In the Silent Land

Have you ever heard of the deaf people? What would you expect or imagine when you hear such words as “deaf, silent, sign language”? Probably some really dark-colored gloomy atmosphere, hopeless, unsatisfied in anything people and impossible to learn language of the chosen, right? But in real situation…

Honestly, I faced with first deaf people in my life just two weeks ago, when being bored after four classes on Wednesday, I decided to participate in our Professor Fedorowicz’s Japanese Sign Language club (here our you can find your friends fellow-students from KGU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGj-M7NAa_0).

The first person I’ve met there in a classroom was always radiant sunny Junko-sensei, who hears and speaks a little, and also knows Japanese, English and even Swedish sign languages. Although I came there having no idea what’s going on in the deaf world nowadays and having not realized even such a simple thing that sign language varies in different countries and cultures (and even in different areas of the same country! We’re studying Kansai-ben [dialect] in our club, for example), I didn’t feel awkward, frustrated or even puzzled. Why? Because you can’t even imagine how relaxed atmosphere in the deaf people society, how clear their logic works in terms of the nature of every sign, how energetic and optimistic they are, the people, who can’t perceive the world the way we don’t even pay attention to.  

On the same weekend with a couple of my new classmates-senpai (seniors) I went to Osaka deaf-people café to enjoy Pr. Fedorowicz’s photo exhibition (here you can find address and information about the exhibition and café itself - (http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2011/02/sign-language-faces-visual-anthropology.html ) and try to meet more new friends among the café’s customers. And we succeeded in both! I don’t really remember how the process of our communication began and how we became friends after only one hour of me learning their mysterious but so easy to understand language, but that night ended in izakaya (Japanese traditional bar) in a funny company of new friends with bunch of plans for the nearest time: Osaka plum-trees’ blossoming, kimono-wearing class together, sakura-hanami (enjoying Japanese cherry blossoms) in Kyoto in kimono… 

My best friend – Emi-san

She was one of the middle-aged ladies in charming kimono at the deaf café, where we came and luckily got to the kimono-wearing class for the deaf people. Emi-san is an ideal personification of a classical Japanese beauty – modest, tolerant, funny and slightly coquettish. We talked just a little bit because of my inability to say anything more complicated than personal introduction (after only one lesson, don’t forget!), but I want to assure you - the conversation with deaf people is a very fascinating thing: they eagerly teach you lots of new words, they will be very patient and helpful and really-really happy to communicate. You’ll feel the same and  won’t be able to hide your smile while hanging out with them.

By now I’ve met Emi-san twice – in the deaf café and next weekend after it when we went for a walk to Osaka castle to enjoy plum-trees. Here you can see two pictures from our second meeting. Emi-san’s a very opened, enthusiastic and beautiful person – in all the meanings. Her hobby’s photography the same as mine, she likes takoyaki (me too), she adores kimono culture and seriously studies all the detail about it. She’s very kind, generous and out-going person – I’m very happy to spend my spare time with her and I’m very thankful that she became my friend though I’m not that good company in terms of communicating her language yet. でも、頑張ります！(But I’ll work hard!)

 Listening with a heart, not ears

Just imagine one sunny wonderful March day you’re walking in a garden full of plum-trees blossoming various colors and shapes of flowers and invading its aroma all around. There are different people – little children, hugging couples, coughing but still cheerful elderly with giant cameras, relaxed office plankton under the trees with o-bento (launch box) – everybody’s here. And my friends also came there to share the happiness of a new spring coming - together with the rest.

Suddenly the prettiest sounds of harp music next to the very entrance of the garden are coming to our ears, so that my Emi-san notices it too and begins taking pictures of a musician and the whole unusual procession. And everybody seems to be happy, but I know - she could never hear how marvelous the music was.

The essential thing in the deaf communication is to notice tiny changes of feelings and emotions of your partners – in facial expressions, movements, speed of gestures, so on and so forth. Every time since I became friends with my Emi-san, I make myself imagine how it feels like – not to listen to the music all the way to school, not to pay attention to the birds in a spring garden, not to hear steps of a friend behind my back, not to be able to join to the noisy bacchanalia in izakaya, not to turn to the children cry or laugh…

Only silence here and everywhere.

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 Links for Mr and Ms Curiousity:

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1)      http://www.jfd.or.jp/en/  - Japanese Federation of the Deaf site, where you can find information about official deaf world events in Japan, the history of the organization itself and some tips for learning Japanese sign language.

2)    http://www.kyoto-be.ne.jp/ed-center/gakko/jsl/  - Wanna learn Japanese Sign Language? Do it right now with the help of this easy to work with and quite well-structured material

3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BszkSIlrJaA – pretty nice video for willing to study simple phrases in JSL (with English translation)

4)    http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=4538 – “DEAF IN JAPAN
Signing and the Politics of Identity” by Karen Nakamura