I’m now catching up on the huge backlog of posts that I have built up in my unexpected two month break from this blog.
(Ritan Park forbids visitors from everything.)
Beijing has a number of interesting street signs. To be honest with you, I can’t really explain why I am interested in them. Part [...]
It’s not every day that you go to the bathroom and the toilet requests that there be “no shitting here”!
And it’s not every day that it’s accompanied by a little illustration of a turd in turmoil.
NLGX in Nanluoguxiang has such a toilet.
First came the actual sign.
Then came a translation, with more illustrations.
It’s enough to [...]
Trader Joe’s, meet Trader Zhou’s.
Trader Joe’s in America, a grocery store mostly known for its excellent and cheap natural foods. (And two buck chuck.)
(Image from Business Week.)
Trader Zhou’s in Beijing, a wine shop.
No two buck chuck in there!
Alas, I’m just kidding. But that is exactly what I thought when I was walking out of the Dongsishitao subway station and saw this handy map. Lights on this electronic map randomly flash to draw attention to the various locations of the toilets; in the picture it is at the top right hand [...]
The Cure song “Friday, I’m in Love” has it that on Wednesdays you can be grey, break my heart, have a heart attack, or stay in bed, but no such problems for Beijing in its Olympic year.
On Wednesdays in Beijing, you can take part in the Olympics in your own way by climbing the stairs. [...]
This is a sign from the Beijing authorities prohibiting dangerous items in the subway. Note the artistic twist on 危险品 (flammable items), withthe little flame acting as the first 口 in 品.
But this next one is even better, with its eclectically dressed mannequins carrying items of dubious morality.
Both of these signs were found in [...]