The towel!

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

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

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

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

Hello? Hello?

I was at home with my parents the other day. We were watching TV (I believe it was Bedlam - a series about the supernatural, but that's besides the point). I was wearing my bluetooth necklace, so I couldn't hear anything but the TV. So of course it's at this point my parents decide it's a good time to start talking to me. Never mind that I'm watching TV, but I can't actually hear you...

After some arm waving and shoulder tapping, I realise they've been talking to me. (I swear, it's impossible to watch an episode of anything the whole way through - why does it seem like such a good idea to start a conversation when you've settled down to watch your favourite series? It's not just my parents either, it seems like watching TV equals a green light to start a conversation, no matter where you are or who you're with). So I press pause and disconnect my necklace from the TV.

Mum wants to make a phone call to make a reservation at a restaurant for her and her girlfriends. Cool. She calls, talks to the guy on the phone. Suddenly, all I can hear is background noise and a man talking. I look around the room. TV is in pause, and there definitely isn't a crowd in my living room to warrant that much background noise (sure, my Dad and cat snoring are quite loud - but not that loud). And who is this strange man talking to me? Am I the only one that can hear him? Oh no... I'm hearing voices. This can't be good. Help.

That's when I realise Mum is talking in to the phone. 'Hello? Hello? Strange... I think he's hung up on me.'

Ah. That explains it. My bluetooth necklace randomly connected to the housephone whilst my Mum was on it. The man in my ear isn't some figment of my imagination (thank heavens!) but the man at the restaurant. Oh dear. How do I explain this one?

'Hi, this is the daughter of the women you were just talking to. I'm deaf. The phone decided to connect to my necklace which talks to my hearing aids. My Mum can't hear you but I can relay your message...'

Perhaps not. So, very discretely I press the button on my necklace which ends the call.

'Strange, must have been bad reception or something' - my Mum.

I smile weakly and nod whilst switching off my necklace. Mum calls back and they continue to sort out the reservation. Only after the call has ended - properly this time - do I confess what happened.

Whoops.

The next day Mum tells me the same thing happened again. She had been trying to make several phone calls but they kept cutting out. Only after the third or fourth time did she realise my necklace was lying on the table and the phone was connecting to that. Of course there were no hearing aids to transmit the signal to, so it was just going round the loop.

The lesson? If a phone is connected to a bluetooth necklace, make sure the necklace is off if a hearing person wants to use the phone and doesn't want to use their deaf daughter as the relay.

'It wasn't me, it was my necklace, honest!'

Deaf Girl

'Is that loud enough?!'

It's great having a housemate that can fingerspell. We often have conversations (true, they're rather short, but still) where she mouths to me so I can lipread and I reply back by fingerspelling. Works out great. It's definitely useful when I quickly need to tell her something then and there. Often, when I'm outside having a smoke, I'm reminded of something and I think 'oh yes, I must remember to tell CH1 [Crazy Housemate 1] that'. However, once I'm back inside I tend to forget as other things grab my attention.

So, fingerspelling and lip-reading through the kitchen window works out perfectly. Like the other day. I'm standing outside and notice a frying pan. Outside. On the kitchen doorstep. Why on earth is there a frying pan there? Is this a new trend that I hadn't heard about? Put your cooking utensils outside to avoid washing up. Of course! So simple! When the kitchen gets over-run by dirty dishes (I live in a student house, of course the kitchen is always overrun by dirty dishes) just put some of the offending articles outside. Simples.

But this time CH1 was in the kitchen while I was outside so, using a mixture of basic sign and fingerspelling, I ask her about it. She mouths back that they'd put it outside when it was smoking it a bit to cool it off and had completely forgotten about it. Ah, not a way to get out of doing the dishes then. Oh well.

Speaking of CH1. Her room is directly above mine. Which usually isn't a problem. Sometimes I suffer from insomnia and just potter about downstairs - reading, watching DVDs etc. Am usually pretty quiet. Apart from the other night. I had two friends over, we just relaxed in my room (get your mind out of the gutter people). At one point we started singing. They were slightly intoxicated and I'm deaf. So none of us could judge the loudness of our singing. Turns out it was pretty loud and CH1 was not impressed when it woke her up at 5am. Oops.

That's often a problem for me (not the singing part, the loudness part - although I'm sure plenty of people would say that yes, singing is a problem as well!) I just can't judge if something is loud or quiet - I either hear it or I don't, I don't hear the volume. Often people either have to tell me to speak up or quieten down a bit because it all sounds the same to me. The same goes for if I'm watching TV or listening to music - I can't judge the volume of it. When I'm at home, my parents have to frequently come down at 2/3am and ask me to turn it down as it's so loud. It's not intentional, I'm not talking/singing loudly or have my music/TV blaring on purpose to be obnoxious, I just honestly can't judge the volume.

Until next time,
Deaf Girl

Congratulations!

My BSL exam is getting closer and closer... it's still a couple of months away, but am already getting nervous. 24th May is D-Day (which happens to be 3 days after my psychology exam for university). Practice practice practice...

I must look quite the sight, standing in front of the mirror in the lounge signing away to myself and practicing my facial expressions (as I've mentioned before - facial expressions are key, it's the 'tone', 'volume' and 'intonation' of BSL). I can imagine people walking past that happen to glance in thinking I must be slightly slow on the uptake... after all, what sane person stands in an empty room making weird faces and gestures? Come to think of it, that may be why I sometimes get odd looks from the neighbours. That would explain a lot!

There is one thing I've noticed about the other pupils in BSL class. When our teacher is teaching us, some people carry on with their conversations to each other when she has her back turned to them. They whisper. She's deaf. As in completely and utterly deaf. As in she doesn't hear a single sound. And did I mention they whisper? It's no secret that she is deaf, yet they still whisper. Hmmm. And they whisper to me as well. And cover their mouths. No matter how many times I explain I am deaf, I don't hear very well and lip-read, they continue to whisper with their hands covering their mouths. Hearing people, strange beings.

On a side note, one of the women in my lip-reading class congratulated me today. I was quite confused and tried to rack my brain. Had I recently completed a marathon or some other note-worthy event? Had I made a ground-breaking discovery that would change the world? Had I won the lottery? Not that I can recall. So what on earth...? Seeing my confused expression she quickly replied; 'on your engagement!'

My engagement? This is news to me! More to the point who is this (un)lucky person that I am engaged to? Last I checked I was definitely single. Don't I have to give my consent to being engaged? Questions, questions...

'Uhm, I'm not engaged?' - me, very confused.
'You're not?' - her, utterly bewildered.
'Definitely not.' - me, very convincing.
'But you're wearing an engagement ring?' - her, very unsure.

Hold up. Wait. What? An engagement ring? I quickly look down at my hands. Ah. I'm wearing a custom-made ring on my finger. Ooooh. She had confused my cheap flea-market bought ring for an engagement ring.


'Well, you can never be sure what the current style is amongst you youngsters these days.'

Anyway, moving on. I went out on a girl's social last night. It was fun. The first time that I've met most of them. I'm sure they thought I was slightly odd (no surprise there, you might say). The social was in a pub. A very loud pub. A pub filled with drunken louts - I mean, slightly intoxicated gentlemen - watching a game of football (soccer to you Americans). And by 'watching' I mean 'shouting/swearing/booing/cheering'. So, my hearing aids were useless. Most of the girls were also absent-mindedly watching the game and so had their heads turned away from me towards the TV. So, lip-reading is useless. Let's just smile and nod and pretend I have a clue about what's going on. Yup, definitely made a good impression there!

Deaf Girl