transcript: \"echoes put me off\": how blind people choose a new home
This is the full record of Echo let me postpone: How the blind chose their new home as their first broadcast in September 14, 2018.
Damon Rose and Beth RoseMUSIC
Hello, I would like to tell you about the flip before you get to the intended podcast.
This is the box set comedy home of BBC Radio 4.
You can get an entire series right away from Matt Berry, Sarah Kendall, Joe lackett and others.
No matter where you receive a podcast, subscribe to Flip. DAMON-
We have done something in the office recently.
Don\'t worry, you can keep your kids listening to this podcast.
Some of us have moved the house, which of course is a big deal, and perhaps more importantly --
Oh my God, I sound like one of those horrible documentaries on Radio 4.
Maybe even more so if you are disabled or you can\'t see it.
Now, another number we have in the big collective office, Lee, Lee Kumata, we are at Ouch. . . A friend of LiHello. DAMON-
Hello, li. . . It\'s a big move. LEE -
Well, it\'s not that far.
It\'s only 200 miles from London, but I\'m moving to Manchester. DAMON-
Well, we can all hear your Australian accent and I think you did another pretty big move at some stage. LEE -
This is the biggest move.
To be fair, I have always thought that the next step will be to move back to Australia;
But I\'m moving to Manchester. DAMON-Okay.
I\'m Damon Rose. this is Ouch.
We have Beth Rose. not related. BETH -Not related. Hello Damon. DAMON -
The same is true in the studio.
Beth, you\'re moving. BETH -
I\'m moving too, and I\'m moving too.
Eight miles from where I am now.
But there is pressure even at a very short distance. DAMON-
I moved last year.
I moved back to London, and this is something that no sensible person will do --
If you can be sane on a disability podcast. LEE -
I don\'t think you can, Damon. DAMON-
We edit it. LEE -Okay. DAMON-
I moved almost 100 miles from Ipswich to London because the commute drove me crazy. BETH -
I just wanted to say that Lee can commute 200 miles if you walk 100 miles. LEE -
I have to say this is considered. BETH -No! DAMON-Really? LEE -Yeah. BETH -Seriously? LEE -Yeah. DAMON-
Because you have a new job in Manchester, so you. . .
Yes, that\'s why I moved. DAMON-
Actually, Salford. LEE -
Yes, I\'m moving to Salford for the Northern production of the BBC. BETH -Woo! LEE -
After six years of Freelancer, they finally decided to give me a permanent job. BETH -Yay! DAMON-
You have been looking for a house.
You \'ve been in Salford for a while recently, haven\'t you?
Can you tell us a little?
Did you find the house? LEE -
I have to go through everything. I hope I find the house.
Moving is one of the things I have to accept as I need a lot of help. DAMON-You\'re blind.
Are we sure? LEE -I am blind.
You may have just heard my new guide dog complain there, so apologize for her.
Frankie, sit down. BETH -
So, you have everything: New House, new job, new dog. DAMON-And blind. BETH -And blind. DAMON-Still blind. LEE -
And still blind. And new city.
But in terms of finding a house for me, it\'s just admitting that I need a lot of help.
Remember the typing pool?
I have a link click pool and I will send it and my title is, \"it sounds really good\" so people can click on them and let me know what they think.
Then they are very nice, Street View, they will look around and see what\'s around the place, how far away from the traffic, they will do the whole thing because it\'s really hard.
You can read these descriptions, but it\'s actually looking at the layout of the suburbs, and the location related to my work, which is something I find very time consuming, I just gave it to someone else.
But it\'s so nervous to see, go and actually see these places, so nervous. DAMON-Why?
What\'s the worst? LEE -
Well, people were very friendly and gave me advice on places to live, like the suburbs, but I decided I wanted to go somewhere in central Manchester, in urban areas.
Everyone advised me not to do so;
But no, Li is going to try it anyway.
They can tell me it\'s a wasteland and I\'m still very interested in the idea.
We came to Manchester Piccadilly in the pouring rain, we ran all the way to this apartment that was really on the wasteland, it was in a very unpopular building with an Echo hall inside, the apartment itself has a floating floor and it\'s just for me anyway-
This is my personal opinion.
Just don\'t do it for me.
This is just a unified flat door opened from the central corridor.
I thought at once, no, it\'s not mine.
I said to my friend who was with me, no.
This is another thing to move, you need, anyway, I need to pull people in to help, but you are a bit out of control over the situation.
It is impossible for me to live there because I have decided, but my friend continues to ask questions about it.
Did I just not make my feelings clear enough, but it was hard to do when the realtor was standing there. BETH -
Or do you think they\'re just being polite?
Like, oh my God, we \'ve dragged James out of his house in Manchester and he\'s wet because things are falling outside. DAMON-
If the house in Manchester really exists
By the way, this is a business accident. [Laughter]LEE -
You\'re cute, James.
Well, maybe, other than someone else watching, there\'s someone else watching the realtor, who desperately wants to get out of there.
