Skip to main content

Signs of Cameroon: the continuing story

A business in 3 Corners Bekondo:
Doctor of Engines: Chainsaw, motorcycle

On a truck:
Don One
[the fun thing about this one is trying to guess what this moniker might mean. Is the truck named “Don Juan”? Is it “done won”, i.e. Pidgin for “I have won”? or is it something else entirely?]

On the menu at Handicraft Restaurant in Bamenda:
Bonne Appetit
Scrabble eggs
Marshed potatoes
Avocardo bread

Roadside sign in Bamenda:
Church of Christ
Service Center
(my question is whether the service centre is part of the church or completely unrelated but sharing the same sign. I suspect the former, but it’s amusing to consider the latter.)

Businesses in Bamenda:
Never Mind Cold Store
Second Hand Tenis Shop [This is a shoe store]
World Trade Center [A store selling appliances, as best I could tell]
Confidence Man: Provisions/Cold Store

Business in Santa:
Titanic Photo

Business in Yaounde:
God’s Bussiness Centre

Packaging on small-serving cookie packets:
Parle-G: “World’s Largest Selling Biscuit”

A bridge crossing a river on the plateau between Loum and Dschang:
Black Ouata
[Say the second word out loud to hear what the river is really called]

Painted on a hearse travelling the Buea road:
Last Jouney

At the crossroads in Ekombe:
Cold Wa
Ter

A small shop close to the taxi park in Ekondo Titi:
Unity Fashion Shop
Ping Centre

In Mutengene:
Boomerang Barbing Sarloon

At the Melrose Hotel Le Prestige:
Help us to serve you by your constance payment in advance.

Come one come all.

You are not suppose to carry away our hotel property. Mostly in your rooms.
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
That's great. Don't you just love when the English language is so hilariously butchered!? I personally will not frequent establishments that have grammatical errors in their printed, laminated, and PAID FOR signs. Surely someone should have proofread them first!

FYI... we read your blog all the time. You sure do have some interesting stories. Thanks for sharing.

Liv (Kris' wife)
June 13, 2008 at 7:50 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

entering the blog world

I've finally given in to the lure of blogging. Actually, if it weren't for Cameroon, I probably wouldn't be doing this; my excuse for succumbing to the pull of popular culture is that a blog is a very pragmatic way to keep in touch with people at home while I'm gone. Thus the title -- the focus is on my journey to and experience in Cameroon. So you likely shan't see much here till things heat up a bit more.
2 comments
Read more

It's a girl!

I awoke this morning to the sound of my phone ringing. It wasn't the first time the bells and whistles had attempted to pull me from my slumber so I knew it meant one of two things: either I'd overslept and my boss was calling to find out where I was, or the much anticipated baby had announced her intention to make an entrance. Felicitously, it was the latter. After a lightning fast labour lasting a mere 2 hours, Mai-Anh Esther made her entry into the world at 8:35 am (the preferred interval for Braun babies. Jon, Rebecca, and I were all born between 8 and 8:30 in the morning while Lien was born around 8 in the evening.) She is a hearty 9 lbs 2 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. "She's already got more hair than Lien does!" was the first comment made by both Jon and me. She's a perfectly contented, sleepy little girl who's hardly opened her eyes once, even to let mommy see them, and she had no objection to being passed from person to person all evening, nor to Li...
3 comments
Read more

Flights

I've got tickets! In faith that all the money will come together, my tickets have been purchased. So now I have to go! There was a significantly cheaper flight option with Air Maroc that involved an overnight in Paris and in Casablanca, but I opted for the same Air France flight from Paris to Douala that Dan and Lisa will be on. Frankly, I'm somewhat relieved the latter option was available. Obviously, I must have some sense of adventure to be willing to spend 10 months in Cameroon--and I do--but it's not quite up to the former challenge just yet. I'll likely be quite wound up as it is--the last thing I'll need in my state of excitement and fretful anticipation is to spend three days alone trying to reach my destination, getting no sleep, dealing with unfamiliar languages, and arriving alone to spend a half-day cartrip down roads in less than perfect condition with a local stranger. Now I'm not saying I'm unwilling to be challenged or that any one of these ...
5 comments
Read more