Doing a double twisting double tuck when everyone else gets by with a back tuck

This is part 2 of my Finding a job with autism series. For part 1, click here.

This post is difficult to write but I feel it has to be done. For too long, the voices of those with autism have been silent or ignored. This has had an impact on how people with autism exist in this world. Using something that was recently done in gymnastics, I will explain how people with autism have to do a bigger effort than neurotypical people in order to make their way in this world.

Recently, Simone Biles was the first person in the world to do a double twisting double tuck (double double) off the balance beam, which is an amazing achievement.  This could be used as a metaphor for the amount of difficulty people with autism have to do in order to function in this world. On the other hand, neurotypical people can do similar things in a social setting with the amount of difficulty that is needed to jump off or just do a back tucked somersault (back tuck) off the beam. However, the double double looks like a back tuck until the person with autism makes a mistake or a person knows them for an extended period of time and picks up on the differences. But the differences can look a lot worse than a back tuck off the beam.

The first thing that feels like a double double off the beam to me are questionnaires that are used in order to screen candidates for a job. While most people may fake the answers to a certain degree, I have to guess what the potential employer wants as an answer. If I answer the way I want to, employers may not see me as a “team player” and choose to not give me an interview. Even though it can be stated to answer the questions naturally, if I do that, it might allow the employer to reject me. One screening technique that is worse than the questionnaires is a facial emotion recognition test.  Unless it is related to the requirements of the job, it is a tool of discrimination against people with autism. While I can read basic emotions, I find it hard to pick up on the more subtle signs of human emotion due to having autism.

Job interviews are another thing that requires more effort on my part to be successful in. So far I have not been able to get a job when I have had to do an interview. I believe this is because I have to adopt neurotypical ways of speaking and use mannerisms that are not natural to me. On top of that, I still have to sell myself, which is already difficult. If employers are serious about employing people with autism, they need to remove interviews and allow the candidate to sell themselves through their work rather than having to behave like a walking advertisement or a snake oil salesman.

Other social situations are demanding and the anxiety of not knowing how to react in these situations is demanding and can be exhausting. This leads to me having to “mask” no matter how unsuccessful it can be at times. It is easier to pretend to be normal as a child due to social situations being easier or that children are more accepting. However, high school is a tougher environment to be in. I was constantly bullied in high school. This has lead to me hiding my autism and feeling hurt when people pick up on me being different.  It is not their fault that I can feel offended but from my experiences in high school, it does hurt me because I fear being bullied or discriminated against again.

It may be easy to say “It’s ok to have autism” or “be proud of having autism” but in this world, it is a lot harder to think that way.  For the neurotypicals reading this post, if any of you know or think you know someone with autism, be more understanding and consider that what is jumping off or doing a back tuck off the beam may be a double double off the beam to them. Also, pointing out the social difficulties may be hurtful to them, no matter how sensitive you think you are in doing it.

Note: This blog post may not be reproduced partially or in full without my written consent. If you wish to use this blog post in any form, you must write to me first.

Why I can’t get employed with a disability

This is part 1 of my Finding a job with autism series.

More than three years since my last post, I have done an Honours degree and have been unable to find a job but have done casual positions for a few elections.

After doing an Honours degree, I want to do a PhD one day but before then, I feel that I need some more experience in research. This means that I have to find a job as a research assistant. But finding a job when I have a disability is harder in a world that does not seem to think that people with a disability make good employees.

In 2018, it was discovered that many Japanese government agencies were not meeting compulsory employment quotas for people with a disability even though they met these quotas on paper. This happened because the employees counted for this quota were not properly confirmed as people with a disability and agencies seemed to be exploiting loopholes. This caused a scandal in Japan.

While Australia does not have employment quotas for people with a disability, there is a scheme called RecruitAbility that allows people with a disability to advance to the next stage in the employment process if they meet the minimum standards for some public service jobs. This could be seen as a way for the public service to increase the number of employees with a disability. However, this journal article stated that out of 1,193 positions opting in to the RecruitAbility scheme, only 43 people with a disability were employed. In other words, only 3.6% of positions were filled by someone with a disability. This is not acceptable when a large number of people with a disability are unemployed and looking for work.

From my experience, while I have been able to get a few video and face to face interviews for jobs that were advertised under the aforementioned scheme, I have not been successful. I know that as someone with a disability, it is harder for me to find a job but the disability I have, which is a form of autism, makes the interview stage a lot tougher.

As someone on the autism spectrum, I have to compete for a job under a system that disadvantages me. The system requires me to have certain abilities in social communication that I do not have due to my disability. No wonder why in 2015 the unemployment rate for people with autism was 31.6% in Australia compared to 10% for people with a disability in general. If this is to change, employers need to be creative in how they find suitable employees. Maybe remove the interview stage and find other ways in choosing someone for the job. A job trial or a chance to provide a sample of the work required are my suggestions.  As someone with autism, there is a good chance that I will not do well in an interview but if I was able to show my ability to do a job in another way, I might be able to get a job.

