ASL [Learning] Diary

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“Signs are to eyes what words are to ears.”
Ken Glickman

After the unfortunate event described in my previous blog, I decided to double, no wait, triple my efforts to learn ASL. Here is my personal self-learning schedule, which is far from perfect I presume:
Week 1: Requirements Gathering
(Prep)
*Resource Collection: I collected miscellaneous learning materials before beginning my apprenticeship, notably: websites and online articles, phone applications, videos, and some printed material, all affordable of course (either free of less than $2). It is at this effect that I created the following the stack and playlist, which might be helpful to others who choose to embark on the same journey:
*Goals Setting: As adventurous as it may sound, people seldom embark on journeys without having the slightest idea as of where it may lead them. As a result, I had to select beforehand how much I should have learned by the end of each week, as well as how this progress should be evaluated, which led me the next point:

“I’m trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You’re the one that has to walk through it.”
Morpheus, The Matrix, 1999.

*Time Table: After setting aside at least 30 minutes, I designed the outline of my personal learning schedule. I expected things to change from time to time of course, but the main goal of this time table was to keep me on track to avoid procrastinating.
*Other Tools: In additional to a notepad, for logging my learning progress, I also decided to use my coiffeuse and webcam when practicing. The idea was to visualize my signing from the audience’s perspective.
*Community & Culture: While practicing alone may sound like fun, I knew that I would eventually need to properly communicate with a person fluent in ASL. As result, I started familiarizing myself with the Deaf Culture, which turned out to be more amazing than expected! HandSpeak and AllDeaf were the two community websites that I primarily used.
*Notes: Through these steps, I realized how much I had already been exposed to ASL, especially since I tend to describe things using my hand, based on my faint recollection of French Sign Language.
Week 2: Analysis & Design
(Getting Started)
 
*Alphabet: A fascinating point that I frequently encountered was the importance of learning the ASL alphabet. Not only does it help figuring out basic hand shapes, but also finger-spelling will prove itself useful more often than not. Beyond video tutorials such as the “Alphabet Song“, I discovered that a great way to quickly learn the ASL alphabet was by using it as a computer background and by learning to finger-spell names (people, objects, and places).
*Numbers: Before tackling more complex numbers, I decided to start with the basic: digits from 0 to 9. I added the number “10″ to the list just for fun. After all, I am a big fan of the denary system.
Week 3: Coding & Testing
(ASL Basics)
*Learning Basic Signs: There was no better place for me to start than Dr. Bill Vicars’s “First 100 Signs” and Expert Village’s “Common Phrases” video series.
*Practice Makes Perfect: Whoever said that did not have to learn to properly rehearse facial expressions dozens of times, due to the fact that they complement what is being signed. I should point out that started more and more attention to people’s gestures and lip movement as they converse.
Week 4+: Refactoring & Maintenance
(Immersion & Practice)
*To Infinity and Beyond: This final section goes without saying and is the one I am currently in, and will most likely remain for the foreseeable future.

Learning ASL

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“There is no need to shout officers, they cannot hear you, they are deaf!”
An airport ticketing agent

I have always wanted to learn sign language… French… American… It didn’t matter, because it is an awesome way to express oneself, not to mention that it appears to be a collection pretty cool secret codes. It was not until recently that I found myself motivated by what I consider to be the “right” reason to learn ASL.

Inspired by entertaining TV shows such as NCIS (a few Gibbs-Abby scenes) and Switched at Birth, I started familiarizing myself with a few signs here and there, while gathering more learning resources. I eventually managed to learn digits, colours, and some common phrases, in order to describe myself despite the fact I have yet to be given a name. If you are not aware of the “naming” convention, only a deaf person can assign your signed name.

I must admit that signing is a lot more complex than I thought, particularly because it is not the English word-equivalents that are being signed, but the essence of these words. Otherwise, finger-spelling everything would do the trick! For example, to describe my dietary preferences, I have to sign: “I do not eat meat”, since there is neither a word for vegetarian, nor for pescatarian, in ASL.

