I'm currently on a 3 day brain anatomy course. I love it. It's not been without it's incidents though...
Let's ignore my clumsiness (last night whilst out for dinner with a friend I managed to knock a bottle of vinegar off a table bringing it crashing to the floor and exploding everywhere and today I managed to drop my cup of coffee on the floor, great start to the day!). I'm the type of person that will trip over a matchstick - it's incredible how clumsy I am.
Let's ignore that part though. So I'm sitting in the reception of this course, in a room filled with 100 strangers. Slightly daunting, but not too bad; after all, we're all here for the same reason - to learn about the brain. I get chatting to a woman next to me who seems nice. She asks me if I want to go out for a smoke. I politely decline, saying I've given up smoking (46 days now!). She asks me again.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, thanks. I don't smoke anymore."
"It's been so long now - if you have one now that first inhalation will be amazing."
"I know, it's okay though, it's healthier not smoking."
"Are you sure? You can always stand next to me and I'll breath the smoke on you."
Wow what an amazing offer. Who wouldn't jump at the chance to be breathed on by a complete stranger? Geez, what is up with this woman? I hope I was never so obnoxious or pushy when I was a smoker. Anyway, I thought it was HoH/deaf people that kept repeating themselves, not some random hearing Yorkshire woman. She eventually gave up and went outside to smoke, alone.
Then I started chatting with another woman. This one was actually sane and didn't want to exhale all over me. We chatted and sat next to each other in the lecture theatre, both giving our full attention to the lecturer. (As a side note - this lecture was completely different to a university lecture, in that no one was whispering to each other, we were all here for the same reason and 100% focused on what he was saying).
Unfortunately by the time we had registered and entered the lecture hall, it was almost full so we had to sit right at the back. This meant I had to really focus and strain to hear him. This was made even more difficult by a man sitting two rows in front of me - he seemed to have extremely sensitive hearing and complained that the microphone was too loud.
The lecturer (I'll call him PJ from now on) said he would turn the microphone down. My heart sank - there was no way I would be able to hear him if he turned it down, it was a struggle as it was. Luckily, a couple of other people shouted out 'no' as well. I felt for the poor guy - he had super sensitive hearing but was in a room with a deaf girl.
So we're all sitting there, paying attention. I'm literally on the edge of my seat; I'm that enthralled by what he's saying (yes, I realise that makes me a nerd - I don't care, I was in my element). Suddenly;
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPP
I almost jump a foot in the air off my seat. I actually grabbed the table in front of me. What the hell is that noise?!
For about two minutes there's a horrible, loud continuous screeching sound. The poor guy with sensitive hearing was almost doubled over in pain. My hearing aids were screaming in my ear and giving me feedback on top of the screeching sound, so I quickly turned them off. Even with them switched off I could still hear a faint sound - which will tell you how loud it was!
Then just as suddenly as it started; it stopped. We never did find out what it was. We all looked at each other in confusion, then continued with the lecture.
At lunch time Em (the sane woman) and I go for lunch at a little cafe around the corner. That was interesting. I go up to the woman and ask her for a baguette. She's absolutely tiny and has some sort of accent. Why does her height matter? Because her mouth was bellow the counter so I couldn't lipread. Her accent also made it more difficult to hear her.
From what Em later told me, the conversation went something like this:
"Would you like that toasted?"
"A white baguette please."
"Toasted or cold?"
"A few days old? What do you mean?"
"TOASTED or COLD?"
"Oh, cold please. Can I have an ice tea as well?"
"Eat in or out?"
"I have to get it out? Where?"
"No, eat inside or away?"
"Yes I'm staying in London."
"EAT IN OR OUT?"
"Oh, in please."
This went on for a little while. I was getting more flustered by the minute. I could feel myself turning a beautiful shade of red (I'm pretty sure I was as red as the tomato in my baguette). The queue behind me was getting longer and longer and people were either snickering in amusement or angrily checking their watches. I was mortified.
