Darmok...The Children of Tama...Tamarians Aspergians Same Diff

My favorite Star Trek episode, of all times, is Darmok. The story revolves around the Tamarians or Children of Tama alien race that has been visited seven times in 1000 years but formal relations were never established because communication was not possible.
Picard, in his infinite shiny-headed wisdom makes a very profound statement: "Are they truly "incomprehensible"? In my experience, communication is a function of Patience and Imagination. I'd like to think we have both qualities in sufficient measure."
Captain Picard and the Enterprise crew are sent to the planetary system El-Adrel. Upon the viewscreen, the Tamarian Captain, Dathon states: Rai and Jiri at Lungha. Rai of Lowani. Lowani under two moons. Jiri of Ubaya. Ubaya of crossed roads. At Lungha. Lungha. Her sky grey.
My translation: Rai and Jiri are beings/ individuals
Lungha is a location/ Place
Rai is from Lowani
Lowani is a location, possibly a planet, area or town
Lowani under two moons= I would take this to mean "time", possibly the year in which the meeting between Rai and Jiri took place. While "two moons" may mean that Lowani has two physical moons, I highly doubt it as that would be general basic knowledge. When I see "moons", I automatically think of "time" as that is how our ancestors kept track of thing sand it is more specific to the conversation at hand.
Jiri of Ubaya= Jiri is from the location of Ubaya.
Ubaya of crossed roads= If Ubaya is a location..."of crossed roads" implies a more exact location. Or Ubaya may have a major intersection, meeting place between two..planets or races/ cultures.
At Lungha= Rai and Jiri had a memorable meeting at Lungha
Lungha
Her sky grey= Grey, the shade between black and white...the middle ground...place of compromise.
So, these two guys meet, in a bar....no, wait..So, these two guys meet at Lungha and somehow they find peace. Although each is from a very different place, they see past their differences and find a common solution, peace, friendship.

Needless to say, the Enterprise crew didn't get the message. So the Tamarians, hungry for a solution, kidnap the good Captain Picard and transport him down to a nearby planet along with their own Captain Dathon.
"Okay, lets settle this Capitan y Capitan" my translation :)
So, down on the planet Dathon, ever patient Dathon, keeps trying to communicate.
"Temba, his arms wide" and Dathon getures with his own arms, opening them wide. I thought this one was way too obvious. "Here take this"
Both parties are genuinely trying to communicate and understand each other. It is quite awhile before the dawn breaks and "Sokath, his eyes uncovered", there is understanding.
Other favorite Tamarian lines along with my own personal translations:
"Shaka, when the walls fell"= I give up or failure
"Darmok of Kanza"= Darmok is from Kanza
"Jalad of the Kituay"= Jalad is from the Kituay, either a race, culture or planet
"Darmok on the ocean"= Darmok is alone or travels somewhere
"Jalad on the ocean"= Jalad, also, shares this with Darmok
"Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra"= Darmok and Jalad hook up, get together, meet at the place called Tanagra. Something major happens there..a meeting of the minds, a cooperation, a sharing.
"The beast at Tanagra"= Darmok and Jalad defeat or overcome either a physical beast or a mental, cultural barrier
"Darmok and Jalad on the ocean"= now together going to the same place
So basically, Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra means lets get together and cooperate, help each other.

Okay, spoiler here, Dathon becomes injured and racked in pain says, "Zinda, his face black, his eyes red"= I took this to mean that Dathon was staring into the face of death whilst I read other translations that thought it meant "anger or conflict, pain or discomfort"

"Kiazis children, their faces wet"= given the situation, Dathon is injured and Picard tries to help but is shooed away...their faces wet is obviously tears.

"The river Temarc in winter" is a beautiful word picture probably meaning silence.

