Tag Archives: Signs

But Did You Know That I’d Lose My Wallet?: The Japan Edition

Posted on July 16, 2017 by findingfoodfluency

Coincidentally, I did lose my wallet during my first trip to Japan. The details are rather fuzzy – it happened in 2000 – but it did shock me that it happened in a country known for actually having rather full … Continue reading →

Posted in East & Southeast Asia, Human Nature, Japan | Tagged department store, fortune telling, Japan, japanese, Lake Biwa, Shiga prefecture, Signs, weird, Zeze | Leave a comment

Poison Bakery, Busan, South Korea

Posted on December 14, 2015 by findingfoodfluency

During my last visit to Japan, I had poisonous fish…that was the title of an earlier blog post. Somehow, today’s entry harks back to that, in spite of this one taking place in the country on the other side of … Continue reading →

Posted in East & Southeast Asia, Food & Drink, Human Nature, Languages | Tagged bakery, bread, Busan, food, japanese, poison, Pusan, Republic of Korea, Signs, South Korea, weird | 1 Comment

Shopping Around Dhaka, Bangladesh

Posted on August 20, 2015 by findingfoodfluency

I visited Dhaka, Bangladesh a few years ago – mostly to eat– but also to check out Louis Kahn’s National Assembly Building. Naturally, I wasn’t allowed in at the time, so I had to stick to plan A, that being … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Nature, Languages, pop culture, South Asia | Tagged Bangladesh, centre, Dhaka, food, mall, New York, shopping center, Signs, weird, where is Dhaka? | Leave a comment

Fifty Shades of Wrong: A Pharmacy a Day in Queens, New York

Posted on August 3, 2015 by findingfoodfluency

When you’re in Queens, New York, you’re bound to come across something weird at any given moment. Well…weird is fine, but one southern Flushing pharmacy likely went too far: There are plenty of distinct – and sometimes offensive – signs … Continue reading →

Posted in New York City, pop culture | Tagged change, Flushing, names, New York, offensive, pharmacy, Queens, Signs, store, weird | 1 Comment

Weird Signs, Issue #1: Dental Sushi Cruise in New Jersey

Posted on March 3, 2015 by findingfoodfluency

Sometimes when I’d go to Mitsuwa Marketplace in Edgewater, New Jersey, the largest Japanese supermarket in the New York City area, I’d walk a few more minutes north to the Trader Joe’s shopping center. Indeed, when you think “I’m going to go … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Food & Drink, New York City | Tagged bus, day trip, Edgewater, New Jersey, New York City, Signs, weird | 1 Comment

Everything’s Bigger in… East Asia?

Posted on February 23, 2015 by findingfoodfluency

If you’ve had the chance to flip through my previous posts, you may already know that East Asia has cornered the market on many of the world’s superlatives— among numerous other (read: weird) possibilities, escalators, advertising and flight delays all … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, East & Southeast Asia, Food & Drink, Human Nature, Japan | Tagged advertising, east asia, Japan, Signs, superlatives, Texas, weird | 8 Comments

Japanese Signs: I Could Read Them, if I Could Read Them

Posted on February 3, 2015 by findingfoodfluency

During my first visit to Japan in the summer of 2000, I lived with a host family in Kanazawa for one month. Even though I was just in my early teens at the time, wanderlust had already become a favorite … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, East & Southeast Asia, Human Nature, Japan | Tagged Japan, japanese, neon, nightlife, Signs, weird | 6 Comments

Taiwan: Fluent in Fun

Posted on March 27, 2014 by findingfoodfluency

On a recent trip back to the US, I had a one-night stopover at Taipei Taoyuan International – or for the more militant readers, Chiang Kai-shek International – Airport in Taiwan. No big deal, I speak some of the language, … Continue reading →

Posted in East & Southeast Asia, Human Nature, Languages, pop culture | Tagged Asia, Engrish, language, Signs, taiwan | 4 Comments

What Cures Optimism? Reality.

Posted on March 16, 2014 by findingfoodfluency

Hello, my name is Surabaya, Indonesia, and I have an image problem. While many other cities in Southeast Asia – Siem Reap, Kuala Lumpur, this one, even that four-letter island to the east of me – play host to ceaseless … Continue reading →

Posted in East & Southeast Asia, Human Nature, Indonesia | Tagged Asia, Engrish, environment, Indonesia, Signs, Surabaya | 5 Comments

Japanese Weirdness: Studying English is Really Fung

Posted on July 26, 2012 by findingfoodfluency

The Japanese language has, similar to a plethora of other languages, adopted and amended various non-native words and adapted them to fit its standard pronunciations. Additionally, Japanese is based on (Mandarin) Chinese, as much of Korean is too (that should … Continue reading →