’t know.” I gave her this pissed look so she walked us outside and pointed in a random direction just to help us. Fortunately enough though, one man who didn’t know English wanted to help us anyway. Once we found the laundry mat, the man argued with the owner that we are looking for Hotel Laundry, not a laundry mat :D. So great.

Just a note, this story may continue to go back and forth.

On the day of our arrival, our hotel room wasn’t ready yet so Anna and i dropped off our luggage there and, as jet-lagged as we were-went to find a restaurant to have lunch. It was only noon, and I was tired and sweaty from a long flight, so I ate light. We were lucky to find a food place just around the corner. I ordered a Greek salad and surprising found the tomatoes sweet and amazing. There was some bread on the table so I asked if it was free and they said yes so I had that too. Two things: in Europe, always ask if the bread on the table is free before eating it or else they’ll charge you; secondly, instead of butter, there is oil and salt on every table to “flavour” the bread.

That same evening, after an unsuccessful nap in our un-air conditioned hotel, we wandered the surrounding streets and happened to find the near-by train station we were told about. It was huge like a mall. It even had shops, restaurants and phone companies in it like a mall. Anna and I purchased SIM cards with 20GB of data for 25 euros?! Yes! I can’t believe the reality of it either fellow Canadians. We then continued on and looked at all the food places and shops to keep us awake another couple hours. There was a man near the food court playing piano. Unfortunately, we really were out of it and left when it was dark. I didn’t even consider how sketchy downtown Rome is at night. I looked around me seeing homeless people spread out on sheet all along the sidewalks, drunks everywhere yelling. Thank God a security man appeared and kindly helped Anna and I find our hotel safely while drunk people chased after us…But this is a danger for any traveller to consider, not just blind people. And concerning finding our hotel, I can’t count how many times we got disoriented by all the similar buildings around us, preventing us from finding it. One time we needed help searching for our hotel, all these men were arguing in Italian where the street was. Suddenly one man yells that he will help us find it because he has seen us before. That ended the argument amongst so many men keen to assist us ;). Honestly though, there were many rude people we encountered but there were also very kind and helpful people too. Some were willing to stop whatever they were doing to walk 15 minutes in the opposite direction they were going just to help us find a certain location.

The sites we visited during the trip were the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Vatican City, St. Paul’s Basilica and we did a tour through some catacombs and a bone chapel. The bone chapel was a hall that went through four rooms where the bones of friars were all along the walls and ceilings in certain designs and lengths. each room had represented something different. There was a door at the end because the last room represented life and it makes no sense to walk through death all over again to exit the chapel. The tour was very visual but the cool air within the stone structures, and the information we were told was great! Lots of fascinating history behind all of this.

All of these sites were fascinating but we got the most from our visit to Vatican City. Quick fun fact, Vatican City is the world’s smallest country. Our guide made the experience accessible for Anna and I. If you book tickets in advance on the Vatican website, a legally blind person can contact the Vatican and they will be given free entry and have a private guide who will allow you to feel certain exhibits. Our guide sat us down and showed us tactile images of the painted ceiling done by Michealangelo. She showed them frame by fram, guided our hands, explaining the intention behind each part. We were also given a tour through the museum and given permission to touch a handful of pieces and replicated statues. One fascinating luxury we had was being given permission to touch the alter inside the Sistine Chapel. After this tour, the lady left us to our own devices and we explored as much as we could for the next 3 hours. For instance, after much coaxing, we persuaded the Swiss guard to allow anna and I to climb up the tower in St. Peter’s Basilica alone. Apparently blind people are incapable of climbing stairs, alone of all things. It was a fascinating feeling being so high up and having a spectacular view of the entirety of Rome.  And yet, my memory of the place was of me being fascinated by German tourists…I even had one think I was German and they gave me a tourist pamphlet…in German…anyways…

The Pantheon was all visual but Anna and I did find some great shops there! If anyone travels to Rome, shop around the area where the Pantheon is. Definitely shops with Italian made goods there. And as for the Colosseum, there were a handful of, well, stone parts on the wall, we could feel but the rest was visual. On my part though, the entire reason I went to Rome was so I could check off the Colosseum from my “things I want to see before I go blind” list. We were also toured through a Roman house before our tour was finished. All the information we gathered from these tours was definitely worthwhile.

Anna and I made it to St. Paul’s Basilica an hour before all the tourist got there so we had the church and the gardens all to ourselves. It was very peaceful in there and the gardens were lovely. Not much to see but it was a nice treat form walking through the city. Let’s just say Rome is very compact, dense, hot, and smells of tobacco. Anyway, we were able to walk around and inside I took a picture of a statue of St. Stephen. I’m very glad I found this place last minute.

One final event I will mention before I conclude was our brief visit to Milan and Lecco. Anna has a cousin in Lecco so we went there for one night. In order to get there we needed to book a train. Unfortunately catching our train was a frustrating experience. We had people running us back and forth unsure of what was meant by “blue” where the people originally told us to wait for assistance. Thankfully we did catch the train and got to experience the wonders of that. We spent a couple hours in Milan where we took a few pictures of a train station and listened to an audio guide through the Milano duomo.

