Melvis On The MTR....

Melvis makes it big in the Hong Kong Standard! The lady on the left is definitely wondering what this guy is all about. The woman on the right couldn't be less interested. I hope that he tuned his guitar.

The interesting thing is that the Standard story is about Chinese English names and doesn't even mention Melvis. So, the story and the picture are completely unrelated. I guess the paper just needed an excuse to run Melvises picture and his posing on the public transit. Just too funny.

On Chinese English names...

Another teacher had what she dubbed "The Fruit Sisters'': Lemon, Banana and Orange. One boy had apparently taken a cue from The Wind in the Willows with Mole and there were others seemingly inspired by the Seven Dwarfs: Happy, Itchy and Funny. A possible UFO freak called himself Roswell, though he wisely resisted my suggestion to change it to Area 51.

The best name I ever heard was one of wife's friends. Gina was a fairly typical name when I was growing up and this poor unfortunate lady had the distinction of having the name pronounced, va-gina [as in Gina] and spelled the same way as the anatomical parts, Vagina. Gadzooks.

Of course, the Chinese don't have a monopoly on crazy names since American blacks have a tendency of naming their children with names not found in the Bible. Some of my favorites include:

Abdual, Adalius, Anquan, Antuan, Antwaan, Antwoine, Armegis, Artose, Artrell, Aubrayo, Aveion, Char-ron, Chartric, Cletidus, Cosey, Daleroy, Dameane, Dantonio, Darnerien, DeAndrew, DeJhown, DeMingo, De'Mond, Deveren, Dondre, Donte', D'Wayne, Dwone, Dyshod, Edgerton, Enoch, Flozell, Idrees, Jarious, Jarmar, Jashon, Ja'Waren, Jerametrius, JoJuan, Joselio, Juqua, Kalimba, KaRon, Kawika, Ken-Yon, Keydrick, Keyuo, Kiwaukee, Kwazi, LaBrandon, LaDairis, La'Roi, LaTarence, Lauvale, Laveranues, LaWaylon, LeCharles, Lynaris, Malaefou, Markese, Marquand, Marquise, MarTay, Marvious, Mondriel, Montique, Na'il, Nijrell, Onterrio, Orantes, Plaxico, Quentus, Raynoch, R-Kal, Ronyell, Sherrod, Sultan, Terdell, Terreal, Trohn, Tyoka, Tywoin, Ulish, Waine, Zeron, Zuriel

Whatever happened to Mary and Joseph?