Careful with that Going to another country made me go from "would rather play games at home with friends than hang out in bars, but does go out from time to time" to "barely leaves the house".
It can be a shock treatment but not always in the right direction Granted, these isn't really anything to do here so I have an excuse, but still.
I understand. No, really, I do. But I was always curious to know how is live in another country anyways. And I wanna know if I can do it, especially because, thanks to the named problem, no one except my dad believed I'll be ok living alone in a City I don't know attenting in one of the toughest university of my country. And I'm here, 7 year later (Or a bit more...), living alone (ok, with my sister, but still without my parents here) in a city I know better and in an university I cannot escape (Some people gave me 7 months inside there tops!)
Well, you obviously did it wrong. You went to Canada, so of course there's nothing to do.
I'm only kidding, I went to Canada once and it was a very beautiful place.
I agree with both statements. Although some parts look better than others.
Western Canada pretty much looks like North-western US, with lots of greenery and stuff. It's very peaceful and all, and beautiful.
But Canada is also empty, and in a big, empty place you won't find a lot to do. We're planning on moving into a bigger town but since Ian's studying that will probably take a few years.
I'm debating whichever between moving ahead and living without him until he's done or staying there with him will be best for my sanity
We've decided that I'll travel around a bit though. So I'm seriously planning on visiting the US sometime next year (probably). I'd love to meet up with people from the forums if you want to do some kind of group thing. I think my first trip would have to be to France though (although I'd love to do that as part of a group, too! I could be the interpreter and guide or something, it would be a lot of fun).
I'm going to be taking a very American Tourist one-day excursion to Paris next month. I'm going to be in London for a week, and Paris just...um, happened to be close enough.
So... being autistic is "clinically stupid"? If so, then yes.
Oppss... sorry...
I have to discover myself that, because nobody told me. I always believed I have problems with that because I wasn't good at that. Apparently, that's mean been autustic.
So, I'm basically clinically destinated to have problems with that part apparently everyone else do naturally. And I hate that.
I'm going to be taking a very American Tourist one-day excursion to Paris next month. I'm going to be in London for a week, and Paris just...um, happened to be close enough.
What are you planning to do in just one day?
Not saying "it's not long enough!" because, well, you could spend a whole month, planing on seeing just the Louvre, and not have time to finish. No matter where you go and how long you stay, if it's a city you won't see anything.
It's more that I'm curious to pick what your top activities are going to be. It's always interesting to know.
If you need advice on something other than finding a hotel (seriously, that's usually the only question people who go to Paris ask me. Like I've ever needed to find a hotel there) feel free to ask.
Mostly because the most important trait in living in a community is been social. And have Asperger's is like trading that for a special power, and some times is not that useful. And all the people, around me at least, was social, except me.
I didn't have a single friend while I was in School (My second school). I was always traumatizated by the fact it was so difficult be part of a group. When I went to college, all the people from my town was thinking I wouldn't live alone and probably the people in the college will be so cold I have to give up. But, anyway, I'm here. I have very good friends, I survived (I'm still here) at college. Whathever. And I still have to try very hard. And the same for everyone else is so easy... sometimes I'm jelous.
But I'm not trading my ability to draw. Not in my life ^^! I prefer to still trying hard.
My husband works with/for the mentally challenged (hope that word isn't offensive? It seems to change regularly what offensive and what's the "proper term").
He doesn't work with people with just Asperger's, because if you're only and Aspie, you're functional, and his job is to work with the non-functional one, ideally so they can become so (Hs actual title is "Rehabilitation Worker"). That is he cooks for them, gives them meds if they need any, for some of them bathes them or dresses them up...
For some he just does things like teach them to cook for themselves, to remember to eat everyday, etc, in the hopes that someday they can live alone or with someone who just comes by once a day or something.
His clients always have someone with them (although not always the same person), usually 2 or 3 people (they are also 2 or 3 clients per house).
Anyway, he has had clients with Autism disorders, Down syndrome, fragile X, Fetal alcohol and so on. He's also had clients with physical disabilities, but always combined with something mental.