And so, our journey ends with many more stories than I can fit here. How we received Indian food, how we were hit on by an old “artist” man, how we got a free taxi ride and how every time we needed a taxi we needed an Italian to ring one for us. How the kitchen lady and the door man were really angels to us, and how disgusting our hotel room was. But these are all memories I will keep in my heart. I’ve been able to show you the good and the bad of Italy but most importantly, how Anna and I took a trip that can prove to the world, we are just like any other person who has the travelling bug. I hope you enjoy this journey I invited you to join me on.

 

Hi all!

It’s about time I keep everyone up to speed.
My first semester back to school–Columbia Bible College–is officially over and my courses are already registered for the fall semester. To fill the time thus far, I partook in the Burnaby CFB (Canadian Federation of the Blind conference) which is what I will review in this blog. Before I continue further, keep in touch with this blog in the near future to see what my friend, Anna, and I will be doing in Italy!

CFB Conference

This conference was held from May 3-5 in the Hilton Metrotown Hotel in Burnaby, BC. Throughout the course of the weekend there were multiple panels where people spoke on employment, how one can become employed and how others have become employed; introducing projects in the making; discussing issues in surrounding municipalities that the blind community should be aware of; and people relaying their experiences with the CFB (Canadian Federation of the Blind) or PTCB (Pacific Training Centre for the Blind).

During the full-day portion of the conference, both my friend, Anna, and I, made speeches.  Anna described her experiences of volunteering in India, teaching blind students English and basic life skills. I briefly spoke on my experiences as a home-stay student with PTCB which I have written on in my previous blog entries.

Below I will now list a few organizations with a brief summary of them that I learned about thanks to this conference which I highly recommend you take a look at.

  1. Night Strike. This is a fascinating self-defence training program using the martial art skills originating from Krav Maga. The classes provided by the instructor, Johnny Tai, are meant to be easily accessible/suitable for blind and visually impaired students. As my friend Anna and I inspected his booth at the conference, Johnny was enthusiastic about showing us all the weapons used during lessons, how they work, where they originated and what weapon is used for each level of advancement. Below is a link that will take you to the origins of this organizations and what it provides.
    https://www.cbc.ca/shortdocs/shorts/night-strike
  2. Hands that See. This is a Massage Therapy clinic run by Kim, a blind massage therapist and other blind and visually impaired massage therapists in Saint-Luc, Quebec, Canada. This is a great place that shows how blind people are able to succeed, work and start their own business.
    Here is a link to the page: https://handsthatsee.com
    NOTE: Another blind and visually impaired clinic is hoping to be opened in British Columbia in the Vancouver region. To learn more about this project or if you would like to help contribute in making it a reality check out: http://www.perceptionmassage.ca.
  3. Camp Bowen. The CNIB (Canadian National Institute of the Blind) used to run a camp at a lodge in Bowen Island for varying ages. All the people that have participated in the camps in this particular location cherish good memories of their spent time there. I myself have been a camper there twice in 2008/09. I remember the comfy room my mom and I shared as many other camera shared with their parents. There was a hot tub, plenty of fun activities provided and good food. I won a Victor Reader Stream there once which I still have to this day. Unfortunately, this lodge is planning to be sold for a different infrastructure project leaving the memories of Camp Bowen to fade away. Those who are pursuing this project are persuading the town citizens that the CNIB has no use for this land anymore to encourage the continuing of their project. This is not true: Below is link describing this issue further and what can be done.
    https://campbowen.ca/lodge/summary/?fbclid=IwAR02fLmeszk1bog9_4BsOgr0jFpZLLu59I7rFFZ53c25NCUx66EHjpTgi8o
  4. Pacific Training Centre of the Blind (PTCB). This is a training centre in Victoria, BC Canada where blind people teach blind people practical life skills and travel training skills. The method of teaching stems from the NFB/CFB training techniques which is the structured discovery model. Anna and I were the first home-stay students in this program. Victoria is a great city to get blind skills training because of its excellent transit service and it has easy access to locations for individual to become involved in the community during their free time. There is a great need for home-stay hosts in this area and I strongly encourage others to look into this training program. To learn more about my experience there, check out my previous blogs on my 4 month stay in Victoria. Keep in mind this program is constantly growing and adapting because it is new but it is adapting for the better!
    The web-page is currently experiencing an upgrade so to contact Pacific Training Centre of the Blind, find them on FaceBook or call them at +1 (778) 817-0482.

    I hope all this info I’ve learned and shared is helpful and I wish the rest of you all a wonderful rest of your week. Stay tuned for more blog posts in the near future on my trip to Italy with Anna. We will be leaving for Rome on June 5.

    Shalom

 

How a Blind Person Pursues Post-Secondary School.

Hi everyone!!

The weather has been crazy around here! As a result I got to miss a couple days of classes 🙂 . Anyway, I’ve been meaning to write a blog on how I come about my schooling with a visual impairment. This is so I can let people know it is possible to pursue an education when one is blind and that the challenges that may arise are worth conquering.

