Tag Archives: Musings

Travel

What’s with Hello Kitty?

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If the world had a logo, I think it would be Hello Kitty. She’s everywhere.

When I’m strolling the streets of a quaint European town, searching for a picturesque shot, she’s there… flying on banners, spilling out of postcard racks, and bobbing up and down in balloon bouquets.

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So I just have to ask: What’s with Hello Kitty? Why is the world obsessed with this big-headed, pink-clad cat?

She’s cute, sure. I probably owned a Hello Kitty pencil case when I was a kid. But why does the whole world seem fascinated by her?

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Obsessed with this question, I embarked on a little Hello Kitty research. What I found didn’t exactly answer my question, but it did teach me a few things I didn’t know:

*     H.K. was created in Japan, yet according to her profile, she is British (born in London to be exact).

*     She’s named after a cat called ‘Kitty’ in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass.

*     She is five apples tall and weighs 3 apples.

*     Her last name is White.

*     She doesn’t have a mouth because we are supposed to project our feelings onto her.

*     In addition to modeling for products that gross half-a-billion dollars a year, she has been an ambassador, starred in her own TV show, owned theme parks, restaurants, commercial jets, a jewelry line, wine varieties, and even a maternity hospital.

That girl has it all.

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Maybe I’m just a little jealous.

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Travel

Funny Bathroom Signs

Everybody collects something.

Me? I collect bathroom signs. A friend of mine has a motto when she travels: “First You Pee, Then You See.”

I follow that motto, too, so I’m always on the lookout for bathroom signs.

Here are a few of my favorites:

IMG_7235I call this sign Mr. Null and Ms. Void.

When I first came to Europe, I was perplexed by the 00 that appears on so many bathroom signs. A quick internet search gave me some answers.

Some say 00 is simply the the room number assigned to the WC. Others speculate that 00 is a shorter version of 100 which, in some places, is a euphemism for WC and may be the source of the English word Loo.

Still others say the 00 represents the holes that used to be cut in the door so you could see if the bathroom was occupied.

My favorite explanation, though, is from Germany. ‘Null’ is the word for zero, thus 00 is pronounced null-null … the English equivalent of which is null-and-void.

Kind of appropriate, don’t you think?

This next sign is similar to the one above, but suggests that nulling and voiding is only permitted from 12 – 1.

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I’m not sure the word “Gentleman” is appropriate in this case:

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And ladies are apparently only welcome if they bring a ball on a fork:

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In some cases, people need to be told where not to go to the bathroom:

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And of course, we can’t forget our doggy friends:

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Now that I’m on the lookout for funny bathroom signs, I think I’ll have to change my motto:

First I’ll See, Then I’ll Pee.

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Travel

It’s All Tickety-Boo

Lewis and Clark Interpretive CenterOne of the reasons we travel is to challenge our perceptions of the world.

And where we come from can have a lot to do with the way we see things.

Several years ago, I worked as a seasonal interpreter at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, Montana.

A friend of mine came from Canada to visit.  I had to work, so I gave him and his wife passes to the center and invited them to drop in.

My friend was what he termed a “ten dollar Canadian.”  I don’t know the details of obtaining a Canadian citizenship, but my friend had originally been a resident of Scotland.  He came to Canada when he was younger and claims that he paid ten dollars to apply for citizenship.  Thus, he could speak with equal fervor about both haggis and hockey.

When he and his wife arrived, I encouraged them to begin their tour with the introductory movie.  From there they went into the exhibit area.  I didn’t see them again until a couple of hours later after they had completed their tour.

I eagerly asked them what they thought of the place.  My friend said in his cheery Scottish accent, “Ach aye, it was tickety-boo.”  This was high praise indeed – a popular Canadian phrase meaning that something was just perfect.

Then he shared a meaningful look with his wife.

Lewis and Clark. Supermen?

Lewis and Clark. Supermen?

My friend turned to me and said, “To be honest, we’re a little relieved.  We thought you worked at the Lois and Clark Interpretive Center.”  I looked at my friend quizzically and he said, “You know… Superman.”

As a “10 Dollar Canadian,” my friend had no frame of reference for approaching the subject of Lewis and Clark.

So next time you encounter something that challenges your view of the world, just smile and say…

“It’s all tickety-boo!”

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Culture

The King of Bling

IMG_1603He’s been called mad.

Crazy.

Insane.

The Fairy Tale King.

But I think this is the first time he’s been called the King of Bling.

I can’t take credit for it.

A member of my family called him this during a recent tour of one of his castles.

Ludwig II became king of Bavaria in 1864 at the ripe old age of eighteen. Two years later, his country was taken over by Prussia.

So what’s a king with no kingdom to do?

Collect bling.

And when you have a lot of bling, you need a place to put it. So you build a few castles, bathe everything in goldleaf, drench it with lavish color, and bejewel the rest.

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Crazy King Ludwig even built his own cavern, complete with stalactites, a boat, and creepy painting…

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How Ludwig financed his projects is a matter of debate. Many say he bankrupted his country, others say he used his own wealth. What’s not up for debate is that because of his rising debts, the government declared him legally insane.

And the very next day he was dead.

He died in a boating accident. A few weeks later, his granddaddy of castles, Neuschwanstein, was opened to the public.

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Was King Ludwig mad? Crazy? Insane?

One thing’s for sure: he’s had the last laugh.

Neuschwanstein is the top tourist destination in Germany. I think the Bavarian region has more than recouped any losses through the tourism that Ludwig’s castles bring in. Not to mention, Neuschwanstein has been immortalized by Disney through their theme parks and logo.

This begs the question… Why do we travel in droves to see Ludwig’s legacy?

Are we mad? Crazy? Insane?

Do we secretly admire the man’s incredible vision? Do we envy the way he made his dreamworld a reality?

Or do we just love a little bling?

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