Of Street Signs and Billboards...

Today I'd like to talk a little bit about the signage here in Eritrea. Recently I have been noticing some pretty entertaining billboards and street signs, and they got me thinking about some of the signs that seem pretty commonplace here but would probably look out of place in the west.

I'll begin with some of the more abnormal signs and billboards because they're the most entertaining. First, there's this "no trumpets" sign. The first time I saw one was in Senafe. Then I saw one in Asmara. I finally got to take this picture in Adi Keih. Anna and I speculated for some time about what it could mean. Anna suggested that it might mean "no parades." At first I thought that was a pretty good guess, because I really couldn't believe we were in a trumpet-free zone. But then, one day, I suggested that maybe it meant "no honking." We finally decided to ask an Eritrean and learned that that was correct.



The following billboard is either a condom ad or a community service announcement advocating safe sex. Of course, I personally doubt that anyone can discern the meaning of this billboard just by looking at it. But I happen to know that the picture of the man, the woman, and the dolphin is used in Eritrean condom packaging and advertising, so I know this billboard must have something to do with condoms. What? I'm still not sure.



This next billboard warns people in certain areas to beware of landmines. Although areas in and around towns have generally been demined, there are still large numbers of landmines and unexploded ordinances throughout Eritrea. Of course, the numbers are bigger in the parts of the country that were war zones during the most recent war. Nevertheless, there are still a number of landmines remaining from the Armed Struggle. This sign seemed rather poorly placed, considering that it was in downtown Adi Keih, a fairly large town by Eritrean standards. I really doubt their are landmines in the middle of Adi Keih.



And now for a couple of signs that are fairly commonplace in Eritrea but might seem out of the ordinary in the west. The first is this horse cart crossing sign. This picture was taken in Asmara, but you can find these signs in other towns as well. Of course, it seems the most bizarre in Asmara, which is as metropolitan as Eritrea gets. But, as I think I've mentioned before, you see plenty of livestock in the middle of Asmara. And, at least in my neighborhood, you see a number of horse carts on the streets.



Possibly the most remarkable thing about this sign is the trouble I had trying to take a picture of it. I knew that one of these signs was located near my friend Jina's house, so yesterday I went over there to take a picture of it. But it happens to be located near the home of someone who works for the European Commission. And the guard for that house came over to me and told me I couldn't take a picture. I tried to explain that I only wanted a picture of the sign and that I wouldn't get the sign in the picture. But he didn't care. He kept telling me no. I tried to get him to tell me why it was a problem, but he wouldn't give me a reason. This is actually one of the things I have found most frustrating about this country. No one will ever give you a reason for anything. I am often told that I can't do certain things or certain things can't be done, but no one will ever explain to me why things are the way they are. But, in any case, while I was debating with the guard, these three high school boys came by and told me there was a similar sign just a couple of blocks away. So, I got my shot in the end.



Finally, here's a sign for the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE). The UN is everywhere here. They have offices and camps in virtually every town I've visited. And even when you aren't near an office or a base, they're there. UN vehicles swarm the streets of Asmara. UNHCR plastic sheeting is used for construction purposes (see my post on the west) or as cover when they're painting the InterCon. And WFP food aid appears in the markets (or at least the packaging does). Again, I have gotten so used to seeing vehicles with "UN" written on them, the UN flag, light blue, and the logos for the various UN agencies, that I forget that those things are pretty rare in the West.