Mariana Yip

I was born in New Zealand and my family came from China. So I am Kiwi-banana, (aka Kiwi-Chinese).

Losing my hearing at first, I had no memories until I had surgery. After surgery, I suffered a lot and I believed that the hardest thing was to develop language. Speaking and writing development was very challenging for me because I was a bit late to develop learning at the age of 6.

After having my CI, things were very challenging! I had to practice HARD for my development skills and language. Meeting people is pretty exciting and scary at the same time. I thought I was like an alien because I wore the thing that holds the CI around my body. However, people embraced me with open arms and made friends with me. I learnt to be accepted by others and myself, too. I tend to stay positive and work hard no matter how hard it is for me.

I really enjoy this life because I never give up on learning and practicing. There are some things I need to improve, so I keep going and work hard on this life. “Work hard. Play hard,” is the inspiring quote for my life.

I love listening to music and watching movies or dramas while listening to their voices and music soundtracks. I also enjoyed the sounds of waves, too.