So I try to make it as easy as possible for everyone while my friends don\'t. DAMON-
But as a blind person, I, that\'s me, I fully understand your Echo hall business.
I don\'t like places where there are echoes.
Beth, would you judge things, would you reject a place because of too much echo? BETH -
It\'s not that it\'s too echoey, but since it\'s echoey, it\'s obviously just a very hard surface and three doors in the hallway, which is not very popular, even if you open all the doors
So, I don\'t think I\'ll notice this echo, but it\'s going to be the overall atmosphere that I really don\'t like.
But a lot of apartments, obviously I was looking for them in London and they were all identified kit.
They are all like this.
I think it depends on how desperate you are. LEE -
Yes, I was not desperate at the time.
But by the sixth apartment, I had enough.
Both my friends and I are tearing each other apart. BETH -
It\'s all downtown, right?
Are you still holding on? LEE-
No, I saw one in the city center, and then we went out to see other places. DAMON-
So, you found an autonomous city that you like and you have a house.
What do you think of your house? LEE -
It has many walls.
This is actually my dream house. BETH -Really? DAMON-Oh. LEE -
I \'ve always wanted to live in a UK with two or two . . . . . . Beth-
On a little platform, right? LEE -
On a small platform in Britain.
I always wanted to go, so it was the house I dreamed.
It has a fireplace;
Okay, there\'s fire in the fireplace, but hey, we can ignore that. DAMON-
Can we talk about furniture?
What do you think? LEE -
Well, I have some furniture.
I have a futon I like and I have a double recliner.
You have to make your little space as comfortable as possible, right? BETH -Yeah. LEE -
The house was furnished so I had to negotiate because I did want to keep my furniture.
But what about Damon when you move, because you have a lot of furniture to move, do you keep them all? DAMON-
The problem with the furniture is that I gave it completely to my wife because as an invisible person, I really don\'t feel confident that I will buy my own furniture anyway;
Not in a house with two children and a wife.
When I used to live alone, I would of course go out and buy anything old that has practical use.
I remember buying a CD tower. LEE -Did you buy it?
So, you went out and bought a CD tower yourself? DAMON-Yeah. LEE -
Or did you bring someone? DAMON-
Yes, it\'s round and round, you can twist it over.
And it\'s square.
It actually looks ugly, but it has a purpose. LEE -
Is the CD tower really furniture?
How about the sofa?
Because you probably had a couch before you got married? DAMON-
I do have a sofa.
When I met my wife, like she does now, she came around the house she hates, absolutely hates the pattern on my couch, can\'t believe I ever bought it. LEE -
Why did you buy it?
What attracted you? DAMON-
Because it is comfortable and the seats are wide.
You don\'t need to sit on the couch, do you know? LEE -
Can you take a break? DAMON-Yeah, lounge. LEE -On a lounge. DAMON-
Lie down and watch TV. LEE -
Did you buy it yourself? DAMON-
I bought it with the help of my parents and unfortunately they didn\'t give me any creative input at all to buy this couch.
I think that\'s what they think. Oh, we asked him to buy a sofa, no matter what it looks like. BETH -
Do you think this is the cheapest?
Because sometimes they increase the premium on better materials. LEE -
That\'s what they are, right? BETH -
If you really don\'t care, then you will be rejected. LEE -
But the other thing is . . . . . . Damon. I did care.
I\'m going to sit on everything. BETH -
Well, you sit on it, but you don\'t care what the fabric looks like. DAMON-I suppose.
They are all sharp, a bit wordy. LEE -Was it tactile? DAMON-
You know, it\'s fun to touch.
Over the years, as a fairly proud blind person, if someone. . . Fairly proud? DAMON-Yeah.
. . . . . . If someone says to me, \'Why don\'t you look at this?
Really good.
I will think, oh God, they are thinking that I am blind. Feel -
Oh my God, you think my life is a relationship or something.
What happened here?
So I used to say no.
But now I think I can say publicly, yes, I do buy things a lot based on how they feel. LEE -Of course.
I bought it, the first lounge I bought, and my first sofa was red.
I seem to like the red sofa.
Very tactile. I like it very much. DAMON-
When you say touch, how does it touch and in what way? LEE -
It is a rather rough and sharp feeling. DAMON-
Yes, I like rough. LEE -
A little . . . . . . Damon\'s rough and sharp
If you understand what I mean[Laughter]LEE -
Shall we get past that one quickly?
I love the touch of it, you won\'t get up until you sit on it with bare skin for a long time, and there will be my sofa pattern behind your thigh.
So, sometimes there is something to say because there is less touch. DAMON-
I like aluminum very much.
Do you know if you did? LEE -
What furniture do you have that is brushed aluminum? DAMON-
Oh, well, I think the thing we recently brushed aluminum on was our great American fridge with a handle under it, something that brushed aluminum.
Lovely, textured. LEE -
You\'re middle class, aren\'t you? DAMON-Is it?
I feel a little tacky. BETH -
I have never heard of brushing aluminum. DAMON-
Is that what they said?