So I am now in my third semester of school. Since I had to take a year and a half off I decided to start off easy and take 3 courses. I am in a Bible College so what I have taken will appear different from the average student’s courses but I have also attempted pursuing a degree in psychology at a different university which has given me an idea of university suited as well. The rest of this blog will resume in a Q&A format.

How do I go about registration?

This may appear straight forward but I will address it anyway. The best way to go about registering for courses–or even just applying–would be to phone up the desired school one wants to go to and make an appointment with an academic advisor. An Academic Advisor is there to help you brainstorm a general idea of what you want to pursue in your studies and then start creating an academic map of what courses you should be taking over the next few years. Even if you are not certain about what you want to pursue yet, at least you can work on something in the meantime after working something out with an Advisor. What you both discuss is not something that will be set in stone, it is just a small step in some general direction.

Now that I have my classes sorted out, how do I effectively make use of my class time and information from lectures?

Another way of phrasing this is, How do I take notes from a lecture? There are many ways to come about this when one has a visual impairment. I will probably repeatedly say this throughout this blog entry but as soon as you are registered for school and you have a visual impairment–or any other form of disability or learning challenge–get in contact with the academic support or disability resource centre at the College/University. These people will be able to help you figure out how to take notes in a lecture, help you find accessible ways to go about your assignments and research, and give you any other special accommodations that might be needed. Now that you are in post-secondary now though, it is important for one to advocate for themselves all the time or else nothing will be done. Anyway, back to answering the question, “Now that I have my classes sorted out, how do I effectively make use of my class time and information from lectures?” Some suggestions that might require consideration are the following: upon permission from an instructor, one can request a tape recorder to record a lecture that can be listened to again later on. Another helpful thing might be to ask the professor if they are willing to make their notes accessible to you, if they do not mind sending you copies of them, that is. A final option, for the moment, is to ask fellow classmates for copies of their notes. As I said, you must get used to advocating for yourself in order to get anything done.

How do I access class textbooks and resources?

Again, this is another thing that should be discussed with academic support or the disability resource centre in the school before the semester begins. Since every country/province/state has their own tech companies to refer to for this type of accessibility, I will list my personal experience and resources. In my first year of College, at Columbia Bible College, I was stubborn and used my portable CCTV to read everything. When I went to UFV for only a short amount of time, I was connected with CAPER-BC. CAPER-BC provides electronic format of required textbooks at UFV using either PDF, Word, or whatever you request. Not every textbook will have the every electronic format available but they will do their best to accommodate the requested needs. Not that I am back at CBC, I have been connected with CELA and BookShare. In order to be connected with BookShare, one needs to make an account through CELA first. CELA is a Canada-wide online library that gives people who are incapable of reading print, accessible formats of books. Basically everything of which the CNIB library had provided. BookShare is basically an extension of CELA that provides the same services. The textbooks I have needed this semester were able to be found through BookShare so I got connected with CELA in order to do so. This is all to show that once you connect with your academic support team or Disability Resource Centre, you will be put in contact with online resources that will provide electronic textbooks.

How do I do research for my classes and assignments?

At my school, the library staff are more than happy to assist me in doing research. Let me list a couple options. Thanks to technology and the internet, every school is able to provide students with online library databases that they can use for research. Once you become acquainted with the library website, it becomes easier and you will learn that there are endless qualified resources for you to read for researching. At both the schools I’ve been too, within the first year, there was a required course provided that teaches students how to navigate the school’s website(s). If your speech program has any issues with navigation, don’t hesitate to announce this issue to the technology department and the Disability Resource Centre/Academic Support team. A second option is to have a librarian help you find what book you need and then scan the pages that are most useful to you, onto your computer. For either of these options, seeing an e-format of an entire book might be overwhelming, or trying to find what pages to scan might be overwhelming. Concerning electronic books/articles, there is a Table of Contents and navigation features that make it easier to help one maneuver through a book and skim read over sections. With the newer versions of JAWS–a speech program–you can now find ways to skim read texts using JAWS Command Search. I will write instructions on how to use this at the end of this blog. On figuring out what to scan onto your computer from a print book, tell the librarian what you are researching and go through the Table of contents together. If the librarian doesn’t have time for this, make an appointment with the Disability Resource Centre or Academic Support team, to help.

I really hope that this brief overview on how to get the best learning experience with a visual impairment at university has been helpful. There will be challenges and it requires self-advocacy and pro-activeness but the end result is rewarding!

JAWS Command Search:

-First, use the JAWS modifier key and space bar. The JAWS modifier key is either the Insert key or the Capslock key. Once these 2 keys are pressed, you will hear 2 clicks.
-Upon doing this command, you will have entered JAWS Layered Mode. When you have entered JAWS Layered Mode, you press the letter “J’ to enter into the JAWS Command Search.
-In this search bar type, “Skim.”
-Next hit the Tab key until you hear, “Skim Reading Dialogue.” Under this will be a description and if you continue arrowing down, you will find the option called, “Activate Skim Reading.” You can either hit enter to activate this or hit the down arrow to read its description.