Not sure exactly why I'm throwing it out there, you guys are obviously functional, but it's related to what we're talking about, so... I thought it might be interesting.
My husband works with/for the mentally challenged (hope that word isn't offensive? It seems to change regularly what offensive and what's the "proper term").
I don't know how "Mentally Challenged" can be offensive, at least not here, where we call them "Mentally Disabled (Discapacitado Mental)", which is worse, and that the "proper term".
So I'm seriously planning on visiting the US sometime next year (probably). I'd love to meet up with people from the forums if you want to do some kind of group thing. I think my first trip would have to be to France though (although I'd love to do that as part of a group, too! I could be the interpreter and guide or something, it would be a lot of fun).
Avi, I would be absolutely delighted to spend a romantic weekend in Paris with you! Let me know if/when you go and I'll book my Eurostar ticket.
I'm going to be taking a very American Tourist one-day excursion to Paris next month. I'm going to be in London for a week, and Paris just...um, happened to be close enough.
If you need advice on something other than finding a hotel (seriously, that's usually the only question people who go to Paris ask me. Like I've ever needed to find a hotel there) feel free to ask.
Dashing, if you need any help poking dead things with a stick in London, just call. I won't help, but I will stand and watch in morbid fascination.
Mostly because the most important trait in living in a community is been social.
Yeah. It sucks, doesn't it? Having to get along with things you despise? Although you probably just have trouble with communicating with them, not actually hating all of them...
I didn't have a single friend while I was in School (My second school).
I did, but in the end, it makes no difference. 'Friends' are gone pretty fast if it doesn't suit them that you're having "trouble"...
I wouldn't live alone
Lol. My parents still think that, and I have been living on myself (well, with the cat) for quite some time now...
And the same for everyone else is so easy... sometimes I'm jelous.
Yeah. Although I guess I am more jealous at their ability to be happy than their ability to be socially adaptive.
As for the cities discussion... I couldn't care less for London nor Paris. I only go for Disney (France) or Thorpe park (England). You can keep your overcrowded shopping streets with only 1 interesting store per 1000 present or "monuments".
Yeah. It sucks, doesn't it? Having to get along with things you despise? Although you probably just have trouble with communicating with them, not actually hating all of them...
I consider "Hating people" just been a lose of time and energy. Just one person could defy that thing (Just because it was easier hating her. That was ironic). The rest? Mostly the realize they were almost as sad as me. And maybe sadder.
Lol. My parents still think that, and I have been living on myself (well, with the cat) for quite some time now...
If were for my parents, I would go to a college in my town, but, since my town is small, that was impossible (Because all the good colleges are in big cities), so they decided to "try" and left me here. The thing was they decided to do that even with my psychiatrist telling them that was a bad idea. Partially could be because my dad hated my psychiatrist too.
Yeah. Although I guess I am more jealous at their ability to be happy than their ability to be socially adaptive.
To be fair, my second school was a new school, and my class also has problems, but those more typical ones. At the end, it was a mixture of my problems and theirs, and, after years believing I was the one with the stupid problem, my family wanted to kill some teachers.
But always the difference with me and (most of) them was I have a goal and desire to chase that goal, even with the problem. They supposenly don't have that problem, but they didn't have either a goal or a desire to do something. At the end, their "happiness" was always empty. And mines, even with those moments were rare, was always a "true" happiness. Like the Desktop thread (*lol*). I'm still smiling with that.
As for the cities discussion... I couldn't care less for London nor Paris. I only go for Disney (France) or Thorpe park (England). You can keep your overcrowded shopping streets with only 1 interesting store per 1000 present or "monuments".
Chileans like to visit 100 years old buildings which doesn't have a long list of survived earthquakes and remodelations because certain part collapsed. At the end, good part of Europe is probably interesting to me.
What are you planning to do in just one day?
Not saying "it's not long enough!" because, well, you could spend a whole month, planing on seeing just the Louvre, and not have time to finish. No matter where you go and how long you stay, if it's a city you won't see anything.
