Getting to know 9 trainees-communication and relationship

I met other trainees from various countries in Asia and Pacific, and it was the first time for me to meet trainees with different types of disabilities from mine. At first, I didn't know how to communicate with blind people. One day Bee found out a way to solve our communication problem. We use Internet Messenger to chat with each other. I started to understand that barriers can be removed if we have to work hard. (My family and friends would not believe that I can talk with blind people!!) Mary and I became good friends. We always eat, play and sleep together every day. Mary helps me to listen while I help her to walk. In other words, Mary is my ears while I'm Mary's legs. Our individual training gave us a chance to stay together in one apartment. It helped us to learn each other's disability and cultures deeply. Not only that, I befriended Mong because we are from the same group. Mong's local sign language was different from my sign language. But we were able to communicate by using body language. Now we two are using JSL to communicate each other. Each of the 10 trainees has the skills to help each other. We have good and bad memories together.

My Pre-training (September to December 2002)
The Japanese language and Japanese Sign Language (JSL) courses took 3 months. I had good teachers and made sure that I understood everything they taught. I felt glad to have them as my teachers. But I was still not good at Japanese language and JSL skills. Sometimes I got confused when I read or signed in Japanese. On October 2002, I had an opportunity to meet senior trainees. It was really enjoyable and we talked about many topics. They (senior) gave lots of advice and guidance to me. Raphael, Lokesh, Amaraa, Mong and I decided to establish our Deaf DUSKIN Trainee Sectors to collect information and build a better Asia and Pacific deaf world. After completing the course, I went to Niigata for skiing for 3 days. Skiing was my first experience. My fellow trainees and I were excited to ski because the most of us have skied before and our countries do not have winter or snow, especially tropical countries like my country. I learnt that special skiing equipment for visually and physically handicapped is available and helps them to ski. After that, I went to Fukuoka to home stay with the Takada family. Yoshimi and her father are the only two deaf members in the family while his brother was hard of hearing. They were very kind and cheerful. We did mochitsuki (rice cake making). Mochitsuki making was really fun, but I actually I had muscle aches after skiing. I ate about 25 pieces of mochi, rice cake in a day! Yoshimi and her friends took me to visit many places, including Nagasaki and Kumamoto. The places that I visited were beautiful and interesting. Then the father and the brother brought me to a hill to pick some oranges at an orange farm. I was happy and enjoyed the stay. I had a good time with them. I really miss and love them.

My individual training (January to June 2003)
I want to work with deaf people to improve their community and world for Deaf Malaysian. So, I made a decision to learn about Japanese Deaf and their lifestyles and social rehabilitation in Japan. I had my first training at the Japanese Federation of the Deaf (JFD). I learnt about the JFD's establishment and management. The JFD is a national organization of Deaf, comprising of 47 member associations of the Deaf. It conducts various projects to improve the welfare and social status of the Deaf and to enhance the public awareness on Deaf issues. After that, I went to Chiba Deaf Center for one week. There I learnt about the way of its management and interpreter service. At the same time, I gave 3 lectures on Malaysian Cultures, Deaf Malaysian Cultures and Deaf Malaysian Women Working. It was good to exchange opinions and information with others so that we could get to know each. While I was in Tokyo, I did research on employment of deaf people in Japan. I went to 6 companies to observe deaf people working in different fields, with Mr. Nozawa's help. This observation gave me many ideas. I am very thankful to him.

I received training at Japanese American Sign Language Signers' Society (JASS) in Iidabashi, Tokyo for 2 months. The good things were that I have my past experiences as a program coordinator for deaf and know American Sign Language (ASL). JASS provides ASL classes and various activities. In JASS, I had an opportunity to learn its establishment, management and program planning, and observed their classes. Not that only, I met instructors and students and exchanged experiences with them. I was given the responsibility to plan and organize two activities, " Tea Party with Jessica" and "Sakura Hanami (Cherry Blossoms Viewing) Picnic". These activities were successful with the guidance from Kumiko Takakusa-san and Seiko Oomori-san. From these activities, I learnt many things, both positive and negative things.



My last training was in Yamanashi, started from April 20 till June 8th. I had never attended a National Congress of the Deaf before. Fortunately, the 51st National Congress of the Deaf was to be held in Yamanashi. I joined them as an organising committee member of the 51st National Congress of the Deaf. I learnt organising a congress and had my own responsibility to make this congress successful. All the committee members treated me as a part of them not as a guest. I was happy and able to exchange ideas to make a better congress together. I found out that there was no foreigner who participated as a committee member in national congress for 50 years. This congress closed successfully. I cried many times as my heart was touched. My diligence for this congress was unforgettable. In Malaysia, there is no national congress of the deaf. Malaysian Federation of the Deaf (MFD) is young and still under development. MFD has 9 member associations of the Deaf only, while Malaysia has 14 states. So the national congress of the deaf will be held after the other 5 member associations will have been founded. I will use my experience and knowledge that I learnt from my training to make the national congress successful.