Is that aluminum I\'m talking about? Brushed steel -anyone? BETH -I don\'t know.
You\'re telling this story. DAMON-No? BETH -
I don\'t think aluminum looks . . . . . . Damon --Brushed metal. LEE -
It may be brushed aluminum finish but not aluminum finish. DAMON-
It has that rough feeling. LEE -Right. BETH -
I thought you were going well. DAMON-
No, I don\'t like smooth metal.
How do you feel with smooth metal? LEE -
Well, I was wondering when was the last time I felt smooth metal, but I thought I might prefer rough metal. DAMON-
That\'s what we should call a podcast, isn\'t it, it really makes people listen to this: how do you feel about smooth metal?
This is what they want. BETH -
Sounds like some rock bands, some radios in their 80 s. LEE -Smooth metal. DAMON-
Did we cover all the furniture?
I was really interested yesterday. we talked for a while. you said one of your worries was to turn off the lights. LEE -
Ah, I\'m really worried about turning the lights on, yes.
I have been doing it all the time.
I just bought this new guide dog. an instructor said to me that I once walked into my room. it was already dark. she said, \"Oh, don\'t you turn on the lights for the dog?
I said, \'No, never, and they seem to be limited \'.
\"Well, someone suggested you turn on the lights for the dog,\" she said . \". BETH -
Really? turn on the dog? LEE -Yeah. BETH -
Well, I never thought about it. LEE -I know.
So now I\'m working on it consciously.
So, I turned on the light for her, but I forgot to turn it off again.
So, I\'m thinking about the whole smart home thing.
But you have to put them on the right timer because even with a smart home you have to remember to say what it is. DAMON-
What does smart home mean?
What are we talking about here?
What does this help with the lights? LEE -
Smart home is like many of your devices and appliances are connected to the Internet, and you can operate them with app or voice help, which is made by large companies.
Can I say these words? BETH -
You did a great job describing them. DAMON-
There are only a few, none of which are Amazon, Google, or Apple. LEE -Apple. Yeah exactly.
So, you can say to your voice assistant, \'so, turn off the lights in the bedroom,\' but you still have to remember to do that, right.
So, what\'s the difference between finding the switch and closing the switch? BETH -
I think the timer is a good idea. LEE -
I think I have to have a timer. DAMON-
How does the timer work? LEE -
The timer works, so if you want your light to turn on at 4: 30, because it\'s like the North West of England and will darken soon, and then they will come over, then they will turn it off around 11: 30 and then they will turn it back on at some point you set. DAMON-
I won\'t let them last until 11: 30 p. m. because people can see your living room if you open the curtains.
Are you worried about the curtains? LEE -
So, I have to pull the curtains on the timer, is that what you said? DAMON-
You should also consider closing the curtains.
What you need is smart curtains. LEE -
Smart curtains, okay, I will think about it.
Lighting is really tricky in general, isn\'t it? DAMON-Why? LEE -
Well, because I wake up in the morning and forget to pull the curtains open, I can be in the perfect darkness and don\'t care or know. BETH -
What if you only have one switch? LEE -
If you can\'t see it, what\'s the point of pulling the curtain open? BETH -
I don\'t use curtains myself;
I am completely opposite. LEE -
Are you miss the blind? BETH -No, nothing.
Everyone was saying to me, \"Oh, what is the curtain, what is the curtain ? \"?
No, it\'s not even on my list, why am I doing this? LEE -
What, is your window empty? BETH -
Yeah, I\'m fine with anything. DAMON-
But when you change, do you think I can do something with a little bit of privacy? BETH -
I take this risk. LEE -
What floor are you on? BETH -
I\'m in the second one.
I have never been ignored.
Well, I did turn around once to change my clothes and I saw two eyes staring at me and I looked at it and it was a cat.
But as far as I know, it\'s risky. DAMON-
What you need is an app that tells you if people are looking at you from other windows. LEE -
Oh, no, it\'s true. BETH -
Hope they just like it.
I never saw them.
They still have a long way to go. DAMON-
They just enjoyed it! [Laughter]LEE -
Hope they just like it. BETH -
Yes, I think Li is in line with my philosophy: give it up. LEE -
OK, but I guess what makes Beth different is that you can see if anyone is looking at it. BETH -That is true. LEE -
I can\'t see it either. BETH -That is true.
If you are on the terrace, there may be some houses opposite. LEE -And a cul-de-sac. BETH -And a cul-de-sac okay. LEE -
So, sorry, I\'m not going to take this suggestion. BETH -Okay.
But I do think that if there is a switch next to your bedside table that connects every light in the House, then you just want to press it once in the morning and once in the evening. DAMON-Master switch. BETH -
Yes, the main switch. LEE -
A main switch. BETH -Yeah, all done. DAMON-
But I know blind people have smart devices so they can control the lights more easily. LEE -Yeah. DAMON-
But of course, there are apps that let you go around the house and check if there are lights in each room. BETH -
Yes, but it\'s a bit of a drag, isn\'t it? DAMON-
Light detector. LEE -
No time, no interest.