Shalom!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings everyone!

So many people have asked when I will post another blog and I was never certain when or if I should. I have had the opportunity to think about many things I’d love to update you all on so I decided now is not a better time than any. That’s how it goes right? Anyway, I’m back in Chilliwack and as I predicted, life hasn’t stopped for me and the pages of this book keep turning. Let us read back now shall we?

The new year started with everyone making New Year Resolutions on FaceBook or in general as a fun conversation starter. As for me, I never made any but it life seemed to throw goals my way that needed attention anyway. Many of these goals revolve around my health. Since last August I have lost 13kg (107lbs) due to screw-ups my doctor made with my medication. To this day as a result, I still lack an appetite. I can look at something as delicious as cheesecake, be hungry, but be unable to imagine me stomaching it. In Victoria I was lucky to have 3 meals a day. I usually had 1-2. So as to not worry my poor parents any further, and for my own overall well-being, I have made it my goal to have three meals a day for at least 4 days a week and aside from that, I have to have two. This hasn’t been easy because my appetite hasn’t improved but I’ve stayed faithful. On the plus side (maybe?,) I got blood tests done and nothing is wrong with my levels and no food allergies. Hmmm….

Another goal is the re-gaining of my strength and energy. Eating has helped me not feel like I’m going to collapse in on myself so that is one check mark. I went to a Physio Therapist and kinesiologist only to be given nothing more than a few pathetic exercisesI should work on. I would love to exercise more by running like I used to but my joints just won’t let me. I get stiff walking a lot but I’ve resorted to that being my exercise so I’m proud of myself for that. Concerning strength, my hand used to shake while holding my coffee mug but I think eating has helped that. I’ve also been making myself lift my laptops a lot (not that I have a choice lol) and I’m not trembling as much while holding the coffee pot :D.

I am probably boring you with all this information on my health but many people reading this blog that I know personally have wanted me to keep them up-to-date on such things. So if this bores you, just skim read and smile at, well, something that makes you smile. Like me! Anyway, a final few small things to mention about my health. I’ve been referred to some doctor by my dentist to check out my jaw. It’s been sore since last summer but I am always self-conscious people think I’m a hypochondriac. Well, it hasn’t gotten better so I’m getting it dealt with. It has nothing to do with my teeth which is why I have a referral to see some other doctor. Most likely a joint thing, again, thanks to my prednisone. Also, tomorrow I am going to get some tests done on my respiratory system to see if I have asthma or allergies. At certain times throughout the year I’ve had troubles breathing so after over a decade, I’m getting this looked into.

Now all my goals have been said. I guess that means I should discuss what else is new eh? Well I’m back in school a year and a half later!!!!! I am honestly so thankful to God for this opportunity. I’ve learned to be thankful for every little thing that comes my way. It’s been so hard since it was taken away from me along with everything else in my life so I’m just so happy to be back. So maybe I’ve gotten used to not being in school…and got a metaphorical slap in the face this weekend about irresponsibility…..and maybe I should be studying now instead of blogging….but that’s OK. After that metaphorical slap in the face, I think I’m awake now and will be for the rest of the semester. Thing is, even though I crammed 8 hours of schoolwork into my Sunday, I actually enjoyed feeling the most productive I’ve been in almost two years. If you want something to pray about, please pray for my studies in general. I get easily stressed concerning writing assignments and things still aren’t being made as accessible as I’d like. I started the school year with a bump. I even made it clear that if I were fully blind right now I’d be screwed with there lack of aid and pro-activeness upon my arrival. But what is, is, no?

I’m really trying hard here not to make this blog sound like a very long vent. I really do apologize. I’ll admit I’ve reminisced some over living in Victoria. Hopefully soon I can visit my friends there. Maybe reading week?

And yes, the rumours are true, I’m in a relationship. Just blare it through a microphone. Thank you Anna for being my true and loyal (only) support and encourager about it. You see, I wouldn’t have mentioned that I’m in a relationship but the rumour is spreading without me even saying anything :D. Just thought this might be a light note to end on in this blog entry.

Maybe I should share what’s going on in school. The three nurses I am in are Timothy and Titus, Biblical Hermeneutics and Academic Writing. For those of you who don’t know, I hope to get my BA in Biblical Studies and hope to move forward onto mastering in linguistics and further study into hermeneutics, theology and in-depth biblical studies. Yeah, full-fledged scholar. WARNING: NERD.

Biblical Hermeneutics: It’s been hard to discipline myself into sitting there reading and re-reading scriptural passages, trying to apply the tools I’m learning through and for my biblical hermeneutics course. Not to say I don’t enjoy it though. I do and there are many things that not just me, but anyone can get out of reading and re-reading scripture.

Timothy and Titus: Timothy and Titus is a course on 2 books in the Bible with these names. They are called the pastoral letters because they are letters written by the Apostle Paul while in prison (1 Timothy he was probably foreseeing imprisonment), instructing Timothy on how to organize the church for those who hope to become overseers and leaders in it. Paul foresaw departure from the church and he already knew about false teachers already about, so he wrote to warn Timothy of these things and how a leader of the church should proceed to lead: who is capable and what they should and shouldn’t focus on. So this is a course basically doing an in-depth study into these scriptural texts.

