it's not life that matters but the journey...

While driving a couple days ago, I saw this sign (I believe it was for a grocery store) and I just had to write down the unbelievably bad English:

"We have to reach you in fresh food to your comfortable life and smiling."

I'm not making this stuff up - it was posted on the wall of a building on a main road in Fujinomiya.  How do they come up with this amazing combination of words?  I'll give a reward for the best translation into REAL English - good luck!!

Also, yesterday we went to the big electronics store to buy an oil heater for our classroom.  The store, called Kojima, makes the following claim about their prices:

"Challenge to the best price in the world."

I know what they are trying to say, but somehow, they just don't get the real meaning across.  But its okay - most people around here don't understand English anyway! 

Okay - you know the expression "its all been done."  Well, I was just thinking today that I should really get around to compiling lots of examples of funny English in Japan and put it into some kind of book format.  But, alas, someone has beaten me to it - published a website and a book of funny English in Japan.  I figured that someone would get around to it, but this website supposedly has been around since 1997 or so!  I will continue to be on the lookout for my own examples, but I certainly won't be able to put them into a book now.  Its amazing how great ideas are always taken!

anyway, I found the following link when I was looking at Masahiko's favorite website today: http://forum.anothersite.co.uk/showthread.php?t=37188

and the website, which has tons of photos of funny packages, bags, signs, etc., is here:  http://engrish.com/

whoever compiled these pictures was in Japan for 10 years, and had lots of time - and lots of good examples (some of these bars are definitely in Tokyo). 

So, if you want a good laugh at the expense of the Japanese, have fun!!

found this article about Rumsfeld becoming a million dollars richer because of his "stake" in the Tamiflu market.  Gee, kind of makes you wonder who started the "panic" around the globe?  could it be the same person who started the panic several years ago about WMD?

http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/31/news/newsmakers/fortune_rumsfeld/?cnn=yes