CQ Restaurant in Cuba St has launched a New Zealand Sign Language menu where guests sign to order their meal. Talia Carlisle tests her knowledge during New Zealand Sign Language Week.
New Zealand Sign Language is an official language of this country, but I knew little more than how to spell my name before I attended a dinner at CQ Restaurant on May 7.
Tied in with New Zealand Sign Language Week, the Cuba St restaurant launched a sign language menu with symbols guests could follow so they could order their meals by sign.
It’s a New Zealand first and, with the added appeal of a free meal, I attended the launch and picked up a few signs on the way.
When my friend and I arrived at 5.30pm, the lounge bar was buzzing with people chatting away, signing enthusiastically and asking “What signs do you know?”
Attending a dinner where half the guests would speak another language seemed daunting at first, but once the canapés and champagne arrived, I knew all the guests were there to have fun.
I was ready to impress people with the sign language alphabet I had learned at Girl Guides long ago, but was a little rusty and needed a bit of a reminder.
Later I learned about the handy sign language dictionary app, where searches for your word and it displays a diagram of how to sign it.
While waiting for dinner, we passed an iPad around with this app, teaching ourselves to sign names, animal types, social media terms like Facebook and Twitter, and rude words I won’t repeat.
Even though I hadn’t met most of the guests before, we found an instant connection through this new experience.
New Zealand Sign Language is used by more than 24,000 New Zealanders and became an official language in April 2006. So why don’t we use it more often?
The language is based on British Sign Language and shares the same two-handed manual alphabet as British and Auslan (Australian sign language), so it could be useful overseas.
CQ Restaurant is offering a sign language menu throughout May, but general manager Olivier Lacoua said he hoped it would turn into a permanent feature.
The restaurant features a wall chart of alphabet signs and each table has a chart showing the signs for drinks, including tea, coffee, juice, red and white wine. Sign language knowledge is not required.
To learn more about New Zealand Sign Language or the relevant apps, visit deaf.org.nz.
Photo Caption: Sarah Hitchings orders her meal in New Zealand Sign Language at CQ Restaurant using a dictionary app. To her left, CQ Hotel general manager Olivier Lacoua browses the sign language menu.
