Thursday, September 23, 2010

What's LOFE got to do with it? My Life as a "Trailing Spouse" Installment 2


Ahh...lofe, it's a beautiful thing... and no, it isn't a Chinese word or some newly discovered foreign delight. Let me put it in context: It's All About Lofe Between You and Me.

One of my favorite pastimes here my world of chopsticks and Chinglish is making observations and performing mental edits on signs, in menus, and especially on clothing (which is where I found lofe...). When out with a friend we even went so far as to purchase a shirt for another friend because it read: New Maxico State. I can't even remember how badly they botched the word Albuquerque, but trust me, it was comical. I have had discussions with my language teacher about this topic - why would people wear clothing with English words on them without knowing what exactly it said? I have seen a guy wearing a shirt that said '100% Girl' in blingy bedazzled lettering and a girl with the word 'Blondie' on her shirt though I'd be hard pressed to find a blond Chinese girl. The truth of it is, according to my teacher, is that young people really love all that is American and they see English writing and want to show that they are modern, hip, and fashionable. I appreciate this, I do. I just wish the people producing such garments would enlist the help of a native speaker of English. Then again, if the world of signage was all made right, a favorite pastime of mine would disappear. I think for now I can safely say that this Amerikan Gril can sit back and Injoy Lofe.

It's hard to discreetly snap photos of funny shirts, but here are a couple of signs for you to ponder...