Signs of the (Malyasian) Times

Clear and (maybe) helpful sign

    After years of guessing what signs say in Japan, I'm still reveling in being able to actually read them!  I still marvel at what they say, but at least they say it in English -- a special kind of English, but English nevertheless.  This one is, however, perfectly clear, posted on the outside of a men's restroom in a mall.  In Japan, they never bothered to warn men that there would be a lady inside cleaning the toilets; the lady was just there, doing her job.  Here, you can choose to go in or not.  (The sign's always there, but the lady isn't.)

A very useful sign -- (I added the "ly"!)

      

     This afternoon I had to kill a number of hours waiting for my motorbike to be tuned.  I spent it languishing in an Indian vegetarian restaurant where they're not just down on pork, they're down on ALL meat.  And spitting, too!  I gather that blue penguins aren't allowed to smoke pipes there, either.

    Double and triple parking is a massive problem in Malaysia.  It was bad in Japan, but it's terrible here.  The problem is made worse by restaurants like the one here in our little village that posts this sign.  It encourages drivers to just stop, honk, place their order and pick it up -- all the while blocking a whole lane of traffic where there is only one lane.  And this is just a few doors away from the local police station!  By the way, what exactly is the phone number anyway?  016?  019?   No wonder "dear customers" have to block traffic while they place their orders and wait for them to be served up.  They can't call! 




   




 And lastly, 'tis the season to be jolly and to stuff oneself with turkey.  But if you're a Muslim who wants to observe the American Thanksgiving or a Western-style Christmas feast (???), you can get a "Halal" one, one that's OK for Muslims to eat. 


    Gobble, gobble, gobble!