J: Hi! C: Hi!
J: So here we have a video out of our normal schedule of Thursday, Friday Saturday
because: Oh my god! Ten thousand followers! What??!!!
C: Shock, horror!
J: How did it happen? C: Oh no sorry. It shouldn't be "shock, horror".
It should be like "well yeah obviously cause you're amazing"
J: Yeah. Awww. *kissing noise* Thank you, wife.
So we're coming on along obviously. Doubled in size in a week.
We're going to answer some of our most frequently asked questions
and I really do try and respond to everyone's comments, but now there are quite a few a day.
So if you've left me a comment, I am coming. I am coming to it.
I'm trying. It just takes some time. C: OK. Question 1:
C: I think that's like....You find this really....almost like offensive when people ask you this.
You're just like "WHAT?" What's your response always?
J: "IF"
"IF I am deaf." Why is there an "if"?
C: Oh yeah. You don't like the "if" cause you feel like they're doubting your truth.
J: Yes. C; Yeah. They won't just accept you for who you are.
J: IF you are deaf. C: They're like judging you.
They're like trying to catch you out aren't they? But I know what they mean because
a lot of people are misunderstood with their meaning of "deaf". J: Yeah.
C: In that they think "deaf" means absolutely complete lack of hearing.
But actually you know, if you think about it, it actually means a loss of power of hearing or like impaired hearing?
J: Mmm. C: So like when your old granny is saying "Oh, sorry darling, I'm a little bit deaf."
That's the correct use of the word. J: Yeah
C: It means that your hearing is a lot less than someone with good hearing.
J: But you can still be a deaf person. But that doesn't mean that you can hear NOTHING.
C: But I think I was a bit like oh yeah you're deaf. But you can't be THAT deaf
because when you're wearing your hearing aids, you can hear me really well and you talk really well.
And even when you haven't got your hearing aids, you seem to somehow know that I've said something in the other room.
I mean, you come to the room and see what I've said
You still catch that I've gone "Blahhh" or something or "Jessicaaaaaa"
But then it wasn't until we went to the audiology appointment together
and they put us in a little sound booth and they were like "Okay we're going to test your hearing to see if it's deteriorated or-"
Well it hasn't got better but you know, to see if- we're going to give you some new hearing aids basically.
And we're sat in this sound booth and they're like "We're gonna put these headphones on you and we're gonna play a range of notes.
And you just press the button when you hear something". And you we're like "okay".
And I was sat in there with you and I was sat about six feet away from Jessica. Just, you know, on my phone.
And I couldn't hear anything at first either. And then eventually quite quickly I heard *Claudia makes weird beeping noises*
Really loud. Like I could hear it. That loud.
J: I was sitting next to her and she just went *gasp* "What now?"
C: Yeah. And then i looked at Jessica, and you were just sitting there like.....
Waiting for some noise to happen. And then there was a really high ear-piercing-
Well. I would have thrown the bloody headphones off if someone had put that in my ear.
An then you were just like.....mmmm.....maybe?
And then they did the low notes and it was like *more beeping sounds from Claudia*
And then you were like..... Cause you heard that. And I was like "Oh okay so she can hear low things more."
J: Yeah. Definitely if we're in the house and I've not got my hearing aids in...
It's being hyper vigilant though cause I'm always....in case you're about to say something to me
C: Yeah. Well then the next bit of this appointment was they were like "Okay well you know you're an intelligent girl.
And you've coped well with losing your hearing. And you weren't born deaf so you understand speech and pattern and so on and what it sounds like.
But we're going to test you know. I'm going to say some sentences, just random ones like 'the cat was on the hat' "
And you had to repeat the words. But she was allowed to look at the audiologists the first time. And Jessica pretty much got like 99% right.
This was with your hearing aids in.
And then she was like "Okay we're going to do the same test. Different sentences (obviously so that you can't use your memory), but a similar sort of thing.
But you're gonna turn around so that you can't see me saying the words. But you can obviously still wear your hearing aids."
And then really interestingly, you only got about 60%. But because you couldn't see the lip patterning, you had to completely just guess it.
And you had no context to put it to. J: Yeah C: So it was really difficult.
And the audiologist basically was like "Well, you do very well obviously because you work out speech and noises
based on your situation and your context and conversation. You know.
Sometimes I'm like "How did you know I said that?" and you're like "Well-"
Oh. I went over to the plug socket and was like "Oh where's the charger for my iPad?"
And you were like "Oh it's downstairs darling." And you didn't have your hearing aids in.
