On Vacation

Dear Readers,

Starting on Dec. 17th, I will be traveling through Oregon and California for three weeks.

Thanks to the great folks at Gmail for hooking me up with Gmail Mobile, so if anyone has any tips about interesting places to visit, please feel free to email me.

In the meantime, please entertain yourselves with this Japanese etiquette guide about how to properly order and consume sushi.

Happy Holidays


-tian

"Ding Dong"

When I saw this photo, the first two questions popped into my mind are:

1. Is the witch dead?

2. Are the fries done?

The four-character phrase (circled in red) on this young man's left forearm is the literal translation that means "the sound of ding-dong".

Arbor Snowboard - "Push"

http://www.arborsports.com/06/snowboards/html/push_06.html

In the promotional pamphlet for "Push" from Arbor Snowboards, the characters circled in red are mirrored. It could be an "artistic" thing.



http://www.arborsports.com/06/snowboards/html/push_06_lrg.html

If the phrase on the snowboard is translated back into English one character per word, 女表達 would mean "female expression", but it is contextually incorrect and sounds terrible.

Since this snowboard caters to female riders, why not just call it "female expression" instead of "Push"? Or use jumbled "Americanese" that translates to "female expression"?


Use "HANZI2006" to save 10% on any t-shirt purchase at Jlist.com, and save 25% for 3 shirts or more.

Bewitch Hero Energy

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Manzo's Tattoo

http://www.esreality.com/?a=post&id=789394

Reader Sam emailed me the photo shown above.

As one commenter has already mentioned in the original forum, these are random characters with two of them done incorrectly.


Use "HANZI2006" to save 10% on any t-shirt purchase at Jlist.com, and save 25% for 3 shirts or more.

"Friendless"

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

"Hair Splitting"

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

"Shi"

http://www.shistudio.com (thanks to Jonathan for the photo)

Well designed business cards are necessary to attract potential clients’ attention. Shi Studio recently passed out these cards at a Toronto art show. According to their website, “Shi means poems in Chinese”.

That is absolutely correct.

Unfortunately, that is not what is printed on their cards.

The character on the card is 禅 (or 禪), which means “meditation”, and “shi” (or "poem") should be 詩 (or 诗).

Luckily, they did not make the mistake of printing 屎, which is also pronounced as "shi" but with third tone, on their cards. (Hint: This "shi" does not mean "poem.")


Use "HANZI2006" to save 10% on any t-shirt purchase at Jlist.com, and save 25% for 3 shirts or more.

Associated Press: Lost in Translation

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

"Death Wish"

http://www.painlesswayne.com/SCREENSAVER/KANJI%20WRISTS.jpg

This young man wanted "death wish" (or "death" and "desire") to be tattooed on the insides of his wrists. 死 (death) is missing one dot, and 欲 (desire) has been completely butchered.


Use "HANZI2006" to save 10% on any t-shirt purchase at Jlist.com, and save 25% for 3 shirts or more.

"Fraud Blessing"

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

"Gratitude"

http://kingpinstudio.com/albums/Chris/kanji.jpg

I hope this tattooist has posted a mirrored photo rather than a mirrored tattoo.

恩 means "gratitude" and "kindness".


Use "HANZI2006" to save 10% on any t-shirt purchase at Jlist.com, and save 25% for 3 shirts or more.

Raven's Lazy Eye

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

"Think"

http://www.bmezine.com/tattoo/A51116/high/bmepb165499.jpg

When written correctly, 想 means "to think" or "speculate".


Use "HANZI2006" to save 10% on any t-shirt purchase at Jlist.com, and save 25% for 3 shirts or more.

"Sisters"

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

"Peter"

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

"Katherine"

http://www.bmezine.com/tattoo/A51108/high/bmepb162106.jpg

凯瑟琳 is the Chinese phonetic translation of English name "Katherine". The owner has submitted a mirrored photo to Shannon Larratt and BMEzine.com, plus the last character is incorrectly done.


Use "HANZI2006" to save 10% on any t-shirt purchase at Jlist.com, and save 25% for 3 shirts or more.

Shawn Marion - The Matrix

(thanks to Brandon for the photo)

According to a news report on NBA’s website:

“Sept. 24, 2003: Shawn Marion will be sporting a new look beyond the added pounds he piled on in the weight room this summer. A tattoo down his right leg in Chinese lettering which translates to ‘The Matrix’ was added to his body art early in the off-season.”

