Tinnitus

[mothwing]

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

All the time. In my left ear. I've had a very quiet beeping noise in my ear for as long as I can remember, but now it is getting louder and sounds like the noise a TV set is making.

Drives me insane.

Apart from that, I have finished a project on Jane Eyre with a very nice Russian fellow student of mine today who has told me that Au Pairs who come to Germany from Russia are treated every bit as bad as my German friends who went abroad as Au Pairs.

I know that shouldn't have surprised me, but still I would have loved to be able to believe that children who play Au Pairs off against their parents, lie to them so that the Au Pair is blamed in the end, are really rude and obscene, play tricks on them and are deliberately careless because after all, they have a slave to tidy up after them exist exclusively somewhere far, far away. Apparently Au Pairs are treated like bondwomen everywhere.

I used to regret not having spent a year abroad as an Au Pair, but seeing as most Au Pair aspirants I know came back after half a year at the outside, it was probably better that way.

Comments

[luckyoldsun.livejournal.com]

Don't consider this medical advice or anything, but...

http://archive.salon.com/health/feature/1999/05/06/tinnitus/

I recall watchng some sort of documentary on this condition a few years back. The article above seems to suggest that it's quite common.

A slightly different take on Au Pairs....

Our family actually had one when I was a young child (perhaps when I was in kindergarten?). Dorte was from Germany, and taught me virtually all of the German I know (counting from one to ten), and, in general... she had her moments. She left us during the holiday season with this amazing gingerbread house that made from scratch. I seem to recall her sitting by the swimming pool reading a book as I swam (California... pools, of course, are a requirement for living there). But... she had a difficult time balancing activities -- endless partying (again, in California) if I recall correctly and minimal studying. I think eventually she got fed up because children really do consume a lot of one's time, especially young ones and for someone looking to enjoy life, it just really wasn't the right scene for her -- so, she quit after half a year, I think after some blow-up with my folks.

Perhaps Dorte didn't enjoy eating our table scraps and living in the backyard tent. That might have contributed to things as well. ;o)

Happy new year, Moth dear, and I hope your ears don't ring forever!

[luckyoldsun.livejournal.com]

*ahem*... make that "ear" singular.

*drive-by hugging!*

[mothwing.livejournal.com]

Happy new year to you too, Greg! :)

Yep, it is a very common condition, and has zillions of triggers. Loud music is among the most popular ones of course, but I don't listen to loud music. If only, then I knew where it comes from. If it was as quiet as it used to be, I wouldn't mope, but now it is close to the noise of a TV set. Sigh.

Dorte seems to have been very lucky then! But that is not surprising, considering it was your family. :) It would have genuinely surprised me if you and yours would treat Au Pairs badly.
Of course there are those who only go abroad because they want to spend a year on parties, and those must be really annoying for the families they live in. Some of them are completely unreliable and irresponsible.

Thanks for the article, by the way. It is hilarious. *hugs*

[luckyoldsun.livejournal.com]

Have you considered getting some treatment for it (akin to whatever was done for ol' Captain Kirk - a "mute" button for your internal-tv)? It pains me to think of a Moth who mopes. :o\

take care....

[mothwing.livejournal.com]

Moping Moth has been to the doctor and he chided me for not coming earlier. He gave me some pills to stimulate the blood circulation in my inner ear and told me to come back when I had taken all the pills. Let's see if they're any help. Thanks for caring. :) Take care, too. *hugs*