Damon, I have a question for you: are you the one who likes to assemble the furniture?
You say you don\'t necessarily want to be involved in the selection, but will you handle the Ikea bookcase? DAMON-
I remember when I was a student, I used to happily go to the DIY store with my friends to buy shelves and you can easily put them together, very simple shelf with the metal pillar you connect with wood --
What do they call them?
They only have it in DIY stores. not screws. Alum keys.
Who invented it?
They . . . . . . Where?
Everyone accepts them.
What\'s wrong with screws and screwdrivers? I don\'t know.
But they are simple. I used to like putting them together.
I don\'t know if this is a boy thing, but I feel a sense of accomplishment in doing so.
But when you come from that famous Swedish place to more complex furniture items like Billy shelves and the like, I mean they are very tricky, aren\'t they?
You need to be able to look at the charts, instructions, they don\'t feel like they can be implemented, and there are too many widgets. LEE -
I think there\'s always something left over when someone does it.
Will you be yours, Beth? BETH -
I like a project very much, so I will.
But I said I had a new bed two weeks after I moved in because why didn\'t I sort it out like that, I assumed and hoped and prayed that it would show up with a helpful man or woman, they will build it for me.
But I\'m not sure so I might have to take out this alum key or invest in a screwdriver or something or call a handy friend. LEE -Hire a hubby. BETH -
Yeah, that\'s the ideal, right?
I \'ve spoken to a few people at work, so I have a blue electric violin that I don\'t know what to do, I think, I\'ll hang it on the wall, it\'s cool because I love music, and one of my colleagues said, \'Oh, yeah, cool, I\'ll come over and have a look.
I thought, \'You will come and hang it on the wall, not look at it \'[laughter]
Because I don\'t know where to start. DAMON-
Last question: your new house, can you describe the way it looks in front of you? LEE -At the front? DAMON-Yeah.
What does it look like from the street? LEE -
Did I mention the downpour?
So I didn\'t get a chance to hang out on the street or in the front yard. DAMON-
I dig here.
I wonder if you know what your house looks like.
This is a little trick. LEE -
It has a front window and a path to it.
The garden in front has big leaves and I believe there is a door. BETH -Sounds nice. LEE -
That\'s all I know. DAMON-
What color is the bricklayer? LEE -What!
I\'m going to red. DAMON-
What color is the front door? LEE -
I don\'t know, but it\'s light blue inside. DAMON-Okay. LEE -Is that enough?
God, the pressure is too great! DAMON-
Can you check the Street View? LEE -Yeah. BETH -
Let\'s have a look.
What is the road?
Just like you do on the bus. LEE -
Can\'t I just say my address? DAMON-
We deleted it. LEE -
Thank you very much! BETH -
I just open Google Maps or something, Street View, very slow, tick.
Looks good.
So, there is a door, it has a tree, it does look very leaf. LEE -
There is a small path to rise. BETH -
There is a path.
I can\'t see the door, so I don\'t know what color the door is, but it has two layers, you have a chimney that can be used for a fireplace, and while yours is a gas fire, anyway, this is the real room. LEE -
I don\'t know I have a chimney. DAMON-And Santa. BETH -
They took this picture during the cherry blossom season, so it looked lovely. LEE -
Oh, I\'m going to eat cherry blossoms. BETH -Lots of trees. DAMON-
What color is the house? BETH -
The house is a red brick. LEE -Ooh, ding ding. BETH -
One of your neighbors has a white door, a black door, a red door, which is very beautiful and colorful.
Lots of parking.
They parked on the side of the road and I think it might be annoying. LEE -
Okay, it\'s good to know this.
Frankie must solve the problem. BETH -
Yeah, he just had to run past them. LEE -Yeah. BETH -
But it looks beautiful. There are so many leaves.
It\'s sunny and I think it\'s rare in Manchester. LEE -
Yes, they are waiting for sunny days in Manchester.
But what happens now if I don\'t understand? BETH -You will. DAMON-
I thought it was . . . . . . I thought you got it. LEE -
Okay, this is a let\'s agree. BETH -
That\'s enough, right? LEE -
Yes, that\'s good enough. DAMON-
Yes, you will understand. LEE -
I\'m going to pay a deposit like 1200 today. BETH -
Okay, we\'re gone. it\'s yours. it\'s done. it\'s sealed. DAMON-Yeah. It\'s yours.
Congrats you did a good job.
I hope everything goes well. LEE -
Thank you very much. BETH -Good luck. LEE -Thank you.
You\'re coming to my farewell party. BETH -Yes definitely. DAMON-Yeah we are. LEE -Thanks guys. DAMON-
So, it has to do with Lee Kumata, Beth Rose and me Damon Rose and two dogs, and you will hear them shake in the background from time to time.
If you would like to email us about moving or something, please email ouch @ bbc. co.
UK, find us on Twitter @ bbcouch and we are also on Facebook.
