Can the deaf help us to listen better?
SINGAPORE: The world felt like it was closing in. After putting in the ear plugs, I could no longer hear the whirring of the air-conditioner, the clinking of tea cups or the motion of other people around me.
I never really understood how loud silence was until then, as I sat in a café, sipping specially brewed tea. I had just learnt four basic sign language phrases just promptly got them mixed up.
I sneaked a peek at my neighbour releasing his third deep exhale, following the tea ritual directions to a, erm, tee. He opened his eyes and defenseless me looking. He smiled. I tittered. The daughter across the table giggled and we all found ourselves exchanging imperceptible knowing nods.
But correct at that place, in that quiet stillness, nosotros communicated.
Welcome to the Hush experience. A social enterprise whose primary aim is to promote the do of embracing mindfulness and advice through silence while creating employment for the deaf, Hush is creating a prototype shift.
To well-nigh of us, the idea that nosotros could learn to communicate and connect with each other more effectively from people who cannot hear might not fifty-fifty occur. But Hush's founder Anthea Ong and her band of deaf facilitators would like to show you how by inviting you to step into the earth of the deafened.
"What amuses me are the facial expressions. People's faces change like magic later on nosotros gesture to them that nosotros are deaf!" TeaRista Low Kok Wah, who facilitates these sessions at Hush, told Channel NewsAsia via sign language. "I empathize they can be pretty uncomfortable when they realize they are being served past people who are deaf.
According to founder Ong, Hush was launched every bit a social motility to bring both the hearing and not-hearing worlds together.
"This is an empowering space - an inclusive and integrative environs created for the non-hearing to lead the hearing because in silence, we are the same," shared the former managing manager of a consulting grouping.
For TeaRista Rahmat Hamka bin Osman, information technology was very important for him to be part of this movement.
"Because I get to exercise something meaningful," he signed. "And (hopefully) others can do the same."
TeaRista Low Kok Wah teaching the hearing paricipants elementary sign linguistic communication (Photo: Howard Police)
BRIDGING GAPS THROUGH BETTER LISTENING
A rare but of import platform that bridges the gap between unlike communities, Depression hopes Hush will dispel misconceptions virtually the deaf, while providing opportunity for employment.
"Nosotros are non anti-social or aloof. Nosotros simply communicate with you on the get," signed Low. "Learning some simple basic signs tin can really open a gate."
Rahmat agreed, maxim "I hope that hearing people can exist more patient with united states and (know) that we can do anything. All except hearing."
Low also hopes that participants non simply notice self-sensation but likewise get out with some important takeaways from their experiences. "It's important to celebrate inclusion and integrate all of us equally one," signed Depression. "You and I are the same. Interruption down barriers and allow'southward connect," Low signed.
So how can the deaf help the hearing really listen better?
"During the Hush experience, the deaf teach us to engage in silence, and in that process, we learn to shut out the white noise and listen to ourselves more," Ong said. "This allows us the opportunity to interruption and reflect on why nosotros do the things we do, and what really matters to usa."
"If employers create such opportunities of experiential empathy and reflection for their employees, they give employees a more meaningful working environment, which fosters creativity and collaboration as a team civilization."
Since its inception in 2014, Hush TeaBar has seen its deafened TeaRistas go to workplaces all across Singapore to guide and facilitate corporate executives through silent "tea ritual" and "tea art" sessions to encourage participants to do self-awareness and cocky-reflection given their increasingly hectic lives. Google, DBS, Ministry building of Education, NUHS (National University Health Arrangement) are among some of the bigger organisations that take taken role.
During these sessions, participants are required to relinquish their mobile phones and other electronic devices so every bit to fully engage in the process - one which culminates in participants penning thoughts on newspaper, creating artwork using tea and sharing their experiences later on a flow of uninterrupted quiet.
This is all with the shared goal to "encourage silence and awareness (given) today's ultra busy modern lifestyle", said Ong.
The friendly deaf TeaRistas who atomic number 82 the sessions from start to stop ( Photo: Howard Law)
SOCIAL EXPERIMENT THAT CHANGES THE DATING SCENE
Hush is looking at unlike ways to expand the social movement also as help connect more than people.
"We believe that 'falling in love with silence' (can) be a revolutionary social experiment to change the dating scene," said Ong with a laugh. "Why not create opportunity for singles to run into, connect and build relations in an authentic and meaningful way?"
According to Ong, this "singles in silence" social experiment is the first of its kind, and allows people to break the small talk and create deeper conversation across the pleasantries of a "How are You lot?" while learning to sign and communicate in silence with each other.
Depression enjoys playing cupid during Hush'south Valentine's Singles special sessions, which he sees every bit a fun modify from conducting the regular corporate preparation stints.
"People say honey transcends all but I believe love needs awareness to transcend above all senses we possess, particularly hearing," signed Depression
For at present, Hush is not looking to host a dating website. But its "tea ritual" experience - where one is encouraged to ho-hum down and learn to communicate with reflection and silence - could very well work as an alternative to the fast-paced earth of speed dating and online dating apps like Tinder.
Participants making the effort to slow things downwardly during the Tea Ritual (Photo: Howard Police force)
Geetha Warrier who participated in Hush's special valentine'southward singles session told Channel NewsAsia that she felt "corking" later the proceedings.
"I feel that (this) offers (a) casual and informal setting, where people can meet and become to know each other. One is usually in a relaxed mode on these occasions, so communication is easier and face-to-face interaction helps with understanding the other person better. I thought this was brilliant."
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/cna-lifestyle/can-deaf-help-us-listen-better-238061
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