China # 8.1

Hi gang - This is Dad and we found a minor error in Mom's posting earlier today. The Forbidden City has 9,999 rooms cuz 10,000 would be bad luck.  There is also a "West" gate, instead of two "East" gates.  Otherwise a perfect post of a memorable day.

While I am here, I thought I would share a couple of my favorite pictures.  There are a lot of signs around China that are translated into English for the tourists - but you can tell they were translated by non-native English speakers.  Here are a few example:

I think this means "Entrance".  By the way, there was a "Way Out" sign on the other side of the city, which is better than an "Exit."  I can't find the photo I took where it says "Tourists Get Off" - I wonder if that was a Freudian mistake.

The Chinese are apparently a very modest culture.  I think this means "No Campfires".

Saw this sign a few times.  Not sure why you can't talk on your cell phone during a thunderstorm in China.

And my all time favorite.  In case you can't make it out, it says "Heart cerebral disease sufferer, ascend the Great Wall to please watch for."  Perfectly clear to me. 

PS Note the further warning against "speaking cellphone."  Apparently it is quite the phobia in China.

Thought you would find this interesting.  There were a lot more signs, but these are the ones I took pictures of.  You will want to study the cleaning instructions on your silk comforters to get a first hand feel for the challenges of direct translations!