Today’s market find: cantaloupe, yellow squash and zucchini, fresh garlic, eggplant, bell peppers, green beans, mild chili, tomatoes, and a cucumber. Happy birthday, France!

• Cheery US-based @AllNipponAirUSA agnts know more abt UA’s Mileage Plus progm than Philippines-based @UnitedAirlines agnts do? Why fly UA? #
• Disappointing performance by DE tonight but ES-NL should be a fun game. I like the World Cup but I’m ready for my evenings to be free again! #
• Though the day has darkness it is still called day, & though we have sin we are still called saints! http://amzn.com/k/1T7QOOXNRZ6G9 #Kindle #

• Here’s a great explanation of sanctification by Spurgeon – enjoy http://amzn.com/k/20N0W42SJ3KY3 #Kindle #

Yum! This bell pepper has a dark purple skin, but green flesh – the first time I’ve ever seen one like this. Grown organically just a few kilometers from my house.

09:20 – Kyle comes home from the market to find Charly not showered, the dishes dirty, and the water off – great! Also, workers outside are telling my neighbor that they don’t know when the water will be back on.
09:30 – Kyle, Charly, Gaby, and Romeo head out to see if the soldes are worth buying anything. They aren’t.
11:20 – We all head home for lunch. Somehow the water is back on but the guys are still working outside. We take the opportunity to make lunch, eat, and get Gaby to the train station.
13:00 – Kyle, Charly, and Romeo work the afternoon away.
18:00 – Kyle and Charly come home to find the water back off and the workers having opened a BIG hole in the sidewalk. Their equipment is noisy, too – pumps, jackhammers, saws, and the like.
20:00 – With tons of dirty dishes everywhere and only a tea kettle full of water, Charly and Kyle make a low-water dinner of couscous, chicken, and zucchini.
22:00 – Kyle breaks down and heads to Romeo’s house to fill up 8 bottles of water he fished out of the recycling bin at home. Upon his return, however, Kyle finds the water back on and the men packing their equipment up.

This was certainly a big inconvenience for the day, especially a hot one during the summer where the flies started gathering on the dishes we couldn’t wash.

But more importantly, it made me think of the people outside of Europe and North America who don’t have the luxury of a faucet in their homes to drink, to wash with, and cook with. I can’t imagine it would be very fun to live without a clean source of water for very long!

• I'm definitely NOT proud of American soccer players right now. USA-Ghana was a match of folly. #
• Sitting on the beach at Carnac with Gaby & Charly and Kindling away #

Under a plan unveiled by Eric Woerth, the labour minister, France intends to raise the legal retirement age progressively from 60 to 62 by 2018 … this alone will not meet the state pension-fund shortfall …

And this is what everyone is protesting about?!?

traire une vache

translates to to milk a cow.  Now, let’s go to Plescop!

La retraite à 60 ans et à taux plein, sans augmentation, ni allongement de la durée des cotisations.

Translation: Complete retirement at 60 years old, without raising contributions or elongating the period of contribution.

Seriously, people?

Let’s take the example of Japan, a country with one of the longest life expectancies on the planet, and a good social medicine program. You might think that these are good things, and indeed they are, but combined they produce disastrous results for Japan’s economy: with more and more people living longer lives in retirement, the state bears a bigger and bigger financial burden to care for them.

With French unions short-sightedly demanding a freeze on the retirement age, they are conscripting themselves to the same fate as Japan’s system – radical overhaul or complete bankruptcy. It would be much easier now to adopt sensible changes to France’s retirement system than wait for disaster.

In that article I barely mentioned interpreters and should likely explain myself. I should mention that apart from being a signed language linguist, I am also an ASL-English interpreter.

Theoretically and practically, interpretation, no matter how expert the purveyor of the skill, adds a layer of influence to otherwise direct conversation. Clearly, no two interpreters will render an interpretation in exactly the same way, especially under normal working conditions where processing times can be counted on the order of milliseconds.

