Mar

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.

Sign designers have the challenge of a small canvas driven by the need for clarity and by endless government guidelines on color, shape, and messaging. Road sign specs in the US government manual alone amount to 862 pages, and most other countries also make the effort to standardize. Still, while school zone signs and other road signs are a labor of uniformity and full of constraints, they show more about different cultures than you might think.

Fashion Statements?

In the USA, the yellow-green fluorescent background of the school zone sign sets off the beauty of basic black outfits. And the accessory—is it a stylish clutch? A book? Or the homework that the dog didn’t eat? No matter, with something in hand as a visual cue, we know the kids are surely on their way to school.

This yellow-green fluorescent school zone sign and arrow from the USA with a female and male student holding a book is part of a series of school zone signs from different cultures. Image © Garrett Aitken/iStock.

Wait! Without shoes, this fashion statement isn’t in step with the times!
© Garrett Aitken

In such a small space, it’s the visual cue that distinguishes the school zone crossing from other pedestrian signage. In Japan, for example, one cue on school zone signs is the monochromatic equivalent of the brightly-colored caps school children wear to avoid traffic accidents.

While times have changed in Japan and more casual dress is allowed in elementary schools, the traditional uniform of short pants for young boys and pleated skirts for young girls still make the school statement— if not for fashion, at least for clarity.

This school zone sign in Japan features two students wearing caps, one a boy in short pants and the other a girl in a pleated skirt, both part of the traditional uniforms for elementary students, and is part of a series of school zone signs from different cultures. <br>Image courtesy of Nesnad, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Most primary students in Japan wear
a hat or cap selected by the school with two styles shown on this sign.
Courtesy of Nesnad, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

School sign fashion is slow to change. Who would want to rewrite all those regulations to keep up with the trends? Or replace and recycle the millions of school signs around the world? But why must all the girls on school signs wear skirts? Clearly NOT a sign of the times, and neither are the bows.

This school zone crosswalk features a girl with a bow in her pigtail guiding a boy with book in hand and is part of a series of school zone signs from different cultures. <br>Image © vikif/iStock.

The school crosswalk–always a path of increased assistance
© vikif

At least in Valencia, Spain, there’s a nod to a more modern accoutrement (and the weight of textbooks) via the much more practical backpack.

Seen in Spain—The classic yellow and black of well-dressed street signs
signals the way to school.
© jansmartino

Look, Ma! No Hands!

Yes, school zone signs have style from the realistic to the graphically simplistic. On the realistic side—In New Zealand, the school children have discernible hands and feet. Also in Zimbabwe and in Ecuador, where even the heels on the shoes show.

This school zone sign adopts a more realistic style, showing a girl and boy with hands and feet on their way to school, and is part of a series of school zone signs from different cultures. Image © Powerofforever/iStock .

New Zealanders must know it’s easier to read and write with hands.
© Powerofforeveer

Two school zone signs from Zimbabwe (L) and Ecuador (R) show a more realistic style, each with a girl and a boy who have hands and feet and with even the suggestion of heels on the shoes on the Ecuador sign, and are part of a series of school zone signs from different cultures. Image © Ben185 (Zimbabwe) and ANPerryman (Ecuador)/iStock .

These school signs in Zimbabwe (L) and Ecuador (R) illustrate how the degree of detail extends
beyond hands and feet to hairstyles, clothing, colors, shapes, borders, and even attribution.
© Ben185 (Zimbabwe) and © ANPerryman (Ecuador)

Denmark, however, believes in no frills: no hands, no feet, no discernible clothes, no coifs. Just get attention with a bright red border and get the point across. Still, with the no-hands approach, don’t you wonder why those ever-present books aren’t falling to the ground?

From Denmark, this triangular school zone sign with a thick red border and stylistically simple figures with no hands, feet, or clothing, shows a girl and a boy on their way to school and is part of a series of school zone signs from different cultures. Image © Carsten Medom Madsen/iStock .

