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While Bahama Mama's on Washington Street in Hoboken was packed to the brim this past Saturday night with boisterous bar-goers, there was one subgroup that conversed via sign language.
The 30-plus member group, which consisted of deaf and hard-of-hearing professionals and American Sign Language users, networked as part of the The Deaf Professionals Happy Hour.
"You don't see a lot of the deaf community if you go out to a bar," Kenilworth resident Vik Buriak, co-host of the happy hour, signed, interpreted by his girlfriend Samantha Grosse.
"This is an opportunity for us to enjoy each other."
The monthly happy hour event that began in 2007 was co-hosted by Alex Chu, who became hard-of-hearing at age 5 after he had meningitis (an inflammation in the brain caused by a bacterial or viral infection). He began the event when the deaf members registered on his website, alldeaf.com, expressed interest in socializing outside the worldwide web.
"I started the NJ happy hour because either none existed in northern NJ/NYC area, or they weren't popular enough [because] the deaf host wasn't doing much to promote the event, said Chu, who has the ability to detect sound through the use of a hearing aid.
Chu chose a Hoboken happy hour location because of the close proximity to New York for his out-of-state organization members and since it's a hot spot for grabbing a drink.
Though Bahama Mama's was a hotbed of activity with blaring dance music wafting through the speakers, the deaf professionals were unfazed by the chaotic atmosphere. They expressively used their hands to bid each other welcome and catch up with longtime friends.
Jessica Bardales, Chu's girlfriend, had the opportunity to reconnect with a friend from upstate New York that she had not seen in some time.
"It's one of the times when a lot of people show up," Bardales, a Long Island resident, said in sign language interpreted by Chu.
"[They're] very important," New Brunswick resident Shaun Trontz said of the gatherings in a quick message he jotted down on paper. "We like to keep in touch with those that like the nightlife."
The happy hour tries different spots. Last month, it was at Nine Lounge in Hoboken and in April, it was held at Quay's Restaurant & Bar in Hoboken.
The main impetus behind Chu's decision to hold happy hour events and create alldeaf.com, which launched in 2002, was to forge a community of like individuals. The site, which attracts people in the tri-state area, is a free public forum for the deaf, hard-of-hearing, ASL interpreters and the general public. Registrants can log on and share their experiences and thoughts on deaf-related topics.
So far, Deaf Professional Happy Hour's Facebook page has nearly 500 members.
"Before Myspace [and] Facebook, no deaf social network existed on the Internet, and it was hard to find others who we can relate to," Chu said, "so something had to be done."
The 30-plus member group, which consisted of deaf and hard-of-hearing professionals and American Sign Language users, networked as part of the The Deaf Professionals Happy Hour.
"You don't see a lot of the deaf community if you go out to a bar," Kenilworth resident Vik Buriak, co-host of the happy hour, signed, interpreted by his girlfriend Samantha Grosse.
"This is an opportunity for us to enjoy each other."
The monthly happy hour event that began in 2007 was co-hosted by Alex Chu, who became hard-of-hearing at age 5 after he had meningitis (an inflammation in the brain caused by a bacterial or viral infection). He began the event when the deaf members registered on his website, alldeaf.com, expressed interest in socializing outside the worldwide web.
"I started the NJ happy hour because either none existed in northern NJ/NYC area, or they weren't popular enough [because] the deaf host wasn't doing much to promote the event, said Chu, who has the ability to detect sound through the use of a hearing aid.
Chu chose a Hoboken happy hour location because of the close proximity to New York for his out-of-state organization members and since it's a hot spot for grabbing a drink.
Though Bahama Mama's was a hotbed of activity with blaring dance music wafting through the speakers, the deaf professionals were unfazed by the chaotic atmosphere. They expressively used their hands to bid each other welcome and catch up with longtime friends.
Jessica Bardales, Chu's girlfriend, had the opportunity to reconnect with a friend from upstate New York that she had not seen in some time.
"It's one of the times when a lot of people show up," Bardales, a Long Island resident, said in sign language interpreted by Chu.
"[They're] very important," New Brunswick resident Shaun Trontz said of the gatherings in a quick message he jotted down on paper. "We like to keep in touch with those that like the nightlife."
The happy hour tries different spots. Last month, it was at Nine Lounge in Hoboken and in April, it was held at Quay's Restaurant & Bar in Hoboken.
The main impetus behind Chu's decision to hold happy hour events and create alldeaf.com, which launched in 2002, was to forge a community of like individuals. The site, which attracts people in the tri-state area, is a free public forum for the deaf, hard-of-hearing, ASL interpreters and the general public. Registrants can log on and share their experiences and thoughts on deaf-related topics.
So far, Deaf Professional Happy Hour's Facebook page has nearly 500 members.
"Before Myspace [and] Facebook, no deaf social network existed on the Internet, and it was hard to find others who we can relate to," Chu said, "so something had to be done."
Where's Jiro??