See you next week. BETH -Bye. LEE -Bye.
Damon Rose and Beth RoseMUSIC
Hello, I would like to tell you about the flip before you get to the intended podcast.
This is the box set comedy home of BBC Radio 4.
You can get an entire series right away from Matt Berry, Sarah Kendall, Joe lackett and others.
No matter where you receive a podcast, subscribe to Flip. DAMON-
We have done something in the office recently.
Don\'t worry, you can keep your kids listening to this podcast.
Some of us have moved the house, which of course is a big deal, and perhaps more importantly --
Oh my God, I sound like one of those horrible documentaries on Radio 4.
Maybe even more so if you are disabled or you can\'t see it.
Now, another number we have in the big collective office, Lee, Lee Kumata, we are at Ouch. . . A friend of LiHello. DAMON-
Hello, li. . . It\'s a big move. LEE -
Well, it\'s not that far.
It\'s only 200 miles from London, but I\'m moving to Manchester. DAMON-
Well, we can all hear your Australian accent and I think you did another pretty big move at some stage. LEE -
This is the biggest move.
To be fair, I have always thought that the next step will be to move back to Australia;
But I\'m moving to Manchester. DAMON-Okay.
I\'m Damon Rose. this is Ouch.
We have Beth Rose. not related. BETH -Not related. Hello Damon. DAMON -
The same is true in the studio.
Beth, you\'re moving. BETH -
I\'m moving too, and I\'m moving too.
Eight miles from where I am now.
But there is pressure even at a very short distance. DAMON-
I moved last year.
I moved back to London, and this is something that no sensible person will do --
If you can be sane on a disability podcast. LEE -
I don\'t think you can, Damon. DAMON-
We edit it. LEE -Okay. DAMON-
I moved almost 100 miles from Ipswich to London because the commute drove me crazy. BETH -
I just wanted to say that Lee can commute 200 miles if you walk 100 miles. LEE -
I have to say this is considered. BETH -No! DAMON-Really? LEE -Yeah. BETH -Seriously? LEE -Yeah. DAMON-
Because you have a new job in Manchester, so you. . .
Yes, that\'s why I moved. DAMON-
Actually, Salford. LEE -
Yes, I\'m moving to Salford for the Northern production of the BBC. BETH -Woo! LEE -
After six years of Freelancer, they finally decided to give me a permanent job. BETH -Yay! DAMON-
You have been looking for a house.
You \'ve been in Salford for a while recently, haven\'t you?
Can you tell us a little?
Did you find the house? LEE -
I have to go through everything. I hope I find the house.
Moving is one of the things I have to accept as I need a lot of help. DAMON-You\'re blind.
Are we sure? LEE -I am blind.
You may have just heard my new guide dog complain there, so apologize for her.
Frankie, sit down. BETH -
So, you have everything: New House, new job, new dog. DAMON-And blind. BETH -And blind. DAMON-Still blind. LEE -
And still blind. And new city.
But in terms of finding a house for me, it\'s just admitting that I need a lot of help.
Remember the typing pool?
I have a link click pool and I will send it and my title is, \"it sounds really good\" so people can click on them and let me know what they think.
Then they are very nice, Street View, they will look around and see what\'s around the place, how far away from the traffic, they will do the whole thing because it\'s really hard.
You can read these descriptions, but it\'s actually looking at the layout of the suburbs, and the location related to my work, which is something I find very time consuming, I just gave it to someone else.
But it\'s so nervous to see, go and actually see these places, so nervous. DAMON-Why?
What\'s the worst? LEE -
Well, people were very friendly and gave me advice on places to live, like the suburbs, but I decided I wanted to go somewhere in central Manchester, in urban areas.
Everyone advised me not to do so;
But no, Li is going to try it anyway.
They can tell me it\'s a wasteland and I\'m still very interested in the idea.
We came to Manchester Piccadilly in the pouring rain, we ran all the way to this apartment that was really on the wasteland, it was in a very unpopular building with an Echo hall inside, the apartment itself has a floating floor and it\'s just for me anyway-
This is my personal opinion.
Just don\'t do it for me.
This is just a unified flat door opened from the central corridor.
I thought at once, no, it\'s not mine.
I said to my friend who was with me, no.
This is another thing to move, you need, anyway, I need to pull people in to help, but you are a bit out of control over the situation.
It is impossible for me to live there because I have decided, but my friend continues to ask questions about it.
Did I just not make my feelings clear enough, but it was hard to do when the realtor was standing there. BETH -
Or do you think they\'re just being polite?
Like, oh my God, we \'ve dragged James out of his house in Manchester and he\'s wet because things are falling outside. DAMON-
If the house in Manchester really exists
By the way, this is a business accident. [Laughter]LEE -
You\'re cute, James.
Well, maybe, other than someone else watching, there\'s someone else watching the realtor, who desperately wants to get out of there.
So I try to make it as easy as possible for everyone while my friends don\'t. DAMON-
But as a blind person, I, that\'s me, I fully understand your Echo hall business.
