What does “Sensitivity” mean for Shey?
Shey is a freelance interpreter who likes pick-up lines, gymnastics, and mathematics.
When we use language, we often mean different things because of different life experiences and life stories.
Shey
Sensitivity? I'm just trying to put that term into different contexts.
Darryl
What images come to mind?
Shey
Oh, the sand. You touch the sand, and then, like, you feel every like bit of it. You know, grace pass your palm. I'm thinking about two kinds of sand. So like the one that's really nice and smooth, like plain sand? And then the other one is the very rough and painful one. Yeah, if you know what I mean?
Darryl
Sand like, white and smooth, like flour kind of sand, versus grainy and rough sand. What do those kinds of like sand mean for you?
Shey
Maybe sensitivity lends you in two possibilities. One is that you feel really nice, and you feel like you're connected, and you feel, I don't know, you feel good? But the other one just lends you really hurt and rough.
Darryl
Ah, okay. Oh, nice. So you're linking sensitivity to sand and two types of sand. Any like personal experience [that] reminds you of that flour, kind of like sand?
Shey
Maybe, in general, in theatre spaces, or, like, you know, when we move around the room and just, you know, take in what's in the room, because it's contained. The studio is contained. And, you know, everyone there's kind of fresh, like we don't have an existing relationship, so things just feel very nice, yeah? Like you're opening up to the sun, you're noticing the shadows on the wall, sound of the aircon, yeah. So I think those things are really nice. That's the fine sand for me.
Darryl
In your life?
Shey
So I've been missing the feeling of doing mathematics. So like, you know, it was just quite simple last time. Like, you just have one question to solve, and you know, it's [a] very precise thing. Like, it's precise, but very intuitive. But at the end, if you know that, you get a certain answer, that intuition is kind of right, then you get comforted. So it feels like, ah, yeah. It feels effortless. Whenever there is validation?
Darryl
Oh, when there's validation that what you're moving towards or what you're calculating gets you a precise answer.
Shey
Yeah.
Darryl
Okay. When was the last time you did mathematics?
Shey
So many years ago, but because I got tutor people so like, I also like, feel like doing their homework for them. So I remember that feeling, yeah.
Darryl
If you were to describe that feeling, or maybe with specific emotions, how would you feel while doing mathematics?
Shey
Feel like I’m in a zone, like, in a tunnel, like, I don't know, then there is this very nice stream that is really calming, and you're just flowing, you know, like it's undisrupted, you know. But sometimes when you hit a rock, that's kind of okay, and you just circle around the rock for a while, and then, you know, if you can't get it, just let go and find another rock? Somehow you'll get back to that same rock again. Yeah. So in this world, like, everything makes sense and you feel quite secure.
Darryl
How does this link to the sensitivity thing, though?
Shey
Like you know, the wellness kind of people, they always say, if you are sensitive to your emotions and everything, life will be so good. I'm questioning if that is what sensitivity looks like.
Darryl
Okay, so can you link sensitivity to mathematics? What do you mean by that? Because it's not a usual connection that people make: “sensitive to numbers”.
Shey
Yeah, maybe number one. I started like dealing with numbers quite young, yeah, so I feel like I have affinity with numbers, so that makes things quite easy. But the feeling of it is… It's like, like, it's intuitive, but you cannot, anyhow, hantum (singlish for “try without thinking”), you know? Because, like, there are certain things that you hit, yeah, and because, yeah, I think you must be sensitive enough to know where to go. Because, like, I think each, each equation, just each next step just brings you to… just opens up so many roads. It's a way finding, [where] sensitivity is important in way finding? Yeah, and it keeps you going, you know, like, because if you're sensitive, then you feel connected.
Darryl
Maybe, maybe a question that comes to mind, like, there are obstacles that you would hit even during, like, even for the smooth and “floury” sand, but how is that different from the grainy kind of obstacles that you hit -- the other kind of sand?
Shey
Yeah, it feels almost like that nice pretty undisturbed world is like just broken? And you realize, like underneath that really nice pretty sand is, is actually something really grainy, because I've been to, like, oceans where I'm like, wow, so pretty, and then I stand there, and I want to cry. So pain,
Darryl
Okay, okay. Because underneath is the grainy sand.
Shey
I think sometimes, if you are sensitive enough, I think certain things cut. Even if everyone is, you know, it's nice and everything, I don't know, it can be everyone just doing their own, their best, and you know, this is still the situation you're in. Then it really cuts lor. It's really rough when it's the entire world, like, you can't find any nice sand anywhere anymore.
Darryl
Okay. Oh, so you are saying that under every of those ‘floury’ kind of sand might lie those grainy kind of sand, yeah. Okay, so sensitivity would be nice sometimes on the surface, but when you go deeper, especially when it gets too complicated, then you get hurt.
Shey
Correct.
Darryl
I see. Okay. Do you have any examples? Like certain things that you try to do, activities that you try to do in life, and then certain things that started off with sensitivity, with ‘floury’ kind of sand, ended up grainy?
Shey
When, when therapy first started. It was very nice, like it felt like soft sand for the first time in your life. And, of course, I know I paid to be there, but then, like, knowing that such a space exists, it's just really nice sand. And, yeah, it's just a totally different texture that you've never expected. Yeah. So I gravitate towards that space a lot, it’s very safe, very nice, yeah. And then I think one day my therapist disappeared. So like it felt like everything fell apart, like that nice sand, that world just doesn't exist because all the things we worked on kind of got fragmented. Like can you imagine starting over all again with someone else? Yeah, I think that just made me crazy. And I think what's worse is the sudden disappearance. It just makes me question every single bit of that sand like so everything we built together in those years was just broken down, yeah? So then you get that grainy, grainy aspect of things? It's like a slap back into like, reality.
Darryl
Okay, so it was like a relationship built with the ‘floury’ sand. And then, suddenly it was gone because of the sudden disappearance of your therapist.
Shey
Correct.
Darryl
Suddenly something unexpected, right? There's no answer for that, unlike mathematics?
At Split Arenas, we believe professional communication should be rooted in personal stories. When we look at the words people use, and the stories behind those words, we understand who they are, and we can build better relationships. To learn more about what we do, click here. If you wish to be featured in our Language Stories Series, reach out to darryl@split-arenas.com.