I have had the privilege of working alongside some very talented interpreters with the academic and linguistic snuff to do an excellent job in the conference setting. But we need to hold ourselves, as hearing researchers, to the high standard of using a signed language so that direct communication is no longer an exception, but the norm.

This will require that the international Deaf community decide on an official signed language for conference settings – preferably one that doesn’t change based on venue – and offer language resources to hearing presenters. This has been a large focus of the general academic community over many years (with respect to English), and must take similar priority in the signed language academic community.

• In a hungry stupor, Kyle became too lazy to walk up a hill to McDonalds and instead ate at Burger King. Here's to a lot of walking in Malta! #
• Apparently I checked into the retiree paradise hotel here in Malta. Oh well, it's got a nice view, free gym, and sunny pool on the water! #
• How big of a minority population does it take for their human rights to apply? Does 1 person deserve the same protection as a crowd? Discuss #
• The pizza and pasta of Malta are great, but man could I down a salad right about now! #

As you might have seen in a recent Twitter post of mine, I am currently philosophical about the rights of Deaf people in a Hearing world, and at what point they take effect.  Here’s the text of my tweet:

How big of a minority population does it take for their human rights to apply? Does 1 person deserve the same protection as a crowd? Discuss

As a spoiler, my answer to the second question is “yes” but I’d like to visit the first question first.  After all the beginning is a very good place to start.

I often think of a strikingly simple argument by Robert E. Johnson regarding the linguistic status of Deaf people: since deaf people cannot physically hear spoken language sounds, signed languages are used in the Deaf community.  This has had important social implications, most notably with the Milan Convention that banned the use of signed languages in classrooms throughout the world, and subjected deaf people to extreme linguistic and therefore educational, social, etc. marginalization.

Let’s consider a group of linguists who use signed language data for their (our) personal academic goals, both hearing and deaf.  Given our involvement in our local Deaf community, we should be perfectly cognizant of the ways of accessibly presenting our work among ourselves.  In order of preference:

1. Signing (using a signed language)
2. [there is no #2]

I was recently part of a series of signed language project presentations where I was asked not to use a signed language to present my work. Worse, interpreters were not provided to render the session accessible.

Would one hold an outdoor rally for albinos? Would one present French data at a semitic language conference? No.

It is unacceptable that the very linguists who recognize the error of the Milan Convention refuse to give their presentations in a signed language or even to hire qualified interpreters to do it for them.  Even moreso that these linguists study signed languages and have deaf colleagues should they understand that the rights of a deaf person to communicate exists independent of who attends a conference – this right is assumed in our community and must be protected no matter the cost, financial or otherwise.

• I just talked to @UnitedAirlines and I had a good experience. Prepare for earth to spin backwards! #
• Check out my photos of Japan: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bBmbTDJVQpvAG1yZg512CQ?feat=twitter #
• Just gave the last of my final exams. It's great to see your students succeed! #

• Guess I should have mentioned to @romeosaid that watering plants involves water! http://twitpic.com/1ikrqy #
• Charly and I started detox this morning. We gave up this afternoon. #
• Today is Friday, therefore tomorrow is Beachday! #

• Just got back from NRT-ORD-CDG. Only logged 6 hours of sleep, and I'm 7 hours back now, so I'm expecting a good night of sleep tonight! #
• American rowmate: "I'm going to Lille today. Even though I could take a 1-hr train from the airport, I'm going to drive 2.5 hrs." SERIOUSLY? #

• Sent out my first LSF tests for signers to evaluate. Let's see what results I wake up to. Good night! #
• While making my breakfast this morning, I absentmindedly put granola in my tea instead of on my yogurt. I need a vacation! #
• Good start to Kyle's day: called SFR Service Client and only spent 2 mins on the phone before my issue was resolved – too easy! #
• Got up on time, on my train, upgrade confirmed to Boston. Going to hang with JMel & the gang tonight. Despite being 5:24 am, this is good. #

