Words and Pictures

Something of a mixed bag this time, not a whole lot on my mind, jumping from one thing to another, fiddling with a couple of things around the house. Somewhere last week I came across a funny story about the antacid medicine, Rolaids I want to share, along with a couple of nutty bits from Engrish.com. In the end I decided to tack on a page from my journal for Friday that shows a sketch of the old Adirondack chair from where I sit and look out to the waves and soaring pelicans.

A commercial from the 1970s is well-known for the familiar tag line: “How do you spell relief?” Of course, the answer was always, “R-O-L-A-I-D-S.”

According to a Wikipedia article, during classroom study in the 1970s, schoolchildren asked to spell the word ‘relief’ would on occasion answer in all seriousness— “R-O-L-A-I-D-S.”

For anyone who hasn’t discovered the website of broken English aptly titled Engrish.com, click over there and have a laugh or two. It’s all in fun and meant as no slight or insult to students of English in other countries, particularly those in either Japan, Korea, China or Thailand. The website has grown tremendously in the last few years and now offers terrific entertainment. For the long time I lived in Japan there were always examples of fractured English to be found on packages, signs, T-shirts and in the trains. For some months Tokyo Gas had an ad in trains and subways shouting out, ‘MY LIFE, MY GAS!’ Then there was the commercial in movie theatres for Kanebo cosmetics. It showed a beautiful young lady applying make up with an overly saying, ‘Kanebo—For Beautiful Human Life.’ Maybe directions on the box explained that it wouldn’t work on cows and monkeys.

So, here are two funny photos from Engrish.com. The red sign makes you wonder just where the hotel is located, in a jungle or gay neighborhood.

The photo of the out of order urinal certainly stimulates the imagination. Right off it makes me think that the urinal will pull a reverse and pee on the person standing in front of it.

Haven’t used the watercolor pencils in a long time and figured the time was right. Out of the drawer now hopefully they’ll get more exercise.