It's more that I'm curious to pick what your top activities are going to be. It's always interesting to know.
If you need advice on something other than finding a hotel (seriously, that's usually the only question people who go to Paris ask me. Like I've ever needed to find a hotel there) feel free to ask.
I don't need a hotel anyway. I'm waking up obscenely early, getting on the train, and then taking the train back to London. Also, that is the very last question that makes sense when talking to someone that lives in a place.
But yeah, I know, it's a painfully short tour. Which is why I was just going to go down the laundry list of American tourist sites so I can say "I've been in the Louvre, seen the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame cathedral, etc, etc, etc". It's going to be a bit more tourist-y than I usually like, but considering I can't speak even very rudimentary French. I'm trying to work out at least ordering food, asking where the bathroom is, and saying "thank you" before I get there, but we'll see! :P
I don't need a hotel anyway. I'm waking up obscenely early, getting on the train, and then taking the train back to London. Also, that is the very last question that makes sense when talking to someone that lives in a place.
But yeah, I know, it's a painfully short tour. Which is why I was just going to go down the laundry list of American tourist sites so I can say "I've been in the Louvre, seen the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame cathedral, etc, etc, etc". It's going to be a bit more tourist-y than I usually like, but considering I can't speak even very rudimentary French. I'm trying to work out at least ordering food, asking where the bathroom is, and saying "thank you" before I get there, but we'll see! :P
You'll take pictures, won't you? I only wish I could go to France, but that's just stupid Airplanes are these days.
Won't let anyone on without a check for 10,000$. Also, I believe they call the bathroom "Water Closet"; or is that in Venice?
It's going to be a bit more tourist-y than I usually like, but considering I can't speak even very rudimentary French. I'm trying to work out at least ordering food, asking where the bathroom is, and saying "thank you" before I get there, but we'll see! :P
Maybe get a simple Language instructional video before you go? Just to kind of get the sounds in your ear? I can understand most written French (especially if I have a dictionary with me), so as long as all I had to do was follow signs, I'd be fine. It's actually talking to another person that gets scary. Because it's hard for me to comprehend the sounds in my head fast enough, and I have to speak very slowly to get out all the sounds myself.
Which is why I was just going to go down the laundry list of American tourist sites so I can say "I've been in the Louvre, seen the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame cathedral, etc, etc, etc".
Good luck with that! Considering they're all very touristy you risk spending more time waiting than actually seeing stuff. Although if you're willing to only see them from the outside (especially for Notre-Dame and the Eiffel Tower) if would save a lot of time.
If you go inside the Eiffel tower, you can choose to use an elevator or take the stairs. I've always take the stairs because it's cheaper and longer, so you kinda get more for your money (plus they have information boards along the stairs, every 20 or 40 stairs or something) but since there are over 600 stairs you'll probably want to take an elevator, especially considering you'll be in a hurry to get everything you want done.
Also, I believe they call the bathroom "Water Closet"; or is that in Venice?
Usually it's "toilettes" ("twa-let") but you can also say WC (usually pronounced "vay-say").
You can say "Où sont les toilettes ?" or "Je cherche les toilettes", but don't forget to say "Excusez-moi" first.
("Oo soh lay twa-let", "Ja share-sh lay twa-let", "Ek-skuz-ay mwa")
The "on" sound doesn't exist in English so I approximated it with "oh", which is probably the closest. The "J" in "je" is pronounced like "j" in "judge" without the initial D and the "E" in "je" (and pretty much whenever it doesn't have an accent) is a schwa (the unaccented sound in English, here transcribed as "a" because that's how you usually pronounce the word "a").
Thank you is merci ("mare-see") and ordering food, well, it will really depend on what you're ordering.
Alos, useful sentence: "Désolé, je ne parle pas français, parlez-vous anglais?" (Day-zo-lay, ja na (schwa sounds again) pahrl pah froh-say, pahr-lay-voo ohg-lay?)
