This has to be the funniest question I get asked. It is difficult for people to realize there is very little communication going on between us. We have developed a very crude form of Chenglish, but it only helps in choosing noodles or rice, bath or shower, McDonalds or Kendugie Fried Chicken.
I had forgotten how it was when I first adopted Grace and all she could do was holler "Mom"!! There was nothing I could do but follow the voice and try to understand the question and provide an answer. Even "come here" doesn't seem to be understood. Oh wait, that is just a child, regardless of their primary language! And everything is an emergency.
This is my understanding of a few words we use often.
digga, digga - yea, I don't know. I get the impression it is like this or this, as a choice. Grace insists it is actually zegga.
Schwa - now I am not sure if this is water or something else, so I just throw it in every now and then.
LaShur - this is either an uncle, a mouse, or a teacher. Regardless of how I pronounce it, I get it wrong!!
Baa - short and sweet means NO.
YoYo - swimming, but also the name of her stuffed dog.
Wo, pronounced YO - the name of her stuffed cat.
If I can remember more, I will add them, but I get by pretty well with just digga or digga. Who really needs more than 2 choices?
As far as long conversations, I am still the very last person she wants to bond with or have some long conversation. But I seem to be less repulsive each day. I can only hope!
We are so thankful that Gustav spared so many from so much!
While in China, Annabel would jump up and down trying to get water out of her ears after swimming. I tried putting Swimmers Ear drops in one night and it was obviously so painful! Even the medical exam showed problems with her ears.
Today we finally got to see the otolaryngologist or maybe he was an otorhinolaryngologist, I forgot to check.
Bless this child's heart! She has a hole in both eardrums and some other complications that I can't remember right now. One hole is quite large. He feels she has had a history of ear infections that went untreated, probably most of her life.
The doctor and his assistant wanted me to ask her if she had ever had ear surgery.
Sure, no problem, digga or digga! I looked at them like you have got to be kidding. I think he was hoping that the scarring he saw in her ear was from surgery, but evidently just from non treatment and too many q tips!
Next step is a CT scan. I hope our friend Sarah can translate that! I don't think schwa covers that!!
From there will be a hearing test and plans for surgery. He is quite concerned about what he will find and if there is permanent hearing loss. That explains the loud voice!
I cannot imagine how much her life will improve with the ability to see and hear being restored. She continues just to stare at things. When the doctor's office kept wanting to know more about her history and if she was in pain and if she had ever been treated for ear problems, all I could do was explain that she had never complained about her lack of vision, yet is so glad to be able to see now. It was obvious that her vision was limited to nothing more than an arm's length away!
Yesterday the big question was if we would go skating again. They LOVED skating.
It is hard to turn down a request for something to play and have fun with outside. They both need it so much. Skates were not in my budget, but decided they were really needed.
The girls had a great time trying to move on their new skates. Annabel took a bad tumble and fell pretty hard.
Oh that reminds me of some more words I know.
Peepee - this word came up a lot in Target the other day, as in Momma, peepee, and pointing to her shorts. I'm trying to rush her to the bathroom surprised that she had an accident. Finally Grace explained that pee pee means your bottom. She had fallen at the skating rink and she was telling me her bottom hurt.
Which leads to the next two words -
how tong - which means, it hurts, as in pointing to your back and saying "how tong" and the answer is either yes or boo or is it bah?
Then you can also say how too, which is something stinks! or as in Momma, point to mouth, how too.
And the last one is nigh, which means me, so here is a sentence we would share, nigh peepee how tong.
Hey if you speak Chinese don't take offense. I try my best to find a way to communicate!
Next adventure is trying to find a new bike for Grace so Annabel can keep Grace's old one!
2 comments:
This post cracks me UP and also hits a little close to home for me! LOL! When we first had Irene home, she would YELL in Chinese at me. Like, if she REALLY spoke loudly, I might suddenly understand. I had our guide in China teach me some key phrases for kids, and then when we were back home and Irene was in Chinese class, the teachers would be so surprised that I spoke to her in Chinese! They would then continue on and on in Chinese and I would not understand them. LOL! They encouraged me to study more. hahahaha. I think Irene was SO patient with her new life. So brave and patient. I would have pulled myself bald if no one could understand me! It used to make me laugh, too, when someone would tell me to tell her something. I would say "YOU tell her. I don't speak Chinese. Do you?" And, we would laugh. We sure did a lot of hand motions. We still (a year later) have communication issues. But, we have improved by leaps and bounds. Hang in there! Good for you for getting Annabel the medical help she needs. I am sure her behavior will improve with less pain, better vision and hearing, etc. Step by step. Lots of love from Colorado, -Holly
Do you remember when Grace first came here and once she spoke some english it was still "what mean that" every day! Actually, come to think of it, she still says that sometimes, haha. And she was much younger! But communication barriers are everywhere - even between me and my students apparently!
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