Chinglish in Shanghai

Let’s take a lighthearted stroll away from activism/writing.  I read this article in the Times today.  It talks about how China is trying to clean up its English usage.  Shanghai is trying to take the current Chinglish (Chinese and English) and replace it with standard English.  For example, “Anus Hospital” has now become “Proctology Hospital.”  It sounds a little bit better for Western ears.  The Times says:

The campaign is partly modeled on Beijing’s herculean effort to clean up English signage for the 2008 Summer Olympics, which led to the replacement of 400,000 street signs, 1,300 restaurant menus and such exemplars of impropriety as the Dongda Anus Hospital — now known as the Dongda Proctology Hospital. Gone, too, is Racist Park, a cultural attraction that has since been rechristened Minorities Park.

I only wish I had visited Racist Park while it was still racist.  I could’ve claimed oppression.

Here are more:

I personally found this inspirational.  I need to turn my wallet from “cash disposal machine” into a “cash recycling machine.”

China is #1 in the world for capital punishment, so if you see a sign like this, cover your ears to protect against the noise from gunshots.

You can fall, but make sure you do so with care.

This is what Ron Paul supporters think of bigWOWO.

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