Well labeled and simple, this triangular school zone sign in Denmark
gets right to the point, all three of them.
© Carsten Medom Madsen

Like Denmark, Italy and Spain rely on the same red-and-white attention grabbers. The figures, though, exude enthusiasm—kids running to class with no feet and swinging books with no hands. So eager to learn! But—yikes!—what about the two who lost their heads?

Similar signs from Italy and Spain, each with a thick red border and stylistically simple figures of a boy and a girl with no hands, feet, or clothing, who are running enthusiastically to school and are part of a series of school zone signs from different cultures. Image © Matthew71(Italian sign) and peeterv (Spanish sign)/iStock.

Dents, scratches, chips, a little graffiti. It’s all part of being a schoolyard sign.
© Matthew71 (Italian sign) and © peeterv (Spanish sign)

Who Leads?

Take a look back at the signs so far. Almost all show two figures. A designer in each country had to decide which one would lead. And, despite the female stereotypes of dress that seem to grace school signs around the world, it’s often the girl who leads. Sometimes out front, sometimes from behind, and sometimes with real intention and confidence. Is this sign a sign of the times before the times had come or a sign that the times took time to notice that girls are leaders, too?

This triangular school zone sign from Germany shows a girl confidently leading a boy to school and is part of a series of school zone signs from different cultures. Image © prill/iStock.

Take my hand and follow me!
© prill

On some school zone signs, a parent shows up, taking the lead. This sign from Greece offers a bit of a father-and-daughter dance, maybe even a tug to get a reluctant kid going.

This blue circular school zone sign from Greece shows a father pulling his daughter along on her way to school and is part of a series of school zone signs from different cultures. Image © NeilLang/iStock.

Greece is the sunniest country in Europe! With about 250 days of sunshine in Greece,
it’s hard to want to go to school.
© Neil Lang

And sometimes, the signs show just kids all on their own and in a rush to get to school. No reluctance for this guy in India!

This square blue-bordered school zone sign from India shows a boy running to school and is part of a series of school zone signs from different cultures. Image © yogesh_more/iStock.

Late for school or can’t wait to get there? Either way, this guy’s on a mission.
© yogesh_more

Right now, there’s little reluctance in family homes around the world after many COVID months at home. The enthusiastic “running to school” signs, may not be part of the culture where you live, but they capture our current feelings completely.

And when it comes to who leads, it doesn’t matter if it’s the girl or the boy on the school zone sign. But it does matter that leaders around the world and in every community get “in the zone,” that they show up to sense the strength of our feelings and pave the way for a safe return to school.

Just like the school zone signs in different cultures, the details and the student portrayals will vary, but every culture will find its way back to school, leaving its unique mark. And that’s a good sign.

With appreciation to iStock for all school zone photos, except the sign in Japan.

Please comment on the post below.

Sheron Long Comments

Cultural Diversity/Worldwide Sites

Feb

Into Armchair Travel? Try the Wheredunit of Mystery Books

by Joyce McGreevy on February 23, 2021

Coastal Sicily, the home of fictional detective Montalbano, is a popular destination for armchair travelers who read mystery novels. (Image by Giuseppe Costanza/ Pxhere)

1. Which Sicilian detective begins his day with espresso and a sunrise swim?
(Answers below the post)
Giuseppe Costanza/ Pxhere

Follow the Clues Around the World!

Pandemically speaking, today’s most favored mode of transport is armchair travel. But must safety rule out excitement? Not when you travel via mystery books. These page-turners whisk you away to virtually any corner of the world.

Stereotypes persist about mystery books. Like the idea that they’re merely puzzles. That the author presents a lineup of suspects, then interposes an obstacle course between the reader and the Big Reveal. You know, cryptic messages, red herrings, butlers arching an eyebrow, bodies falling out of closets, that sort of thing.

As comedian Michael Ian Black says of mystery books, “They make me too anxious. . . . Just tell me who did it.”

But for many fans, the whodunit is secondary to the wheredunit. Mysteries spring from particular places, and the best mysteries evoke those places with a vibrancy that turns reading into an immersive experience.

