No. 79
Fantastic Nonsense: As hoped, Thailand has delivered a tremendous volume of bizarre English printed on clothing, restaurant menus ("fratch teste salad," anyone?), all kinds of signs and even little bathroom trash cans (above). I was going to type out some of the most entertaining English we've seen but really, none of it compares to this trash can from Bangkok. I dare you, as a native English speaker, to write something as wonderful as this. You won't do it. You're wired too differently. Last night, we met an Irish ex-pat who's lived in Thailand for the last 14 years and as he figures it, "They just hear the language differently. Some of the things they say in English, they're wonderful, just brilliant. I've discouraged my Thai friends from learning too much English because it's more charming when they do it 50/50." I wouldn't go that far, but I would fall in love with a funny trash can and pray that they never stop making them.
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Comments:
"Fantastic Nonsense" - I'm keeping that one.
I really miss Thailand and have a small english plaque in my bathroom with the following "Please do not wash your feet in the toilet", taken from a train toilet - love it.
Byron
Stealing from trains? I'm telling the Oregonian. Anyway most of those "do not wash your feet" plaques have been replaced with "do not stand on the toilet" plaques, often including illustration.
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