Dumpster Diving

One of the “perks” of my job is a monthly supply of food coupons.  The company has made deals with three local restaurants to provide lunch for us, and we can pay for it using these coupons.  I think we get ¥18 a day, or about $2.50.  The restaurants aren’t anything fancy, just noodles and chicken other stuff, but they’re good enough for a quick lunch, and ¥18 more than covers the cost of a meal.  The one we eat at the most is called Goodie House.  (Its name in Chinese translates to “Big Successful Family House.") We all started calling it Crappy House.

We just got back from lunch there, and I facetiously said “What a yummy Goodie lunchie.” All the Chinese started laughing.  I asked what was so funny, and they said “lunchie” sounds just like lā jī, which is the Chinese word for “garbage.”

More appropriate it could not be.

The three posts for today are brilliant, individually and the way they work together to paint a total picture of Lee in just a few words.

I’ve always been amazed, and amused, at how the Chinese name their companies - most European cultures would be embarrassed to use such names, and I frequently wonder if the translations are truly accurate.  I’m betting that the nuances are lost in the translation to a large extent.