Botswana, the home of fictional detective Precious Romatswe, is a popular destination for armchair travelers who read mystery novels. (IPublic domain image)

2. Who sells a herd of cattle to launch her detective agency in Botswana?

You’d Never Suspect . . .

As mystery fans, we appear to our unsuspecting families to be reading. We sit there sedately as Whistler’s Mother.

Actually, we’re at a casino in Rio De Janeiro with Inspector Espinosa, sailing the coast of Ghana with Detective Darko Dawson, on a stakeout in San Francisco with P.I. Izzy Spellman, or backstage at the opera in Venice with Commissario Brunetti.

And oh my, the eating and drinking we get up to: Bouef Bourguignon in the Perigord with Police Chief Bruno, pasta ‘ncasciata in Sicily with Montalbano, every Québecois dessert on the menu with Armande Gamache.

We’re the first ones to crack open a bottle of Black Label with V.I. Warshawski in Chicago, the last ones to close the bar in Mario Conde’s Havana. And we’d never say no to another Bell’s whisky in Edinburgh with Inspector Rebus.

Havana, Cuba, the home of fictional detective Lieutenant Mario Conde, is a popular destination for armchair travelers who read mystery novels. (Image by nextvoyage/ Pixabay)

3. Which fictional lieutenant knows every bar and bookshop in Havana?
nextvoyage/ Pixabay

Destination: Everywhere

A great mystery is not only a passport to everywhere from Australia to the Arctic, it’s an all-access pass. It lets you inside the velvet rope, under the yellow caution tape, and through doors marked Do Not Enter. It’s a sun-warmed beach in Biarritz on a rainy day in Seattle; a nimble cliff walk in Devon despite one’s fear of heights; a closed community in India sharing its secrets over cups of chai.

Oh, I see: Great mysteries engage our senses, take us behind the scenes, give us insight into cultures, and reveal human geography.

As the genre most often read in-flight or on a commuter train, the mystery novel taps into modes of travel. From Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express to Ruth Ware’s The Woman in Cabin 10, mysteries don’t just take us places. They punch our ticket along the way. Whether these journeys are glamorous, harrowing, or both, we’re totally on board.

Perigord, France, the home of fictional police chief Bruno Courreges, is a popular destination for armchair travelers who read mystery novels. (Image by DomyD/ Pixabay)

4. Which fictional police chief hunts truffles and crooks in France’s Perigord?
DomyD/ Pixabay

The Curious Case of the Dive-Bombing Book

My favorite mystery series took armchair travel to a whole different level. One winter in Chicago, I was parked in a comfy chair at a bookstore, minding my own business (for once), when a paperback leapt (leapt, I tell you) from the top of a tall bookshelf. The book executed a perfect swan-dive into the open tote bag at my side.

On the cusp of mortification (one of my favorite places, apparently), I grabbed said book, and rising to my feet, held it aloft as if I were the Statue of Liberty bearing the Torch of Enlightenment.

“Why yes,” I announced in a booming voice. “This is exactly the book I want to PURCHASE.”

Not until I had taken my sneak-attack book into custody did I look at the title: The Shortest Way to Hades.

Indeed, I thought, and put off reading it, instead enjoying the reaction of guests who noticed it among my how-to books.

The next winter, sick of snow and stuck at home with flu, I finally read Sarah Caudwell’s mystery. Then another, and another. Thus began some of my favorite adventures in armchair travel. Not to Hades, thank goodness, but to London, Venice, Greece, Guernsey, and the isle of Sark.

Besides evoking a sense of place, her novels restored my sense of humor. Caudwell’s wit is drier and more stylish than the lining of a Burberry raincoat.

San Francisco the home of a fictional family of private investigators, the Spellmans, is a popular destination for armchair travelers who read mystery novels. (Image by der wiki/ Pixabay)

5. Which family of San Francisco detectives keeps case files on each other?
derwiki/ Pixabay

Another Mystery Tour Begins!