Eventually I managed to get my baguette and drink, and sat down with Em. She asked me if it was easier for me if she faced me. I said yes, then I could read her lips. She asked if I would mind if she asked me some questions on what it's like being deaf and the cause of my deafness. I told her I was more than happy to talk about it - I prefer that people ask me questions instead of assuming things. I think she was dissapointed that my deafness is caused by nerve damage as opposed to brain damage (remember, we're on a brain anatomy course - so to have a live example of some sort of brain damage would have been fascinating). And before any of you say it - yes, I'm quite sure I'm not brain damaged!
After lunch we managed to get some seats quite close to the front, which made hearing him much easier and meant I could also read his lips some of the time. Luckily, there were no more incidents of any kind in the afternoon - the rest of the day ran smoothly.
Before I knew it, the day was over. It has really flown by. I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow. I'm also going to look for a different cafe - one where either the till is lower or the server is taller!
Deaf Girl
Showing posts with label embarrassing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label embarrassing. Show all posts
Monday, 18 July 2011
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Sign of the times
I had a friend from highschool stay over for the last few days of university. I'll call her Peanut. It was great seeing her - hadn't seen her in over a year. And in that year she's started to learn BSL. Which I think is fantastic! I always get really excited and pleased when a hearing person learns BSL.
The day that Peanut arrived, my college at university was having a small music festival. Nothing big or fancy, just a chance for student bands to be heard. It gives everyone an excuse to just relax and have a drink (then again, we're students - no excuse is needed!). It was a lot of fun - I love listening to live music. The only problem is that I can't hear anything except the music. A spoken conversation is out of the question - my lip-reading isn't quite good enough to hold a long conversation.
On the other hand, I can hold a reasonably decent BSL conversation. Nothing deep or meaningful, but a decent conversation none-the-less. Usually there's just no one else around that can have a conversation in BSL. In comes Peanut. It didn't matter that I couldn't hear a word she was saying and that I wasn't focusing on lip-reading, we were signing away to each other. I could enjoy the music and have a conversation - it was fantastic!
At one point, the band that was playing took a little break between songs. It was at this time that all the conversation in the hall fell silent. Peanut and I were still signing away to each other. So the entire hall was silent. Until... 'Summer of 69' came blasting out. For a split second I wondered where on earth the music was coming from, as did everyone else in the room. Then I realised. It was my phone. With reddening cheeks, I fumbled in my bag to silence it (I was cursing the fact that I wasn't wearing my bluetooth necklace!). By this time everyone else had realised the music was coming from me, and a huge round of applause filled the room, along with some questioning looks 'wasn't she just signing? Isn't she deaf? How can she talk on the phone?' After what seemed like an age, I finally found my phone and answered it with a weak 'hi', which was met with a burst of laughter from everyone in the room. I think my face resembled that of a tomato. Then the band started playing again (they kindly waited for me to answer my phone before they started - which just made me more embarrassed and aware that every single eye in the hall was watching my every move).
The phone call, in case you're wondering, was a friend asking for a lift. So off Peanut and I went to pick them up. We then returned to my college to listen to some more music. At this point we decided to sign along to the music. Some people sing to it, we signed to it. The best song to sign to was definitely a cover of 'Bad Romance'. We got a few odd looks, but mostly people seemed amused by us signing the chorus. It's something I usually do to myself in clubs (like I said, some people sing, I sign), so sharing it with a friend was brilliant.
One thing Peanut and I did notice was the differences between our sign language. She lives down South, whereas I live up North. Just as there are different accents for different parts of Britain, there are different signs for different parts of Britain. Most of the signs are the same, there are just a few noticeable differences. Numbers being one of them. The differences weren't too big though - we had no problem understanding each other.
