High Signs

Being immigrants in a new country where we don't speak the language has been challenging exhausting exciting. German is new to all of three of us. We've been here for 10 months and we can definitely say we are learning. But for Joe and I, language acquisition when you are of  a certain age (uh-hum) is slow going, to say the least. Every day is a constant barrage of new words, new sounds, new culture...all new, all the time.

Occasionally we do stumble upon English. Our ears perk when we overhear an English conversation on the train. Or we're flooded with relief when the transaction with the salesclerk ventures beyond our German knowledge and she suddenly switches to English. But best of all, is when we find signs in English.
Here are some of the funniest ones we've seen lately:

Can you tell where these signs were placed? Yep, outside of various bars.

Is it a coincidence that signs written in English are placed outside of Swiss drinking establishments or is it savvy marketing, as in a 'high sign' for English speakers struggling with German.

Whatever the reason, we are grateful for snippets of English when we can find them, because pulling out your phone to translate 100's of many times a day is tedious fun. 😉
Today's poem is about how occasionally you need to 'drink' in your native language:
though we don't drink
these signs make us smile
need a 'shot' of English
once in a while  

©2018, Bridget Magee. All Rights Reserved.