When you live in China, you get used to things just not making sense. Take this laundry chain for example.
USA Laundry. Sounds nice.
I’ve seen this chain in many cities across China. What I can’t figure out is the Chinese. The characters under USA say YI DA LI — the name Italy. So is it American or Italian? This has been a burning question on my mind for years.
Now USA Laundry has come to my very own neighborhood. I spied the newly opened store with fresh faces and empty clothes racks. I took a photo and walked boldly in to finally solve the mystery.
The clerks had no idea what I was talking about. (Bless their hearts, they didn’t seem to know that USA meant American. Most people I meet do know that, so I was a bit surprised.) Instead, I took a different stance. “Is this an Italian chain?” They didn’t know. Trying again I asked, “Why does it say Italy on the sign?” They didn’t know.
I would imagine that nosy people like me are so annoying to Chinese people. Yet I feel this urge to know and understand.
Urge has not been satisfied. It makes no sense to me. I need to go back when the boss is there. Maybe he knows.
Then as if God was laughing at me, I noticed another Italian connection just a few shops down the street.
What is Luigi doing in front of the Chinese restaurant? (Can you imagine a stone lion or gold dragon outside your local pizzeria?) I was baffled, but I didn’t even bother to ask. Some things just can’t be explained.
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Hi, I'm Jimmie, and this is my online collage -- a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but mostly homeschooling with a loosely Charlotte Mason style. You're welcome to poke around and leave a comment if you desire. 
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oddly interesting facts..
jimmie, just wondering…how you continually get your homeschooling books and stuffs in China? They can ship those goods to China?
.-= yunie´s last blog ..A Simple game =-.
Hey, Yunie. I bring LOTS (several suitcases and trunks) of materials back with me each time we come back from USA. Then I store them here until I need them. But, yes, Amazon delivers internationally. Their service is reliable, relatively fast, but expensive. Add $5 per book for shipping abroad. (Oh, plus another $5 for the whole order.) But some things are worth spending money on, and books are an example.
How funny!
We have a restaurant locally with a similar disconnection. A Bavarian restaurant, that looks very Bavarian outside, and serves things like Weiner schnitzel and apple strudel. Inside, however is decorated eclectically with colorful Mexican toucans and even–yes, golden lions and dragons, and a map of New Zealand… it is most peculiar. The food is authentic, the proprietress has a Germanic accent and looks quite Norse…
.-= Dell´s last blog ..Plum Jammin’ =-.
Looks like it could be “ILSA” to me.
So that could make it the “Italian Laundry Service Association.”
.-= amanda´s last blog ..wu mama =-.
LOL!! Maybe someday you’ll get to solve the mystery….
.-= Dana´s last blog ..13 years =-.
That is to funny. I was going to post a picture of a very similar little Italian man statue at a small chinese restaurant here on an island in Hong Kong. .
.-= Cristal´s last blog ..Some times you gotta laugh….. =-.
Hi Jimmie! I wanted to share a blog with you of some of our american friends who are also living in China and homeschooling.
http://www.rescuedremnant.blogspot.com/
They also have many of those crazy “WHAT?!?!” moments and share them. I thought you might appreciate it
Not sure how far you are apart city-wise.
ROFL! Annoying Americans. If they get too upset with you, just say that you are Italian!
.-= Marsha´s last blog ..simple says it all =-.
That’s ilsa, not usa. The Chinese characters at the bottom literally mean Italian Ilsa Laundry Center.
As to the statue, I bet 100% of Chinese don’t know (care) he looks Italian. People seem less sensitive to ethnic/international elements in arts/decor. Take the Buddha as an example; he doesn’t look Chinese either.
@ Apple –Well, thanks for the clarification! I am so relieved to know that there is a reason for the (apparent) contradiction. But I still don’t get it. How can the Chinese say ILSA? That’s not any pinyin that I know.