Travel notes: Baddeck, NS. To see and to hear: visible speech and audible thoughts. :)

<--- The Bras D'Or Lakes, Baddeck Nova Scotia (Map: click here). Lovely, isn't it? :)

In French, "bras d'or" means "golden arm", in part because of the shape of these *salt water* lakes and the stunning sunset. Also, from the name of the village, you are quite correct to say that Gaelic is spoken. In fact, many road signs are both in English and in Gaelic. Incidentally, not too far from Baddeck, there's the only Gaelic college in the province (and probably in the country too :) ).

I was part of a group of about 20 persons, mostly age 40 to 60, many of which were singles, for a 4-day "soul search" on the Cape Breton (Nova Scotia). So many vivid pictures in my mind...

If it was just up to me, I'd search my soul again. :)

When we arrived in Baddeck, we had the afternoon off. (We were later reunited at that very beach that you see for a joyful bonfire). So I wander in the village (nice, but terribly touristic!) and I spotted a sign, with the logo of Park Canada, and simply these words: "AG Bell museum".

Mhhh... Alexander Graham Bell? The telephone guy? And what it has to do with Baddeck and the Canadian park service ?!? My curiosity was piqued. After climbing a long and steeeep cliff (my poor legs!), here I am.

Yes, he is indeed the telephone guy. He had a home in Baddeck! The pollution of the cities made him sick, the stunning beauty of the region inspiring, (and these rolling hills being a reminder of the Scotlands?), so for a creative mind like Bell, Baddeck felt like home. I do feel the same as well. :)

When he died, the land was donated to the Canadian government, and that's how it went into the Canadian park service.

He had other interests. Such as nascent aviation, those amazing flying machines. It is interesting to note the use of the mighty triangle that you may see in some futuristic "modern" displays.

He was also interested in high speed boating. In the museum, you'll see that he used a principle that is still in use today. Raise the boat as high as possible, to minimize drag. Obvious now, but not so back then. In a way, this is a flying machine, albeit just inches above the water.


Finally, Bell's main work, with the deaf and hard of hearing. While I am not deaf, I have many affinities with my deaf and hard of hearing fellows (newcomers to this blog should read my blog entry "Are you getting deaf?" to understand why).

So the title, Visible Speech got my attention. The focus was on speech (Bell was also a vocal physiologist professor at Boston University).

Speech, as if it would bridge the communication gap...

I observed the several displays of his work. Interesting to say the least. A different way to see things. To put into written signs how words are pronounced, so a deaf person would be able to pronounce these words the way they are meant to be.

(A different approach was the one by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc who came with Sign Language, which is very handy, if you pardon me for this bad pun! :) ).

So I was there and I was thinking.. Bell's approach seems like doing things upside down. Before having to speak, I have to *understand* and to make sense of what's going around me (and for me, understanding human speech has been my worst nightmare!).

So if I were truly deaf, while not said explicitly, I would have to read lips. That's my only clue to what is being said. Trust me, because I can't process sound easily as you do, often I have to read lips, and you don't learn that overnight. This is a lot of effort! And that's just one part of the equation. Because figuring out how to speak when you have *NO* audible clue... wow..

On the other... hand, sign language (!) is a no-brainer. In comparison, using hands is easy, and decoding them just as easy. The dilemma, in order to bridge the communication gap... hearing people have to learn a new language.

And that is the fundamental divide.

Bell's approach was to bring the deaf person to the hearing world. Being deaf or hard of hearing being a disability, the idea is to negate such disability so you would appear to be a hearing person... just like everyone else. In a way, you are attempting vaillantly to be a person... that isn't *you*.

Sign Language (it deserves capital letters just like any spoken language) comes with the idea that you are who you are. So, being deaf isn't a disability. It's simply a matter of... *being*, period!

Therefore, Sign Language is the mean of communication between similar beings, and when you have a community that uses a common language, then we're talking of a culture.

So, contrary to Bell's approach, the burden is being reversed. It is up to the hearing people to come to the deaf culture and therefore to learn Sign Language.

By the way, as a hearing person, this is what I've been doing for several months! I'm learning ASL (American Sign Language), and when I'll be fluent, I do intend to learn LSQ (Langue Signée du Québec) as well.

The dilemma... is the ruling majority... and when you're part of a minority... it's the joy and frustration, but I'm used to that anyway! :)

So in a way, and not to Bell's intent, the trip to his museum in Baddeck was quite informative!

In the evening, I was back with the group, the fun we had at the lodge for supper... and then we went to the beach and we did a fire. No one wanted to go to sleep. We were joyful, playful, and under an inspiring starlit sky. Water, Fire, Starlit Sky. Food for the soul and one common language: a bunch of seriously grown ups rediscovering the openness of their childhood.

Cheers! Santé!

-E