Advertising

One of the things that we sometimes get a kick out of is the way words are spelled. Of course, these poor people are trying to understand a myriad of accents, including those from North Carolina and Oklahoma. It’s no wonder they sometimes think that words are different than they really are.

Sometimes, though, even on professionally done signs, you see something that catches your eye. We’re not talking about the cardboard offer of taxi or massage or something like that that’s obviously homemade – these are legitimate signs that are put up on businesses.

One offered Tattoos. Tattoo parlors are almost as prevelant here as places offering fish massage, which is to say they appear a bit more frequently than Starbucks in New York City.

We are not tattoo people. If you know us, that probably goes without saying. But just in case there’s any doubt, we are not likely to voluntarily have a needle plunged into our bodies thousands of times for the purpose of ornamentation.

There will be many people who have that done in their twenties who, in their sixties, will realize that gravity spares no one, and what may have been attractive on that firm, muscled youthful body will prove somewhat embarrassing later in life.

Fortunately, we’re both old enough that we came along before the tattoo craze started.

If we were tempted, though, sanitary conditions would be a primary concern. Thus, we took note of the address of this place advertising, “Sterilizer. Brand New Needyah.”

Just in case we change our minds this afternoon.

The other sign that caught our eye is this one at an “Opticians.” These, too, are very, very common and it took a while to recognize that they’re not opticians as we think of them stateside, but are as much sunglasses store as anything. Several do advertise having an optician to do an eye exam, though.

Remember that the Christmas decorations are still up here. Santa and Frosty and all the gang (or Thailand’s versions of them) make appearances in a number of store windows. They apparently don’t recognize, as we do in stateside malls, that summer begins on January 2 and swimsuits should therefore be on display.

This one opticians sign caught our eye, though – with the purchase of two sunglasses, they would include a free jacket.

You never know when you might need a jacket at the beach.