J: Oh it's when I was down by the mirror. She was standing there like *panting*. Holding her iPad.
C: Yeah. And I was like "How did you know what I said?"
And she said "Well you went over to the plug and went *mumbling* with a question.
And I knew- So I worked out that must have been what you said."
But it's basically a complete guess. And I was like "Well I could have gone over to the plug and said 'I can't wait to out today!' "
J: "I fancy some cheese on toast."
C: But then you probably still would have answered with "Oh it's over there." J: Yeah
C: Because you would have just assumed- So a lot of your coping with the world is just complete guesswork.
J: Just throw some stuff out there. C: Which is why you get so far with it.
J: Yeah talking to people is very tiring and very difficult, which I don't think people understand. Because you're such an exception.
C: In what way? In everything?! J: She's very special.
Because we spend soooo much time together, I know what you're going to say.
I don't actually have to hear it C: I'm just so predictable.
J: Ohhhh. In a good way. In a loving way. In a lovely wifely way.
C: Anyway, I hope that answered- That's my point of view of answering the question of...
IF you are deaf, why do you wear hearing aids?
Sometimes I'm deaf. Some days I'm a bit deaf. Some people are deaf to certain words aren't they? You know, you say something and it's just li-
J: Tidy your room C: They don't wanna hear it. Yeah.
J: "Deaf", by the way, is an adjective.
OK I would say to anyone who asks me this:
"You don't look like you need a carer."
"Come care for me for a week. Then we'll see at the end what you have to say."
*laughing* I'm charming. I'm lovely. But in the evenings you have to help me upstairs.
And then...Yeah. Sometimes in the daytime as well.
C: Well sometimes if you haven't got a carer here and I come home from work, you're just laying on the rug in the living room.
And I'm like "Hi darling. Have you been there long?" and you're like "...Since 2 O clock...."
And I'm like "...okay let's get you up" J: *laughing* Just for 4 and a half hours there...
C: And the dogs are just like, you know, nuzzling at you cause they're maybe considering eating you at this point.
Like "It's been so long. We're really hungry." J: Ahhh
I am working on having all of my videos captioned. Obviously I can't do it myself however
cause I can't line that stuff up sometimes.
I'm having various friends help me to do it. If you'd also like to provide your own captions, and you can, go ahead!
Please! Dive in there! C: They might change what you're saying if you settle for that!
[Excuse me Claudia I would never do that!]
J: Oh. Don't do that though that's just mean.
[I agree thank you Jessica]
J: I made a video about this. It's in the description.
C: Why does anyone know the words....?
J: Do you know, I really like lyrics, I tend to look them up online and read them.
C: Yeah, I do as well. Cause I'm jus like really bad at retaining what someone has just said, especially if it's in a song.
J: Yeah I like poetry so I like song lyrics so I look them up.
C: Jessica was like "Someone asked me how do I know how a song sounds." And I was like "How DO you know how a song sounds actually?"
J: And you can find out in the video that's coming on Thursday!
C: Sometimes you get upset when you feel a bit ostracised by the deaf community
because you belong in the hearing world but you are still deaf. J: Yeah
C: So you feel like you miss out on a lot and you're having to concentrate a lot to stay connected.
And I said, "Well, when is the time that you feel most connected and least in a bubble on your own in tis little silent world?"
And she said when she goes dancing. Because when you're dancing in a club, no-one can hear each other talk. You have to all mouth and lip-read.
And everyone can feel the music as well as hearing it. And you can watch people moving.
So it's like all of your other senses are alive then.
J: Um. My sign language is SSE - Sign Supported English, which has the same signs as BSL, but the grammar is completely different.
I had to explain this to Clara as being like Portuguese and Spanish. So if you're Spanish and someone speaks to you in Portuguese,
you kind of get what they're saying but it takes a bit of time. And then it's also quite difficult to do it back in return. That's what it's like.
Also, BSL (British Sign Language) and ASL (American Sign Language) are completely different.
C: So British Sign Language is on two hands isn't it? Whereas ASL is all on one.
Erm... Well I'm half English, from my dad's side, and half Chinese-Malaysian.
So my mother was Malaysian but with Chinese heritage.
J: And you get mistaken for being Spanish. C: Yeah, Spanish, South American...
J: Native American, that's quite common. C: The weirdest one was someone thought I was from Sweden.
I was like "Have you ever met or seen a Swedish person?" I dunno where that was from.
You could be from like Scandinavia or somewhere....like-
J: I am! C: *laughing* Well, good thing this question was asked!
J: WOW C: We're just learning about each other.
