Afgelopen week waren we met de hele (schoon)familie een weekje op vakantie in België.
Het was schitterend nazomerweer wat uitnodigde voor mooie wandelingen met prachtige herfstkleuren.
Mijn CI maakt dan ook overuren omdat er zoveel geluiden moeten worden omgezet. Knisperende bladeren onder je voeten, de herfstwind die door de bomen ritselt. En de gesprekken die 9 mensen met en door elkaar voeren.
Al die geluiden samen maakt dat ik dus weinig van de gesprekken meekrijg tijdens de wandeling. Want het komt als één brei van klanken bij mij binnen. Op een gegeven moment liep ik samen met Anna door een wat snellere wandelpas een meter of 50 vooruit op de groep. En waren we net buiten gehoorafstand van de groep. De wind ging iets liggen, en de bladeren onder de voeten en de stem van Anna waren de enige geluiden. En toen heb ik voor het eerst met Anna een één-op-één gesprek gesprek gehad zoals we dat eigenlijk nog nooit hebben gevoerd.
Het was zo leuk om met haar eens niet alleen over proefwerken, overhoringen en de dagelijkse bezigheden te kletsen. Maar dit keer ging het wat dieper en hadden we het over haar dromen, toekomstverwachtingen en over haar mening en gedachten over anderen.
En juist op zulke momenten besef ik weer hoe dankbaar ik mag zijn dat ik met een CI weer kan deelnemen aan sociale contacten zoals gewone horenden die hebben zonder dat ze er bij stil staan.
zondag 27 oktober 2013
zondag 13 oktober 2013
The bullet is through the church
"De kogel is door de kerk."...was what crossed my mind when I started writing this blog. I immediately realized that I could not translate this Dutch saying literally without an explanation. In English you would say 'the die is cast'. But the meaning is the same. In both Dutch and English it means that I finally made a brave decision: I'm going to do a speech in English!
Normally I write my blog in Dutch, but this time there is a special reason to write in English.
Next year the Dutch association of the late- and sudden deafened will celebrate their 25th anniversary. During this anniversary year the association will make an effort to try and reach a wider audience. The association will realise this in several ways, in particular by organising an international congress in March 2014.
I’ve been asked to give a workshop next year about my personal life, my cochlear implant and my job. To do a workshop for a lot of people in English is a great challenge for me. Two years ago when I didn’t have my CI yet I would never ever have done something like this.
My pronunciation of many English words may be pretty bad, but the funny thing is that most visitors of the congress will be deaf. So I hope they can’t hear my bad pronunciation. But I have still a couple of months left to improve myself. I have to watch a lot of TV-programmes on BBC. Also I can practise to speak in English at home with my wife Jacqueline and daughter Anna. I am sure they will help me not to make a fool of myself.
As a member of the organising committee, I am closely connected to the program. My co-organisers and I have been very busy for about one year now to make this congress happen.
We have already had commitments from various people to give a lecture or a workshop. Some speakers: Professor Frijns from the Netherlands, Filip Verstraete and Leo de Raeve from Belgium, Robert Pollard and Rex Wagonner from the USA, and Lidia Smolarek Best from the UK.
At the moment the implementation of the program is on track. In a couple of weeks the final program of the congress will be published.
If anyone among my readers have tips and tricks for me, than feel free to let me know.
More information about the congress you can find here:
Congress (English)
Congres (Nederlands)
Normally I write my blog in Dutch, but this time there is a special reason to write in English.
Next year the Dutch association of the late- and sudden deafened will celebrate their 25th anniversary. During this anniversary year the association will make an effort to try and reach a wider audience. The association will realise this in several ways, in particular by organising an international congress in March 2014.
I’ve been asked to give a workshop next year about my personal life, my cochlear implant and my job. To do a workshop for a lot of people in English is a great challenge for me. Two years ago when I didn’t have my CI yet I would never ever have done something like this.
My pronunciation of many English words may be pretty bad, but the funny thing is that most visitors of the congress will be deaf. So I hope they can’t hear my bad pronunciation. But I have still a couple of months left to improve myself. I have to watch a lot of TV-programmes on BBC. Also I can practise to speak in English at home with my wife Jacqueline and daughter Anna. I am sure they will help me not to make a fool of myself.
As a member of the organising committee, I am closely connected to the program. My co-organisers and I have been very busy for about one year now to make this congress happen.
We have already had commitments from various people to give a lecture or a workshop. Some speakers: Professor Frijns from the Netherlands, Filip Verstraete and Leo de Raeve from Belgium, Robert Pollard and Rex Wagonner from the USA, and Lidia Smolarek Best from the UK.
At the moment the implementation of the program is on track. In a couple of weeks the final program of the congress will be published.
If anyone among my readers have tips and tricks for me, than feel free to let me know.
More information about the congress you can find here:
Congress (English)
Congres (Nederlands)
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