"The Children of Tama"..the name implies innocence, naivety, gentleness, belonging...as I feel that A Child of Hans has the very same meaning.
The difficulty in communicating....I remember watching this for the first time and feeling so moved, engrossed and transfixed. (Of course it took me about a week to realize that I enjoyed it because of the similarities and correlations to my own life)
As some of my previous posts support, I sometimes think or rather feel, in pictures. I found the Tamarian language along with the sidebar of gestures to be something quite beautiful to watch and melodic to listen to. They speak in metaphors and/ or allusions. I can't say that I have ever seen that on the screen before. And honestly, I don't know if it is just me or if it is a trait, common or uncommon with Aspergians. I can see that my Aspie son speaks this way, but then again, he has hung out with me most of his life.
I've oft read that some Aspies are more visual than others, so it stands to reason that some of us talk in visuals. LOL, and I laugh to think that...okay, hearing my written words is one thing, but you really should pay and see the full show...When I talk, I tend to gesture quite freely...it really can be entertaining :) (Yes, the movement of my hands directly contributes to enhancing my verbal skills) OMG, I was teased unrelentingly growing up, that if I sat on my hands I wouldn't be able to say a single thing...go figure
This is truly an episode like no other. If you haven't seen it...Do. If you have seen it..watch it again...Sokath, his eyes opened

Temple Grandin..An Aspie Movie Review

I watched the movie "Temple Grandin" last evening. "Excellent" "This makes perfect sense" and "I love this" were my unfiltered reactions. I very much enjoyed this movie and would recommend it.
The movie tells the story of Temple and how she perceives the world. The special effects allow the viewer to, in a sense, get inside Temples head in an easy-to-understand way.
I loved how the movie brought out all the signs, symptoms and issues associated with having aspergers. Some of my favorite scenes were when she was at school and endured the incessant teasing and taunting of others. This is the first movie, that I have seen, that accurately depicts the painfully problematic school scene and the true, profound discomfort of being at parties and in the social environment.
As Temple navigates the neuro-typical world, all the little things that make our lives challenging, from just getting through a school day, walking through automatic doors, going to the grocery store, navigating a cafeteria line, eating a very limited diet, wearing the right clothes, etc...A vast majority of the Aspie trials and tribulations are accurately spelled out and portrayed for all to see.
I was amazed at Temples sheer strength, perseverance and determination. When she came up against an obstacle in her path, she simply figured out a way to plow through it.
Claire Danes, studied tapes and videos of Temple and portrays her most accurately. I remember Claire from her days back on "My So-Called Life" as a teenager in perpetual angst. She played that part well and she plays Temple even better.
Another large, looming aspect of the movie for me, was how meeting and being befriended by one very special person (a high school teacher) hugely and positively impacted Temples life.
How often have I felt...how to say this right...There were many times in my life where one person said or did one little thing that pulled me from the brink of imminent self-destruction. Those very rare occasions where I have met a single individual who showed care, concern and/ or understanding that enriched me so very much that it gave me the strength and the will to continue and to be more comfortable and accepting of who I am.
The most moving and emotional scene for me, and for my partner who was watching with me, was when Temple stood up at a gathering and started talking about her autism. It deeply moved me in that she was able to succinctly say all the things that I wish I could...in front of a group of strangers no less...and the audience wanted to know about her and how she thought and felt. Amazing.
I was quite impressed. This movie explored the inner workings of my mind...no easy feat.

The Wear & Tear of Everyday Frustrations

One of the many reasons I blog is in an attempt to portray the differences that some of us with Aspergers face on a day-to-day basis. Dang, we look so normal, but under the surface...Well, you get it...read on
Here is an example of a relatively minor annoyance that shoved me into a state of befuddlement lasting the rest of the evening.
I agreed to "Cook" dinner last night and be the chef...so I asked my partner what she wanted me to pick up from Taco Bell. She told me a "chalupa". So I drive over to the restaurant drive thru and order, the chalupa.
The disembodied voice speaks crass and cold, "beef, chicken or steak?"
Ohh, this isn't on my list. But I can guess pretty good having been with my partner for 16 years now.
"Beef"
"Supreme, Spicy or..mazaratti?" (okay, I made that last word up because my mind had fallen into that familiar blank state where it refuses to acknowledge or take in any information due to mass neurological firings and misfirings. Yeah, missiles going off in all directions...Now What?) This was so not on my list.
Ummmmm...think Murph, think quick before the guy behind you starts yelling for his double mega burrito supremes...I could call her..I have my phone...and how stupid would That look?
"Ok, ummm, forget it...how about 2 bean burritos?" Score one me, I know she likes those.
So, I got my order and then remember that she asked for nachos.....To turn around and place another order? Or endure the wrath of returning home without the beloved nachos? I'll pick the latter...I know her and her probable reaction.
Thus, I returnth and blurt/ state my case before i am even fully in the door. Of course, all is forgiven. And I mull about in the frustration and try and destress the rest of the evening.
I know, I know, no big deal. The average neuro-typical would have griped for a few minutes and moved on. This Aspie had to replay the dramatic scene over and over and over and try and plan a better strategy to deal with it if it were ever to happen again.
These type of small, disquieting incidents throw me off my game and are quite stressful.
Speaking of stress and the neuro-typical...yeah, its one thing to whine and complain about a problem, the better question is what do I do about it? This Neuro-Typ hell? My answer is to try and stay calm and avoid as much interaction with them as is Aspianly possible. I will continue to interact with my friends, and will attempt to keep the stressors at a minimum. I'll see if that can work. I don't have any other answers or ideas.
At some point, I will regain my quiet, calm, predictable little world where my greatest joys are solitude and hugging my sons. Gone will be the phone calls from lawyers, the struggles at normalacy and appearing functional, the daily verbal interactions and subsequent misunderstandings...I long for peace...at some point....at some point

