Golden Gate Bridge
The Palace of Fine Arts
The Streets in San Francisco
Lombard Street – “the most crooked street in America.
Fisherman’s Wharf
Hyde St. Pier
Chinatown
Japan Center
Alcatraz
San Francisco
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Author Archives: The Traveller
Office Related Items
S$1.99. CD on Class 95 Love Songs.
S$1.99. Christmas Songs in Finnish.
S$1.99. Triangle Snake Magic Cube (9cm x 6cm x 2cm).
Packing and Postage : For Singapore is S$2. Add S$2.40 for registered postage. For Overseas, I will need to check with the Post Office on the postage when I have your address.
Payment : For Singapore buyers, payment can be done through bank transfer or Cash on Delivery. For overseas buyers, payment is through Paypal.
Belgium 比利时 – Brussel 布鲁塞尔
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on 18 June 1815 in the South of Brussels, Belgium. I passed by this Napoleonic war zone, which is now a big empty grassland, when I was on the way to Amsterdam
While I was in Brussels I visited the Manneken Pis, Atomium, Central Square, the Palace and Mini Europe. The Atomium and Mini Europe are next to each other and you can spend a day there.
I happened to pass by a funfair where there are food, drinks, rides, sideshows, and other amusements.
France 法国
Hong Kong
I used 20,000 united mileage to exchange for a free return air ticket from United Airlines and travelled to Hong Kong (I only paid about $40 for the processing charge). From Hong Kong, I took the train to Shenzhen and stayed there for 3 days. From Shenzhen, I took a bus to Zhuhai and stayed for another 3 days. I crossed the Chinese border and stayed in Macau for 3 more days before I took the ferry back to Hong Kong.
This is Hong Kong – the busy city
Hong Kong Avenue Of Comic Stars 香港漫畫星光大道
I contacted 3 people while I was in Hong Kong and one of them has a brother working in the Disneyland. He made arrangement for me to enter the Disneyland with his mother for free.
The places I have visted while I was in Hong Kong
我在高山上
你在浅水湾
只要山水有相連
我们就会有來往
The Avenue of Stars
想约你去海边吹吹风
然后告诉你未来的梦
这样心里会快乐和轻松
但你说没必要去吹冷风
我们的未来根本没有梦
和我一起你不快乐也不轻松
天啊! 劉德華, 我失恋了……. 在星光大道
I stayed in Jean’s place when I was in Paris. Coincidentally I met him when I was in Hong Kong. We went out together to visit the Lantau island 大嶼山.
Cheng Huat is a Malaysian working in the Outward Bound Training School in Sai Kung 西貢. I visited him and stayed in his place for 2 nights. During the day, I went for island hopping. The interesting seafood selling market at the pier is an eye opener for me.
I stayed with Donald and his father in Kwai Fong 葵芳. I also stayed in CT’s house.
Nigerian Scams
I have put up some items for sale in the Facebook Marketplace. Recently I received 2 strange emails wanting to buy those items.
The first email was received in September. This buyer wanted to purchase a T-shirt from me and he is willing to pay $25 plus shipping and handling charges (I am selling the T-shirt for $15.95). He said the T-shirt is a birthday gift for his relative in Africa. He wanted to have my Paypal e-mail ID so that he can proceed with the payment to my Paypal account.
I find that this is rather strange as normally people will bargain with me to reduce the price and I wonder why he is willing to pay more than what I have asked for. I feel that something is not right and went to view his facebook. There is no photo and no basic info about him.
I wrote back and asked for his name and address so that I can check with the Post Office for the postage. I also asked whether he is in Singapore or somewhere else. He did not reply.
The second email came in October. This buyer has a more decent profile in the facebook. He has friends and wrote some information about himself. But I still feel a bit strange for him willing to pay US$650.65 plus postage charge for a watch that I am selling for S$495.95.
He said he is getting the watch for his daughter who is currently studying at the British international college in West Africa. Same as the first person, he asked me to get back to him with the final asking price and the Paypal Invoice.
