I was in my room yesterday, getting ready for bed. I had already taken out one hearing aid, and was about to take out my other one, when I heard my Dad call me from the kitchen. I put my other hearing aid back in and shout back.
'What did you say?'
'The towel!'
'What towel?' - me, confused.
'Where does it go?'
'What towel?' - me, even more confused.
'The towel!'
*Silence as I try, in my tired state, to grasp what he's talking about. Then I realise - the towel that had been washed, where does it go.
'In the cupboard by the stairs!' me - relieved I can now take out my hearing aids and go to sleep.
'No, the towel!'
'Yes, in the cupboard by the stairs!' me - slightly annoyed now. I want my sleep!
'No, the towel, where does it go?!'
'Cupboard by the stairs!' - me, getting very frustrated.
'Towel!'
'Cupboard! Stairs!' me - exasperated.
'Towel!!'
'Stairs! Cupboard!!'
'WHAT?!'
'THE CUPBOARD! STAIRS!' me - practically screaming my head off by this point.
And finally... finally, he hears me, shouting back something along the lines of 'well why didn't you say so?'. I roll my eyes as I go to sleep. He's not deaf, of course, nor does he have a hearing problem of any sort. Yeh, and I've just seen a flying pig...!
Deaf Girl
Thursday 21 April 2011
Wednesday 20 April 2011
Vroom vroom
I had a nice day out yesterday with my Dad. I had a break from studying, so we thought we should go out - get rid of all those cobwebs in my head and really relax. We're both members of the National Trust, so thought we'd have a look and explore of places the National Trust recomends that is local to us.
We had a lovely day out and saw plenty of wildlife as well - red squirrels, pheasants, blue tits, bullfinches, greenfinches and plenty more. It was a really nice day.
If you don't count the fact that I was almost run over by a car.
Well, that's hugely exaggerating it. Perhaps what would be more apt is that I was a royal nuisance to the driver of this car because I would not get out of his way, instead I insisted on going on my merry way completely ignoring the car behind me. What a rude person - walking in the middle of a car park and not moving out of the way for a car to get past me.
Except, I'm not being rude - I just don't hear cars, even with my hearing aids in. If a car is going slowly, it makes so little noise - I don't hear its engine, I don't hear the sound it makes as the tires move over gravel or on the road. I just don't hear them.
It's happened a couple of times. Once in America, and again, we were in the car park. I was happily walking and chatting away, not really paying attention to my surroundings, until my Mum grabbed my arm and pulled me back and a car slowly crawled passed. I hadn't heard it approaching and had had no idea it was there. Most likely the driver thought I was some ditzy tourist.
Another time was in Lanzarote. I was standing taking a picture of the volcano somewhat in the distance, really focusing on trying to get the perfect picture. Until I heard a man yell 'Senorita, please!' Turns out there was a car trying to pull up in the parking space that I was standing in. He had been revving his engine to get me to move. I hadn't heard it. What an inconsiderate tourist, taking a picture and ignoring the local trying to park. How rude!
And it happened again yesterday. I was walking along with my eyes focussed on the tree-line, trying to spot wildlife. It wasn't until my Dad said 'there's a car, move to the side', that I realised I was in the way. Oops.
It is a problem and I'm always wary when I'm on my own as I wouldn't hear a car going less than 15 mph approaching. Now chances are, a car going that slow would most likely not hit me as they would manage to break. And if a car that was going so slow did hit me, it probably wouldn't be too damaging to me. But it is still a concern.
I also know how it looks to the drivers - some inconsiderate woman refusing to move out of the way. It's just that I cannot for the life of me hear them. I'm not intentionally being rude or difficult, I just don't know a car is behind me or driving near me.
So, if you're ever driving behind someone that is refusing to get out of the way, instead of getting annoyed, think about the possibility that they just cannot hear you. I'm not doing it on purpose (well, most of the time - unless I want to annoy my parents as they're trying to leave our driveway, hehe), so chances are, neither are they.
Until next time,
Deaf Girl
We had a lovely day out and saw plenty of wildlife as well - red squirrels, pheasants, blue tits, bullfinches, greenfinches and plenty more. It was a really nice day.
If you don't count the fact that I was almost run over by a car.
Well, that's hugely exaggerating it. Perhaps what would be more apt is that I was a royal nuisance to the driver of this car because I would not get out of his way, instead I insisted on going on my merry way completely ignoring the car behind me. What a rude person - walking in the middle of a car park and not moving out of the way for a car to get past me.
Except, I'm not being rude - I just don't hear cars, even with my hearing aids in. If a car is going slowly, it makes so little noise - I don't hear its engine, I don't hear the sound it makes as the tires move over gravel or on the road. I just don't hear them.
It's happened a couple of times. Once in America, and again, we were in the car park. I was happily walking and chatting away, not really paying attention to my surroundings, until my Mum grabbed my arm and pulled me back and a car slowly crawled passed. I hadn't heard it approaching and had had no idea it was there. Most likely the driver thought I was some ditzy tourist.
