Source: NGT Van Dale
Pieternel Macarov-Bottema, nice to meet you! Everyone in the deaf culture has their own sign name. It is one gesture that refers to you as a person. That’s easier than spelling every individual letter. My sign name is the sign for FLOWER (see figure) in Dutch Sign Language. You can recognize the sign of a flower in it. I used to be called Pimpernel by my mother, and for the lesser flower connoisseurs among you: that’s a flower.
Language and culture have always had my interest and I learned a complete new language and culture when I did the teacher degree Dutch Sign Language. A new world literally opened up for me with history, culture and a new way of communication. This way of communication seems to come more from the heart than from the head.
Since February 2020, I have been living in Oradea, Romania. A beautiful city where I learned a lot about (deaf) culture. At the same time, moving to another country always makes you more aware of your own culture. Within the organization SIL GSLT I work together with people from all over the world. This broadens my horizons even more. I am grateful to God for that!
In my free time I like to meet friends and I love good coffee! I also sometimes go for a run, bike around the area and I am always up for a game of football (soccer)! When the temperature drops you can find me in the kitchen to bake, I like to try new things but also have some valuable recipes. By now I know that Romanians love good coffee and also like to bake, so we are a good match!