I don\'t like places where there are echoes.
Beth, would you judge things, would you reject a place because of too much echo? BETH -
It\'s not that it\'s too echoey, but since it\'s echoey, it\'s obviously just a very hard surface and three doors in the hallway, which is not very popular, even if you open all the doors
So, I don\'t think I\'ll notice this echo, but it\'s going to be the overall atmosphere that I really don\'t like.
But a lot of apartments, obviously I was looking for them in London and they were all identified kit.
They are all like this.
I think it depends on how desperate you are. LEE -
Yes, I was not desperate at the time.
But by the sixth apartment, I had enough.
Both my friends and I are tearing each other apart. BETH -
It\'s all downtown, right?
Are you still holding on? LEE-
No, I saw one in the city center, and then we went out to see other places. DAMON-
So, you found an autonomous city that you like and you have a house.
What do you think of your house? LEE -
It has many walls.
This is actually my dream house. BETH -Really? DAMON-Oh. LEE -
I \'ve always wanted to live in a UK with two or two . . . . . . Beth-
On a little platform, right? LEE -
On a small platform in Britain.
I always wanted to go, so it was the house I dreamed.
It has a fireplace;
Okay, there\'s fire in the fireplace, but hey, we can ignore that. DAMON-
Can we talk about furniture?
What do you think? LEE -
Well, I have some furniture.
I have a futon I like and I have a double recliner.
You have to make your little space as comfortable as possible, right? BETH -Yeah. LEE -
The house was furnished so I had to negotiate because I did want to keep my furniture.
But what about Damon when you move, because you have a lot of furniture to move, do you keep them all? DAMON-
The problem with the furniture is that I gave it completely to my wife because as an invisible person, I really don\'t feel confident that I will buy my own furniture anyway;
Not in a house with two children and a wife.
When I used to live alone, I would of course go out and buy anything old that has practical use.
I remember buying a CD tower. LEE -Did you buy it?
So, you went out and bought a CD tower yourself? DAMON-Yeah. LEE -
Or did you bring someone? DAMON-
Yes, it\'s round and round, you can twist it over.
And it\'s square.
It actually looks ugly, but it has a purpose. LEE -
Is the CD tower really furniture?
How about the sofa?
Because you probably had a couch before you got married? DAMON-
I do have a sofa.
When I met my wife, like she does now, she came around the house she hates, absolutely hates the pattern on my couch, can\'t believe I ever bought it. LEE -
Why did you buy it?
What attracted you? DAMON-
Because it is comfortable and the seats are wide.
You don\'t need to sit on the couch, do you know? LEE -
Can you take a break? DAMON-Yeah, lounge. LEE -On a lounge. DAMON-
Lie down and watch TV. LEE -
Did you buy it yourself? DAMON-
I bought it with the help of my parents and unfortunately they didn\'t give me any creative input at all to buy this couch.
I think that\'s what they think. Oh, we asked him to buy a sofa, no matter what it looks like. BETH -
Do you think this is the cheapest?
Because sometimes they increase the premium on better materials. LEE -
That\'s what they are, right? BETH -
If you really don\'t care, then you will be rejected. LEE -
But the other thing is . . . . . . Damon. I did care.
I\'m going to sit on everything. BETH -
Well, you sit on it, but you don\'t care what the fabric looks like. DAMON-I suppose.
They are all sharp, a bit wordy. LEE -Was it tactile? DAMON-
You know, it\'s fun to touch.
Over the years, as a fairly proud blind person, if someone. . . Fairly proud? DAMON-Yeah.
. . . . . . If someone says to me, \'Why don\'t you look at this?
Really good.
I will think, oh God, they are thinking that I am blind. Feel -
Oh my God, you think my life is a relationship or something.
What happened here?
So I used to say no.
But now I think I can say publicly, yes, I do buy things a lot based on how they feel. LEE -Of course.
I bought it, the first lounge I bought, and my first sofa was red.
I seem to like the red sofa.
Very tactile. I like it very much. DAMON-
When you say touch, how does it touch and in what way? LEE -
It is a rather rough and sharp feeling. DAMON-
Yes, I like rough. LEE -
A little . . . . . . Damon\'s rough and sharp
If you understand what I mean[Laughter]LEE -
Shall we get past that one quickly?
I love the touch of it, you won\'t get up until you sit on it with bare skin for a long time, and there will be my sofa pattern behind your thigh.
So, sometimes there is something to say because there is less touch. DAMON-
I like aluminum very much.
Do you know if you did? LEE -
What furniture do you have that is brushed aluminum? DAMON-
Oh, well, I think the thing we recently brushed aluminum on was our great American fridge with a handle under it, something that brushed aluminum.
Lovely, textured. LEE -
You\'re middle class, aren\'t you? DAMON-Is it?
I feel a little tacky. BETH -
I have never heard of brushing aluminum. DAMON-
Is that what they said?
