After the wild runaway success of Japan – The Weird and Wonderful – Part 1 I just knew I had to keep this series going. So Ladies and Gentleman I bring you Part 2!
When staying in the beautiful countryside, I took a trip to the newest local shopping mall with my net buddy 4 life, aka Nick Ramsay. Nick was pretty excited to show me his local shopping centre and for that matter so was I. Thanks to the internet I had even followed the birth of this shopping centre from Canada and so to see it in person was kind of cool.Nick’s blog!
Look closely and you’ll see that most of the stores in this picture have the words “off and on” somehow incorporated in to their names. I’m not sure why they did this, but I guess that they probably just wanted to have some theme going. It’s pretty much impossible to make it out but in the top left corner of the picture is another store named “3can4off.”
The next photo up is here for some pretty immature reasons, but what can I say? I just couldn’t help myself! Kind of reminds me of when Beavis said to Butthead…. “you said (insert dirty word here) huh huh huh huh uh huh uh….” Well in this picture that sentence would be completed as “it says tard.. huh huh uh huh…”
Who says food has to be boring and unimaginative? Certainly not this slightly below normal intelligent man! This “Artiste” strongly believes that food should be an expression of how one feels…. or at least be a representation of how the demons inside are feeling…
I got to relax by the sea and even went surfing for the first time in my life. In fact there were a lot of surfers in this area and the man featured below just happened to be my waiter that particular night. MMMMM hardly a shirt, shoes or for that matter, even shorts, yet…… great service! Me likes! Take that sanitary health bylaws!
Finally to top it off (at least for this post anyway) I did some shopping. I’m pretty discriminating in what I wear and let’s face it, nothing but the best will do! (I know that I’m pointing out an obvious fact here as anyone can tell from pictures of me on MichaelMcKinlay.com have me in only the finest handmade garments!) That’s why I shop at “human only” clothing stores. Anything less would be uncivilized I say! I say uncivilized.. mmm mm!!! (this last part was said with a snotty high society British accent.)
My name is Michael McKinlay and I live in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Although I was born here, I have lived in a few other places in Western Canada such as, Saskatoon, Regina, Medicine Hat, and Edmonton. I also spent time in Hong Kong and Japan. [
That bus looks like the one hijacked by that 14-year old with a fruit knife!
Maybe it’s the same one!
The significance of “On” and “Off” is lost to foreigners, so I’ll try my best to share the knowledge I’ve acquired through the ages.
Japanese stores are in a desperate bid to appear different from Western stores, while emulating them at the same time. This said, it’s not a constant love affair. Occasionally stores will try to look more Japanese, or they’ll go super western to the point where you’ll feel as though you’re in North America or some European nations.
So, as you can see, it’s this on again/off again relationship that gives meaning to the whole “on” and “off” thing.
Hopefully this will answer your question regarding the significance of these words.
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P.S. – There’s so much B.S. in this comment that I seriously hope that no reader takes it seriously. I don’t really know the reason for the love affair stores at Kakamigahara Jusco
This is a good point and you are probably right on.
Well said!
Damn! Nick really does live out in the boonies, doesn’t he?
Yes, yes he does!