Academic writing: Yeah, this course is self-explanatory. It’s a requirement for any degree. As much as I never have liked English (or done well in it, I’ve enjoyed this course so far. I enjoy the engaging discussions we have in class as a class. I suppose the only down-side is the writing outside of class or the in-class essays.

I am getting rather tired now so I should probably read some of my textbook and then go to sleep.

Shalom

 

 

 

 

 

The End of a Chapter

Hello!

I am done! I have completed the program and I am now back home in Chilliwack. I plan on mentioning many names in this blog to individually many people who have made a positive impact in my life this past semester. First, I will get you up to speed on the past week. If you really aren’t interested in that, just skip to my reflections in the second half.

So, last Tuesday I had my first drop route. We had been planning to do this for a while but I was sick one week, the weather was terrible the next and then my last week creeped up on us. I have elaborated on this experience in a video on Facebook but I will now record a summary for you here.

In one sentence I could just say the experience was very frustrating. I don’t plan on finishing things off with a bad taste in my mouth so let me elaborate and then mention what I got out of this experience. I was dropped off in an area I had been to before a handful of times but I was not familiar with. For about 5 minutes or so I found myself wandering in circles I got myself stuck in. Eventually I found my way out but even so early on I wanted to scream and give up. Don’t worry, I didn’t. Originally, I gained enough information to tell me I was at inner harbour: many steps going downward, the pillars and the sound of construction on the opposite end of the area that I was in. I tried walking around until I could find the intersection at Government and what I now know is Bellview(?). I finally rushed myself, something I was constantly reminded not to do, and ended up getting lost. This is how I found myself wandering in circles in this still unknown property.  Once I managed to find my way out, I walked until I discovered my next street crossing which I crossed miserably if I remember correctly. Next thing I knew, I found myself at a hotel. I figured this out on my own. Knew I was at a building but what gave it away was that there was a carpet at the outdoor entrance and a fancy luggage carrier by the door. During drop route tests, you aren’t supposed to ask or help. The whole point of them is to test your travel and problem solving skills. I was so frustrated at this point though, I didn’t care and went in to ask for directions. In my opinion, asking for help and trying to figure out how to apply this help was a show of my skills in its own way. Long story short, I eventually managed to get a general sense of direction which involved me to, guiltily, snap at kind people offering me help along the way. I was so irritated, I didn’t pay too much to my surroundings once I got a sense of my bearings. I just stormed through and responded curtly to people. I even veered into the middle of an intersection once. Afterward, I gave everyone the silent treatment for the next hour and asked Laurie to meet up with me at Starbucks. Thanks Laurie for that. To conclude, even in my frustration, the fact that I made it back was apparently a success and I did well. I still don’t think so and think they were saying this to be kind so I wouldn’t think so badly about it all.

During my de-brief on the whole experience the next day we all came to the conclusion that my whole experience here has been a whole lot of discovery with no structure. I admitted that whenever I did a lesson or was in training, I was constantly self-conscious of what I was doing. No one ever specified when or where or how I was allowed to do things. If I did something and they told me I couldn’t, I wouldn’t, until out of nowhere they told me I should have. That probably made no sense but that is about the gist of it.

To leave this all on a positive note though, I have now given the program some feedback that will assist them in bettering the training for future students. Even though it was a frustrating experience, it hasn’t tainted my overall experience of being inVictoria for the past three months at all. What I can say is that I should have taken heir advice and not rushed my way through the lesson, I should have explored the area around Inner harbour a bit more once I realized things weren’t feeling right.

I had another drop route on Thursday. Initially, I was worried but the whole thing ended up being way too easy. I was dropped off at Shoppers in Hillside Mall. I found this out almost immediately and made it back to Linda’s in under an hour. This was done in order that I could leave on a more positive note. It also had them realize they should start doing drop routes in a procession from easy to harder and so on.

Now, I really hope what I’ve written so far hasn’t thrown you off from reading any further. I hope I didn’t leave to negative of a vibe or sound to whiny. I hope it was just another glimpse of my thoughts in the moment. I would now love to reflect on my overall experience.

I started this blog by saying going to Victoria was the beginning of a Journey. I suppose I could say my journey is now at an end but this is far from true. This is only the end of a chapter in an on-going journey with countless beginnings. I have had the opportunity to explore many unmapped territories in my life and participate in new and exciting things. I am so grateful to God for the wonderful people I met and for the chance to go to Victoria and do everything I did.

