Thursday 29 July 2010

Lipreading mishap!

Yesterday, I was walking along the street when a man stopped me, clearly in a hurry, and said, ‘Phshf ghjdihg dhhghfidh?’

Or at least that’s what my ears heard and lips read.

I said pardon and this time I heard, ‘Do you know where Holyraw Road is please?’

‘Eeerrr, what?’ I said, with him looking at me like I was some kind of moron.

‘The. Hole. In. The. Wall,’ he said again, slowly this time, before adding, ‘Cash. Machine!’

And finally, I had a clue what he was on about. But it did make me laugh how ‘Hole in the wall’ can be lipread so differently.

Except I didn’t know where a cash machine was, so had to send him on his way, after wasting five minutes trying to get me to understand him – all for no reason.

*blush

I don’t know what it is, but people always seem to stop me for directions – even when I am in foreign country. My Pa is exactly the same, and as I look a bit like him, maybe we just have the kind of face that says, ‘Ask me the way, I know everything!’

Which clearly, as yesterday demonstrates, I don’t!

So now, I am going to work on pulling a face that says, ‘Don’t ask me the way, I don’t know anything…’

I will let you know how I get on.

5 comments:

Sam the Deaf said...

What? You don't have smartphone to check on Google Maps to find out where ATM to be location for the stranger? Why I have Palm Pre, that is something I can be hero for them!

Michele said...

Oh, man, the things I miread, too! In general, I can't lipread at all. But once in a while I try..and it usually has hysterical results. Thanks for your blog. I've been searching for deaf-related blogs (I thought mine was the only one on Blogger for a while until I found some). You're is great!

Iona said...

people always just strike up conversations with me, my mum and they used to with my nan, I think it is all in how you look. Great news that you look like you know eveything.... will make you very successful!!!! Love Iona xxx

Suzanne said...

xD

Last year at college, some couple in a car asked me how to get to some building that was on the other side of campus. I'm really bad with directions. Like. . . really bad. I told them was up a one way street (in the wrong direction). D:

SpeakUp Librarian said...

Ha, ha, DG.
Once I was in Washington DC with a coworker. We were walking down a narrow sidewalk single file and I was just a bit ahead of her as I tend to walk faster. Two ladies passed me going the other direction and stopped my coworker to ask her for directions. The funny part of this was I was carrying a map out in front of me at the time. I guess I DON'T have one of those ask me faces.