I wrote back and asked why he is willing to pay so much more than I have asked for. I also asked him why does he need to have my paypal account. He could send me cash, money order, postal order or transfer the money to my bank account. I further asked if he is in Singapore we could meet up for the transaction.
According to the facebook, this second buyer hometown is in Columbus, Ohio, USA but he is currency living in Manchester, UK. He is working with a German company. I was thinking why can’t he buy the watch in UK and send it over to Africa instead of going through me? Aren’t there any watches in Manchester, besides football?
There are some significant similarities between these two buyers. Both are willing to pay more than the price I have advertised. Both said that the items are for someone in Africa and both are asking for my paypal account. I gathered and think that this could be the popular Nigerian scams and do a search in the Internet. True enough I found some people were cheated by sending out the goods but never get paid. Through the Internet, I saw one of the addresses given by the scammers is the same as what the second buyer has given me. I confirm that this is a scam and will not send the watch until I have received the money.
I wrote back to the second buyer and asked for cash or postal order to be sent to my post box. Here is the link on the Nigerian scams http://www.whoisandrewwee.com/ebay-auctions/ebay-nigeria-scam-exposed/
Lost in Translation
Someone at the United Nation once fed a common English saying into a translating computer. The machine was asked to translate the statement into Chinese, then into French, and finally back into English. The adage chosen was “Out of sight, out of mind. ” What came back was “Invisible insane.”
A similar computer was given the task of translating into Russian and then back to English the bromide “The spirit is willing, but the fresh is weak.” The result was “The wine is good but the meat is spoiled.”
What’s wrong with the translation? “Out of sight” does mean invisible and “out of mind” does mean insane. “Spirit” does mean wine and “flesh” does mean meat? Well, some sort of correct.
English has been recognized as the international lingua franca and people have begun adopting English for the benefits of visitors. Here are some examples of other languages that have been translated into English and lost the original intended meanings.
- In a Tokyo hotel : Is forbitten to steal hotel towels please. If you are not person to do such thing is please not to read notis.
- In another Japanese hotel room : Please to bathe inside the tub.
- In a hotel in Athens : Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11a.m. daily.
- In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across a Russian Orthodox monastery : You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists and writers are buried daily except Thursday.
- On the menu of a Swiss restaurant : Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.
- In a Bangkok dry cleaner’s : Drop your trousers here for best results.
- In a Rhodes tailor shop : Order your summer suit. Because is big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation.
- In a Rome laundry : Ladies, leave your clothes here are spend the afternoon having a good time.
- In a Czechoslovakian tourist agency : Take one of our horse-driven city tours – we guarantee no miscarriages.
- Advertisement for donkey rides in Thailand : Would you like to ride on your own ass?
- In the window of a Swedish furrier : Fur coats made for ladies from their own skin.
- In a Swiss mountain inn : Special today – no ice cream.
- In a Norwegian cocktails lounge : Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.
- At a Budapest zoo : Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.
- In a office of a Roman doctor : Specialist in women and other diseases.
- In a Acapulco hotel : The manager has personally passed all the water served here.
Source : Anguished English (Anniversary Edition!) – An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon Our Language by Richard Lederer. Published by Wyrick & Company, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
Anguished English
Sometimes there are more laughs on the advertising and classified pages than we can find in cartoons and comic strips. Here are some ads taken from “Anguished English” by Richard Lederer for you to have a good laugh.
- For Sale: Antique desk suitable for lady with think legs and large drawers.
- A superb and inexperience restaurant: Fine foods expertly served by waitresses in appetizing forms.
- Dinner Special: Turkey $2.35; Chicken or Beef $2.25; Children $2.00.
- Now is your chance to have your ears pierced and get an extra pair to take home too!
- Wanted: Unmarried girls to pick fresh fruits and produce at night.
- Wanted: 50 girls for stripping machine operators in factory.
- We do not tear your clothing with machinery. We do it carefully by hand.
