Being in a country where the language all around you isn´t yours, and a lot of the time you don´t know what it means is actually pretty interesting for me. I love words, and I love the images they make in my mind when I hear them. And oddly, it doesn´t change when the language isn´t mine. Plus, I find myself thinking that a lot of the words in Spanish make sense compared to English words. I´ll give an example:
English: Bad
Spanish: Mal
This makes perfect sense to me. Why wouldn´t it be Mal? We have Mal-practice, mal-suit, mal-nutrition, of course it would be Bad. There are a few other words which fit this too. Of course, it helps that I speak French, and I can sometimes see the French words in Spanish. Like Bien.
Well, just my two cents on the language all around me and in my ears at the moment. Makes me want to learn Spanish properly this time when I get home. Maybe I will...
Adios!
Wednesday 28 November 2007
Tuesday 27 November 2007
Holiday Autism
So, as this is an Autistic perspective Blog, I wanted to write something about my perspective when it comes to holidaying. What you all may percieve as something normal, ordinary, and commonplace is a whole world of excitement for me!
I have a very very good long term memory, and a poor short term memory. It means, I cannot remember clearly what I ate last night, but I can remember the people from here last year as clearly as a normal person remembers yesterday. And that really freaks people out!
A prime example is Les from last year. I go to this very cool bar called La Fiesta (in Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria, The Commercial Centre. Check it out) and she used to work there last year. Now, she came into La Fiesta last night and was chatting with my friend Antonio who has worked at the bar since year dot. I remembered her, despite only seeing her a total of 6 nights. She remembered me, but really doubted I would remember her. Of course I remembered her. I got into a drinking contest with her, and won (she had to stop, and she was sick the next day. I went out on a daytrip with a clear head...) But you know, it kinda freaked her out! She didn´t expect me to remember her.
Then there are the sights. Flowers I don´t see in England, and as I am a tactile person, I touch them. The way the water leaves patterns across the pool. The different colours in the clouds at the different times of day. All these things are exciting to me. Even the feel of the water. I don´t swim at home (bad experiences in communal changing rooms) but here I can. And I do. And it´s great! Not that I am very good at swimming, but I can swim for a bit, twist and turn in the water, feel the resistance of the water against my skin. All lovely to me, and somewhat juvenile to the people watching at the poolside. An almost 30 year old man kicking in the water like a kid.
And the food. I will admit, as a smoker (bad I know) I can´t taste as much, but, what I can taste, it goes way above what I get at home. Last night I had roast duck in fruits of the forest sauce, and without exagerating, it was orgasmic. Presisely the same feelings inside as when I...well...you know! Same with the little praline chocolates we had. And I even had afternoon tea today! So odd. There I am, in 28 degree heat, overlooking beautiful sea views, drinking a nice (if odd tasting) cup of tea, and eating a couple of slices of fruit and nut sponge. I loved it. Simply because it was an everyday experience in an unconventional location. I am not even sure if the experience compares in the "normal" world. Comment and let me know if you get the same pleasures I do from just doing something normal, in a place you wouldn´t very often do so.
So, that is all. I was just looking over the balcony of my room and thinking I should blog about how holidays make me feel. And sorry for not blogging more. Had to work the week before I went on holiday. Didn´t like that. Disrupts the routine I have. But ho hum.
Adios amigos!
I have a very very good long term memory, and a poor short term memory. It means, I cannot remember clearly what I ate last night, but I can remember the people from here last year as clearly as a normal person remembers yesterday. And that really freaks people out!
A prime example is Les from last year. I go to this very cool bar called La Fiesta (in Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria, The Commercial Centre. Check it out) and she used to work there last year. Now, she came into La Fiesta last night and was chatting with my friend Antonio who has worked at the bar since year dot. I remembered her, despite only seeing her a total of 6 nights. She remembered me, but really doubted I would remember her. Of course I remembered her. I got into a drinking contest with her, and won (she had to stop, and she was sick the next day. I went out on a daytrip with a clear head...) But you know, it kinda freaked her out! She didn´t expect me to remember her.
Then there are the sights. Flowers I don´t see in England, and as I am a tactile person, I touch them. The way the water leaves patterns across the pool. The different colours in the clouds at the different times of day. All these things are exciting to me. Even the feel of the water. I don´t swim at home (bad experiences in communal changing rooms) but here I can. And I do. And it´s great! Not that I am very good at swimming, but I can swim for a bit, twist and turn in the water, feel the resistance of the water against my skin. All lovely to me, and somewhat juvenile to the people watching at the poolside. An almost 30 year old man kicking in the water like a kid.