Is that aluminum I\'m talking about? Brushed steel -anyone? BETH -I don\'t know.
You\'re telling this story. DAMON-No? BETH -
I don\'t think aluminum looks . . . . . . Damon --Brushed metal. LEE -
It may be brushed aluminum finish but not aluminum finish. DAMON-
It has that rough feeling. LEE -Right. BETH -
I thought you were going well. DAMON-
No, I don\'t like smooth metal.
How do you feel with smooth metal? LEE -
Well, I was wondering when was the last time I felt smooth metal, but I thought I might prefer rough metal. DAMON-
That\'s what we should call a podcast, isn\'t it, it really makes people listen to this: how do you feel about smooth metal?
This is what they want. BETH -
Sounds like some rock bands, some radios in their 80 s. LEE -Smooth metal. DAMON-
Did we cover all the furniture?
I was really interested yesterday. we talked for a while. you said one of your worries was to turn off the lights. LEE -
Ah, I\'m really worried about turning the lights on, yes.
I have been doing it all the time.
I just bought this new guide dog. an instructor said to me that I once walked into my room. it was already dark. she said, \"Oh, don\'t you turn on the lights for the dog?
I said, \'No, never, and they seem to be limited \'.
\"Well, someone suggested you turn on the lights for the dog,\" she said . \". BETH -
Really? turn on the dog? LEE -Yeah. BETH -
Well, I never thought about it. LEE -I know.
So now I\'m working on it consciously.
So, I turned on the light for her, but I forgot to turn it off again.
So, I\'m thinking about the whole smart home thing.
But you have to put them on the right timer because even with a smart home you have to remember to say what it is. DAMON-
What does smart home mean?
What are we talking about here?
What does this help with the lights? LEE -
Smart home is like many of your devices and appliances are connected to the Internet, and you can operate them with app or voice help, which is made by large companies.
Can I say these words? BETH -
You did a great job describing them. DAMON-
There are only a few, none of which are Amazon, Google, or Apple. LEE -Apple. Yeah exactly.
So, you can say to your voice assistant, \'so, turn off the lights in the bedroom,\' but you still have to remember to do that, right.
So, what\'s the difference between finding the switch and closing the switch? BETH -
I think the timer is a good idea. LEE -
I think I have to have a timer. DAMON-
How does the timer work? LEE -
The timer works, so if you want your light to turn on at 4: 30, because it\'s like the North West of England and will darken soon, and then they will come over, then they will turn it off around 11: 30 and then they will turn it back on at some point you set. DAMON-
I won\'t let them last until 11: 30 p. m. because people can see your living room if you open the curtains.
Are you worried about the curtains? LEE -
So, I have to pull the curtains on the timer, is that what you said? DAMON-
You should also consider closing the curtains.
What you need is smart curtains. LEE -
Smart curtains, okay, I will think about it.
Lighting is really tricky in general, isn\'t it? DAMON-Why? LEE -
Well, because I wake up in the morning and forget to pull the curtains open, I can be in the perfect darkness and don\'t care or know. BETH -
What if you only have one switch? LEE -
If you can\'t see it, what\'s the point of pulling the curtain open? BETH -
I don\'t use curtains myself;
I am completely opposite. LEE -
Are you miss the blind? BETH -No, nothing.
Everyone was saying to me, \"Oh, what is the curtain, what is the curtain ? \"?
No, it\'s not even on my list, why am I doing this? LEE -
What, is your window empty? BETH -
Yeah, I\'m fine with anything. DAMON-
But when you change, do you think I can do something with a little bit of privacy? BETH -
I take this risk. LEE -
What floor are you on? BETH -
I\'m in the second one.
I have never been ignored.
Well, I did turn around once to change my clothes and I saw two eyes staring at me and I looked at it and it was a cat.
But as far as I know, it\'s risky. DAMON-
What you need is an app that tells you if people are looking at you from other windows. LEE -
Oh, no, it\'s true. BETH -
Hope they just like it.
I never saw them.
They still have a long way to go. DAMON-
They just enjoyed it! [Laughter]LEE -
Hope they just like it. BETH -
Yes, I think Li is in line with my philosophy: give it up. LEE -
OK, but I guess what makes Beth different is that you can see if anyone is looking at it. BETH -That is true. LEE -
I can\'t see it either. BETH -That is true.
If you are on the terrace, there may be some houses opposite. LEE -And a cul-de-sac. BETH -And a cul-de-sac okay. LEE -
So, sorry, I\'m not going to take this suggestion. BETH -Okay.
But I do think that if there is a switch next to your bedside table that connects every light in the House, then you just want to press it once in the morning and once in the evening. DAMON-Master switch. BETH -
Yes, the main switch. LEE -
A main switch. BETH -Yeah, all done. DAMON-
But I know blind people have smart devices so they can control the lights more easily. LEE -Yeah. DAMON-
But of course, there are apps that let you go around the house and check if there are lights in each room. BETH -
Yes, but it\'s a bit of a drag, isn\'t it? DAMON-
Light detector. LEE -
No time, no interest.