Honestly, I came to Victoria with the the probability of killing myself. Throughout the previous year I had attempted to kill myself multiple times. I almost was ready to skip out on Victoria and turn myself into the hospital. But God had better plans for me. I originally came being caught in the grip of an extremely unhealthy long-distance relationship. If I wasn’t able to kill myself, I was already constantly attempting to drink my problems away. Once I managed to get out of this relationship though, so many wonderful doors opened for me within the third week of me being in Victoria. As soon as I left this emotionally manipulative, sexually harassing person–I do not want to mention anymore ever again, even to family for my own benefit–I felt happy and content. And to this day, I still do. Now for some personal, individual thanks:

Laurie–I thank God for bringing you into my life. I honestly want to cry while writing this. OK, maybe I’m already crying. I’ve never had someone show that much interest in me. Even adult mentors I’ve tried seeking in my life, they never seemed willing to give up their time for me. They said they cared, they prayed, and I don’t doubt it, but you showed a sincere interest in me and gave up so much of your time for me. I enjoyed talking to you and getting to know you. You are such an amazing woman after God’s own heart. Thank you for the joy you brought into my life and keep that amazing personality of yours.

TJ–Tj! You’re like my new other dad!! :D. So much of your personality, humour and stories reminded me of my own dad’s. Seeing as you are one of the instructors I spent most of my time with, I got to know you really well. I will miss all our amazing inside jokes we’ve created and I really hope to keep in touch. We still really need to consider creating those blind people text tones :D. Dammit!

Erin–Thank you for being that adorable ray of sunshine. I love how happy you are and it was a pleasure to get to know you.

Sky–Sky! I always commend you on your amazing teaching style. I appreciated it that you taught me how to do things step by step and gave me very detailed notes to look back at. You are an amazing technology trainer.

Linda–It has been such a pleasure living with you. Also, thank you for hosting Anna. If it weren’t for this, I might not have ever joined this program. It was great having daily conversations about everything: discussing needs for blind people in Victoria and British Columbia as a whole, giving me tips, and just talking about our lives. Thank you for the one-on-one trying we had. I now know that 1) I hate cooking but know I am capable of doing so and 2) this program has really boosted my confidence in some ways. I look forward to keeping in touch. Also thank Peter for being a part of my life too. He is a great and kind man.

Waseem–Yes, isn’t it shocking I mentioned you in this blog post. :D. I think you deserve it though. I’m glad that whatever intention caused you to find me on FB caused us to become good friends! It is good to have had you to make me laugh. You are someone I look forward to talking to daily otherwise I wouldn’t have talked to anyone as often.

Yousif–Yousif! It was awesome to meet you! I wanted to thank you for your kindness and hospitality. Even though I’d heard it a long time ago in similar terms, I really did take to heart what you told me that time: When Allah closes one door, he opens many others. Thank you for lending me the Braille Qur’an. I have had a wonderful time getting to understand your religion more, broadening my understanding and appreciation of it. I hope to continue keeping in contact, especially seeing as I still have the Braille Qur’an.

Nilo–He won’t be reading this blog but I’ll thank him anyway. I thank him for his prayers he has sent my way upon our encounters in the neighbourhood sometimes. May God bless you.

Sebastian and Tuesday Night Bible Study–God works in wonderful ways. I’m so glad you recognized me my first time at Emmanuel Baptist Church. If you hadn’t, I probably would have been too nervous to explore other Bible studies there and then I wouldn’t have become with all the intervaristy events! I’m glad to have gotten to know you, Nathan, Anna and Broegan. Hoping to keep in contact with you all! Hugs!

And so concludes this Subtitled section of this chapter of this continual book called Life

Shalom

The Final Stretch

Peoples!

It’s been so long! I must get you up to speed!

Well, this weekend one of the most amazingest (don’t worry, the rest of you are too :D) human beings came over this weekend: Ryan! We did a lot of wandering around downtown Victoria: trying new food, go to the museum, visit some shops, and look at Christmas trees in the Bay Centre! Yesterday morning I decided we go to Crust’s Bakery for breakfast. I usually go there for lunch when I go to the Centre. The day he came, we had breakfast at Floyd’s Diner, where my parents and I went when they came to visit. It’s an excessively pink building with really good all-day breakfast!

Friday

So, on Friday, TJ and I just went for a walk in a big lop. He chose to do this to see how far along I’m getting with my mental map in areas that I don’t frequent. We came back to Linda’s only t discuss how this is my last week in Victoria. The good news is he thinks I’ll do well when I face sight loss, not that we thought I’d do poorly. I suppose I mention this because it was sad to even have to bring up such things in that tone of finality: I’m going home and now life is waiting for me.

In the evening, Linda, Peter and I went to the Spice Jammer to meet up with people from the Canadian Federation of the Blind (CFB) for a Christmas supper. The restaurant was so fancy! I could tell it was a good restaurant because the food was expensive, AKA, a rich person’s restaurant. Then again, I tend to call Victoria a rich people’s city. I’ll admit, a majority of the meal I was in a state of being very overwhelmed. When I was sick, I had to play around with my prednisone, so my moods are temporarily being affected. God was good thought because, on my plate was a Christmas Cracker and inside was a purse hook which I used as a fidget toy for the evening. I still managed to enjoy myself and got to talk to many people; some people I knew and some people I didn’t.