If you stayed with me this far, then you must be wondering what motivated me to take my ASL apprenticeship more seriously: Sadly, quite an unfortunate event (sorry Lemony Snicket)! While awaiting my connection from the comfort of the airport food court by reading Vincent Van Gogh, The Drawings, a small group of people sat nearby and was quiet enough to attract no attention to themselves. Moments later, the two ladies left the group, headed toward the shopping area – probably for some lèche-vitrine – leaving the men resting next to a baby sleeping in his stroller. This relaxing atmosphere only lasted until the baby woke up, realized that the ladies were gone, and started what babies do best: crying. Attracted by the noise combined with the looks of frustration from other passengers, two security officers approached the men and asked them to calm the baby, which they did promptly without uttering a word. This situation unexpectedly got worse when then officers noticed that there was no travel bag for the baby and started questioning the men regarding this issue. The tone of their voices dramatically increased as the men failed to provide them with an immediate answer, even more so once they realized that both men were replying in sign language.

As soon as it became obvious than the officers’ patience was starting to thin out, other passengers – and a ticketing agent – intervened. We explained to the officers that there was no need to yell, then proceeded to describe the two absent female companions to the best of our abilities. They left. So we thought, until they came back with two more security officers and asked the gentlemen for their identifications and boarding passes. I can still vividly see the looks on their faces: helplessness and frustration, as if their very souls had been wounded. This event also made me realized how poor my ASL vocabulary truly was, as I could barely make out what they were signing in response to my “would you like me to help you with the baby” inquiry. Luckily for everyone, the two ladies came back and helped resolved the issue with the usage of a notepad, despite being scared and confused to see so many people around their husbands and baby. In case you were wondering why the baby had no luggage, it is quite elementary: Only one couple was traveling, whereas the other – the baby’s parents – were seeing them off.

Until the deus ex machina moment symbolized by the ladies’ return, it was heart-breaking to witness such abrasive circumstances, especially when both men were trying their best to communicate the answers to the officers’ questions. This definitely motivated me to double, no, triple my efforts to become fluent in ASL.

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

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Riddle:
“This is an unusual paragraph. I’m curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out what it is.”
Classic Lateral Thinking Exercises, Top 100 Riddles of All Times, 2006.
Riddle Hint:
“What is the beginning of eternity
The end of time and space,
The beginning of every end,
And the end of every place?”
Riddle Answer:
What is the most commonly used letter in the English alphabet?

Puzzle1

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GLaDOS: Have I lied to you?
[pause]
GLaDOS: … I mean, in this room?
GLaDOS, Portal, 2007.
Brainteasers, chocolate, and pastries are my péchés mignons. There, I said it!As a matter of fact, Antrim Escape is one of my favourite games, right after Portal. I personally believe that the best aspects of these games are the puzzles one is required to solve in order to unlock an achievement. Nevertheless, the main antagonist in Antrim Escape could have benefited from GLaDOS‘s cheerfulness, to say the least.After completing Antrim Escape 3, I found myself not only wishing that they made a fourth, fifth, and perhaps sixth one, but I also wondered whether there were any aspects of the game that I really enjoyed and could re-create and/or improve. As a result, here is my take on one of their cool mini-puzzles. Sadly I cannot say which one, because it might ruin the surprise.

Here are some hints:
  • The purpose of the game is to find the correct sequence
  • The number of blue circles increases after each correct click
  • The board is reset to two blue circles after an incorrect click
  • Don’t get frustrated, but a step back instead: you have seen this pattern before!

CouchSurfing!

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“Travel has a way of stretching the mind. The stretch comes not from travel’s immediate rewards, the inevitable myriad new sights, smells and sounds, but with experiencing firsthand how others do differently what we believed to be the right and only way.”

Ralph Crawshaw

Love to travel, but on a budget? Then think about couchsurfing: a wonderful travel experience that will expose you to new cultures and hopefully help you make new friends. Here is a collection a websites offering hospitality exchange and social networking services in this respect.
http://www.delicious.com/stacks/view/Tk1Qam
What is couchsurfing?
It is a neologism referring to the practice of moving from one friend’s house to another while traveling, sleeping in whatever spare space is available – floor or couch – generally staying a few days before moving on to the next house (or going home).
Why do I care?
Simple: strangely enough, my best travel experiences were not those for which all expenses were paid by a third party, including fine dining. Au contraire, nothing beats visiting a new city (too many to count), province (too many to count), state (14/22), or country (3/204) and stay with actual residents, thus learning about their culture through personal experience (talk about awesome tour guides!)

Saving some money is of course of the main perks of couchsurfing, especially for a student having to pay for her college expenses on her own; however, some things might be too good to be true more often than not. After all, don’t strangers always have the best candies?