• It's been a Good Friday and the weekend's looking to be quite nice too here in Vannes. Here's to warmth and sun! #
• Il est ressuscité ; je suis vraiement ressuscité ! He is risen; I am risen indeed! #

• Trying to plan our trip to Japan – man, that place is expensive! #
• Here's a nice outlook for the weather in Vannes: http://twitpic.com/182ruz Hopefully that rain, rain goes away! #

• Finally got home at 12m after Eurostarring with some other passengers. Thanks to @charlyawad and Gaby for making me food! Now back to work! #
• Why didn't I go to bed two hours ago? #
• Marathon week of travel and work = done! Marathon weekend of cleaning about to commence. But first, sleep #
• Mmm! Had Amish Bkfst Casserole (http://bit.ly/8X1uK0) w/ Romeo & Gaby, great Sunday Brunch. And Gaby now knows why Mimosas are so popular #

• Flight diverted to London; not sure what the next 24 hours are going to be like. Pray I don't go insane trying to get home! #

• In Paris now but not for long. Heading to NYC with Romeo today. Au revoir, Frenchies! #
• NYC has been fun, but the trip was much too short. Thanks to Sheena for a good time. Off to WAS in a couple of hours. #

• Not good, folks. Not good. http://twitpic.com/12fvgn #
• Another snow day in Vannes, just not the kind where I get to stay home http://twitpic.com/12jzej #

• Third "snow" of the year for #Vannes more like ice this time. Snow day for the kiddies http://twitpic.com/10tz0j #
• Tucked in bed with the #iPhone in Airplane Mode, I'm one happy camper. Bonne nuit! #
• Got some encouraging comments on my acceptance letter today, not to mention I'll be headed to Malta this spring – yahoo! #
• Dinner tonight: Mom's chili and lemon bars for dessert. Mmm! http://twitpic.com/11pwj2 http://twitpic.com/11pwl6 #

• Blue Eyes on the iPod, cold and rainy outside, cooking some good food. Why is my mind jumping to Christmas shopping at Crate&Barrel? #

• Great refreshing weekend in Paris with Meego & Ivy, thanks to great hospitality from Adrian. Ready to go home and get back to work! #

• Had a great weekend in Paris with the Acats. Oh, how the city suits me better… #
• So tired from handball match this evening. Can't wait for next week. Much too late for me to still be awake: my pillow calls. #
• Peut-être que j'aurais dû postuler pour le Prix Nobel. Maybe I should have run for the Nobel Peace Prize. #
• I need to get back to DC to: 1) make some money, 2) see my friends, and 3) take a break. #

• Constantly overwhelmed by baffling French systems, Kyle had almost forgotten the gross inefficiencies of Gallaudet University! #
• How to incite a riot in my family: install Windows on a Mac. Wish us (me and my Mac) luck! #
• One year anniversary in France and it's the first cold of the season. It's tough to get a little love around here! #

• "And the LORD said to Moses, 'Is the LORD’s hand shortened?' " (Num 11:23) – See even God uses sarcasm at times #
• Sound off: The most novice of 3 running buddies is injured; do the other 2 run further without him, or just sleep in? #
• Up and at 'em with a crossword! #
• Early to bed, early to rise. #

• is tired. It's amazing how networking can wear you out! #

Took this picture on my way through CDG recently. Only here would such a mistake go unnoticed.

• Gen22: God will test our faith. James1: He cannot tempt us to sin. Knowing the difference is an important part of knowing God. #

I will say that going back to the States this time around was the biggest culture shock I’ve had so far. I was taken aback by the relative largeness (not largess) of people, and women’s propensity towards heading out on the town wearing clothing otherwise normally reserved for bed or the beach. American public transportation also needs a severe kick in the pants, but the news seems to indicate we’re heading in the right direction.

On the positive side, the US has such great food, and I managed to eat my fair portion of it. Five Guys, Anita’s, In-N-Out, Alfredo’s Grenada, chinese, japanese, and much more!

