Cultural Cartography

Nothing new under the sun

Are there really any new planning tools? I doubt it, because it's always the same problems.

Maybe it is just the usual or unusual optimism that lets people believe there can be radically new ways of approaching old problems. I know I don't feel often that way, but sometimes I am disappointed by my own lack of vision.

Boys and Toys

The Lost Toy
Originally uploaded by idoru45

It seems to be something pretty universal. At least I have seen it in Germany, US and the UK. Refuse collection trucks (or as we Brits say Bin vans) with toys fixed to the front of the grille or stuck in the window. I saw one again this morning and found it both sad and inspiring at the same time.

Do the bin men find these toys and refuse to throw them away, instead giving them a new lease of life, presenting them in the truck. Does it make them think about their truck differently? Do the toys do the same for them that they do for children - give them a sense of belonging and something that is just theirs. Or is it just something that bin men do? Part of the code of being a bin man.

I would love to know.

PS: Still haven't got into the habit of carrying my camera round with me, since I got a blackberry that doesn't have a camera. So couldn't take a pic.

What social networking does to us

I found this on Post Secret (which I am sure you all know about). I am sure there are thousands of thousands of people doing just this. That is what being permanently virtually on show does to us. It's nothing new but this is definitely a whole new dimension.

Hallo with one another

We've just come back from a weekend in Switzerland. We were staying in the Alps near Zurich, in an area that they actually call "Heidland". I find that quite sad for some reason. Maybe it is because it suggests that most people come to area with pre-existing ideas of what it will be like and they have got these ideas from "Heidi". But that's another story.

What really struck me was that after almost every greeting or goodbye the Swiss all said the word "mit einander", which mean with each other. So you walk down to breakfast and you hear "Good morning with one another" or " a nice day with one another". It doesn't work quite so well in translation but it has a really nice feel to it in German. It makes it feel really personal and re-establishes the connection between me and my fellow human beings. They aren't just wishing me a nice day, they are also wishing me a nice day with them.

I did wonder if this level of personalisation or inter-connectivity between people had something to do with the political and social attitudes in Switzerland. For such a country that is relatively important despite its size, it is interesting that a lot of things still have to be decided on a very large scale democratic basis via referendums. But that might be going too far.

Maybe they are just friendly people.