Welcome to the Pit of Ultimate Darkness. What vile beast dwells here? No, I’m not talking about Margaret Atwood. What would she be doing here anyway, what with her recent assimilation by the borg?
Maybe these keywords will help you figure out who I’m talking about: road trip to the west coast, big lake, Kelowna, N’ha-A-Itk. C’mon, work with me. Anyone who as a kid, squirmed in the back seat of the family wagon through the monotony of the infinite prairie, over the mountains and back again in hopes of seeing an ocean of something other than wheat, or at the very least the end of a run-on sentence, knows about the most famous lake monster in North America. Or else their parents were completely evil remiss in not waking them after the hairpin descent into the Okanagan Valley.
Ogopogo. Lake demon? Throwback to the pleistocene? Misunderstood genius? Prospective client for an exorcist? All of the above? Nobody knows for sure. But as evidenced by this sign, the beast can unashamedly write “provided inspiration to an enterprising restauranteur for his below-ground eatery in the Sannomiya district of Kobe” on its resume.
Don’t forget to smile at Hecubus on your way dooooooooowwwwnnnnnn. By the way, the chalkboard sign says something about French & Italian food. And a choice of 50 dishes, à la carte, for 500 yen each.
Here’s a full frame shot of the main sign. I’ve pasted my transcription of the text below the photo, converting the all caps typography to something more readable. I didn’t correct any of the mistakes. Not consciously, anyway.
The transcription:
Dining Ogopogo
An aquatic beast which observed in “Okanagan Lake” in Canada. The face is similar to horse or even a cattle. The sepalated tales are sticked horizontaly to the body. Make vartical swimming motion when it’s dive it’s regarded as the most likely existenceal of zeugrodon which is ancestral of the whales.”
Not bad. If one of my students turned this in, they’d probably earn high marks.
April 18. 2005 Update: Ogopogo seen again, this time in Kokura.
Hi Ed,
That is a good post. The “Engrish” sites about the web always are entertaining.
cheers from ‘Toon Town.
I have enjoyed much of what I have read here, but I have to tell you how much I LOVE the Margaret Atwood remarks.
Still giggling in Saskatoon.
They may be in on the Canadian legendary beast thing, but you’d think they would choose something more Montrealesque what with their menu of French and Italian Food . . . a la carte for ¥500? Not bad . . .
Pat: thanks. I hope it doesn’t come back to haunt me.
Japanese peoples take beautiful english language and mangle many words and glamma. Ogopogo-san look like crummsy swan. Exiscentential now be dance with new name – Swan Rake.
Margaret, I’m… speechless.