Every time I plan a new adventure, one of my favorite thing to do is researching new Cafes, Restaurant, Shops, Schools, or anything related to the Deaf Community.
It’s also a good way to learn something new about the country I’ll visit, and it’s interesting to see how Deaf and Hearing people interact differently in each country.
This time I visited a Deaf tea house in Hoi An, Vietnam.
I had the chance to visit this small town during the Full Moon Festival, where all street lights switch off and leave thousands of colorful lanterns illuminating the Old Town.
You can easily find the Reaching Out Tea House on the main street.
As soon as I stepped in, I noticed everybody was really quiet. The customers were speaking very softly and the waiters were using Sign Language.
We were assigned to a cute table in the backyard and we received a cup of cold tea as a welcome. On each table, there are some wooden bricks you can use to communicate with the staff, as well as an order sheet and some pencils.
After enjoying my refreshing tea, I finally talked with the guy working there. His name is Hop (Sign Name: thumb sliding below his right eye) and he’s responsible for the cafe.
He was super kind to me. His signs were soft and not too fast so that I could follow the conversation.
He was so happy to be in a safe environment were he could finally communicate with Sign Language and other Deaf people.
“Most of the customers don’t know about this special place, but as soon as we give them our card, they understand and they want to stay more“, said Hop.
“We also receive Deaf customers that knew about this place and want to check it out! “
“But, we never receive rude people. Everyone is really nice and we don’t have any problems!”
This reminded me of the Deaf School I visited in Myanmar. Everyone was so happy to simply be there, talking with each other and at peace.
It was the same feeling when I went to the Deaf Starbucks in Malaysia: the place was so quiet and peaceful, everyone smiling at each other and curious about the customers!
Hop explained to me they have a shop as well, and all the object there are all made by them and other artisans with different disabilities. They organize workshops and tours, always with a bright smile.
Everything, in this place, supports the Deaf community and give them a further chance in equal opportunities.
Something similar is happening in Hanoi, where I found a hair salon run by a Deaf guy, who is hiring and training Deaf staff!
This was a perfect start for my journey in Vietnam, and I can’t be happier!
Hop and his staff really transformed a tea in a magical experience.
Let’s see what’s next 😉
Sonia
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