The three “Chinese lettering” Mr. Marion sporting does not really translate as “The Matrix” in Chinese.

魔 = demon, evil spirits; magic power
鳥 = bird
樟 = camphor (a plant where its chemical exact is used for making moth balls)

The movie “The Matrix” is translated as 黑客帝国 (“Hackers’ Empire”). “Matrix”, as in mathematical and logical condition, is translated as 矩陣.

Although, this tattoo could be a Japanese phonetic translation of “The Matrix” (マトリックス), many Chinese-speaking fans would probably snicker at Shawn “Demon Bird Moth Balls” Marion.

PS. Even his action figure has this tattoo on it.


Use "HANZI2006" to save 10% on any t-shirt purchase at Jlist.com, and save 25% for 3 shirts or more.

Asian Font Gibberish

According to reader “Quaz”:

“It is a picture of a tattoo taken by some racist, who apparently just downloaded an ‘Asian’ font from the Internet, wrote ‘SAY NO TO NIGGERS’ with that font and let somebody to tattoo it in his back. Of course, since languages don't work that way - which apparently is too much to comprehend for our little white supremacist here - the message is completely incomprehensible, as it actually is just finish with a strange font.”

The tattoo is complete gibberish.

Update: The tattoo shown here is suppose to be Finnish of “SANO EI LAKUPEKOILLE”, which is the English equivalent for “say no to niggers”. The owner of the tattoo used an “Asian” font to mimic the alphabets. What the fool did not realize is that the Chinese do not use alphabets. Way to show your racial superiority by using another culture's language.

Racists are idiots.

Einstein Wants to Know

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Ultimate Mandarin Chinese

Textbook is one of the basic tools for someone to learn a foreign language. When there are typos in a beginning-intermediate level Chinese textbook, usually students would assume they are “correct” and move on.

I wonder how the editors of “Ultimate Mandarin Chinese” would feel after reading this post, especially when the slogan on its cover says “The Most Complete and Up-to-Date Program Available”.

How about recheck your book with a dictionary?

人 = person
入 = enter

"Forever Cherish"

http://www.bmezine.com/tattoo/A20925/high/arm.jpg

I wonder what she is "forever cherishing" (永遠懷念) about.

The poorly done tattoo, perhaps?


Use "HANZI2006" to save 10% on any t-shirt purchase at Jlist.com, and save 25% for 3 shirts or more.

"Bitter"

http://www.bmezine.com/tattoo/A51012/high/bmepb147728.jpg

苦 means "bitter", "hardship", or "suffering".

The three exact emotions this guy is going through right now.


Use "HANZI2006" to save 10% on any t-shirt purchase at Jlist.com, and save 25% for 3 shirts or more.

GQ magazine Nov. 2005 Issue

In Nov. 2005 issue of GQ magazine, there is an article called "The Office Dick" by Cecil Donahue. It identifies "The Common Two-Face Slacker" with the characteristics of "odd facial piercings" and "Chinese character tattooed on back of neck".


Use "HANZI2006" to save 10% on any t-shirt purchase at Jlist.com, and save 25% for 3 shirts or more.

Etch a Mac

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The Seven Sins

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Whole-Hearted Devotion

http://www.bmezine.com/tattoo/A51022/high/bmepb152472.jpg

誠心誠意 is an old Chinese idiom that meant "in all sincerity", "with one's whole heart", or "whole-hearted devotion".

Ironically, neither the tattooist nor the client has devoted enough effort to make sure the tattoo was done correctly.


Use "HANZI2006" to save 10% on any t-shirt purchase at Jlist.com, and save 25% for 3 shirts or more.

SNL - Tattoo Removal

video: 5.16 MB mov

Jujutsu

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The Four Seasons

(thanks to Terry for the photos)

Just because you have purchased the latest books on Feng Shui 風水 and watched way too much home make-over shows, it does not mean you have to jump onto the bandwagon. At least please consult someone first.

Twisted “Four Seasons” 春夏秋冬, that is definitely bad Feng Shui.


Use "HANZI2006" to save 10% on any t-shirt purchase at Jlist.com, and save 25% for 3 shirts or more.