Baby on Road!

OK, this could be seen as slightly patronising. It's not meant to be, but... I have travelled to a few places in the world where English is not the native language and yet, is used and abused by people who should know better. I should quickly say that I think it's great that the world is speaking English. I would not have had a job for so long without this want and need. But, sometimes I think people believe that their ability is better than it really is.

It is then that I pull out my camera and record their dastardly deeds.

Sometimes it is ridiculous, sometimes dangerous and sometimes just plain daft. I nearly fell off my bike in Suzhou, China, when I spotted the 'Baby on Road' sticker on the car in front. The message is clear, but the rest is potentially messy, to say the least.

The 'flash cards' above are part of a set of 50 which are produced in Shanghai, China, to help foreigners learn Mandarin Chinese. Needless to say, the sets sell out very quickly - mostly to English and American tourists, for all the wrong reasons. At least I know now that when a Chinese person offers me hamsters with my fish dish, he doesn't mean small furry and cute things. And never mind what the beaver is up to, either.

OK... where to start with this one? Not at all sure, except that when I was offered this magazine in Seoul, Korea, I frowned a lot and peeled to the inside pages with considerable trepidation. It's all very well to be passionate, diligent, humble and patient, but when this is promoted in a periodical called 'Wangki Speaking', it takes on a whole new universe of meaning.

And finally, I was wandering the streets of Tokyo and came across this rather interesting mixture of genres. Now, when I see anything to do with Hello Kitty, I immediately think of rather unpleasant white things with bow ties on their ears. Clearly, we are in the realms of small children and cutesy toys to cuddle in prams. But... certainly not women's underwear. I stopped and had a lingering look at the lingerie, as any red-blooded male would. Bras and stuff like that are great in the right place and there's nothing wrong with a bit or lace and the odd hint of satin or silk, but they sit rather badly with kids toys in my world. Then again, I suppose I should accept this as just another 'feature' of 21st century society. After all, 'teddies' have several meanings, too.

So, move on Adrian... move on to the next street where the corner shop is called Condomania!