It was also great being able to sign to each other in the club later on in the evening and on the bar crawl the next night. Most of my hearing friends are pretty awesome in that they go above and beyond to make me feel included and to make sure that I'm not excluded too much because of my lack of hearing. I couldn't ask for a better bunch of friends. But sometimes I do feel like I'm asking too much from them, that my being deaf is a nuisance to them. (They've never done anything to make me feel this way - I'm just conscious of the fact that I don't want to be a burden to anyone). So being able to sign with a friend was just brilliant. Although I didn't want to sign too much as I didn't want to exclude all my non-signing friends. It was difficult - finally, I could hold a conversation without asking 'what?' every 5 minutes or just smiling like an idiot if I didn't hear something, but in doing so I excluded everyone else. I hope I didn't upset my non-signing hearing friends - if I did, I'm very sorry!
Seeing Peanut again was great fun - we had a lot of catching up to do. The fact that she could sign to me was an added bonus. Definitely looking forward to her next visit.
Deaf Girl
The day that Peanut arrived, my college at university was having a small music festival. Nothing big or fancy, just a chance for student bands to be heard. It gives everyone an excuse to just relax and have a drink (then again, we're students - no excuse is needed!). It was a lot of fun - I love listening to live music. The only problem is that I can't hear anything except the music. A spoken conversation is out of the question - my lip-reading isn't quite good enough to hold a long conversation.
On the other hand, I can hold a reasonably decent BSL conversation. Nothing deep or meaningful, but a decent conversation none-the-less. Usually there's just no one else around that can have a conversation in BSL. In comes Peanut. It didn't matter that I couldn't hear a word she was saying and that I wasn't focusing on lip-reading, we were signing away to each other. I could enjoy the music and have a conversation - it was fantastic!
At one point, the band that was playing took a little break between songs. It was at this time that all the conversation in the hall fell silent. Peanut and I were still signing away to each other. So the entire hall was silent. Until... 'Summer of 69' came blasting out. For a split second I wondered where on earth the music was coming from, as did everyone else in the room. Then I realised. It was my phone. With reddening cheeks, I fumbled in my bag to silence it (I was cursing the fact that I wasn't wearing my bluetooth necklace!). By this time everyone else had realised the music was coming from me, and a huge round of applause filled the room, along with some questioning looks 'wasn't she just signing? Isn't she deaf? How can she talk on the phone?' After what seemed like an age, I finally found my phone and answered it with a weak 'hi', which was met with a burst of laughter from everyone in the room. I think my face resembled that of a tomato. Then the band started playing again (they kindly waited for me to answer my phone before they started - which just made me more embarrassed and aware that every single eye in the hall was watching my every move).
The phone call, in case you're wondering, was a friend asking for a lift. So off Peanut and I went to pick them up. We then returned to my college to listen to some more music. At this point we decided to sign along to the music. Some people sing to it, we signed to it. The best song to sign to was definitely a cover of 'Bad Romance'. We got a few odd looks, but mostly people seemed amused by us signing the chorus. It's something I usually do to myself in clubs (like I said, some people sing, I sign), so sharing it with a friend was brilliant.
One thing Peanut and I did notice was the differences between our sign language. She lives down South, whereas I live up North. Just as there are different accents for different parts of Britain, there are different signs for different parts of Britain. Most of the signs are the same, there are just a few noticeable differences. Numbers being one of them. The differences weren't too big though - we had no problem understanding each other.
It was also great being able to sign to each other in the club later on in the evening and on the bar crawl the next night. Most of my hearing friends are pretty awesome in that they go above and beyond to make me feel included and to make sure that I'm not excluded too much because of my lack of hearing. I couldn't ask for a better bunch of friends. But sometimes I do feel like I'm asking too much from them, that my being deaf is a nuisance to them. (They've never done anything to make me feel this way - I'm just conscious of the fact that I don't want to be a burden to anyone). So being able to sign with a friend was just brilliant. Although I didn't want to sign too much as I didn't want to exclude all my non-signing friends. It was difficult - finally, I could hold a conversation without asking 'what?' every 5 minutes or just smiling like an idiot if I didn't hear something, but in doing so I excluded everyone else. I hope I didn't upset my non-signing hearing friends - if I did, I'm very sorry!
