05 February 2008

Signs

It's easier to read pictures than words when you don't know the language. What I've been doing (to my own detriment) is trying to deciper words (such as in the train station, in the grocery store, on the street). That just creates confusion and makes you look stupid, because you do everything at three times the speed of everyone else.

A much better strategy is to just look at the pictures. When you look for them, you'll notice that there are lots of pictures everywhere that are extremely instructive. I don't think it's just the Netherlands that does this, although they are probably world-leaders. So now, when I am in the train station, I just follow the picture of the bus (stadtbus) or the person walking (the uitgang). This strategy does require a little change in your brain hard-wiring but once you get the hang of it, everything is really much easier. You also start to remember the word that appears next to the picture after a while. Kind of like the mice in the maze. Which is also helpful.

However, there are still some symbols that make no sense. Such as this one:



It is on the train that we take from Utrecht to Amsterdam, in the seating area. On the wall, next to the door that leads out of the seating area. What do you think it means?

4 comments:

GHJ said...

No man, says the Grosz.

Anonymous said...

"do not enter"?

While I'm here, I keep thinking of you in the Netherlands and this qoute pops up in my head everytime. It's from Austin Powers Goldmember
Nigel Powers:
"All right Goldmember. Don't play the laughing boy. There's only two things I hate in this world. People who are intolerant of other people's cultures and the Dutch"

Ann

Anonymous said...

Ah, I can help. Anyone who commutes via train will intuit that this means DON'T BLOCK THE GODDAMN DOORS. I wish we had that sign on the CTA even though everyone would ignore it.

Anonymous said...

Obviously: No jumping jacks allowed on the train. Jumping jacks are okay in the station while you're waiting, but once you board the train you should really stop because you could injure other passengers.