And the food. I will admit, as a smoker (bad I know) I can´t taste as much, but, what I can taste, it goes way above what I get at home. Last night I had roast duck in fruits of the forest sauce, and without exagerating, it was orgasmic. Presisely the same feelings inside as when I...well...you know! Same with the little praline chocolates we had. And I even had afternoon tea today! So odd. There I am, in 28 degree heat, overlooking beautiful sea views, drinking a nice (if odd tasting) cup of tea, and eating a couple of slices of fruit and nut sponge. I loved it. Simply because it was an everyday experience in an unconventional location. I am not even sure if the experience compares in the "normal" world. Comment and let me know if you get the same pleasures I do from just doing something normal, in a place you wouldn´t very often do so.
So, that is all. I was just looking over the balcony of my room and thinking I should blog about how holidays make me feel. And sorry for not blogging more. Had to work the week before I went on holiday. Didn´t like that. Disrupts the routine I have. But ho hum.
Adios amigos!
Tuesday 20 November 2007
First post of the new blog
So, this blog is about life through the eyes of an autistic guy. It might help people see things from our point of view. It might not. Who knows.
One major problem I have, and I know a lot of others have is eye contact. It seems that normals thrive on this. I get such odd reactions from people when I won't look at them. I was in Asda (think Wallmart if you're in the US) and just buying some sandwiches and a packet of sweets, and the woman behind the checkout reacted like I was either a terrorist or an alien just because I was busily looking at the mobile phone store across the street rather than paying her attention. Same happened at the two games stores I was in today. Both thought I was acting so oddly just because I wouldn't look at them, and was interested in other things around the store other than them!
Then there is the other problem I have. Wandering attention. Right now I am posting this in a cyber cafe in Southampton, and I happened to look at the screen of the guy next to me. He was on Youtube, and the people dancing on the video interested me. Now, he glared at me, and won't stop sneaking peeks at me. I hate that. I kind of understand why, but...him looking at me makes me feel nervous. Not that he intimidates me, but I just don't like people looking at me.
Reminds me of a t-shirt I really must get from Cafepress. It's got "I'm Autistic. Don't worry, I THINK YOU'RE WEIRD TOO!" written on it. I love it. I also like the one that says "Keep staring, I may do a trick" written on it. Lastly, the other one I like is a hat that has arrows pointing left and right, and in the middle it says "I'm with Neurotypical"
Anyway, think I am done for now. Time to go find a cup of coffee at Starbucks in this noisy, dirty, impolite city.
Oh, and thanks to Andy at www.Vandaweb.co.uk for inadvertently giving me the idea for this blog. He mentioned that I was Autistic, but my other blog (www.jacksblog.co.uk) was not about Autism. Kinda gave me the idea of creating a seperate blog which IS about my Autism! So thank you.
Right! Coffee! And maybe a chocolate brownie. Because I am not a gluten free Autistic. Not into fad diets.
One major problem I have, and I know a lot of others have is eye contact. It seems that normals thrive on this. I get such odd reactions from people when I won't look at them. I was in Asda (think Wallmart if you're in the US) and just buying some sandwiches and a packet of sweets, and the woman behind the checkout reacted like I was either a terrorist or an alien just because I was busily looking at the mobile phone store across the street rather than paying her attention. Same happened at the two games stores I was in today. Both thought I was acting so oddly just because I wouldn't look at them, and was interested in other things around the store other than them!
Then there is the other problem I have. Wandering attention. Right now I am posting this in a cyber cafe in Southampton, and I happened to look at the screen of the guy next to me. He was on Youtube, and the people dancing on the video interested me. Now, he glared at me, and won't stop sneaking peeks at me. I hate that. I kind of understand why, but...him looking at me makes me feel nervous. Not that he intimidates me, but I just don't like people looking at me.
Reminds me of a t-shirt I really must get from Cafepress. It's got "I'm Autistic. Don't worry, I THINK YOU'RE WEIRD TOO!" written on it. I love it. I also like the one that says "Keep staring, I may do a trick" written on it. Lastly, the other one I like is a hat that has arrows pointing left and right, and in the middle it says "I'm with Neurotypical"
Anyway, think I am done for now. Time to go find a cup of coffee at Starbucks in this noisy, dirty, impolite city.
Oh, and thanks to Andy at www.Vandaweb.co.uk for inadvertently giving me the idea for this blog. He mentioned that I was Autistic, but my other blog (www.jacksblog.co.uk) was not about Autism. Kinda gave me the idea of creating a seperate blog which IS about my Autism! So thank you.
Right! Coffee! And maybe a chocolate brownie. Because I am not a gluten free Autistic. Not into fad diets.
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