Seeing Peanut again was great fun - we had a lot of catching up to do. The fact that she could sign to me was an added bonus. Definitely looking forward to her next visit.
Deaf Girl
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Funny moments
As we all know, I'm a lip-reader. What I can't hear, I can see. My hearing aids work up to a point, and my eyes do the rest. Most - if not all - of my friend know this. But they often forget, and it's not obvious when I'm meeting new people.
Some people feel uncomfortable, as it appears I'm staring them in their eyes the whole time we talk. I've had one person make the comment that I'm quite 'intense' when they talk to me, to which I've had to reply that no, I'm not staring deep in to your eyes when we're taking, I'm lipreading...
There can be aother, albeit amusing, problems. One guy, when I was talking to him in a club, asked me if I wanted a kiss. I was confused - this seemed to have come out of nowhere. I politely declined his offer, generous though it may have been, and asked him where that had come from. He replied with something along the lines of 'well, the whole time we were talking you were looking at my lips, and I read somewhere that if a woman does that it means they want to kiss'. I laughed and explained to him I was lip-reading, to which he turned bright red.
Of course, there are other times that have caused me to laugh. For instance, when I'm wearing my bluetooth necklace (that connects to my hearing aids turning them in to a headphone) and answer my phone on that, people look at me strangely when I suddenly start talking to myself. Or some people think I'm talking to them and look very confused.
And on the topic of my bluetooth necklace - a couple of times it has connected to the TV with no warning, making me jump out of my skin! The first time it happened, my parents were watching some kind of action movie and I was walking down the hall from my room, when suddenly I hear gunfire and loud explosions. Definitely made me jump - but luckily I managed to save some of my dignity by not falling to the ground shouting 'don't shoot, don't shoot!', as I was very tempted to do.
Some people must also think I'm being very rude when I'm listening to music through my bluetooth necklace - like anyone wearing headphones and listening to music, I just don't hear anyone talking to me. But of course, because there are no wires, it just looks as if I'm ignoring them.
The same goes when I'm watching TV with my necklace on - my parents start talking to me but I just don't hear them. They laugh and say it's a likely excuse, but it really is!
Until another time,
Deaf Girl
Some people feel uncomfortable, as it appears I'm staring them in their eyes the whole time we talk. I've had one person make the comment that I'm quite 'intense' when they talk to me, to which I've had to reply that no, I'm not staring deep in to your eyes when we're taking, I'm lipreading...
There can be aother, albeit amusing, problems. One guy, when I was talking to him in a club, asked me if I wanted a kiss. I was confused - this seemed to have come out of nowhere. I politely declined his offer, generous though it may have been, and asked him where that had come from. He replied with something along the lines of 'well, the whole time we were talking you were looking at my lips, and I read somewhere that if a woman does that it means they want to kiss'. I laughed and explained to him I was lip-reading, to which he turned bright red.
Of course, there are other times that have caused me to laugh. For instance, when I'm wearing my bluetooth necklace (that connects to my hearing aids turning them in to a headphone) and answer my phone on that, people look at me strangely when I suddenly start talking to myself. Or some people think I'm talking to them and look very confused.
And on the topic of my bluetooth necklace - a couple of times it has connected to the TV with no warning, making me jump out of my skin! The first time it happened, my parents were watching some kind of action movie and I was walking down the hall from my room, when suddenly I hear gunfire and loud explosions. Definitely made me jump - but luckily I managed to save some of my dignity by not falling to the ground shouting 'don't shoot, don't shoot!', as I was very tempted to do.
Some people must also think I'm being very rude when I'm listening to music through my bluetooth necklace - like anyone wearing headphones and listening to music, I just don't hear anyone talking to me. But of course, because there are no wires, it just looks as if I'm ignoring them.
The same goes when I'm watching TV with my necklace on - my parents start talking to me but I just don't hear them. They laugh and say it's a likely excuse, but it really is!
Until another time,
Deaf Girl
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Housekeeping!
