Speaking The Language

I was in the train today to work and standing next to me is 2 deaf-mute guys who talk to each other using sign language. I was amazed on how fast their hands move equivalent to how fast they telling the stories. It makes me wonder for a while whether they can catch up on what the other person is saying. I also wonder whether there are different sign languages, or people in different countries speak different sign language and it turns out that there are lots of sign language and different countries do speak different sign language. It makes me sad somehow to think that deaf-mute people that travel overseas find themselves lost in translation. But it happens to even normal people like us and this language barrier that do happen to deaf-mute people somehow make me feel like what is the different between them and us. We are all the same. We are born normal but incapable of certain things (like swimming for me :) ) and they born impaired but maybe they have good eyesight or sharp in body language.

Lost in Translation

Anyway, I learnt that communication is approximately 30% verbal and 70% body language (the figure might be wrong but it somewhere there), so it is interesting sometimes that you do speak the same language with other person but you don't understand what you've been talking about at all. I was out with Mr.Bf last Monday, and we ended up disagreeing over something. I don't know, the more me or him try to explain further,  the more it became complicated and confusing. We are speaking the same language but we are not SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE. I believe our mind totally not in-sync that night hence we don't understand each other at all. So you do have to get connected to speak the same language (eyes, body, mind?!)

Me and Mr.Bf not SPEAKING the same language

My maid is Javanese Indonesian and she doesn't speak English at all. I was impressed the first time she talk to Mr.Bf and he understand her and vice versa. Where on the other hand, I speak Malay and understand a bit of Indonesian but I always find myself lost with her and she does different thing than what I ask. There my problem is I hear but I don't LISTEN.

I went to KFC this morning in KL Central to buy my breakfast and there was this fight between a lady customer and the cashier. The lady wants to buy coffee and the cashier told her that okay but if you buy together with the breakfast set, it will be cheaper and worthy. The lady simply shake her head without even letting the cashier finish her words. After the cashier gave her the coffee and punch the cost, she said oh I just realize that it will be cheaper with the breakfast set. DUH!!!! People are funny sometimes, they tend to blame others without thinking what actually happen and how did you contribute to the mess in the first place. Well I am sometimes not excepted.

Well, it's a good thing to reflect. So start from today I will LISTEN.

P/s: The two deaf-mute guys in the train actually talk to their friends today via video call. How cool is the technology?!?