As a genre, the mystery book resembles the ideal carry-on bag: it’s compact yet holds a world of travel essentials. And like carry-ons, good mysteries come in all designs: suspenseful, comical, realistic, historical, cozy, hard-boiled, satirical, and more.

So, whatever type of armchair traveler you are, whatever style of transport you prefer, there’s a mystery-novel itinerary that’s perfect for you. To miss it would be a crime.

Ready for takeoff? Don’t forget to pack this free and extensive resource from OIC Moments—a dozen pages of recommendations and interactive experiences:

Name that detective! ANSWERS:
1. Salvo Montalbano 2. Precious Ramotswe 3. Mario Conde 4. Bruno Courrèges 5. The Spellmans.

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy Comments

Art of Travel/Literary World/Worldwide Sites

Dec

Happy National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day

by Meredith Mullins on December 15, 2020

Chocolate covered strawberries, showing the cultural traditions of Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. (Image © iStock/5second.)

Celebrating chocolate in the best possible ways
© iStock/5second

Savoring the Cultural Traditions of Chocolate

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.
—Charles M. Schultz

Have you ever had a craving for chocolate-covered bacon? How about chocolate jalapeños? Could you resist a chocolate-covered mushroom?

Despite the challenges of the year 2020, we should rightfully honor any national day that delivers pure joy. One of those days that rises to the top of the bliss list is National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day (December 16). So, let’s celebrate its cultural traditions.

Boy with a chocolate mouth, showing the cultural traditions of chocolate on National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Someone who knows how to celebrate chocolate
© Meredith Mullins

Just how this accolade came about, no one really knows. And I’d venture to say, no one really cares about the origins when the tribute involves such sweet reward for both chocoholics and chocolatiers.

A chocolate elf workshop, showing cultural traditions of National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Chocolate artisans take full advantage of the holiday spirit
(in this case, a chocolate elf workshop by Paris master Patrick Roger)
© Meredith Mullins

Every Chocolate Has Its Day

Life is good when there’s a day when you can dip anything you want in chocolate and drizzle or cover familiar and unconventional edibles with the “food of the gods” (which is how chocolate has been known since its early days in Olmec/Aztec/Mayan civilizations when it appeared as a spicy drink).

hot chocolate, showing the cultural traditions of National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. (Image from PxHere.)

From Mayan spicy cocoa to the souped up American version of today
Photo courtesy of PxHere

There are other national chocolate days that try to compete—at least one every month. For example:

Chocolate-Covered Cherries Day (January 3)
Chocolate Soufflé Day (February 28)
Chocolate-Covered Raisins Day (March24)
Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day (April 21)
Chocolate Mousse Day (May 2)
Chocolate Pudding Day (June 26)
Milk Chocolate Day (July 28)
Chocolate Chip Cookie Day (August 4)
Chocolate Milkshake Day (September 12)
Chocolate Cupcake Day (October 18)
Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day (November 7)

It’s fitting to give each of those days justifiable attention, but only the egalitarian Chocolate-Covered Anything Day embraces diversity and welcomes experimental pairings of all kinds. There are no rules. You have a blank canvas. Chocolate anarchy.

Brownie covered in chocolate sauce, showing cultural traditions of National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. (Image by PxHere.)

There are no rules about chocolate on chocolate.
Photo courtesy of PxHere

Dipping Favorites

The most common “anythings” to be dipped in chocolate are favorites, such as ice cream, donuts, and things that are already chocolate, like brownies or the enigmatic morsels in the traditional chocolate box where speculative theory and intuition about what is hidden inside often lead us astray. (How do you put the dreaded toffee back after you’ve taken a bite?)

As Forrest Gump learned . . .

Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.

A box of chocolates, showing the cultural traditions of National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. (Image from PxHere.)

