Sunday, November 16, 2008

Of mixed signs and signals

One of the stuff we hate but cannot avoid.

It is really frustrating to say the least. Is it really hard to say what you mean, mean what you say, do what you mean and mean what you do?

If consciously done, mixed signals are downright mean, scheming and manipulative. If done inadvertently, they bespeak of indecision.

In the 10 fabulous things with being gay (I forgot the exact title), they said that gay guys know what they want thus we go out of our way to really specify who we are and what we are looking for: rice queen, potato queen, chubs, bears, top, bottom, versa, etc.

While it does sometimes make things simpler, I can't help but think that it somehow also diminishes that certain kind of pleasure in discovering what else is out there and how one thinks about it in relation to his own self. Isn't self-awareness a continuing process?

But on the other hand, not knowing takes one back to the nerve-wracking, head-splitting world of mixed signals.

Catch -22. Damn if you do. Damn if you don't.

Oh well, maybe there really is no way of avoiding mixed signals. Maybe it just boils down to learning the trick of identifying the primary signals from the secondary ones and the imagined signals from real ones.

Though up to now, I'm still trying to grapple the meaning of this sign:

But this one is totally different:

It's kinda blurred but it says: "Shirts and Shoes Required. Bras and Panties, Optional". Fairly straightforward if one can wrap his mind on the fact that I found these in a restaurant. Effectively stopped me from entering.

At least this sign knows what it wants:

If only it can say it properly. (Sigh!)

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

hak hak hak! kala ko kung seriousness ang problema mo hahaha

... said...

uy, kunwari.. hula ko may itinatago ka na naman ate AA. sinegwey mo lang yang signs chuva. =p

char!

escape said...

hahahaha... astig! i believe this is common to countries like china, taiwan, thailand or other countries of which english is not even their second language.

ruff nurse-du-jour said...

after half-a-year, i guess, i truly am back. :-)

p.s. wait till you've seen signs here in the third world. mas nakaka-tumbling. :-)

kawadjan said...

hahahah. bongga. anong lugar ito? feel kong puntahan.

kiel estrella said...

intellectual na emo tapos biglang comedy? hmmm.

Anonymous said...

kumusta naman, mare, kung lahat ay nakasulat sa russian characters?

lulupasay nalang?

but i like this post. kudos!

the boomerang kid said...

kaloka talaga ang chinglish... had a similar experience when i went to beijing last year... na-realize ko na may influence din ito sa english ng cambodians... kaloka... yun lang... pero i cannot help but think na may subtext itong post na ito... dahil siguro sa emo na umpisa... or, baka naman you're trying to modify the 'tone' of your blog?

hay... ang sarap talaga mag-speculate!

[G] said...

...or maybe because you over read the signs....

chos!

jericho said...

@reynz: serious toh. hindi nga lang ako. hehe
@mel: ang mga nakatago, dapat nakatago muna. ;)
@dong: ay yes. pero taman naman ang words nila (except for the voliated). hindi ko lang ma-gets ang sense
@ruff: mas natutuwa ako sa mga pangalan ng mga negosyo dyan. i saw a pic of a water refilling station na ang pangalan ay ATM for automatic tubig machine. bongga!
@kawadjan: ay, malapit sya sa bar areas. natisod ko sa aking paglalakad-lakad. chos!
@kiel: hmmmmm ka dyan! basta! ;)
@carl: eto, tuma-tumbling pa. hehe
@zen: mixed signals din? hehe
@g: may over at may under. parehong misreading. may ibinigay ka bang signs? hehe

Kiks said...

mahilig kasing magbate yan. chos!

lucas said...

nakakaasar nga yang mga mixed signals na yan...hehe! but somehow exciting..hmmm... hehe!

the boomerang kid said...

korek! ibinagay ko ang aking comment sa theme ng iyong post!

Looking For The Source said...

akala ko nmn mega-serious ang post na to. tapos biglang may mga ganyang pictures! nyahahaha..

Abou said...

optional ung bra at panty? required ba ung brip?

KRIS JASPER said...

And i thought twas a serious post....

Have u seen the sign "Keps off the grass"?

. said...

Mixed Signals nga.

Oist, Maraming salamat nga pala sa iyong concern sa aking karamdaman. Lubos ko itong na-appreciate. Ingat ka lagi. God Bless.