Another time was in Lanzarote. I was standing taking a picture of the volcano somewhat in the distance, really focusing on trying to get the perfect picture. Until I heard a man yell 'Senorita, please!' Turns out there was a car trying to pull up in the parking space that I was standing in. He had been revving his engine to get me to move. I hadn't heard it. What an inconsiderate tourist, taking a picture and ignoring the local trying to park. How rude!
And it happened again yesterday. I was walking along with my eyes focussed on the tree-line, trying to spot wildlife. It wasn't until my Dad said 'there's a car, move to the side', that I realised I was in the way. Oops.
It is a problem and I'm always wary when I'm on my own as I wouldn't hear a car going less than 15 mph approaching. Now chances are, a car going that slow would most likely not hit me as they would manage to break. And if a car that was going so slow did hit me, it probably wouldn't be too damaging to me. But it is still a concern.
I also know how it looks to the drivers - some inconsiderate woman refusing to move out of the way. It's just that I cannot for the life of me hear them. I'm not intentionally being rude or difficult, I just don't know a car is behind me or driving near me.
So, if you're ever driving behind someone that is refusing to get out of the way, instead of getting annoyed, think about the possibility that they just cannot hear you. I'm not doing it on purpose (well, most of the time - unless I want to annoy my parents as they're trying to leave our driveway, hehe), so chances are, neither are they.
Until next time,
Deaf Girl
Wednesday 13 April 2011
The square!
I was in town the other day about to meet my Mum. We were going to text/call each other and meet on the highstreet. (I had my bluetooth necklace on). So I call my Mum. Voicemail. I try again. Voicemail. I call a total of 8 times, each time I'm getting voicemail. So I call my Dad and explain that I can't get hold of Mum. He explains that she's left her phone at home but managed to borrow someone's and called him. He then told me where to meet her.
"She says to meet at the round thing by the square thing."
"The round thing? The square thing?"
"Yeh, the round seat things by the square thing"
"What square thing?"
"Well you know... the square thing."
"What are you on about, what square thing?!"
Now bear in my that I'm connected to my bluetooth necklace and I'm standing on a busy highstreet.
I hadn't thought of that, as I continue talking to my dad about some square thing. It was only as I started to take notice of my surroundings that I realised people were giving me a wide berth. Some were eyeing me warily, others refused to meet my eye.
I can imagine what I looked like to them: some random woman standing in the middle of the street, seemingly talking to no one, shouting; "what square! Where's the square?! I don't know where the square is!"
No wonder people were avoiding me.
In the end, I did finally meet up with my Mum - the square my Dad was on about was actually the name of the shopping center.
So, that was my brief experience of being the raving lunatic shouting about random things in the middle of a shopping street.
Until next time,
Deaf Girl
"She says to meet at the round thing by the square thing."
"The round thing? The square thing?"
"Yeh, the round seat things by the square thing"
"What square thing?"
"Well you know... the square thing."
"What are you on about, what square thing?!"
Now bear in my that I'm connected to my bluetooth necklace and I'm standing on a busy highstreet.
I hadn't thought of that, as I continue talking to my dad about some square thing. It was only as I started to take notice of my surroundings that I realised people were giving me a wide berth. Some were eyeing me warily, others refused to meet my eye.
I can imagine what I looked like to them: some random woman standing in the middle of the street, seemingly talking to no one, shouting; "what square! Where's the square?! I don't know where the square is!"
No wonder people were avoiding me.
In the end, I did finally meet up with my Mum - the square my Dad was on about was actually the name of the shopping center.
So, that was my brief experience of being the raving lunatic shouting about random things in the middle of a shopping street.
Until next time,
Deaf Girl
Monday 4 April 2011
Holiday
I have spent the past week in a glorious paradise called Lanzarote. I went there with my parents and we stayed at a beautiful resort, sipping cocktails by the pool and catching the rays. It was beautiful. Unfortunately, now that I'm back home it means I'm also back to reality. And for the foresesable future, my reality consists mainly of studying for my up-coming exams.
But let's not think about that. Plenty of time to think about my exams when I'm studying, but when I'm on a break from my studies (as I am now), I would much rather think of something else - if I didn't, I'd go crazy.
So. Lanzarote. Beautiful, peaceful Lanzarote.
I'm not a fan of flying. I find it rather boring. And my hearing aids don't like it either. You know that feeling you get in your ears when you take off? The pressure that builds in your ears until you yawn/chew gum and the pressure 'pops'? For me, no 'popping' happens. Seems the pressure in my ears can't release unless I take my hearing aids out - which is annoying when I have to take them out every 2-3 minutes. Which is why I'd rather not wear them when I'm flying, which leaves me deaf. It confuses the airhostesses and my fellow passengers - getting on the plane I seemed to be like every other hearing person. But once I'm in the air, I'm deaf. I do get some odd looks - 'is she making it up? She could hear fine 5 minutes ago!'