Imagine you've been walking around Vegas all day. Having a great time, but by the time you get back to your room, you're exhausted. There was little wind outside and the sun was the hottest you've ever felt it. You're feet are aching. All you want to do is have a nice cool, long bath.
So you go to your hotel room. You get the book you've been reading and you step in the bath. You sigh as you feel the water cooling down your hot skin. Picking up your book, you lie back and relax. Everything is wonderful.
Suddenly, without warning the door swings open. You let out a startled gasp as a strange man stands there. He quickly closes the door.
You exit the bath as quickly as you can and put on the nearest piece of clothing - which in this instance was a swimming costume. Gingerly, you open the door to an empty room. So you open the door to the hall. And standing there, is a man from housekeeping.
He aplogises profusely, explaining how he knocked on the door first and shouted 'housekeeping'. You then explain you're deaf, and since you were in the bath you didn't have your hearing aids in, so didn't hear him.
He aplogises some more. You reassure him it's fine. Neither of you can look each other in the eye. Then you turn to go back in to your room and continue to have your bath. Only to realises the door has closed and you've locked yourself out. So you have to turn back to the man that minutes ago saw you naked, and ask him to let you in to your own room.
And the lesson you've learnt from this? If you're deaf and want to have a bath, put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door!
Deaf Girl
So you go to your hotel room. You get the book you've been reading and you step in the bath. You sigh as you feel the water cooling down your hot skin. Picking up your book, you lie back and relax. Everything is wonderful.
Suddenly, without warning the door swings open. You let out a startled gasp as a strange man stands there. He quickly closes the door.
You exit the bath as quickly as you can and put on the nearest piece of clothing - which in this instance was a swimming costume. Gingerly, you open the door to an empty room. So you open the door to the hall. And standing there, is a man from housekeeping.
He aplogises profusely, explaining how he knocked on the door first and shouted 'housekeeping'. You then explain you're deaf, and since you were in the bath you didn't have your hearing aids in, so didn't hear him.
He aplogises some more. You reassure him it's fine. Neither of you can look each other in the eye. Then you turn to go back in to your room and continue to have your bath. Only to realises the door has closed and you've locked yourself out. So you have to turn back to the man that minutes ago saw you naked, and ask him to let you in to your own room.
And the lesson you've learnt from this? If you're deaf and want to have a bath, put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door!
Deaf Girl
Monday, 6 September 2010
Queue arguing
I'm currently on holiday in America. At the minute I'm in LA. Having such a great time. Went to Universal Studio today. It was such a fun day. There was only one instance where my deafness caused me some problems.
I was standing in a queue for one of the attractions, when a group of about 20 people pushed their way to the front. It was definitely annoying. But I wasn't going to make an issue of it. I was still quite close to the front of the queue and was in holiday mode. It wasn't a big deal.
However, an American woman at the front thought otherwise. She started shouting at the people that had pushed in. She had every right to do so, as they were in the wrong. It got very heated. And several times she was pointing at me.
I couldn't hear what she was saying. Everyone around me was shouting and making noise, there was no way I could distinguish between her and them. Then a porter came out to see what the fuss was about. The woman talked to him for a while and kept pointing at me.
I could not hear a word of what was going on. I was getting slightly nervous - surely this woman didn't think that I had pushed to the front and was singling me out?
Then the porter turned to me and said something. Everyone else turned to look at me as well.
I had no idea what he said. Everyone was waiting for some kind of answer. Some people were glaring at me.
Thoughts going through my mind; I haven't done anything! Out of everyone here, why did that woman have to choose the deaf girl to make an example of? Everyone is staring at me, agh!
So I gave the only answer I could; 'I'm deaf, I don't know what you're saying.'
Some people went bright red in embarrassment. I felt slightly relieved - now at least I wasn't the only one in the crowd with a face the colour of a tomato!
Eventually though, things were cleared up. It turned out the woman was complaining on my behalf. She had said that I had been standing in the queue for 30 minutes and others had pushed in. It wasn't fair on me and everyone else that had been standing in line. The porter merely wanted to know if this was true.