- Tried of cleaning yourself? Let me do it.
- Dog for sale: Eats anything and is fond of children.
- Vacation Special: Have your home exterminated.
- Toaster: A gift that every member of the family appreciates. Automatically burns toast.
- Sheer stockings: Designed for fancy dress, but so serviceable that lots of women wear nothing else.
- Save regularly in our bank. You’ll never reget it.
- For Rent: 6-room hated apartment.
- Man, honest. Will take anything.
- Used Cars: Why go elsewhere to be cheated? Come here first!
- Christmas tag-sale: Handmade gifts for the hard-to-find person.
- Modular Sofas: Only $299. For rest or fore play.
- Wanted: Man to take care of cow that does not smoke or drink.
- Our bikinis are exciting. They are simply the tops.
- Illiterate? Write today for free help.
- Wanted! Widower with school-age children requires person to assume general housekeeping duties. Must be capable of contributing to growth of family.
Source : Anguished English by Richard Lederer
Language Variation
There are vocabulary differences in the varieties spoken in different regions. Australians talk about sole parents while people in England call them single parents, and New Zealanders call them solo parents. South Africans use the term robot for British traffic light. British wellies (Wellington boots) are New Zealand gummies (gumboots), while the word togs refers to very different types of clothes in different places. In New Zealand togs are what you swim in. In Britain one might wear them to a formal dinner.
The following questions provide a simple way to check out variations of American vs. British influence on the vocabulary we use.
- When you go window-shopping do you walk on the pavement or the sidewalk?
- Do you put your shopping in the car’s trunk or in the boot?
- When the car’s engine needs oil do you open the bonnet or the hood?
- Do you fill up the car with gas or with petrol?
- When it is cold do you put on a jersey or a sweater?
- When the baby is wet does it need a dry diaper or nappy?
- Do you get to the top of the building in an elevator or a lift?
- When the children are happy do you open a can or a tin of beans?
- When you go on holiday do you take luggage or baggage?
- When you’ve made an error do you remove it with an eraser or a rubber?
Pronunciation and vocabulary differences are probably the differences people are most aware of between dialects of English, but there are grammatical differences too. The following are some preferred American from the traditional British usages.
- Americans prefer to use “do you have” while British use “have you got”
- Americans say “gotten” when people in England use “got”
- Americans use “dove” while most English speakers prefer “dived”
- Americans ask “did you eat?” While the English ask “have you eaten?”
Source: “An Introduction o Sociolinguistics” by Janet Holmes. Published by Pearson Education Limited.
English Translations
Those who have travelled to the non-English speaking countries might have encountered some amusing English translations. There are some English translations Roger Axtell has encountered while traveling round the world.
In a Japanese hotel – You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid.
In a Swiss hotel – Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests of the opposite sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be used for this purpose.
In a Turkish hotel – Because of fallibility in our phone system, for room services step outside your door and shoot “ROOM SERVICE”.
In a Bucharest hotel lobby – The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable.
In a Bucharest hotel elevator – To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If cabin should enter more persons, each one should a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.
In a Japanese hotel (instruction for using the room air conditioner) – Coolers and Heaters : If you want just condition of warm in your room, please control yourself.
From the Soviet Weekly – There will be a Moscow Exhibition of Arts by 15,000 Soviet painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two years.
On the menu of a Polish hotel – Salad a firm’s own make; limpid red beet soup with cheesy dumplings in the form of a finger; roasted duck let loose, beef rashers beaten up in the country people’s fashion.
From a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo – When passenger of foot have in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor.
According to a professor at the University of Sonora in Hermosillo, Mexico, a 1993 Spanish version of the Arizona driver’s license manual contained these statements :
- Drivers must attend the funeral wakes of children.
- Drivers who have donated their eyes, hearts and other organs may ask to have their organs returned to them at any time.
- Drivers must ensure that infants are constructed to certain specifications.
Source : “Do’s and Taboos of Using English Around the World” by Roger E. Axtell. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.