Mostly, I loved going back to church and being welcomed back into my family of believers as if I hadn’t been gone for a single day of the previous four months. Christians who are in love with the commandments of Jesus are amazing people to know, and I’m blessed to be able to head back to Washington so often and be in their company. One of my good guy friends gave me just the dose of honesty I needed, reminding me that going back once a quarter isn’t enough – that I need to be connected to a church here in France, too.

Well, I took his advice and walked into a local church on Sunday and was welcomed with the same open arms I see in Washington. Thanks to my buddy for giving me some honest love, and to my local church who I’m looking forward to serving alongside.

I’ve started a read-through of some of the most known chapters of the Bible with some friends here in Vannes. If you want to read along, you can find the study at this link. Happy reading, et à bientôt!

• just found out that SIL has an office in DC that advises UNESCO (in Paris) decisions on minority languages. Sounds like a job for me, eh? #
• Gen 3: God was serious; man didn't take him seriously enough. Man is banished from the paradise God had given them. Good one, Adam & Eve! #
• New IKEA catalog came this weekend. Must. Stay. Away. #
• Ever thought your family was crazy? Genesis 4 reminds us it's been in the blood for generations! #

• ORD > CDG today. Flight from MOW is late. Ready to get back to my own place, but sad to leave such a great community behind yet again. #
• is dazed and confused: what time zone am I in? and what time is it? should I be hungry? who all is calling me? #

• keduarte Just landed in LA! Today had 33 hours with the time difference, but I'm ready for the beach, friends, and family. #
• keduarte LAX > IAD tonight, ready for a week of work and friends. I guess I should let them know I'm coming… #

• keduarte Having a great time with Mom and Grandma in Paris. Went to the Normandy beaches, Versailles, and the museums; off to Brittany tomorrow! #

• keduarte Stuck in Vannes for a week with nobody to hang out with. At this point, I'm preferring the UK – yikes! #
• keduarte Nothing like a little frustration to get this boy hungry! #

Vannes is holding its annual jazz festival this week, and I’m reaping the benefits of having one of the stages just outside my window.  Here’s a sound clip and a picture for you.  Hope this Friday leads to a great weekend, wherever you’re reading from!

• keduarte Another flight today: off to London for workshops and hopefully some good times with friends #
• keduarte is happy to be back in a big city, even if it is London. I think I understand French better than these accents! #
• keduarte Abercrombie as special envoy to London of American consumerism and perturbed body norms. And why the heck was David Hyde Pierce there? #

"Home" Trailer | Bande-Annonce « Home » | Tráiler de "Home"

I saw the globally-released Home documentary this week, and really enjoyed it. Like the Planet Earth series, Home features aerial shots of some of the most awe-inspiring parts of the Creation, from the misty caps of the Himalayas, to the spectral hot springs of Yellowstone, to the great plains of Africa.

The film also takes an educational stance, profiling the changes that the Earth has undergone in the last 50 years, and how our lifestyles are inextricably linked to the cycles of the planet.

Check it out on YouTube: available in English, French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Portuguese, and Russian.

President Obama was in Africa this week after his trip to the G8 Summit in Italy.  To the disappointment of some Kenyans, he didn’t visit his Grandfather’s homeland, opting instead to visit Ghana, in West Africa.  CNN explains why, and gets reactions from folks on the streets in downtown Nairobi.

]]> http://kduarte.com/lang/en-us/blog/2009/07/15/obama-in-africa/feed 0 http://kduarte.com/lang/en-us/blog/2009/07/14/bastille-day#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed http://kduarte.com/lang/en-us/blog/2009/07/14/bastille-day#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:45:03 +0000 Kyle http://www.kduarte.com/?p=1408

It’s Bastille Day (14 July) here in France, and the town is abuzz with national spirit.

This morning, I was awakened by the sound of a band playing La Marseillaise, the French national anthem.  And yesterday, a parade went by on the street outside my window, featuring costumes traditional of French royalty and Breton customs; there was even a bagpipe band.

Check out the gallery.