And that was the end of that. I was allowed to go in ahead of the people that pushed in, and found my seat, relieved to be out of the spotlight.
I was quite nervous there for a while - I had absolutely no idea what was going on around me, if people were angry at me, if they thought I had done something wrong etc. And since I was alone, I had no hearing friends or family to ask what was going on.
But luckily everything was cleared up in the end and no harm was done, and the woman had been speaking out on my behalf, which was nice.
Deaf Girl
I was standing in a queue for one of the attractions, when a group of about 20 people pushed their way to the front. It was definitely annoying. But I wasn't going to make an issue of it. I was still quite close to the front of the queue and was in holiday mode. It wasn't a big deal.
However, an American woman at the front thought otherwise. She started shouting at the people that had pushed in. She had every right to do so, as they were in the wrong. It got very heated. And several times she was pointing at me.
I couldn't hear what she was saying. Everyone around me was shouting and making noise, there was no way I could distinguish between her and them. Then a porter came out to see what the fuss was about. The woman talked to him for a while and kept pointing at me.
I could not hear a word of what was going on. I was getting slightly nervous - surely this woman didn't think that I had pushed to the front and was singling me out?
Then the porter turned to me and said something. Everyone else turned to look at me as well.
I had no idea what he said. Everyone was waiting for some kind of answer. Some people were glaring at me.
Thoughts going through my mind; I haven't done anything! Out of everyone here, why did that woman have to choose the deaf girl to make an example of? Everyone is staring at me, agh!
So I gave the only answer I could; 'I'm deaf, I don't know what you're saying.'
Some people went bright red in embarrassment. I felt slightly relieved - now at least I wasn't the only one in the crowd with a face the colour of a tomato!
Eventually though, things were cleared up. It turned out the woman was complaining on my behalf. She had said that I had been standing in the queue for 30 minutes and others had pushed in. It wasn't fair on me and everyone else that had been standing in line. The porter merely wanted to know if this was true.
And that was the end of that. I was allowed to go in ahead of the people that pushed in, and found my seat, relieved to be out of the spotlight.
I was quite nervous there for a while - I had absolutely no idea what was going on around me, if people were angry at me, if they thought I had done something wrong etc. And since I was alone, I had no hearing friends or family to ask what was going on.
But luckily everything was cleared up in the end and no harm was done, and the woman had been speaking out on my behalf, which was nice.
Deaf Girl
Thursday, 2 September 2010
A bit wet
Hearing aids aren't waterproof. Which is unfortunate. I can't wear them when I go swimming, or have a shower, if it's torrential rain outside or whenever there's a lot of water around. In these cases, I have to take my hearing aids out and am deaf.
It's quite annoying, as there's certain things I can't do - have spontaneous water fights, play assassins etc. I'm also very aware of people playing pranks - if someone were to pour a glass of water - or any liquid - over my head as a joke, it would ruin hearing aids. And they aren't cheap!
But really, it's a small price to pay. Hearing aids are complex little things with batteries. And like most things with batteries, they aren't waterproof. Not really a big deal. So sometimes I have to be extra careful and sometimes I'm deaf. Not a big deal at all. Not like it does any harm... Or so you'd think!
There was one time when I was having a shower at my then-boyfriend's house. My hearing aids were out and I was enjoying the hot water - I tend to have quite long showers. I'm putting the conditioner in my hair and switch off the water. I hear a vague, quiet noise, but don't think much of it. I continue to do my hair. Only this noise persists. I wonder what it is.
So I put on a towel. Wander around the bathroom. Realise it's coming from the door. Realise it's my then-boyfriend shouting through the door. It turns out that the whole time I've been in the shower, I've been flooding the kitchen downstairs. And he's been banging on the door and shouting for me to switch the shower off.
Oops. Neither him nor his Mum were very amused, and I was mortified. Luckily though, there was no damage. And they understood that I wasn't ignoring them - I just didn't hear him banging and shouting. It all turned out fine in the end. Although for some reason, they always insisted I have a bath from then on, and I never used the shower again!
