Environmental Magic

Throughout China I came across amusing signs. Some of them were amusing for the misuse of English and others were just entirely confusing. There were even a few hilarious ones in Chinese (my favorite is still the "Stupid chicken, duck" sign).

At one park in Shenzhen (it's testing my memory to think of which park I visited about five years ago), I came across this sign. The English translations were fine and the map was easy to follow. However, they chose some odd pictures to use as the map key.

I wish I hadn't found this sign on the way out of the park as I would've liked to see what the mobile ecological toilet was like. Why would an ecological toilet evoke an image of a rabbit in a magician's hat? And if it were truly a mobile toilet, why would it stay in one place on the map? I also wonder why the amusement facilities are represented by a weight lifter--I don't recall seeing any exercise equipment.

Don't Stink Up the Joint

All over Malaysia, there are signs notifying people to not bring durian into their establishments. For those who don't know, durian is a fruit with a spiky shell that was probably used as an ancient weapon. The fruit also stinks.
My wife was very disappointed by the signs because she loves durian and it's about half the price in Malaysia than in Shenzhen. We still allowed her to eat some, as long as it wasn't in the hotel or up wind from us.

Think Traffic

As a follow-up to my previous post about Shenzhen cracking down on excessive honking (I still don't know what the official definition is), I would like to report that the police have supposedly handed out 500 fines in the first two days of the campaign. There is no word on how long the campaign will last though. There is also a banner hanging off the railing by the side of the road here that says something about honking being uncivilized and telling drivers to consider safety (I'll try to get a full translation soon).

To welcome back Photo Friday, I would like to say that China has some wonderful signs for the population. However, I think New York City takes top honors with this bit of brilliance to deter illegal parking. It's almost as funny as the Futurama episode with the old New York street sign. As Fry said, it meant "Up yours, kid."

This one comes from in front of Rockefeller Center. Is Big Brother listening in? Has anyone contacted George Orwell?

Follow the rules

I forgot I had this photo. It's a sign in the ecological park in Shekou District, Shenzhen. For anyone wanting a pleasant day away from the noise of the city, this park is beautiful with views of downtown Shenzhen. There usually aren't too many people, so it's not too difficult to find a peaceful spot to relax, read, write, draw, etc.
However, please obey the rules of the park. Pay particular attention to number 6.
I'm still scratching my head, wondering how exactly one would practice feudalism in a public park. Would someone build a castle and then rent the public land to some peasants?
I've been thinking of getting a group of friends together and holding a medieval picnic. Everyone can dress as lords and serfs. Of course, the serfs would have to give half their food to the lords who would arrive with nothing because the serfs would pay for everything. It can be a fun day for the whole family. Abuse the peasants and eat their food!