Look carefully at the icons illustrating the sign to the left, snapped on a rather chilly beach in Spain’s Barcelona.
Now ponder: How did the conversation go between the sign’s designers? Let us imagine.
“Hey, Julio, how do you figure we should represent the concept ‘Don’t party here all night?’ on this new sign we have to make?”
“I don’t know, Jorge, maybe some empty alcohol bottles and a stick figure vomiting?”
“That’s gross, man. What about a close up of booties shaking to music?”
“Now you’re on to something, Jorge… Music… But how do we represent exuberant party tunes blasting for all hours on a beach?”
[A thoughtful silence ensues.]
Both sign designers leap up simultaneously and exclaim: “STICK FIGURE BONGO DRUMS!!!”
Side note: See how this sign is in Catalan, Spanish, and English? So are most signs in Barcelona! When there isn’t a translation, the single language is usually Catalan.
The author, Lillie Marshall, is 6-foot-tall National Board Certified Teacher of English, fitness fan, and mother of two who has been a public school educator since 2003. She launched Around the World “L” Travel and Life Blog in 2009, and over 3.7 million readers have now visited this site. Lillie also runs TeachingTraveling.com and DrawingsOf.com. Subscribe to her monthly newsletter, and follow @WorldLillie on social media!
Qiyin Y.
Wednesday 13th of June 2012
Isn't the beach the perfect place to sleep and listen to bongo drums? Anyways, it's not like the beach is filled with people sleeping there every night so why the ban on drums? The signs are so funny. New York voted on signs that states haiku poems so divers can slow down to read the signs.
Sofia L :)
Wednesday 19th of October 2011
That is so funny! I mean why can't there be bongos and sleeping on the beach? Maybe they don't allow sleeping on the beach because you might get skin cancer.
Niti :)
Monday 7th of March 2011
Haha. This article made me laugh. You have a good imagination Ms. Marshall! :) And anyway, normally you go to the beach to hang out and swim. :)
greendayshoes
Monday 19th of April 2010
That.. made my day! haha.
Cryptic Heart
Monday 19th of April 2010
Wow...that's pretty sad.