Oh, I see! moments
Travel Cultures Language

OIC the Road Ahead and…

by Sheron Long on July 27, 2021

A little sailboat sets sail for an unusual and imaginary island seen in the distance, symbolizing travels to different cultures. (Image © Urvashi9/iStock)

It’s time to set sail for new horizons.

Looking Back, a World Well-Travelled

In the last 9 years, we’ve enjoyed our travels with you to fascinating and often little-known parts of the world—moving across cultures, delighting in different languages, exercising the bilingual brain, and enjoying the insights that came from the ride.

In this—OICs last post—it’s time to say a fond farewell and to wish you well. May you continue to travel the world and discover how stepping into different cultures enriches your life.

In the (School) Zone of Different Cultures

by Sheron Long on March 9, 2021

This round cardboard school zone sign from The Gambia with arrow pointing in one direction and 3 kids going in the opposite direction is part of a series of school zone signs from different cultures. Image © Kirszen/iStock

The beeline—Did this school sign from The Gambia presage 2020 education
or where kids wanted to go?
© Kirszen

School Zone Signs of the Times

All over the world in 2020 school traffic stopped and not just in the crosswalks. Now buses are creeping back to school, kids are in the crosswalks again, and our minds at OIC have moved from online education to the lines on school zone signs in different cultures.

Oh, Deer! Road Signs in Different Cultures

by Sheron Long on March 31, 2015

Deer crossing sign in Hertfordshire, England, shows a running deer with a huge set of antlers, illustrating how different cultures interpret the same animal on road signs. (Image © Simon Gurney)

In Hertfordshire, England, the deer on road signs have a certain regal look
with antlers fit for a bejeweled crown.
© Simon Gurney

Crossing the Road and Cultures, Too

Why does a chicken cross the road? Ponder that all you wish, but know for sure that a chicken and a host of other beasts are gonna cross the road.

Humans devised the idea of warning signs to help you avoid a bump in the road. Governments and international commissions created copious specs (862 pages in the US Manual alone) to make sure the humans got it right.

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