okay. so there's this website called "engrish.com" that i think is really funny, but i can't figure out why. basically, it's a site where people traveling through asia (mostly japan, china, thailand, laos, etc.) post pictures they've taken. the thing is, the pictures are of packages of products, buildings, signs, adverts, and other such things which people put little bits of writing on. i assume in the case of these photos, the stuff is in "engrish" because the sellers want to attract english-language tourists as buyers; or maybe it's fashionable out there to show off your knowledge of english. most of it is so funny that i fall around the gaff laughing; but i feel kind of guilty at the same time. i don't like making jokes at other people's expense -- unless i don't like the people. in this case, it's people i don't know. but on the other hand, my favorite jokes are those with words. for example, all my friends make fun of me for always thinking up spoonerisms (e.g. roonerspisms; charles dickens -- darles chickens; a tale of two cities -- a cale of two tities, etc.) because i love wordplay.

what compounds the feeling of guilt is the fact that it's a primarily american website, and the americans who post these photos are primarily fucking idiots who think it's funny to make fun of asian people for not speaking a language properly that they themselves don't speak properly. underneath every photo is a little commentary written (i assume) by the knob-end who posted the photo. they make all kinds of snide little remarks, jokes that are derogatory, etc. it's not outright, but rather implicit. it reminds me of americans i meet here who think they own the place, that they should be treated the way they expect to be treated, that everything should be the way it is in america...it's people like this (who are by no means the whole of america, but rather the ones who stand out because of their idiocy) that gives europeans such a bad impression of americans. the fault is ignorance on both sides. but when i see this kind of implicit nationlistic chauvanism it reminds me of my chinese friends here in dublin, and i think, "is it right for me to laugh at this?" one part says, no. the other says, really, it's just a joke and it's not malicious. it's only your ego that stings when you find yourself laughing along to the american gang-opinion, because you want so badly to dissociate from them.

in general, i tend to take myself way too seriously in this very manner.