Life’s eternal mystery—what lies within
Photo courtesy of PxHere

Gaining favor at reception chocolate fountains and chocolate fondue parties is the fruit world. Just about every fruit works well with a little chocolate coating—from everyday apples, oranges, and bananas to exotic kiwi, mangos, and watermelon.

chocolate fondue and fruit, showing cultural traditions of National Chocolate-covered Anything Day. (Photo © iStock/margoullatphotos.)

Some food historians say that chocolate covered cherries were the first fruit to be enrobed in chocolate. This innovation arrived in the 1700s, when the French covered cherries with chocolate and kirsch (cherry brandy).

chocolate-covered cherry, showing the cultural traditions of chocolate for National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. (Image from PxHere.)

Sweet chocolate-covered cherries, with a bit of cordial as an added bonus
Photo courtesy of PxHere

Chocolate lore gives a Chicago woman credit for the first chocolate dipped strawberries—in the 1960s. The two main ingredients were imagined aphrodisiacs, so it’s no wonder they became popular right away (and remain so today).

Chocolate-covered watermelon, showing cultural traditions of National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. (Photo © Meredith Mullins.)

Opposites Attract

As in human nature, odd pairings often make the most interesting experiments. Partnering sweet chocolate with salty and crunchy friends works well in taste and texture.

Try potato chips, pretzels, biscotti, French fries, peanut brittle, coffee beans, and pickles with a coat of chocolate. Nuts are a no brainer. They are perfect as a chocolate-coated treat.

chocolate-covered pretzels, showing cultural traditions of chocolate for National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. (Image from PxHere.)

Partnering sweet and salty can be a successful friendship.
Photo courtesy of PxHere

As part of the creative culinary chocolate path, rubbing chocolate on steak or creating a chocolate wine sauce for beef is surprisingly good.

Mexican cultures have always used chocolate in their cooking, for example in the delicious molé sauce that combines chilies and chocolate. And don’t forget your daily servings of vegetables.

Chocolate-covered vegetables, showing cultural traditions for National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Although we let National Chocolate Covered Insects Day (October 14) slip by without much fanfare, we can add crunchy ants, scorpions, and crickets to the mix, since they clearly fall into the category of “anything.”

Skewered scorpions, showing cultural traditions of chocolate for National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. (Image by PxHere.)

These scorpions are just begging to be dipped in chocolate.
Photo courtesy of PxHere

If all this insect talk has made you hungry, you can order your own chocolate covered insects from several online suppliers. My favorite is Educational Innovations (a teacher supply site) that offers edible, farm-raised, chocolate-covered insects to give brave students (and you!) a taste of another world.

Chocolate covered insects, showing the cultural traditions of National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. (Image courtesy of Educational Innovations.)

A tasty spread of farm-raised (edible) insects
Photo courtesy of Educational Innovations

International Flare

While the idea of “national days” is associated with U.S. culture, that doesn’t stop other countries from experimenting with chocolate coverings—from chocolate-covered edamame and chow mein noodles to a range of Kit Kat chocolate bar flavors in Japan, including adzuki (red bean), hojicha (green tea), and roasted corn.

Pancakes with chocolate sauce, showing cultural traditions of chocolate for National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. (Image by PxHere.)

Start National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day with a breakfast drizzled with chocolate.
Photo courtesy of PxHere

Celebrating the Day

Chocolate is not only versatile, but can provide health benefits. It can introduce manganese, copper, and iron into your nutrition regimen and, some experts say, can relieve stress and supply antioxidants.

So, in the spirit of the holiday season and for chocolate lovers everywhere, why not celebrate National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day in style.

Chocolate and holiday boxes in a store window, showing the cultural traditions of chocolate on National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Sit back with a chocolate rimmed margarita and decide what inventive creations you can smother in chocolate on this special day—to pay tribute to old and new cultural traditions.

Even the chocolate carving is smiling.
Photo courtesy of PxHere

Oh, I see. With a “food of the gods” and a treasure that some say releases the same chemicals as happens when falling in love, what have you got to lose?

For ten fun chocolate facts, see the OIC chocolate story here.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins 4 Comments

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