Signs

Posted October 24, 2009

As I travel about with my camera, I come across signs that amuse me, puzzle me, rouse my curiosity or are just interesting. In this blog I will share a collection of these signs. They are from China and France.

The first sign is actually  the subway stop near my current apartment. It is not that interesting, but I was wondering what does the name mean.  I have discovered that Wiki can give you the background of every Paris subway stop !  (It actually gets most of this from a book  that is dedicated to the subject) What did we do before Google and Wiki?

In Paris about half the stations seem to  indicate where you are, in the city, usually related to a street, a square or a building. The rest with some exceptions, generally refer to some famous person, or a place that once existed, but no longer does exist. My stop is named after two people. Breguet is a famous family of watchmakers, Sabin was an 18th Century Paris City counsellor.

The sign below came from Shanghai. Chinese men have a penchant for spitting.  Before the Beijing Olympics, and now in Shanghai leading up to Expo 2010 there are major campaigns to eradicate this habit.  In case people forget, especially indoors, some malls connecting subways have posted these signs.

Shanghai - I wondered a lot about this sign. I know in the past, "intellectuals" in China were usually opposed to the government.  Was this a law firm specializing in defence of these people ? Now that there is less of this persecution, business is slow, and that is why they are closed. Or is it just a bad translation?

Above Beijing Park  (if you cannot read, the sign indicates things you cannot do in the park, the last item is related to the ban agaianst raising of ducka in the park.

Right- Great shopping slogan in Shanghai.

Left - Perhaps too much information on this office sign.

Below - On every government building...

Below - In order to charge extravagant prices for an ice cream cone, it helps if you can convince the consumer that you are no mere purveyor of ice cream, but in fact an artisan of ice cream. It would seem that the "fabrication maison"  seems redundant ?

Below - Beijing hotel shower

This Paris street sign below is on the way from my place to the Seine.  As I went by the first few times I always thought it said "Rue du Petit Music", and I would say silently to myself, "there is no small music, just small musicians" LOL. When I decided to take my camera along one day I realized the sign said "Rue du Petit Musc" Street of the small musk. Strange name. Seems I am not the only one to query. It is a long story, but if you go to the web sight of "The Scented Salamander" or http://www.mimifroufrou.com/scentedsalamander/2007/07/rue_du_petit_musc_quid_scented.html you will get the entire fascinating story.

Below - Another Paris street sign, one of Genya's favorites. Apparently so named because it was where young men of the 16th century went to fight. A medieval "hood" I guess

Submissions welcome.