Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Circle vs. Triangle
In an attempt to break the monotony of typical travel pictures (architecture, scenery, castles, churches, tourists, etc) I have decided to go on a quest to take pictures of "WC" signs. In other words, I have decided to take pictures of toilet signs. Watch for the grand opening of my exhibition at an art gallery near you.
What prompted this was when I was confronted with a situation where I didn't know which door was for the male toilet. For example, in Germany it is "Herron" and "Damen" (Contrary to a certain American's guess, "Damen" is NOT male because it says "DA-MEN" and "Herron" is not female because it has the word "HER" in it). If these words were simply abbreviated by their first letters (H and D) a non-German might become confused. In the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary it is even more difficult. To a foreigner, the abbreviated letters seem to be chosen at random and stuck to the door in order to make a fool of the unwitting tourist. I know that the waiters are hiding behind a corner snickering and pointing, as if part of some East European version of Candid Camera. Meanwhile, the tourist stares at both doors scratching their head waiting for Monty Hall or Bob Barker to and offer them a prize for choosing the correct door. In Prague and Krakow I was faced with a very similar situation. In Prague, I had to wait until went into the toilet before I could go; the "Z" and the "K" on the doors were simply not information. In Krakow, I was faced 2 doors: one with a circle and one with a triangle. Luckily, I asked the nearby waiter to enlighten me.
Thus, my bizarre foray into a quasi-artistic endeavour has started. Either my interest has been sparked or I am simply spending too much time introspecting and I am getting insanely bored.
What prompted this was when I was confronted with a situation where I didn't know which door was for the male toilet. For example, in Germany it is "Herron" and "Damen" (Contrary to a certain American's guess, "Damen" is NOT male because it says "DA-MEN" and "Herron" is not female because it has the word "HER" in it). If these words were simply abbreviated by their first letters (H and D) a non-German might become confused. In the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary it is even more difficult. To a foreigner, the abbreviated letters seem to be chosen at random and stuck to the door in order to make a fool of the unwitting tourist. I know that the waiters are hiding behind a corner snickering and pointing, as if part of some East European version of Candid Camera. Meanwhile, the tourist stares at both doors scratching their head waiting for Monty Hall or Bob Barker to and offer them a prize for choosing the correct door. In Prague and Krakow I was faced with a very similar situation. In Prague, I had to wait until went into the toilet before I could go; the "Z" and the "K" on the doors were simply not information. In Krakow, I was faced 2 doors: one with a circle and one with a triangle. Luckily, I asked the nearby waiter to enlighten me.
Thus, my bizarre foray into a quasi-artistic endeavour has started. Either my interest has been sparked or I am simply spending too much time introspecting and I am getting insanely bored.
// posted by Mr. Muir @ 7:13 p.m. 