Thursday

This was the day the Visually Impaired Persons (VIP) choir Im part of, performed some Christmas carols at an Old Folks home. I’m not really into the choir so I spent most of the time thinking, “Why am I hear?” The positive is, afterward, I went over to Laurie’s and she made Oat Fudge Bars and Rocky Road squares. I always love getting to see here because she’s my only friend whom I spend time with here.

Wednesday

Wednesday was the day! Yes, I prepared my meal for 8 on Wednesday. Now, the expectation is that I make the meal, serve it and clean up afterward. Fortunately, in the end, I didn’t have to clean up. When I found out I had to serve the people though, I was not impressed. It took me 2 hours to prepare the meal so I was hungry and tired at this point. I made chicken korma with rice. They didn’t expect to take 2 hours, so I had a salad put out for everyone to have while they waited. In my opinion, even though I had some trouble cutting the onions, I made everything in good timing. The trick to cut an onion, sighted or not, is to cut it in half, then slice the halves four times from both angles. Yet, I still managed to mess it up and take forever. I blame it on the onion. It didn’t feel nice. Another preparation tip for this recipe is to prepare your spices and put them together before doing anything else. This is helpful so that you don’t have to rush measuring spices while everything is frying. It can take time to measure, so things can start burning or becoming well-done before all the ingredients are added.

For dessert, I served Oat Fudge bars.I made these a week before, when my parents came to visit, and froze some specifically for this meal. Everyone loved the food I made so I was proud of myself. I suppose the only cons were I was hungry and tired, and wearing the sleep shades for extended periods of time affect my mood. Not that I want to focus on the cons, I just want you to know exactly what is going through my mind and how I felt. By doing this, I hope to encourage or motivate those who might be going through similar experiences. It means, It’s OK to feel the way you do. I may not know how you feel but I can try to relate.

Tuesday

I didn’t do too much in my classes on Tuesday because that was one of the  last day I still felt sick. Instead of going on a travel lesson, I ended up brailling out all the negative experiences I’ve had with doctors and the medical/mental health system, and spewed them to TJ. It was very therapeutic for me and I’m glad I was able to finally tell someone about all my medical experiences. In the morning, TJ presented a group workshop on First Aid. He showed us how to using bandages, and how to treat wounds, etc.

Now, let’s rewind to December 3. After choir, I spent the day with Laurie. Around 7:30 PM, I started feeling a sore throat and I’d been feeling a headache coming on for a bit. Two hours later, something felt off and I knew I needed to go home. While waiting at the bus stop, my body started aching which made me instantly realize I’m going to have a fever. Aching all over always means a flu or fever for me. I was right. I spent the entire night in pain with a fever. This was then the beginning of a really bad cold I had for a week. When I get sick, my doctor told me to increase my steroid for 3 days. I did this but I still wasn’t feeling better. Finally, a week later, I was done with my lack of energy and exhaustion. I wanted to lie right down as soon as I stood up fora minute. To be cautious because of all the medication I’m on, I went to the walk-in Clinic. Unfortunately, the doctor had know problem showing he probably had other things he’d rather be doing.. I told him my eye was bugging me and he kept saying he can’t check it because he doesn’t deal with corneal transplant patients. I tried saying, it’s not about that, I want to make sure it’s not infected or has pink eye. Anyway, I managed to convince him to give me antibiotics and I started feeling there affect already by the next day.

As soon as I got out of the doctor’s office, I was really mad and called my dad, letting outlay frustration on him. Thanks dad for letting me rant and rave. I’ll admit I got mad at God, worrying that I would get so cit again, Iw Ould be forced to drop out of school once more. I asked my dad, “Why does God not want me to go to school? What am I supposed to do with my life if I get sick all the time?” God, forgive me for getting mad at you and thanks again dad for putting up with me. By this time, I was also annoyed I wasted $20 for a taxi to see this doctor and I didn’t have the energy to bus home so I phoned people around until I could find someone willing to give me a ride. Thanks Yousif for the ride! I really appreciated it.

Nov. 30-Dec. 1

The weekend of Nov. 30-Dec. 1, my parents came to Victoria to visit me. I decided to make dinner for them under sleep shades on Friday night. I made Quesadillas. They tasted amazing! Making these also took me about 2 hours. My next goal might be improving prep pace but, the thing is, I don’t enjoy cooking. They are easy to make: great cheese, chop vegetables, fry vegetables and chicken with sauce ingredients, fill tortilla shells and bake! Mmmmm. For dessert, I prepared Oat Fudge bars the night before; the same oat fudge bars I used for my Meal for Eight.

While my parents were here, we went too the Egypt exhibit, looked through shops, and ate out at a few different places. We had really good fish and chips at the pub close to the water (not Darcy’s). I found out about Floyd’s Diner thanks to my parents. Funny thing was, I was wondering what the really pink building was a couple days before I went there. Oh ya, Floyd’s Diner is really pink :D. Both Friday and Saturday we spent time Uptown. As a result of it’s inconvenient location, I don’t usually got here, so it was nice to look around.