Damon, I have a question for you: are you the one who likes to assemble the furniture?
You say you don\'t necessarily want to be involved in the selection, but will you handle the Ikea bookcase? DAMON-
I remember when I was a student, I used to happily go to the DIY store with my friends to buy shelves and you can easily put them together, very simple shelf with the metal pillar you connect with wood --
What do they call them?
They only have it in DIY stores. not screws. Alum keys.
Who invented it?
They . . . . . . Where?
Everyone accepts them.
What\'s wrong with screws and screwdrivers? I don\'t know.
But they are simple. I used to like putting them together.
I don\'t know if this is a boy thing, but I feel a sense of accomplishment in doing so.
But when you come from that famous Swedish place to more complex furniture items like Billy shelves and the like, I mean they are very tricky, aren\'t they?
You need to be able to look at the charts, instructions, they don\'t feel like they can be implemented, and there are too many widgets. LEE -
I think there\'s always something left over when someone does it.
Will you be yours, Beth? BETH -
I like a project very much, so I will.
But I said I had a new bed two weeks after I moved in because why didn\'t I sort it out like that, I assumed and hoped and prayed that it would show up with a helpful man or woman, they will build it for me.
But I\'m not sure so I might have to take out this alum key or invest in a screwdriver or something or call a handy friend. LEE -Hire a hubby. BETH -
Yeah, that\'s the ideal, right?
I \'ve spoken to a few people at work, so I have a blue electric violin that I don\'t know what to do, I think, I\'ll hang it on the wall, it\'s cool because I love music, and one of my colleagues said, \'Oh, yeah, cool, I\'ll come over and have a look.
I thought, \'You will come and hang it on the wall, not look at it \'[laughter]
Because I don\'t know where to start. DAMON-
Last question: your new house, can you describe the way it looks in front of you? LEE -At the front? DAMON-Yeah.
What does it look like from the street? LEE -
Did I mention the downpour?
So I didn\'t get a chance to hang out on the street or in the front yard. DAMON-
I dig here.
I wonder if you know what your house looks like.
This is a little trick. LEE -
It has a front window and a path to it.
The garden in front has big leaves and I believe there is a door. BETH -Sounds nice. LEE -
That\'s all I know. DAMON-
What color is the bricklayer? LEE -What!
I\'m going to red. DAMON-
What color is the front door? LEE -
I don\'t know, but it\'s light blue inside. DAMON-Okay. LEE -Is that enough?
God, the pressure is too great! DAMON-
Can you check the Street View? LEE -Yeah. BETH -
Let\'s have a look.
What is the road?
Just like you do on the bus. LEE -
Can\'t I just say my address? DAMON-
We deleted it. LEE -
Thank you very much! BETH -
I just open Google Maps or something, Street View, very slow, tick.
Looks good.
So, there is a door, it has a tree, it does look very leaf. LEE -
There is a small path to rise. BETH -
There is a path.
I can\'t see the door, so I don\'t know what color the door is, but it has two layers, you have a chimney that can be used for a fireplace, and while yours is a gas fire, anyway, this is the real room. LEE -
I don\'t know I have a chimney. DAMON-And Santa. BETH -
They took this picture during the cherry blossom season, so it looked lovely. LEE -
Oh, I\'m going to eat cherry blossoms. BETH -Lots of trees. DAMON-
What color is the house? BETH -
The house is a red brick. LEE -Ooh, ding ding. BETH -
One of your neighbors has a white door, a black door, a red door, which is very beautiful and colorful.
Lots of parking.
They parked on the side of the road and I think it might be annoying. LEE -
Okay, it\'s good to know this.
Frankie must solve the problem. BETH -
Yeah, he just had to run past them. LEE -Yeah. BETH -
But it looks beautiful. There are so many leaves.
It\'s sunny and I think it\'s rare in Manchester. LEE -
Yes, they are waiting for sunny days in Manchester.
But what happens now if I don\'t understand? BETH -You will. DAMON-
I thought it was . . . . . . I thought you got it. LEE -
Okay, this is a let\'s agree. BETH -
That\'s enough, right? LEE -
Yes, that\'s good enough. DAMON-
Yes, you will understand. LEE -
I\'m going to pay a deposit like 1200 today. BETH -
Okay, we\'re gone. it\'s yours. it\'s done. it\'s sealed. DAMON-Yeah. It\'s yours.
Congrats you did a good job.
I hope everything goes well. LEE -
Thank you very much. BETH -Good luck. LEE -Thank you.
You\'re coming to my farewell party. BETH -Yes definitely. DAMON-Yeah we are. LEE -Thanks guys. DAMON-
So, it has to do with Lee Kumata, Beth Rose and me Damon Rose and two dogs, and you will hear them shake in the background from time to time.
If you would like to email us about moving or something, please email ouch @ bbc. co.
UK, find us on Twitter @ bbcouch and we are also on Facebook.
See you next week. BETH -Bye. LEE -Bye.
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