J: What is my make-up, Claudia? What's my genetic mix? Do you remember?
C: OK. You are....Part Swedish, part American, your father's just English, and your mother is half American, half Swedish...
J: Bit of Russian thrown in there. C: Yeah so grandfather was Swedish and Russian
J: Hence the eyes.
Yeah I have mono-lids because it's a really strong gene apparently
C: Yeah your mum and your grandmother have that. I've got a friend- J: Oh dear
C: I've got...er well two friends actually who are both completely British. Like Caucasian. White British.
And one has been asked lots and lots of times if he is Thai. And the other one - this is hilarious-
I went to Malaysia, travelling, and it was a time when Facebook would- I don't know if it still does it on Facebook J: No
C: It like tags your friends J: Suggests a friend
C: Suggested tags it's like face recognition that says "Is this blablablah?"
Anyway, It tagged a Buddha as my friend, who has no South-East Asian blood in her.
And for just comical reasons I sad "Yes that is her."
*both laughing*
J: Well, as mentioned in all of my brace videos, Claudia's a dentist. Just a hobby on the side.
C: Or as your cousin Lola said, which was quite cute- I don't know if you heard this..
Oh hello little one! She said that I'm a "dartist".
J: A dartist! C: It sounds like that just means that I play darts all the time
But she meant I'm a dentist-cross-artist. J: Ooooh
C: Yeah J: Which is what you are, yeah. You're a dartist.
I am a TV presenter, producer, author, social media person - consultant, that's the word.
Social media consultant. C: Yeah you help design websites for people, you've written columns for magazines, erm.....
J: Give people advice on social media C: You've done advertising for certain companies
J: So if you'd like to hire me....
C: So you've kind of like got your fingers in lots of pies.
J: Many pies. I can't eat a pie but I put my fingers in them.
J: Tilly is a Pomapoo. C: Or, as that lady said to me when I went out walking-
She was like "What is that? That's not a dog." I said "Oh it's a pomapoo."
"Oh. You mean a designer mongrel." And I was like "....maybe...."
J: That's our baby you're talking about!
C: And this is Walter. Bichon Frise.
J: Yeah he is a fat Bichon Frise. He's at the top end of size for Bichon Frise
C: He's like aww
J: We put him on a diet and he is not appreciating it
C: No, he's like chewing everything
J: Yes he's eating cardboard.
J: I buy my clothes at a range of different shops. You can find out where though if you go onto my Instagram
Which is down in the description, because I list the details on my photos where I get everything from!
C: (Funny voice) Why does she wear like big skirts?
(whispers) So we have easy access.
J: I made a video about my makeup routine.
(whispers) Yes
J: Well I made a video of my everyday makeup routine
and I am going to make some more.
C: I.. I have a very set routine.
J: Yea, what is your makeup routine Claudia?
C: I put on moisturizer or like your BB um.. yeah, the baby skin primer
So I put on- Um....
(laughs)
J: She puts on a foundation base um
C: Yeah
(laughs)
J: She doesn't care. That's it. That's all you're getting of Claudia's makeup routine.
Cause she can't be asked.
C: I put on moisturizer and that's about it.
J: Yea, and then you put on 3 different types of foundation. Dotted around your face C: And then sometimes I put-
C: Yeah, I will put on whatever J: Yeah, but you can't tell them that
C: And my coloring changes quite quickly. So....
I can't be bothered to go buy new tubes
and I don't like going to make up artist in shops for them to put things on my face
J: Why do I? Um..
Because I feel naked
without a large skirt
*dog sneezing*
You know, I wear what I like.
That's why I put it all on
look in the mirror and I am like "Yeah!"
Let's add a hair flower to it.
And then I feel really happy.
*clap clap*
I did wear jeans once, for Halloween.
and it made me feel horrible and uncomfortable and I hated it.
C: Well they look good on you
J: And I have a massive bum
*laughs*
J: So
C: Yeah
C: People really don't realize because it's hidden under the huge skirt
but you do have quite a large behind
J: Yeah, Claudia likes it though so its all good
C: You have some leggings
J: Oh yes
C: But you don't wear out in public
J: No C: You just wear them around the house
C: sometimes when we are doing like yoga and stuff
J: When its super chilly as well
C: Yeah, when its really chilly
Yeah. Underneath your skirt
J: But no, I would never wear them out of the house
People can see between my legs then.
J: Thank you for watching
Yay!
And thank you again for 10,000 Subscribers!!!
What?!
That's amazing
I'm so pleased!
I am so happy.
C: Give me 10
Both: Wooo!
*laughs*
J: Did it!