The taxi ride to the hotel wasn't much fun. I don't know what the taxi driver had in his car, but whatever it was, it was messing with my hearing aids. All I could hear in his car was a loud, continuous high-pitched tone. No one else seemed to hear it, just me. It wasn't a fun tone - when we arrived at the hotel 30 minutes later, I was about ready to throttle someone. No, scrap that. I was about ready to get a gun and kill his damn tone-emitting taxi!
Why didn't I take my hearing aids out, you say? Because I was being spoken to and it would have been very rude. Next time though, sod being polite, I'm taking my hearing aids out.
But the rest of the holiday was lovely. Peaceful, relaxing, paradise.
We were sitting in a restaurant at one point and a baby started crying. Full out screeching. The I'm-going-to-burst-every-eardrum-that's-in-the-hearing-range kind of screaming. My parents were getting frustrated and looked like they wanted to smother the baby. (Just for political correctness or whatever - my parents aren't violent and this writer [and hopefully the readers of this blog] do not endorse smothering - or any other acts of violence - towards babies or any other human beings). Whereas I was sitting there quite peacefully, enjoying my food and my bevarage. Screaming baby? What screaming baby? I had switched my hearing aids off. Lovely silence. As far as I was concerned, all was well. My Mum responded drily 'lucky you'. Indeed, very lucky me!
The only problem I had during the holiday was that it was very windy. The wind was nice, as it was very hot. But my hearing aids do not like wind. All I can hear is a swooshing sound. You know when you can hear wind on a video-camera? That's what it's like for me if I'm in a windy place. In some places, that was all I could hear.
On one of our sight-seeing tours we had gone to see an old castle. It was very windy. I spent the entire time trying to put my hands over my ears to stop the noise, or tugging at my skirt to stop myself from doing a Marilyn Monroe impression. I did not want to flash our driver (or anyone else for that matter). I must have looked rather comical - hands constantly switching between my ears and my skirt.
The rest of the holiday went smoothly. I had a lovely relaxing time - and on a sidenote, I remembered to put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door when I had a bath!
Unfortunately, it's now time to study again.
Until another time,
Deaf Girl
But let's not think about that. Plenty of time to think about my exams when I'm studying, but when I'm on a break from my studies (as I am now), I would much rather think of something else - if I didn't, I'd go crazy.
So. Lanzarote. Beautiful, peaceful Lanzarote.
I'm not a fan of flying. I find it rather boring. And my hearing aids don't like it either. You know that feeling you get in your ears when you take off? The pressure that builds in your ears until you yawn/chew gum and the pressure 'pops'? For me, no 'popping' happens. Seems the pressure in my ears can't release unless I take my hearing aids out - which is annoying when I have to take them out every 2-3 minutes. Which is why I'd rather not wear them when I'm flying, which leaves me deaf. It confuses the airhostesses and my fellow passengers - getting on the plane I seemed to be like every other hearing person. But once I'm in the air, I'm deaf. I do get some odd looks - 'is she making it up? She could hear fine 5 minutes ago!'
The taxi ride to the hotel wasn't much fun. I don't know what the taxi driver had in his car, but whatever it was, it was messing with my hearing aids. All I could hear in his car was a loud, continuous high-pitched tone. No one else seemed to hear it, just me. It wasn't a fun tone - when we arrived at the hotel 30 minutes later, I was about ready to throttle someone. No, scrap that. I was about ready to get a gun and kill his damn tone-emitting taxi!
Why didn't I take my hearing aids out, you say? Because I was being spoken to and it would have been very rude. Next time though, sod being polite, I'm taking my hearing aids out.
But the rest of the holiday was lovely. Peaceful, relaxing, paradise.
We were sitting in a restaurant at one point and a baby started crying. Full out screeching. The I'm-going-to-burst-every-eardrum-that's-in-the-hearing-range kind of screaming. My parents were getting frustrated and looked like they wanted to smother the baby. (Just for political correctness or whatever - my parents aren't violent and this writer [and hopefully the readers of this blog] do not endorse smothering - or any other acts of violence - towards babies or any other human beings). Whereas I was sitting there quite peacefully, enjoying my food and my bevarage. Screaming baby? What screaming baby? I had switched my hearing aids off. Lovely silence. As far as I was concerned, all was well. My Mum responded drily 'lucky you'. Indeed, very lucky me!
The only problem I had during the holiday was that it was very windy. The wind was nice, as it was very hot. But my hearing aids do not like wind. All I can hear is a swooshing sound. You know when you can hear wind on a video-camera? That's what it's like for me if I'm in a windy place. In some places, that was all I could hear.
On one of our sight-seeing tours we had gone to see an old castle. It was very windy. I spent the entire time trying to put my hands over my ears to stop the noise, or tugging at my skirt to stop myself from doing a Marilyn Monroe impression. I did not want to flash our driver (or anyone else for that matter). I must have looked rather comical - hands constantly switching between my ears and my skirt.
The rest of the holiday went smoothly. I had a lovely relaxing time - and on a sidenote, I remembered to put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door when I had a bath!
Unfortunately, it's now time to study again.
Until another time,
Deaf Girl
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