"Engwish""

I woke up early the next day, excited because I was about to embark on my first Shinkansen experience. I was a little nervous with my directions to get there, as I had foolishly assumed that the hostel staff would have spoken basic English to help...but this I've learned is an all-to-common mistake made in Japan. Just because there is English posted all over brochures, websites, pictures or signs, does not mean that there is a high likelihood that anyone there can speak the language, or for that matter, that the English you see will make any sense to you. The amount of English signs, as you walk around the major cities of Japan, gave me a false sense of security.

At first glimpse, I was comforted by the familiarity of the letters and words, amongst the beautiful but otherwise meaningless Japanese symbols, but just as quickly I realized, I felt way more confused.  I felt even more lost and perplexed by something, I believed, I had a solid grounding on. Even the confidence I felt I had in the English language had drastically been diminished! My brain naturally struggled to sort through what these half English, half alien postings could mean. "Engwish," as it has been dubbed by several of my friends, seems to be a blend between English and nonsense. A prime example is a shirt I purchased the other day, and I quote:

" Some Wondera
lurk in this stuff Being surrounded by my
favorites Feeling a longing for momentary beauty
This article is turning me on I dont' know the reason why,
thought I'm pleased with myself in my
present frame of mind Having my favorites at hand
I love the interval of time taht runs matter of factly
longing for this ambient atmosphere I like the present situation
very much I love to be deeper in meditation
THIS HEALING IT'S THE BEST"

Reading that shirt meant I had to purchase it, because it encompasses the "Engwish", I commonly face. The words tossed in like a salad comes out with driftless punctuation, awkward  and misspelt words, and even unintentional sexual innuendo (I'm including a woman at my bank wearing a T-shirt proclaiming, "I am lost I have not found any intimacy in a long time" or the countless young students I teach, that have some sort "cool" English T-shirt their Mom's bought them stating that they are a "Playboy bunny").

Now don't get me wrong, not all the signs or posts with English on them, are to this extent a debacle of the English language, but as a newbie entering into this culture, it is another hurdle to jump over. And once again, the confidence I believed I had, was showing more and more potential for full annihilation.