Archive for March, 2007
Olympic Security English
March 29, 2007 1:33 pmI recently came across a book with the intriguing title “Olympic Security English.†With chapters ranging from “Giving Directions†to “Dealing with Brawls†this text covers all the bases. It is good to know the police will be prepared in 2008. Here is an excerpt:
At the Lost and Found Office:
Foreigner: Hello, officer.
Police: Hello, sir!
F: I’m Joe Kennedy. I’ve been notified to come here for my lost wallet.
P: Please give me the Report on Lost Article.
F: Okay. Here you are.
P: To make sure, will you tell me what’s in the wallet?
F: It’s black and rectangular.
P: What’s in it?
F: 300 US dollars, 3000 yuan, 2 telephone cards, and 3 credit cards.
P: Anything else?
F: And a photo of my wife and daughter.
P: Absolutely right! Here is your wallet. Please sign your name on the Report on Lost Article.
F: All right. It’s really incredible! A lost wallet can be recovered! Only in Beijing can this be possible!
P: The taxi driver found it and sent it here.
F: Thank you very much. I really appreciate your efforts.
While I am certainly happy for Mr. Kennedy, I have some serious doubts as to the veracity of this exchange. Only in Beijing indeed.
For more on the book check out: Book will help police converse with English speakers and Beijing police learning ‘Olympic Security English’.
Not to miss Swiss
March 24, 2007 3:09 pm
One of the highlights of my recent trip to Europe was taking the ferry across Lake Lucerne to the small town of Brunnen. My father and I were looking for a little relief from the city life and picked a random out of the way place based on the description in our guide book. It was a fortuitous decision.
We stayed at the lovely Hotel Alpina, which was by far the nicest place we stayed in Switzerland, and a bargain to boot! The owner, Stéphane, was super friendly and very helpful. Originally we were only planning of staying one night but as soon as we set our bags down we made it two.
During the next two days we toured the nearby town of Schwyz, home of Victorinox factory, road a funicular up a mountain and a cable car down the other side. We found a great Swiss/Thai restaurant which was so nice we ate there twice.
About a month after returning home my father received a hand written note from Stéphane thanking us for our visit and welcoming us back anytime. If you are ever in the area I highly recommend staying a few nights. Below are some (slightly squeezed) photos from the area.
Espresso Hell
March 20, 2007 1:15 pmI guess Dante forgot to mention this particular circle. It is reserved for rude baristas and coffee shop patrons who order complicated drinks and refuse to tip. I came across this machine in the Zürich train station. Click on the photo for a larger version.
It’s Not Easy Being Green
March 16, 2007 2:58 pmComing Soon: The new and improved Stewsnews
March 10, 2007 5:02 pm
I have been toying with the idea of changing the site up. In the process I somehow deleted the photo from the previous post and almost deleted an entire directory or two.
I am still trying out a few different ideas so please stand by…
Bridge to Somewhere
March 4, 2007 7:24 pmLong Time, No See
March 2, 2007 7:49 pm
To say it has been a while would be a major understatement. I don’t know if there is anyone still reading this little blog of mine; I have been away from keyboard and mouse for sometime. At first it was just the cold weather which was making me lethargic, then the end-of-term push that kept me away, eventually I left China for a while to do some traveling.
But never fear loyal readers I am alive and well. I will get photos and entries posted of my misadventures to Korea, Germany, Switzerland, and back to Korea soon. In the meantime enjoy this taste of things to come.
I want to thank my brother Kris for stepping in and shutting down the comments before the spammers had a chance to really take over. I am going to keep them turned off for the time being. If you really want to reach me you’ll just have to stay tuned.
