Engrish / Chinese Insanity #6a

Asia in general is known for its… amusing… ways of translating things into English. Store names, product slogans, t-shirts… you name it. I’ve been trying to document all the “Engrish” I’ve seen in Taiwan for my own amusement, but it occurs to me that you, the good strong reader, might want to be amused as well. And so this is a semi-regular installment here on Nick in Asia – not to poke fun, mind you, but belly laughing a few times is always good for the soul.

Previous installments:
Engrish / Chinese Insanity #1 – Hats
Engrish / Chinese Insanity #2 – Inappropriate but funny
Engrish / Chinese Insanity #3 – Her boyfriend is mean
Engrish / Chinese Insanity #4 – Sports Edition!
Engrish / Chinese Insanity #5 – Soul Creams

It has been far, far too long since we’ve had an Engrish post here on Nick in Asia. Nearly two-and-a half months! Now, part of the reason is that I’m… gasp… almost getting used to it. I’ve actually seen no less than three (three!) people wearing their Luck Caps – the amazing headwear detailed in my very first Engrish post.

Oh, I still recognize a good Engrish slogan when I see one, but I don’t hustle for my camera and try to get a shot from every angle anymore. But that’s a crime, really. And it’s a disservice to you, the dear reader. And so, I will re-dedicate myself to the study and photography of Engrish everywhere, beginning with installment #6, which will be a two-parter! (This one will be more focused on the Engrish, and part B will give you some insanity. My god, will it ever.)

Now, despite the fact that I am getting a little accustomed to seeing Engrish around the Taiwan, sometimes it’s just too flagrantly wonderful not to stop and giggle. I saw a 20-something guy a couple weeks ago in a shirt that said “Bates Mice Poop Watt,” laughed uncontrollably to myself for a couple minutes, and cursed the world that I didn’t have my camera.

All of this leads us to here. A few weeks ago, a big group of us went to Kenting for the weekend to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Kenting is one of the best destinations in Taiwan – it’s a national park that encompasses the entire southern peninsula of the island and has some amazing beaches. I’ll post on that entire trip later. Right now we’re here for funny.

So, because Kenting is such a tourist destination, there are many, many shops along the couple of main roads; a lot of these shops sell clothes – swimming shorts, sarongs, shirts, and hats. There was a lot of failed English to be seen on these clothes, but this one shop in particular had the greatest collection of Engrish ever.

After the jump, please enjoy four hats and a shirt from that one store, all guaranteed to make your day a little brighter. Oh, and tell me which one is your favorite.

~ by Nick on November 13, 2009.