Well, I guess this is for me to do...

[x-cable.livejournal.com]

... considering that I'm the reason she's here, and given that she won't be able to introduce herself for a while yet. We have a new student at the school, as of today; we brought her back from Afghanistan last night under somewhat unusual circumstances. When I stop slamming my head into the desk at my own stupidity I may just share the story.

Her name is Sooraya Qadir. She speaks Dari and Pashtun, and not a word of English, hence her not being able to introduce herself just yet. (She and I are going to be spending a lot of time working on her English, however, so hopefully that will change soon.) Obviously, she's coming from a very different culture than ours, and it's liable to take her some considerable amount of time and effort to adjust.

I won't get into details, but she's not been treated all that well. So if everyone could please aim for 'kind and nonthreatening', I'd very much appreciate it - and refrain from throwing anyone in the lake.

Comments

[xp_daytripper]

I seem to remember Doug writing a journal program for Manuel when he was first here, that translated from Spanish to English and back again. Maybe he could knock something like that up for her?

And I don't really want to know how exciting things were, do I? I'll drop tomorrow, see how people are doing.

[x-cable.livejournal.com]

Definitely an option, once we introduce her to what a computer is and how to use it. Doug, if you're reading this, expect me to be knocking on your inbox within a few weeks. Between that and Forge's voice-activated software that we all use when we've banged ourselves up and can't type properly, maybe we can get her on the journals before too long. I think it would help.

[xp_daytripper]

Yeah, the voice thingie was good for Catseye when she first got here too. And Meg.

[x-cypher.livejournal.com]

I think I should still have the translation program lying around. Not that I remember offhand where it is, but since you're saying it's a couple week time frame, at worst I just build it back from scratch.

The voice activation software is definitely still around, since it comes in handy so very often. Who knows what the latest version is, given that Forge and I are always compulsively updating with new bells and whistles. I'll see what he's got and what I've got, and burn the whole lot to a CD for her at some point in the near future.

In the meantime, if you want, I can drop by to do "friendly and nonthreatening person who speaks your language" at the points that I'm at the mansion, and, y'know, not up to my cerebellum in database crap that Pete wants last week.

Moon on a stick still in progress. :)

[x-cable.livejournal.com]

Shoot for the end of the summer, maybe? I don't want to rush her, but I really do think that the sooner she's on the journals, the better. We're going to try and get her ready for a couple of the basic classes this fall.

And if you could drop by in your copious amounts of spare time, it would be much appreciated. For someone who's been through what she's been through, she does seem to like people.