Le Calendrier en LSF

ANNNDDD welcome to my first thematic vocabulary post of LSF! I'll first start with two completely irrelevant stories and just tell you about my day. Ben and Virginie are passing through Paris for a few days, and it's nice to have a familiar face and comfortable conversation 'round these parts. Don't get me wrong - I love my neighbors, I adore Elizabeth and Katie, the Deaf librarian still tickles my fancy. But to share my neighborhood with someone from home is also quite special. We had dinner last night at a restaurant next to La Cathedrale de Notre Dame and really just enjoyed the sites and sounds. To see the Seine all lit up with Paris Plages tucked neatly near by was magical.

We met up today for lunch in the 18th. The plan was to go to the Deaf restaurant, but it was closed. Of course it was. Anyway, we found this awesome sushi restaurant and had an amazingly delicious meal. I scooted to the Deaf library to get a new book (graduating to new books!) and then met up with them again for cafe et conversation at Cafe Blabla. I wish I was joking about the name of this, but it's too cute to make up.


mes amis en Paris



In other unrelated news, I read a few feminist blogs for a daily dose of "what's going on in their part of the world?" In the last few months, I've become really great friends with a few Mormon missionaries in Kansas (and as of recently, Paris). Having been raised in a Catholic family, I knew/know very little about other religions or religious cultures. My friends teach me a lot, and for that I thank them. My biggest struggle with Catholicism was how very little room there was for feminist thought or ideology. I mean, the Church just declared the ordination of women as grievous a sin as pedophilia. Uh, what?

See: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/16/vatican-puts-ordaining-wo_n_649444.html

With respect to my new friends, and an interest in their world view, I was curious about feminist Mormons. I know how many Catholics (not all, by any means) consider social problems through a religious lens. What are other people thinking? Is there room for feminism in religion? Is there room for religion in feminism? Not the topic of today's post, but worthy of discussion.

I found this blog: http://www.feministmormonhousewives.org

Anyway, I e-mailed one of my favorite bloggers the other day to tell her how much I appreciated her thoughts on the intersection of religious life and feminism. I had a bit of a geek out moment when she wrote back.

AND NOW, for the LSF lesson of the day: Le Calendrier en LSF





























I have many more words posted on Facebook for anyone learning along. I'll translate the French soon, too!

On Friday, I will be meeting the director of the International Visual Theater to talk about Deaf culture in Paris. I'm very excited to learn about their role in the Deaf community and the relationship they have with hearing folks, too. In our e-mails back and forth, he mentioned that he didn't know ASL, so he would try to use international sign language.. uh wha? What's this?! I have some more learning to do! I assured him that I can communicate (A WAY LITTLE BIT) in LSF. My conversation with the Deaf librarian this afternoon validated that I'm actually learning something - and that I might have a hard time switching back to ASL in August (smile). I understood everything he said and evidently was able to respond with little problems! This is good news! This goes without saying, but studying LSF in a book pales in comparison to being able to actually communicate in the real world where people matter.

Also, it's a good sign when ASL users back home are teasing me about my adaptation of new signs on our weekly Skype dates. LSF "oui" will become a thing. I'm looking at you, DCC!

I can't wait to tell you all more about my meeting at IVT. I now have a lot of reading and translating to attend to before the sunrises (yeah, still no real sleep schedule).


And finally, because no day is complete without a little Hanson in my life, I offer you this tasty tease of their new album.




a bientôt!