You Meet Different People in Different Places.

I've been preoccupied these last few days, being a babysitter and maid at the same time. Laundry and squirming siblings nearly choking me, there has been virtually no extra time to get on the computer. It's sunny as ever, but recently it was extremely windy and there was even some thunder, so the electronics were powered down and forgotten until the almost-storm passed.

Luckily, deprivation of internet has led me to have more time to do work. Fun, fun, fun. I met some neighbours of ours the other day. An elderly lady that lets me and my sister and such pass through her huge yard as a shortcut to the beach, a man who has a beautiful garden, and a woman with two kids, both younger than me. I've recently become friends with Barbara, her daughter, through written messages and hand signs. Wait. Hand signs?

You guessed right, Barbara is deaf. She is really clever for her age, about 10, and she can be quite serious and motherly around my little brother, who she plays with but saves from trouble constantly. She can read and write Serbian, and can read lips if you speak slowly. Her mother and her communicate mostly over text messages on their cellphones when not in the vicinity and facing each other to sign, it's quite interesting.

Barbara does have a lot of challenges in her every day life. She goes to school, but there is no special equipment or support for her at all. She struggles with anything besides written or drawn lessons, because of her disability. Just as the technology is behind here, she also lacks any funding from the government, or any chance to receive funding due to ever shifting boundaries and unwilling members of rule.

I can't help but feel sorry for her, she's such a smart kid that could really be something amazing one day if offered the right help. Even so, she braves it with a smile, and is grateful for what she has. Now, off to put the siblings to bed, and tomorrow off to the beach for some recreation!

- Mirela's tired from visiting family all day and yesterday.