I wasn't aware you knew about the two "ch" sounds, since the one in "lachen" is not so easy for the English tongue. I learned that when an english exchange student visited with me, and she was trying to say "Mittwoch" - (Wednesday) It came out sounding like "Mitwok" - That is funny, because written a bit differently it could translate to "with wok" ( the chinese cooking pot) It's definitely a homophone.
Anyway, you just posted the story, so I'm guessing that others will comment as well. The times when several comments arrived just after you posted your story are definitely over. And it's still the middle of the day in your part of the world. So "keep your ears stiff" (the direct translation of a german term meaning that you shouldn't lose hope)