There've been other little mishaps. Quite often I step in the shower, forgetting I have my hearing aids in. Luckily, I've always remembered before the water managed to get to it. I'm sure my parents wouldn't be amused if I told them I broke a hearing aid by sheer forgetfulness. Although saying that, I have lost and broken a few hearing aids in the short while I've had them. But I guess that's a story for another time.
So yes, water is definitely not friends with hearing aids. And it doesn't just damage hearing aids, but kitchens as well...
Deaf Girl
It's quite annoying, as there's certain things I can't do - have spontaneous water fights, play assassins etc. I'm also very aware of people playing pranks - if someone were to pour a glass of water - or any liquid - over my head as a joke, it would ruin hearing aids. And they aren't cheap!
But really, it's a small price to pay. Hearing aids are complex little things with batteries. And like most things with batteries, they aren't waterproof. Not really a big deal. So sometimes I have to be extra careful and sometimes I'm deaf. Not a big deal at all. Not like it does any harm... Or so you'd think!
There was one time when I was having a shower at my then-boyfriend's house. My hearing aids were out and I was enjoying the hot water - I tend to have quite long showers. I'm putting the conditioner in my hair and switch off the water. I hear a vague, quiet noise, but don't think much of it. I continue to do my hair. Only this noise persists. I wonder what it is.
So I put on a towel. Wander around the bathroom. Realise it's coming from the door. Realise it's my then-boyfriend shouting through the door. It turns out that the whole time I've been in the shower, I've been flooding the kitchen downstairs. And he's been banging on the door and shouting for me to switch the shower off.
Oops. Neither him nor his Mum were very amused, and I was mortified. Luckily though, there was no damage. And they understood that I wasn't ignoring them - I just didn't hear him banging and shouting. It all turned out fine in the end. Although for some reason, they always insisted I have a bath from then on, and I never used the shower again!
There've been other little mishaps. Quite often I step in the shower, forgetting I have my hearing aids in. Luckily, I've always remembered before the water managed to get to it. I'm sure my parents wouldn't be amused if I told them I broke a hearing aid by sheer forgetfulness. Although saying that, I have lost and broken a few hearing aids in the short while I've had them. But I guess that's a story for another time.
So yes, water is definitely not friends with hearing aids. And it doesn't just damage hearing aids, but kitchens as well...
Deaf Girl
Monday, 23 August 2010
Difficulties
One thing about being deaf, is that people often misjudge me. For example, I am often described as 'aloof' or 'shy'. I am neither of those things. I can understand why I am described like that, even by people that know I am deaf. It is assumed that because I have hearing aids, when I'm wearing them, my hearing is just as good as any hearing person.
This is not the case. In big groups of people, or if there is a lot of background noise, I find it very hard to hear. I try to lip-read, but I'm not great at it. So often, I end up sitting back, just taking in the atmosphere, unable to participate in the conversations going on around me.
And this is why I am described as being 'aloof'. I am sociable by nature, and will often seek out company. I love to party. I love to hang out with friends. I don't mind not being able to always join in the conversation. But it can get frustrating. Especially when people just assume that because I am not talking, I am being anti-social. Or if I don't laugh at joke, that I am being miserable.
I also often get strange looks when I respond to something in a wrong way. It's very easy to mishear something. An example; 'I've got a pain in my knee', 'oh I'd love a cup of tea'. It can be amusing. And embarrassing. And it can cause some problems - if for example, someone is telling me something sad, but I mishear it for something else. Imagine someone telling you their grandfather has died, or their parents are getting a divorce, but you hear something completely different and laugh. If I'm not careful, I can cause a lot of offense when I don't mean to.
People also often think I'm being rude. Both my friends and strangers. Again, because I don't broadcast my 'disability', people often forget I am deaf and assume I'm ignoring them, when in fact I just didn't hear them.
