Here's Your Sign

I have to wonder why they spent the time translating, typing and putting these signs in a case for foreigners (or should I say putting part of the sign in a case to be read and have to guess what the end of the word is because it's hidden by the frame...) The English sign was just as confusing as the chinese characters next to it. Why did they bother?

The sign above says: Respectful guest, basis the requirement of supervisor public security organs, it is registered that receiving a visitor ask proscenium to handle to receive a visitor at night at eleven o'clock afterwards, prohibit receive a visitor in room, visit guest ask proscenium to handle to enter if need to reserve register. Appreciate your coordination and support for the work of the hotel. (What?...) It's strange to look at a language I've known my whole life and have these words make absolutely no sense at all to me. Bizarre feeling...

The one experience I was more than happy to skip was using what we endearingly call the squatty potty. I would intentionally wait until I had a choice of a "western" toilet or a "sit" toilet before going to use the facilities. The McD's trip to use the bathroom proved to give a literal meaning to the name "restroom" as I was waiting to use the sit potty and heard a woman snoring from the other side of the door. I ended up using my less than favored squatty friend.

One of the most fascinating things during my brief stay in China was looking at things that were seemingly similar to the USA. For example, we have signs everywhere to help us get where we need to go, to deliberate information etc. The catch was most of the time in China, they put the sign up, but there was a glitch between the very literal English sign and actual meaning. I came to realize many of the signs were nothing more than mere entertainment for me!