Die-Hard Advertising Case #1

I found this sign on the way to Ciamis, a small town on the eastern side of West Java Province.

Literal Translation Guide:
Ayam Bakar = roast chicken
Rumah makan taman = Garden restaurant
While "Pringsewu" is the name of the establishment.

So what's so special about the sign? Here's the complete snapshot.


(This roast chicken'd better be that good.)

The Conclusion...

...of The Cool War!

Concerning vonEbenhaum and Lei's concern about the warning labels, yes... Indonesia wins a point in the Cool War.

Why? Because

1. Indonesian companies don't try to protect their consumers with labels that underestimate their intelligence.
2. As a matter of fact, these companies don't try to protect their consumers at all.

So come visit Indonesia! The land where you CAN use the toilet brush for personal hygiene. Plus the government that doesn't give a care in the world if you choke yourself to death while doing it.

So, the current standing is--drum rolls please (harmful if swallowed)--America 194, and Indonesia 194.

We have a TIE! And the deadline's up.

So be it. After a year of rigorous research, I officially conclude that neither country is cooler than the other. Which isn't a really good cause for celebration, either way. Because for all the points, we can replace the word "cool" with "stupid". But at least Indonesians and Americans won't fumble around finding out which one comes first: boiling the potatoes or mashing them?

Oh, no. We'll laugh at the silliness of the question and say, "You have to boil them first?"

Forget The Movies!

A friend of mine, whom I'd refer only with his initials: D.U.D.I S.U.M.A.R.Y.O.N.O., wrote this mail regarding the entry about Indonesian movies.

"...The idea that one's culture is reflected in its movies is hogwash! Preposterous! The only reliable source of culture is the same one that people turn to, in finding good ol' conventional wisdom: warning labels."

I can't argue with that.

The "What The Hell Is It?" Quiz #2

Below are instructions quoted from a certain site.

1. Dress her up. Cheer or yell, do whatever you like to enjoy the moment with your family.


2. After you are enough with your joy, take a photo! Take some poses and leave her some cute photos!


3. Remove her clothes and give her a hub, say "Thank you!"

What do you think this site is about? The REAL answer will be on this weekend update.


UPDATE: SUBMITTED ANSWERS

1. " '...give her a hub?' I have to say a geeky IT gadget stuff for the socially-challenged."
   --The Amazing Flyswatter


2. "A futuristico-robotic blow up doll."
   --meta


3. "Spending Quality Time with The Osbournes"
   --Ads Addict

AND THE REAL ANSWER LIES...

...here.

As insinuated by vonEbenhaum, it's a site about--and I quote--"Tailor for Cats," maintained by a (surprise!) Japanese-based company.

(Check out the previous quiz here.)

Anybody Ever Wondered...

...whatever happened to Vannila Ice?

(In this parody of the Matrix, Vannila Ice starred as "Rap superstar turned small time chemist and drug dealer." Should be natural for him.)


IF ONE'S CULTURE IS REFLECTED IN ITS MOVIES...

I wonder what these say about us.

(Thanks to Yudi.)

It's 2005...

...And nothing sums it up better than this banner in Bandung.

Which is either a misprint or a New Year's resolution for the sight-impaired.

BERTANYA ATAU MATI! BLOG

I decided to separate future posts about my book, "Bertanya atau Mati!" (BaM!) into a blog of their own. Since the humor book targets Indonesian readers while this blog is mostly read by international visitors, this separation is long overdue. I've also moved older posts related to BaM into the blog.

You can visit it at http://bertanyaataumati.blogspot.com.