I also said "oh" for "an" because that's also the closest I can think of in English. I might record all of the sentences slowly for you if you want (oh, and that means "sorry, I don't speak French, do you speak English?")
EDIT: here, I recorded myself. I tried to speak slowly and accentuate things more, but it's probably still too fast so if that's the case feel free to ask me to record sentences separately and slowly.
EDIT: here, I recorded myself. I tried to speak slowly and accentuate things more, but it's probably still too fast so if that's the case feel free to ask me to record sentences separately and slowly.
I can understand you really well. I wonder what type of accent my french teacher had that made it so difficult.
I don't know, where was your teacher from? Do you remember how they pronounced things differently?
I can't remember how he pronounced things specifically, I just remember everything sounding really close together and extremely connected, where I had to imagine it replayed back in my head 10 times to pick out the words one by one.
Although that was almost 10 years ago, so maybe it just solidified in my brain recently. I know he told us he lived on the coast, but I don't remember which city.
I can't remember how he pronounced things specifically, I just remember everything sounding really close together and extremely connected, where I had to imagine it replayed back in my head 10 times to pick out the words one by one.
Oh, yeah, I was over-articulating so Dashing could understand better and repeat. Usually each sentence pretty much sounds like one long word with no real clue as to when a word ends and the next one starts. Go listen to my tongue twisters in the thread where everyone recorded their voice (well, not everyone) for a more genuine example of my speaking French.
I took Japanese for my first semester of college. I failed, but that was because I took it at the same time as a programming class and had no time for all the work, so I intend to try again someday.
But French... French hasn't ever held much interest for me for some reason.
Funnily enough Japanese is the only language that I've had any success learning. Maybe it's because I grew up hearing my mom speaking it or because I watch too much anime...
@Avistew - Oh, tongue twisters are fun, I'll go take a listen.
@Alcoremortis - I sing arias too. Although when it comes to German and Italian, I know very little of what I'm saying.
@GuruGuru214 - French is the only language that holds interest for me. Or that I can see myself ever being proficient in, in the future. Most other languages just look like gibberish to me, when I read them, at least french somehow makes sense.
I have tried learning french and spanish now with very little success. The only language course I've ever had any success in is British Sign Language. I think it's because it's more visual that makes it easier to get to grips with. When I have the time and money I plan to take the level 2 course.
@Alcoremortis - I sing arias too. Although when it comes to German and Italian, I know very little of what I'm saying.
Italian is my best singing language (probably because that's what I started with) followed by Latin and German.:D I'm okay in French but I haven't had much practice.
Comments
I understand. No, really, I do. But I was always curious to know how is live in another country anyways. And I wanna know if I can do it, especially because, thanks to the named problem, no one except my dad believed I'll be ok living alone in a City I don't know attenting in one of the toughest university of my country. And I'm here, 7 year later (Or a bit more...), living alone (ok, with my sister, but still without my parents here) in a city I know better and in an university I cannot escape (Some people gave me 7 months inside there tops!)
I agree with both statements. Although some parts look better than others.
Western Canada pretty much looks like North-western US, with lots of greenery and stuff. It's very peaceful and all, and beautiful.
But Canada is also empty, and in a big, empty place you won't find a lot to do. We're planning on moving into a bigger town but since Ian's studying that will probably take a few years.
I'm debating whichever between moving ahead and living without him until he's done or staying there with him will be best for my sanity
We've decided that I'll travel around a bit though. So I'm seriously planning on visiting the US sometime next year (probably). I'd love to meet up with people from the forums if you want to do some kind of group thing. I think my first trip would have to be to France though (although I'd love to do that as part of a group, too! I could be the interpreter and guide or something, it would be a lot of fun).
Oppss... sorry...
I have to discover myself that, because nobody told me. I always believed I have problems with that because I wasn't good at that. Apparently, that's mean been autustic.
So, I'm basically clinically destinated to have problems with that part apparently everyone else do naturally. And I hate that.
Of course, not everybody has it to the same degree.