Top 18 places at which I have couch-surfed:
  • Indianapolis, IN
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • New York, NY
  • Orlando, FL
  • Baltimore, MD
  • Seattle, WA
  • Lancaster, OH
  • New Orleans, LA
  • Chapel Hill, NC
  • Boulder, CO
  • Las Vegas, NV
  • Phoenix, AZ
  • Dallas, TX
  • Atlanta, GA
  • Paris, France
  • Tours, France
  • Orléans, France
  • Kribi, Cameroun
I need to point out that I love to travel and can hardly recall an unpleasant journey. As a matter of fact, I hope to soon share why I enjoyed visiting these places more than others.

“All About Me” Presentation & Résumé Tips

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Well! I’ve often seen a cat without a grin; but a grin without a cat!
It’s the most curious thing I ever say in my life!
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), Alice in Wonderland, 1865.

What if you only had sixty second to tell us all about yourself?

In order to introduce an unfamiliar audience to the unique world that is your life, as seen from your perspective, you need to tell a coherent story showcasing your personal accomplishments, from your past & current endeavours to your future ambitions, with a focus on your interests and hobbies.

Keep in mind that things that you may consider to be mundane could seem interesting to someone else; therefore Don’t Sell Yourself Short!

Best of luck & have fun! :)

Also check out:
http://www.delicious.com/stacks/view/Hg8ix1
http://www.delicious.com/stacks/view/IosUmL
http://www.delicious.com/stacks/view/KdU1r6
http://www.delicious.com/stacks/view/NYNdJR

Cool Decorative Wall Clocks

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“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”
Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Address, 06/12/2005.
As we reflect on the previous fifty-two weeks in preparation for the upcoming New Year, many of us find ourselves pondering on the meaning of life, the universe, and everything: The Ultimate Question.
Unsure of the answer? Then you should familiarize yourself with the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. While you are at it, don’t forget to check out the Cathedral and the Bazaar, as well as the Zombie Survival Guide!
“Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives. I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we’ve lived.”
Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: Generations, 1994.
I personally find time to be one of the most abstract concepts in existence. In fact, I take more of a philosophical- as opposed to scientific- approach regarding this measuring system. Think about it: is the measurement of the interval between two events more valuable that the events themselves? The fact of the matter is, time is too precious to the squandered off: we ought to cherish every moment!
Nevertheless, I have often been intrigued by the tracking of elapsed time, from the hourglass to the atomic clock, not to mention the clepsydra, sundial, and quartz clock. I have to admit that the core of my curiosity resides the design rather than the usefulness of these temporal measurement devices, particularly wall clocks.
Besides informing us of the *current* time, wall clocks are amazing decoration accessories. If we step away from the iconic classical design and appreciate contemporary wall clocks, we can easily notice how much they reflect the creativity of their makers. In addition, they are great sources of inspiration for artists, collectors, and consumers. After all, selecting a wall clock that suits you is a matter of taste and choice. As such, I hope to open your mind with the following selection of unusual wall clock designs, from very artistic to downright weird:
My top five are:
Hard Drive Clock

Hard Drive Clock

Computer Motherboard Wall Clock

Computer Motherboard Wall Clock

Picture Frame Wall Clock

Picture Frame Wall Clock

Catana Wall Clock

Catana Wall Clock

License Plate Wall Clock
License Plate Wall Clock
Finally, here are some links on decorative wall clocks that you might find also find interesting:

Pescatarian in the South

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Captain Jean-Luc Picard: The economics of the future is somewhat different. You see, money doesn’t exist in the 24th century.
Lily Sloane: No money? You mean, you don’t get paid?
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: We work to better ourselves.
“Star Trek: The Next Generation”, (1987)

Pescatarians are NOT vegetarians. Even though they do not eat animal products, they still consume seafood. As a matter of fact, the word “pescatarian” derives from the Spanish word for fish, “pesco”. Why did I choose to become a pescatarian? Quite simple: I didn’t! I simply woke up one morning and realized that I hadn’t had meat in months and that my primary protein sources were some seafood, eggs, and peanut butter, the crunchy kind of course. Wondering whether there was a special word for people whose diets primarily consist of similar ingredients, I came across the concept of pescatarian in my web search and later decided to learn how to properly become one. After all, I come from the River of Prawns! The goal of this blog is to introduce you to the world of a pescatarian living in the South, a place where ordering food without meat in eat gets you “The Look”.
Garlic & Brandy Prawns

