Signs
In the less exalted sections of this city, which is most of it, the average shop is made of cinder block with a corrugated metal roof. Each is about the size of a large pump house or a big shed back in the States. The streets are lined with these shops, one after the other, hundreds of them; selling every thing and service there is.
This is not the drab sight it could be, because every shop is painted. There are no earth tones (why use earths tones when it is so close and insistent) or subtle pastel hues here, all the colors are bright and primary. Each store has its' name boldly displayed, and, most of them have a big hand painted picture of what the place is selling, be it beauty or bags of cement.
It is fascinating to drive down the street and look at pictures on the walls. I have seen carburetors, hypodermic needles, tropical fish, birds, books, motorcycles, Rambo, Rambo on a motorcycle, pencils, cameras, cell phones, computers, airplanes and elephants (that last one was just a logo, I don't think they sell elephants, even in Kinshasa, though I haven't asked around). The quality of the paintings range from that of something hanging on a parent's refrigerator to pretty darn good. The one thing they all have in common is you can't miss them and they leave no doubt as to what the shop is selling.
They are all unique too; except for the Coca-Cola bottle. The Coke sign is the 2nd most common one seen in Kinshasa; for that matter in all of Congo. They can be seen in the most remote areas. And each one features a big, cold bottle of Coke, the old fashioned kind, glass with curves. Each bottle is hand painted on the wall and each is exactly alike. I wonder how they do that. I've never seen any sign painter use a template or mask. I conclude there is a school that teaches the correct way to paint the bottle. And if you don't do it right, by God, you'll have to answer to the Coca-Cola Bottling Company!
Ok, who can tell be what movie that last phrase is from?
This is not the drab sight it could be, because every shop is painted. There are no earth tones (why use earths tones when it is so close and insistent) or subtle pastel hues here, all the colors are bright and primary. Each store has its' name boldly displayed, and, most of them have a big hand painted picture of what the place is selling, be it beauty or bags of cement.
It is fascinating to drive down the street and look at pictures on the walls. I have seen carburetors, hypodermic needles, tropical fish, birds, books, motorcycles, Rambo, Rambo on a motorcycle, pencils, cameras, cell phones, computers, airplanes and elephants (that last one was just a logo, I don't think they sell elephants, even in Kinshasa, though I haven't asked around). The quality of the paintings range from that of something hanging on a parent's refrigerator to pretty darn good. The one thing they all have in common is you can't miss them and they leave no doubt as to what the shop is selling.
They are all unique too; except for the Coca-Cola bottle. The Coke sign is the 2nd most common one seen in Kinshasa; for that matter in all of Congo. They can be seen in the most remote areas. And each one features a big, cold bottle of Coke, the old fashioned kind, glass with curves. Each bottle is hand painted on the wall and each is exactly alike. I wonder how they do that. I've never seen any sign painter use a template or mask. I conclude there is a school that teaches the correct way to paint the bottle. And if you don't do it right, by God, you'll have to answer to the Coca-Cola Bottling Company!
Ok, who can tell be what movie that last phrase is from?
posted by Carl at 3:11 AM
2 Comments:
Hi Carl,
The movie is "Dr. Strangelove", when they are trying to get some change for the phone box.
BTW, I am sure you know the full movie title is "Dr. Strangelove or how I learned to stop worrying and love the Bomb". What you might not know is that, when the movie was translated into Spanish (in Spain, at least), they changed the title to something that translates like "Red Phone: we are flying to Moscow". Some translators need to get some counseling.
Hey, Manuel!
good going, that's the movie alright. that was the best movie for quotable lines.
I bet the Spanish translation was done by a committee. Only a committee could come up with something that funny by accident.
Your comment in "breaking hearts in the heart of africa" about the western media's view of Iraq was right on the money.
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