Awkward Signage

I promised to write three blogs this week, so by gum I will, even if it means a double update today. The second blog will be much less soul-searching than the first one, fortunately or unfortunately depending on your view. While I have been in Korea, I have seen a lot of what I call "Awkward Signage." Some of this has come in the form of Engrish, badly translated foreign language texts in amusing or incomprehensible ways. Other times it has come in the form of acronyms that would never be used in the U.S because of the connotations specific to Western culture. (KGB bus transportation system is a good example of this). The final has come from advertisements that are just-- lost in translation I guess I'll say. I would describe them to you, but some of them have to be seen to be understood. So, without further ado, I will present to you my favorite found Engrish, acroymns and symbols, and the "lost in cultural translation" advertisements.

Engrish

This was a bag I found in a subway station by the Insadong immigration offices. Cat Cat Can May Ican you? Cat Cat Cat Cat Any thin to you day? CAT In the city.here are?  This is not the only Engrish I have seen, just the only Engrish I have taken a picture of. However, I did steal a picture of the press badges from my friend Heesung. Even though the press badges don't reach the hilarity levels of the Cat bag, they are a little funny, and probably a little confounding for the confused press members wearing them.

G-20 press badges.

Acronyms/symbols 

Maybe this is not funny to anyone but me, but this company's acronym is PMS. When I first saw it, I laughed and laughed, and then promptly repeated my favorite joke from Prairie Home Companion: Q. Why is PMS called PMS? A. Because Mad Cow Disease was already taken.

 

 This awkward sign makes me blush to see it--and I see it a lot. I always think, aren't there enough foreigners in Korea that people should know not to put a swastika as symbol on their shops? This particular shop sells some cheap lingerie, thereby dubbing itself in my mind as "The Nazi Underpants Store."

Lost in Translation

 
I have no idea what this is advertising-- All I know is it is a picture of a bearded ladyman in a strangely suggestive pose. I think I prefer never knowing what, precisely, it is advertising. It's more fun to speculate, no? (Leave your speculations in the comments, please)

 This weird statue is essentially funny to me for the same reason the mysterious hermaphrodite advertisement is. To me, this is the most horrifyingly ugly, bizarre statue I could possibly imagine. If it was in a store in the USA, I don't think anyone would ever go to that store ever, and in fact, some people (myself among them) might actively campaign to have it taken down. This weird girl-man is also posed in front of an underwear shop, and the only good thing I can think to say about him is "I guess in the end he's less offensive than a swastika." 

Oh the horror.
   
 Well. That is the end of the Awkward Signage.
Here is a picture of me wearing empty glasses frames,
a generous gift from a student who knows me well!