In China, english is strangely popular on clothing. There is no crowd of Americans that I have ever been in where chinese words and slogans are printed on everyones’ clothing. Reading people’s clothing, in China, is a source pleasure for me while walking down the sidewalk or riding the metro. Part of my interest is musing about what thinking or reasons inspired the clothing choices. To some Chinese maybe the letters are simply abstract shapes. A percentage of the writing is gibberish; random letters matched together. Some of the writing is funny or odd statements and I wonder if they are in on the joke? I wonder who designed these articles of clothing? I haven’t lived in an English speaking country for quite a few years, so I wouldn’t know if some of these slogans and phrases also popular in the U.S., U.K., Australia, etc. The effect for me is being treated to thought provoking, profound, and funny poetry which pops up unexpectedly when I am out in public.
Poetry historically has been the highest form of literature in China. Each Chinese character is or has evolved from a pictogram. Chinese characters embody visual culture and multi-layered historical meanings. Chinese poems and individual words in poems can be profound and resonant. Sometimes when Chinese are reading or writing English they are looking for similars layers of meaning in English words that are not there. I wonder if that sometimes explains the strange English phrases.
I encourage you to look at the pictures of the clothing poetry have have included in this post. That is the best way to experience this moving poetry slam. I have also randomly combined the different fashion writing together to create this poem:
Puberty Silent. Time to Connect
Collect beautiful moments…… There is no love. It’s so sad. Everything is ruined. However. We’re still alive. We can do everything. There has a lot of hope. We’re all going to life.
Drink, drink. More Drink. Everybody drink, geese, geese, drink. Think and act.
Fucking Summer. Number of communicating civilizations in our galaxy. Touch my butt. I am who I am. I am not a machine.
Tough choices make good stories. I’m not saying I’m batman, I’m just saying nobody has ever seen me and batman in a room together. I am who I am.
Anarchy is the key. Anarchy is the key. Anarchy is key.
I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to come. Sign me out of your game. I’ve seen enough. I don’t want to come. I’m not the one to blame. The noise surrounds me. I’m fading away. I’m starting all over. Again and again.
Think and Act. Get set to go. My race begin.