Garlic & Brandy Prawns

As an important note, if you ever feel inspired to change your diet, you should ALWAYS first ask your doctor! Furthermore, there are several good websites that list the benefits and concerns of being a pescatarian, notably:

The two key points from these articles are:
  • Nutrients are harder to come by for pescatarians, compared to traditional diets
  • Watch out for excess mercury consumption
How do I survive in a town where most restaurants stuff meat with meat? By cooking almost all of my meals myself and exercising more often! Don’t get me wrong, I still eat out once in a while, but not nearly as much as I used to. I have to admit that creating my personal menu at the beginning of each week is quite enjoyable.
1. Pay a visit to your doctor
There is nothing else to add here, except advising you to make this transition gradually.
2. Inform our loved ones
Not everyone might be as understanding as you would like, but it better to inform them in advance than inconvenience them when you have to eat at home or select a dinning alternative. Besides, it might even motivate someone else to do something about their health!
3. Plan different exercise routines
Whether by yourself or with a group, at home or at the gym, staying fit will definitely pay off when combined with a diet. After trying Salsa and Swing dancing, I felt a more comfortable with simply balancing jogging, bicycling, and ParKour.
Not only are they fun activities, but they do neither require much preparation, nor equipment. I also love playing racquetball and football (real football, not American) occasionally, and am planning to check out a Zumba class one of these days.
4. Scientia potentia est
Read, search, read. I took the diet switch as a personal challenge and consequently decided to discover the world of pescatarians and vegetarians in the best possible way:
4.1 Read up
I signed up for vegetarian newsletters and forums, as they are not many for pescatarian. I do not eat that much seafood anyway
4.2 Search
I looked up what it means to be a pescatarian, particularly the nutritional values of different fruits and vegetables. As a matter of fact, my goal was to try to take vitamins and iron supplements as naturally as possible.
4.3 Recipes
Watching cooking shows in my spare time, as well as looking up different recipes help me out a lot! If you haven’t tried already, check out RecipeMatcher, an amazing interactive website that recommends recipes based on the ingredients you have in your pantry, or at least can easily acquire.
A simple web search also revealed to me more vegan, vegetarian & seafood recipes than I could have ever imagined!
I must point out that two of my personal favorites are Chef Alton Brown’s lentil soup and V Monte’s zucchini bread recipes.
4.4 Ingredients
Last, but not least, getting good ingredients at an affordable price (I am only a student) was one of my main goals. I discovered CSA during my first visit to Philly and decided to give it a try once I got home.
Let me change topics for a moment: If you ever find yourself in Philly – Yes, I know that it is not in the South-, do not hesitate to check out National Mechanics and the Basic 4 Vegetarian Cafe at the Reading Terminal Market (I recommend the “Vegan Philly Cheesesteak”).
Now, let’s get back on track. It turns out that I did not need to join CSA, because my neighbors are actually agriculture majors and work part time for a local farmer. What better way to buy fresh ingredients than to visit the farmers (and their herb garden) down the street? They even inspired me to start my own (after reading through “Gardening for Dummies)! Furthermore, the Fisheries department’s seasonal sales help reduced my trips to the grocery store. Another advantage of attending a Land-grant university.
5. Have fun
This goes without saying! :)
Overall, it is not impossible to stay healthy at low cost. I sure wished that there was at least one seafood, vegetarian, or vegan restaurant in my city to minimize my ordeal of picking a place when going out with friends. On the bright side, a couple of health food stores recently opened in the next town and are doing well enough despite the current state of the economy. Finally, in case you are why I mentioned vegan and vegetarian recipes in a pescatarian, my answer is: “Why not?”