What are you planning to do in just one day?
Not saying "it's not long enough!" because, well, you could spend a whole month, planing on seeing just the Louvre, and not have time to finish. No matter where you go and how long you stay, if it's a city you won't see anything.
It's more that I'm curious to pick what your top activities are going to be. It's always interesting to know.
If you need advice on something other than finding a hotel (seriously, that's usually the only question people who go to Paris ask me. Like I've ever needed to find a hotel there) feel free to ask.
No, there's not really too much to worry about. Like I said, I have a bit of Asperger, which is mostly nothing in fact...
Mostly because the most important trait in living in a community is been social. And have Asperger's is like trading that for a special power, and some times is not that useful. And all the people, around me at least, was social, except me.
I didn't have a single friend while I was in School (My second school). I was always traumatizated by the fact it was so difficult be part of a group. When I went to college, all the people from my town was thinking I wouldn't live alone and probably the people in the college will be so cold I have to give up. But, anyway, I'm here. I have very good friends, I survived (I'm still here) at college. Whathever. And I still have to try very hard. And the same for everyone else is so easy... sometimes I'm jelous.
But I'm not trading my ability to draw. Not in my life ^^! I prefer to still trying hard.
He doesn't work with people with just Asperger's, because if you're only and Aspie, you're functional, and his job is to work with the non-functional one, ideally so they can become so (Hs actual title is "Rehabilitation Worker"). That is he cooks for them, gives them meds if they need any, for some of them bathes them or dresses them up...
For some he just does things like teach them to cook for themselves, to remember to eat everyday, etc, in the hopes that someday they can live alone or with someone who just comes by once a day or something.
His clients always have someone with them (although not always the same person), usually 2 or 3 people (they are also 2 or 3 clients per house).
Anyway, he has had clients with Autism disorders, Down syndrome, fragile X, Fetal alcohol and so on. He's also had clients with physical disabilities, but always combined with something mental.
Not sure exactly why I'm throwing it out there, you guys are obviously functional, but it's related to what we're talking about, so... I thought it might be interesting.
I don't know how "Mentally Challenged" can be offensive, at least not here, where we call them "Mentally Disabled (Discapacitado Mental)", which is worse, and that the "proper term".
Avi, I would be absolutely delighted to spend a romantic weekend in Paris with you! Let me know if/when you go and I'll book my Eurostar ticket.
Dashing, if you need any help poking dead things with a stick in London, just call. I won't help, but I will stand and watch in morbid fascination.
As for the cities discussion... I couldn't care less for London nor Paris. I only go for Disney (France) or Thorpe park (England). You can keep your overcrowded shopping streets with only 1 interesting store per 1000 present or "monuments".
I consider "Hating people" just been a lose of time and energy. Just one person could defy that thing (Just because it was easier hating her. That was ironic). The rest? Mostly the realize they were almost as sad as me. And maybe sadder.
If were for my parents, I would go to a college in my town, but, since my town is small, that was impossible (Because all the good colleges are in big cities), so they decided to "try" and left me here. The thing was they decided to do that even with my psychiatrist telling them that was a bad idea. Partially could be because my dad hated my psychiatrist too.
To be fair, my second school was a new school, and my class also has problems, but those more typical ones. At the end, it was a mixture of my problems and theirs, and, after years believing I was the one with the stupid problem, my family wanted to kill some teachers.
But always the difference with me and (most of) them was I have a goal and desire to chase that goal, even with the problem. They supposenly don't have that problem, but they didn't have either a goal or a desire to do something. At the end, their "happiness" was always empty. And mines, even with those moments were rare, was always a "true" happiness. Like the Desktop thread (*lol*). I'm still smiling with that.
Chileans like to visit 100 years old buildings which doesn't have a long list of survived earthquakes and remodelations because certain part collapsed. At the end, good part of Europe is probably interesting to me.