Me and Blare...Sound, Overstimulation

A repost from an earlier time.

I am learning appropriate formatting for my book, thus finding pertinent post to edit and add.

I have noticed a dramatic increase in the amount of time I spend with Blare. Blare is the affectionate term for music turned up really, really loudly so that windows shake and floors vibrate.
Believe it or not, there is a sound (LOL) reason for this atypical behaviour. I don't remember it exactly, but, at massage school they taught us that one of the reasons massage works when people are in pain is due to the overstimulation of the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous system. When the right one gets overloaded, the nervous system automatically calms down. They called it the gateway effect or some such thing.
Its like if a million neurons are going in all different directions and someone stands at the top of the peak and blows a whistle really loud...everyone falls in line and simmers down.
Blare leads to calm...and i like calm..a whole lot. Its a self-soothing mechanism that actually works for this Aspie.
Its true...really...trust me...I'm a certified massage therapist...I know this.
Yeah, Blare and me...we got a thing going on

My Doctor Thinks....

In one of my many...medical journeys this past week, a doctor remarked that it appeared I was coming down with rosacea, a common skin condition in which the forehead and cheeks take on a ruddy, reddish complexion.
At the time I agreed that it was possible and would pursue it further with my family doctor if need be...
Well, it must have taken me 3-4 hours to realize that my forehead was excessively red because I routinely rub the area in question as a self-soothing mannerism when I am stressed. Yeah, its been that kind of week.
I had to smile

More Ways Neuro-Typicals Torture Us

I keep reminding myself that, yes, I know I am an alien in their world...but, they are so darn good at making my life miserable with their circus-like antics and I simply must file yet another report on it.
Some neuro-typicals (nt) have a tendency to talk way too much and they don't know when to stop. At this stage, in my game, I no longer put up with it. I will either a)put my hands in the "time-out" position (its like a T) and walk out of the room. b) I will roll my eyes and throw up my hands and start sputtering. c) I will find a very vague excuse to leave the room. d) I will verbally clue them to move on.
Enough already. My tolerance for incessant chatter has long flown out the window along with my patience.

The other thing, some nts do....they ask vague open-ended questions or try squeezing three questions into one and like, expect me to try and figure it all out.
Clue for the nt...ask one very specific question at a time...not a biggie here, folks.
I try and remember that as a species, the nts tend to throw words around without much regard so is it so much to ask that they put a little bit of thought into their inquiries? I think not
The world of the nt is quite vague and tough to navigate. I like things clear and easy to understand, literally.
As I have to suddenly work with a variety of nts on an almost daily basis, their flaws and my Aspergian thinking seem to clash and misunderstandings are commonplace.
I long for simple clarity and a meeting of the minds. Gosh, I happen to enjoy conversations when they are productive and comprehensible.
The only thing that is clear, these days, is how very different our two species are

The Aloneness...... Aspergers Syndrome and Loneliness

If there is one thing, that I believe a person with aspergers understands much more than the standard neuro-typical it is the intense feeling of aloneness. And maybe, hopefully, I am wrong and some aspies do not experience the brevity and depth of what it feels like to know that no matter where or with whom, you are flying solo.
Eldest and I have discussed this issue at length....we know that we are born alone and have a deep understanding of it.
Aspergers Syndrome is a disassociate state of being...always one step removed from reality
Anyway, this is the beginning of my photo essay album...I miss you