Nov. 29

I met up with Laurie on Nov. 29! While walking down Quadra St. I found an umbrella that is really good quality! It was just sitting on the sidewalk when my cane found it. Coincidentally, a few days before, I was considering buying an umbrella but they were too expensive. It’s like God knew :D. And, yes, it has been very helpful so far.

Now, I only have 3 whole days left here. I leave Friday morning. Don’t worry, I’ve already started crying about this today in my room. I hope to write a blog when I return, or on Thursday night. I want to write my appreciation and gratitude to many people for creating the wonderful experiences I’ve had here in Victoria.

Until then,

Shalom

Blog 10

Hello everyone,

I’m writing to you again! If I’m not motivating myself to write in my journal, I’m motivating myself to write a blog post :D. Fortunately, I can say, I’m doing moderately-average with keeping up on journaling and blogging. Anyway, I, as usual, have been very busy!

Today I went to Beacon Hill Park with TJ for a cane travel lesson. It was a nice relaxing lesson because I just needed to walk around the venue and observe my surroundings. I have wanted to go to Beacon Hill, so now I can say I’ve gone there! Considering I was blindfolded, I took some fantastic pictures of the park when I attempted to take panoramic snapshot. I even captured a Peacock in one image. We were going to bus home on the #7 but after waiting for half an hour, we called the bus depot,  only to find out that bus comes out to Beacon hill every couple hours. This very kind couple that happened to be walking by at this time, led us to the stop that the #3 goes to.

Back at home I needed an excuse to go to Starbucks quickly, so I said I’d run out to buy some peppers I need tomorrow. Coincidentally, I ran into TJ again! :D. After this, I helped make dinner. I didn’t do too much except prepare fish, which I’ve done before. Instead, I put effort into making Oat Fudge Bars afterward. They are now settling on the counter to cool just calling my name.

Wednesday

Yesterday, I was given an independent travel lesson. I considered the Independent travel to be quite the adventure. I was given to destinations: The Vitamin Shop and the old bus station.

On the way to the Vitamin Shop, I accidentally tripped a lady and she fell against a wall. I didn’t know how to respond or react except to say, “I’m sorry” and stand there awkwardly until she got up. A group of people came up to her all concerned, so I just stood there. I didn’t know she was there, she said she saw me. If you see someone with a cane, you should say something so we know you’re there in order to avoid such situations. This is why I felt awkward, because I didn’t know what I should say other than, “I’m sorry” in response to something I didn’t intentionally do. At least she is OK and was good-hearted about it all. As I continued on, I encountered the odd street obstacle, walked into a couple things like a terrible blind person, and made small talk with a few kind people. On my way to my next destination, I let a lady guide me across View St. because I was tired. Long story short, I missed lunch that day, so at this point I was tired and losing energy and concentration. I stopped beside a shop on view to adjust my sleep shades. In the second I had them off, I recognized a pop machine in a shop window so I decided to go in to see what kind of place this was, in hopes of buying a bottle of water. I was very frustrated by how rude this shopkeeper was to me. I walk in and she says, “You saw me.” I’m thinking, what? She continues by saying, “I saw you take your mask off.” I respond, “Ya, I was adjusting it.”I ask her what kind of place this is. She responds, “You know, you saw it.” I tell here, ” With this I say, “I am legally blind with 5% vision and I’m going to completely lose my sight one day. I’m on a travel lesson with PTCB learning how to get around with sleep shades.” She says nothings so I ask,”What do you sell here?” As I was asking this, I was touching an Orange. The shopkeeper responds, “Oranges.” With an expression of “duh” and “Really?” I ask, “Is that all?” With her response being, “Yes.” Annoyed, I say,  “Obviously that isn’t it. What kind of shop is this? A sandwich shop? A coffee shop? an ice cream shop?” All I get out of her is, “An ice-cream shop.” By the smell of the place, I knew she was lying and trying to screw around with me. From a person outside, I learned it was a sandwich shop which I assumed because of a past time I remembered finding it. I told this person about the shopkeeper and she told me that she is a refugee that’s lived here 10 years, used to people screwing around with her. I say this is no reason for her to be disrespectful and rude to me.

Anyway, I continued on to my next destination losing energy by the minute. With the frustration of that scenario and being hungry, I think I had one person help me cross a street closer to that destination. I had a few kind gentlemen point me in the right direction song the way until I arrived. I feel like such a terrible blind person because on the way back I got lost in this open area which I ended up looking and seeing was a courtyard or something. Just before walking into it, this one man either sincerely or sarcastically said I was doing a good job after watching me walk around for a bit. I ended up finding myself lost in a courtyard. The final flaw I made was veering way too much into a van. Fortunately, the driver was kind about it and directed me around the vehicle. I then needed to sit and breathe, so I did and I also took off my sleep shades. I know I’m not supposed to but I find all this so overwhelming. Then again, I had that sad realization  later on that one day I will take my sleep shades off and they will still be on…

Anyway, thus concludes my adventures of these 2 days. I apologize for the brief entry but I have been taking a few days to write this and find it too distracting to write more. The dates of these events were Nov. 28 and Nov. 29.

Shalom