But yeah, I know, it's a painfully short tour. Which is why I was just going to go down the laundry list of American tourist sites so I can say "I've been in the Louvre, seen the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame cathedral, etc, etc, etc". It's going to be a bit more tourist-y than I usually like, but considering I can't speak even very rudimentary French. I'm trying to work out at least ordering food, asking where the bathroom is, and saying "thank you" before I get there, but we'll see! :P
You'll take pictures, won't you? I only wish I could go to France, but that's just stupid Airplanes are these days.
Won't let anyone on without a check for 10,000$. Also, I believe they call the bathroom "Water Closet"; or is that in Venice?
Maybe get a simple Language instructional video before you go? Just to kind of get the sounds in your ear? I can understand most written French (especially if I have a dictionary with me), so as long as all I had to do was follow signs, I'd be fine. It's actually talking to another person that gets scary. Because it's hard for me to comprehend the sounds in my head fast enough, and I have to speak very slowly to get out all the sounds myself.
Good luck with that! Considering they're all very touristy you risk spending more time waiting than actually seeing stuff. Although if you're willing to only see them from the outside (especially for Notre-Dame and the Eiffel Tower) if would save a lot of time.
If you go inside the Eiffel tower, you can choose to use an elevator or take the stairs. I've always take the stairs because it's cheaper and longer, so you kinda get more for your money (plus they have information boards along the stairs, every 20 or 40 stairs or something) but since there are over 600 stairs you'll probably want to take an elevator, especially considering you'll be in a hurry to get everything you want done.
Usually it's "toilettes" ("twa-let") but you can also say WC (usually pronounced "vay-say").
You can say "Où sont les toilettes ?" or "Je cherche les toilettes", but don't forget to say "Excusez-moi" first.
("Oo soh lay twa-let", "Ja share-sh lay twa-let", "Ek-skuz-ay mwa")
The "on" sound doesn't exist in English so I approximated it with "oh", which is probably the closest. The "J" in "je" is pronounced like "j" in "judge" without the initial D and the "E" in "je" (and pretty much whenever it doesn't have an accent) is a schwa (the unaccented sound in English, here transcribed as "a" because that's how you usually pronounce the word "a").
Thank you is merci ("mare-see") and ordering food, well, it will really depend on what you're ordering.
Alos, useful sentence: "Désolé, je ne parle pas français, parlez-vous anglais?" (Day-zo-lay, ja na (schwa sounds again) pahrl pah froh-say, pahr-lay-voo ohg-lay?)
I also said "oh" for "an" because that's also the closest I can think of in English. I might record all of the sentences slowly for you if you want (oh, and that means "sorry, I don't speak French, do you speak English?")
EDIT: here, I recorded myself. I tried to speak slowly and accentuate things more, but it's probably still too fast so if that's the case feel free to ask me to record sentences separately and slowly.
After chinese, probably I could take a french course. Why not?
I can understand you really well. I wonder what type of accent my french teacher had that made it so difficult.
I don't know, where was your teacher from? Do you remember how they pronounced things differently?
I can't remember how he pronounced things specifically, I just remember everything sounding really close together and extremely connected, where I had to imagine it replayed back in my head 10 times to pick out the words one by one.
Although that was almost 10 years ago, so maybe it just solidified in my brain recently. I know he told us he lived on the coast, but I don't remember which city.
Oh, yeah, I was over-articulating so Dashing could understand better and repeat. Usually each sentence pretty much sounds like one long word with no real clue as to when a word ends and the next one starts. Go listen to my tongue twisters in the thread where everyone recorded their voice (well, not everyone) for a more genuine example of my speaking French.
But French... French hasn't ever held much interest for me for some reason.
@Alcoremortis - I sing arias too. Although when it comes to German and Italian, I know very little of what I'm saying.
@GuruGuru214 - French is the only language that holds interest for me. Or that I can see myself ever being proficient in, in the future. Most other languages just look like gibberish to me, when I read them, at least french somehow makes sense.
Italian is my best singing language (probably because that's what I started with) followed by Latin and German.:D I'm okay in French but I haven't had much practice.
Does that mean I have to grow a penis now?
Hehe.