The longer I stay unemployed, the harder it is going to be to find a job.  It would be nice to find a job before the end of this year.  Unfortunately, I am not the only one struggling in finding employment while having a disability. If things do not change, Australia will be the next country with a disability employment scandal.

For part 2 of this blog series, click here.

Note: This blog post may not be reproduced partially or in full without my written consent. If you wish to use this blog post in any form, you must write to me first.

アンジェリック・プリティの Strawberry Whipのレビュー (Angelic Pretty's Strawberry Whip Review)

今日のプリントのレビューは日本語と英語で初めて書きました。今日のプリントはプリティさんのStrawberry Whipというシリースです。

Today’s print review is the first one written in English and Japanese on this blog. The print I am reviewing today is AP’s Strawberry Whip series.

まず、ワンピースです。　普通のワンピースの姿ですが、ヘムはリボンが可愛くて、プリントによく似合います。そして、甘ロリの物ですが、チョーカーはワンピースが上品になると思います。けど、シャーリングがないので、色々なサイズに合わないかもしれません。アイボリーはデザートのクリームのような色だから、綺麗です。

First is the OP. While it is in the usual OP shape, the bows on the hem are cute and complement the print. Also, the choker does make the OP look elegant despite it being a Sweet Lolita piece. However, because it has no shirring, it may not fit a variety of body shapes. The ivory colourway is pretty because the main colour matches the colour of the cream on the pastries.

次はミニ袖ワンピースです。襟は広いので、リボンがないと、つまらなくなると思うので、それをしたら、ネックレスをしてみた方が良いです。このワンピースはシンプルなカットなので、プリントは見やすいです。シャーリングと袖のゴムがあるから、色々なサイズに合います。そして、ピンクはプリントがもっと可愛くなると思います。

Next is the mini sleeve OP. Because the collar is wide, if you removed the ribbon, it would become boring. Because of that, you should probably place a necklace instead of the ribbon if you choose to remove it. As the OP has a simple shape, it makes the print pop out. Also, as there is shirring and sleeve elastic, it should fit multiple body shapes. The pink colourway makes the print cuter, in my opinion.

最終はジャンパースカートです。ワンピースと同じように、ヘムはリボンが可愛いし、フリルはクラシカルな感じがちょっと付けています。でも、クラシカルロリータの物ではありません。ジャンパースカートなので、ブラースやカーディガンと着るても綺麗です。シャーリングがあるので、色々なサイズが着られますが、ミニ袖ワンピースの方が広がることになれると思います。ラベンダーはプリントのデザインが見やすくなるそうです。

Last is the jumper skirt. Just like with the OP, the bows on the hem are cute and the frill adds a bit of a classical feeling to the JSK. However, this is not a Classic Lolita piece. Because it is a jumper skirt, it will look nice with a blouse or a cardigan. Because there is shirring, it should fit various body shapes but I believe the mini sleeve OP is more elastic. The lavender does make it easier to see the print.

  

赤はカントリ風になると思います。このプリントは可愛くて、綺麗だと思います。プリティさんの苺のプリントは素敵ですが、次のプリントは初恋の香りなどの白い苺があったらいいと思います。Strawberry Whip を買うことが出来れば、何の色とワンピースとかミニ袖ワンピースとかジャンパースカートを決めることが難しいです。なぜなら、全てを好みます。

The red colourway does make it have a country feel in my opinion. This print is cute and pretty. While AP’s strawberry prints are lovely, I think it would be good if the next one had white strawberries such as Hatsukoi no kaori (an expensive white strawberry in Japan) on it. If I could buy Strawberry Whip, I would find it hard to choose which cut and colour because I like all of them.

少女の夢 (A girl’s dreams)

これは初めての日本語と英語のブログポストです。良くないですけど、読んでください。英語の訳はポストの下にあります。This is my first blog post in Japanese and English. Feel free to read it. The English version is on the bottom of this post.

甘ロリが好きです。なぜなら、可愛いし、パステルカラーが好きだし、モチーフも可愛いのです。今まで、ロリータのブランドの洋服はプリティーさんのCream cookie collection のジャンパスカートと Dramatic Roseのスカートです。けど、プリティさんと他のブランドの洋服を買いたいと思いますが、お金をもらう為に、就職しなければなりません。これは優しくないです。

そのことを待っている間に、ロリータ関係のヘアメイクを勉強してみたいです。例えば、カチューシャを持っています。けど、着方を知らないので、青木美沙子に書かれた「ローリタファッションBook」の考えをしてみたいと思う。そして、マニキュアを使いませんけど、使いたいので、練習します。長い髪が持っているので、色々なヘアアレンジをしてみた方がいいと思います。

ロリータをもっと着たいと思います。でも、生活なロリータになりたくないです。今、ロリータのサークルを所属していて、楽しいです。

自分として、ロリータのために、体型をキープすることが必要と思います。太り過ぎないように、ヨガをしたり、低カロリーダイエットをしたりします。今、ヨガに対して、鶴のポースとか、逆転のポースとか、車輪のポースとか出来ることが目的です。

ロリータの以外の夢、研究者になりたいですが、今こそ、難しいです。それから、頑張ります。

I enjoy wearing Sweet Lolita because it’s cute, I like pastel colours and it uses cute motifs. Up to now, the only brand garments I own are Angelic Pretty’s Cream Cookie Collection jumperskirt and Dramatic Rose skirt. However, I want to buy clothing from other brands as well as from AP. In order to get the money needed to do that, I have to get a job, which is not easy.

