Signs

No, this is not a Mel Gibson movie involving aliens that must really hate monsoon season. During my trip to China, I’ve seen some great examples of what my cousin calls “Chingrish” – or awkward translations of Chinese into English – on signs. I’ll post a few of them here, starting with what has to be my favorite – it’s my desktop wallpaper right now. If anything, these signs show how strange of a language English is…

This was a sign at a line near an escalator at a stop of the No. 2 train of the Shanghai subway. (I’m now looking for its cousin: “Watch your eyes.”)

Next, the Hangzhou municipal government apparently fired the landscaper, so (in the spirit of communitarianism) it has resorted to a public cry for assistance with lawn maintenance.

I don’t know about you, but I’d think twice before staying at any hotel in Shanghai with its own metabolism.

And finally (for now), here’s what has to be the coolest, spiffiest skyscraper in Shanghai-Pudong: The POS Plaza.