How to Create a Custom QR Code

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Kevin Flynn: Hey! Hold it right there!
Bit: Yes.
Kevin Flynn: What do you mean, “yes”?
Bit: Yes.
Kevin Flynn: Is that all you can say?
Bit: No.
Kevin Flynn: Know anything else?
Bit: Yes.
Kevin Flynn: Positive and negative, huh. You’re a bit, aren’t you?
Bit: Yes.
Kevin Flynn: Well, where’s your program? Isn’t he going to miss you?
Bit: No.
Kevin Flynn: I’M your program?
Bit: Yes.
Kevin Flynn: Another mouth to feed.
Bit: Yesyesyesyes!
“Tron”,1982
Despite their existence since 1994, Quick Response Codes (QR codes) did not go viral until around 2010. Not only fascinated by its numerous advantages, but its ability to stretch creativity as well, I flirted with the idea of replacing my previous Gravatar with a customized QR code for a couple of days and eventually materialized this thought via the following steps:
You will first need to select a design idea. Not sure about which one? You are in luck: there are several existing ones that could inspire you, notably the ones developed by the graphic artists at Custom QR Code Designs, QR Code Designer., or Louis Vuitton. Feel free to use your favorite photo editing tool, as long as it supports layers (I personally recommend GIMP 2).
Whether from your computer or mobile device, you will need to install a QR code reader in order to frequently scan test the image for quality purposes. Keep in mind that the Reed-Solomon error correction code written into the QR code encoder allows up to 30% deterioration of a QR code possible. Keep in mind that they are many risks associated with QR codes. In other words, beware of scanning just about any QR code out there, just as you wouldn’t download and run executable files attached to emails.
You will need a plain QR code to serve as raw image or base for our customization process. From plain text to URLs, there exists several websites that will allow you to create a simple QR code. Most of them can be found by using the search keyword “QR code generator“.
Sample Raw QR Code
Sample Raw QR Code
The QR code format can vaguely be described as a combination of horizontal and a vertical rows of “calibration”, having main components:
  • Version information
  • Format information
  • Data and error correction keys
  • Required patterns (position, alignment, timing)
  • Quiet zone

Here is a simplified version of the QR Code Structure:

Simplified QR Code Structure
Simplified QR Code Structure

Whether your goal is to customize your QR code with your own design features, logo, or brand identity, you will need to resize the image(s) to be embedded so that they can fit within the QR code, without interfering with any of the aforementioned QR code components. You could also coderize your mock up if necessary, as did Duncan Robertson.

Sample image to embed
Sample Image to Embed

As you have probably guessed thus far, all you have to do at this point is:

  • Import the raw QR code using your photo editing tool
  • Add a layer of custom design on top of this image
  • Embed the image into the QR code without interfering with its structure
  • Repeat the two previous steps based on the number of images to embed

Furthermore, try to visually integrate your custom design elements into the code rather than simply stacking them on top, as suggested by David Cummings.

  • Color the modified image as needed
  • Scan the new QR code after each major modification to make sure that it is still readable
Sample Customized QR Code

Sample Customized QR Code (work in progress)

To blog or not to blog… That is the question!

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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, 1859.

I am not much of a blogger. Now that it’s out there, I feel a lot more comfortable about writing my first blog on… wait for it… wait for it… on “writing my first blog”. (You did not see that coming, did you?)
As I finally decided to maintain a blog, the first road block I faced was obviously to choose my blogging vision. Should I blog about what I do, like, dislike, who I am, would like to be, or about random events? I care too much about privacy — as if there is any on the Internet — to write anything personal. Beside, you might find it quite boring.
Hello, World
Hello, world! ^_^
I love reading tech news, blogs, and micro-blogs. Consequently, this seems like a good topic. Now comes the issue of expertise: Do I feel experienced enough to write elaborate tech blogs? Only time will tell. What about a little bit of everything, as to let everyone out there judge for themselves? Sounds like a plan! Moving on…
What was next? That’s right: Selecting a blog domain name. I found this puzzle rather trivial, since all I had to do was to utilize one that is consistent with my personal website. Done.
Moving on to the last issue: Which blog name to use. I literally dream in code. As strange as it sounds, my best ideas start in my dreams — often as programming snippets — and do not leave my mind until I make them real. That is most likely why I was so dazzled by Cobb‘s remark, which gave me the impression that he was talking to no one but me:
What is the most resilient parasite? Bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea. Resilient… highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it’s almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed – fully understood – that sticks; right in there somewhere.
Finally, I would like for you to keep an open mind while reading my subsequent blogs:
  • I love cooking, mostly pastries; therefore, do not be surprise to get some recipes here and there
  • They may seem random to you, but probably make sense to someone else, notably me
  • Most importantly, English is neither my first, nor my second language: You will probably find some mistakes here and there (you probably have already), which takes me to my ultimate point
  • Comments and suggestions are always welcome! ^_^