Hello my friends,
I know that it´s been a long time since I´ve written to you. I´m doing
well, I´m studying to become an interpretor, and translating studies, it´s
been really great so far. I´ll be graduating in 2005, next autumn. Then
I´ll be a sign language interpretor and translator. I´m taking the
translating as an extra subject, the interpreting is my main subject. I had
a spiritual awakening the other day, in the spirit of AA. I though that it
was wonderful, but there´s one problem, next week will be the 6th
anniversary of my mother´s death. It´s a very difficult time for me, but I
know that god  is not making me go through this for nothing. I´ll be
meeting my mum again, I know that I will. There have been some problems
getting interpretors lately for meetings, there are not sufficient funds.
The Icelandic government doesn´t have the slightest idea about how isolated
the deaf community is without the translators. I am unable to go to
meetings at the moment, but I get an interpretor for doctor´s apointments
and for university. My friend was on the Tv tonight, talking about the lack
of money in the profession. I feel very angry talking about this. I´m
considering writing an open letter to the government in the daily national
paper. I will do that. I´ll get my dad to read it over for me. The teachers
here are also on strike, some parents have to take their children with them
to work, what´s the world coming to. If my mum was still alive, she´d be
fighting the government for this. My mum was a politician. Now it´s up to
me to stand up for myself. No one else will do it for me.  As for my
powered wheelchair, I´m about to change the steering system, my back is
killing me. My physiotherapist tells me I will be able to control the chair
with my hand. He is working on getting the right equipment for me to try.
In case you don´t know, I´ve been controlling the chair with my chin for 20
years. My back is finished. I´m now 34 years old, but I feel like I´m 50!
How about that! I´ve been talking to a lovely man on the internet, he´s
very handsome and likes me as much as I like him. I just wanted to let you
know what´s been going on in my life lately. I´m taking painkillers for my
back at the moment. My dad has been watching me. I take medication when
<i´m in pain, but that´s it. I´m being careful. OK, I'm going to go now.
Good night all.
Take care,
Love, Ásdís.