There was one time when I was on a train, I wasn't wearing my hearing aids as my batteries had died, and I wasn't carrying any spare. I was just staring out of the window, lost in my own world, when suddenly someone shakes my shoulder. I look up to find an angry middle-aged man. He said something along the lines of 'I've asked you kindly to move from your seat as it is mine, now move.' He had raised his voice and was drawing the attention of other passengers.
Embarrassed, and slightly flustered, I pointed at my ticket, which clearly stated I was in the right seat. He looked at his own ticket, glared at me, and walked away. I was obviously just an obnoxious, rude youngster that had chosen to ignore him.
It has also happened several times when conductors ask me for my ticket, but I haven't heard them. Most are nice and wave their arms to get my attention. But not all of them. Obviously, after having asked me several times but being unaware, I received a tap on my shoulder. 'What, are you deaf or something? Let me see your ticket.' On this occasion, I wasn't embarrassed, but more annoyed. I replied 'yes actually, I am deaf. Here's your ticket'. I hadn't noticed, but several people had been watching. Some laughed at my reply, and the conductor went bright red. I did feel bad for him, and wished I hadn't snapped at him, but it can get frustrating for me as well as the person talking to me.
Things like that have happened on several occasions. I try my best to be aware of my surroundings, and to be aware if someone is talking to me. But I am human - and like anyone, I often find myself drifting away in my own thoughts.
So please, please don't think I'm blanking you or being intentionally aloof or antisocial. I just can't hear.
Deaf Girl.
This is not the case. In big groups of people, or if there is a lot of background noise, I find it very hard to hear. I try to lip-read, but I'm not great at it. So often, I end up sitting back, just taking in the atmosphere, unable to participate in the conversations going on around me.
And this is why I am described as being 'aloof'. I am sociable by nature, and will often seek out company. I love to party. I love to hang out with friends. I don't mind not being able to always join in the conversation. But it can get frustrating. Especially when people just assume that because I am not talking, I am being anti-social. Or if I don't laugh at joke, that I am being miserable.
I also often get strange looks when I respond to something in a wrong way. It's very easy to mishear something. An example; 'I've got a pain in my knee', 'oh I'd love a cup of tea'. It can be amusing. And embarrassing. And it can cause some problems - if for example, someone is telling me something sad, but I mishear it for something else. Imagine someone telling you their grandfather has died, or their parents are getting a divorce, but you hear something completely different and laugh. If I'm not careful, I can cause a lot of offense when I don't mean to.
People also often think I'm being rude. Both my friends and strangers. Again, because I don't broadcast my 'disability', people often forget I am deaf and assume I'm ignoring them, when in fact I just didn't hear them.
There was one time when I was on a train, I wasn't wearing my hearing aids as my batteries had died, and I wasn't carrying any spare. I was just staring out of the window, lost in my own world, when suddenly someone shakes my shoulder. I look up to find an angry middle-aged man. He said something along the lines of 'I've asked you kindly to move from your seat as it is mine, now move.' He had raised his voice and was drawing the attention of other passengers.
Embarrassed, and slightly flustered, I pointed at my ticket, which clearly stated I was in the right seat. He looked at his own ticket, glared at me, and walked away. I was obviously just an obnoxious, rude youngster that had chosen to ignore him.
It has also happened several times when conductors ask me for my ticket, but I haven't heard them. Most are nice and wave their arms to get my attention. But not all of them. Obviously, after having asked me several times but being unaware, I received a tap on my shoulder. 'What, are you deaf or something? Let me see your ticket.' On this occasion, I wasn't embarrassed, but more annoyed. I replied 'yes actually, I am deaf. Here's your ticket'. I hadn't noticed, but several people had been watching. Some laughed at my reply, and the conductor went bright red. I did feel bad for him, and wished I hadn't snapped at him, but it can get frustrating for me as well as the person talking to me.
Things like that have happened on several occasions. I try my best to be aware of my surroundings, and to be aware if someone is talking to me. But I am human - and like anyone, I often find myself drifting away in my own thoughts.
So please, please don't think I'm blanking you or being intentionally aloof or antisocial. I just can't hear.
Deaf Girl.
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