While I am waiting for a job, I want to learn more about hair and makeup that is related to Lolita. For example, I have a katyusha but I do not know how to wear it. Because of that, I will try some of the ideas from Misako Aoki’s Lolita Fashion Book. Also, while I do not wear nail polish, I want to try using that too. Because I have long hair, I think it would be good to try various hair styles.

I want to wear Lolita more often but I don’t want to be a lifestyle Lolita. Currently, I am part of my local Lolita group and enjoy it.

As for me, because of Lolita, I think it is necessary for me to keep in shape. In order to avoid gaining weight, I do things such as yoga and watching what I eat. My current goals for yoga are to be able to do inversions, crow pose and full wheel pose.

My dream that is not related to Lolita is to become a researcher. However, it is difficult to do that at this moment but I will try my best.

New Years 2016

Happy new year!

To start off the first post of the new year, I am going to update on the yoga goals I created in June. Currently, I am able to hold shoulderstand and forearm stand for one or two seconds and have improved on my headstands. As for arm balances and backbends, I have improved a fair bit.

As I have done a Loliday post a month ago, I will only describe my hopes for my Lolita life in 2016. I would like to wear Lolita more often and post my coords online using my new Instagram account. While this is mainly a Lolita fashion blog, I will be posting yoga related photos in there as well.

Photo from See To World.

International Lolita Day December 2015

For this International Lolita Day post, I am going to discuss a few things that I mentioned in my previous Loliday post related to my Lolita life and what has happened since then.

Adding on to the only meetup of early 2015

Since the International Lolita Day of June 2015, I have attended one extra meet up. I was planning to attend another one on top of the one I went to after the previous Loliday post but I became sick and as such, was unable to attend. However, I do have plans to attend a Loliday/Christmas meet up later this month, which would be good.

Dramatic Rose and extending my Lolita wardrobe

While I have not worn or tried on my Dramatic Rose skirt since June, I do feel that it would still fit me because I have lost even more weight and maybe I'll wear it later this month. As for adding on to my Lolita wardrobe, I have been unable to do so as I still haven't found a job yet (how long does it take to find a job in Australia in this day and age?). Maybe I'll find a job someday.

Spending excess yen on Amazon Japan

While I did not mention this in the previous post because I have only done it recently, I bought some Japanese books online, including one GLB and Misako Aoki's Lolita Fashion book. I hope I can learn something off those two books.

While this year has been so-so with regards to my Lolita life this year, I hope the rest of the year is better with that and/or 2016 is a lot better in general (I doubt it though).

Angelic Pretty's Dreamy Jewel

Today, I am going to review AP's latest release, Dreamy Jewel. It is an unusual print for Lolita because it uses jewels as a motif.

First is the OP. It is a long sleeved piece with a lace neck line and the rest of the dress has the Dreamy Jewel print on it. The red does make the print stand out and look elegant. However, the OP has no shirring, making it restricted in terms of sizing as well as the time when it can be worn due to the long sleeves. It does look elegant though.

Next is the ribbon JSK. It also has the print all over the piece with a bow on the chest. Due to the shirring, this could fit a variety of sizes but if you have a non-standard Asian shape, I would recommend trying it on before buying it, which is nearly impossible to do without a local AP store. The JSK does look nice and the pink does bring out the details of the jewels and the background. It also is more versatile in terms of season and dressing it up or down (it would be difficult to put any Dreamy Jewel print into a casual Lolita coord due to the jewel print, in my opinion).

While I do not normally review anything other than the OP/JSK/skirts of the reviewed print, I had to include the Dreamy Jewel tights because of the detail and how it would look nice with a plain Lolita main piece (by main piece, I am referring to OP, JSK and/or skirt) or a non Lolita outfit as well as Dreamy Jewel. Personally, I would buy these tights if they would fit me. As I do not know what the sizing range is, if anyone knows the sizing limits to AP tights, please comment below. With the tights, they look extravagant and I don't think anyone would know that these came from AP/another Lolita brand if they have never seen them before. Also, they would suit any length skirt as it is split into three different sections, which would create a different effect for each length.

Overall, I would buy this print in any colour as each one has its charm and I would try pairing any main piece with mainstream jewellery including a jewelled hair accessory in order to bring out the jewels in the print. If I had the money, I would buy something from this print right away (I wished I had a job now and not just because of the money).