Victoria Harbor, 1:21PM – Foggy.
Entry 81
I am surrounded by it but not for long. Knowing that I am to leave soon, a bit of marvel for Chinese characters has returned. Perhaps I have taken for granted that I can read one of the world’s most complex working writing systems.
On the ferry to Mui Wo, I sit below a poster about the symptoms, incubation period, prevention, and death rate of Dengue Fever. Dengue is a loanword, the characters to write Dengue are chosen for their pronunciation, which resembles Dengue, rather than their meaning, which is something like Ascending Leather. This literal translation game offers endless amusement for moments like waiting in line at the post office after your phone has just died.
Mui Wo itself means Plum Hole or Plum Nest or Plum Den. The meaning of Mui is solidly plum, so it all depends on how you view Wo and how irreverent you feel. Each translation conjures up a different image. A hole shaped like a plum, or maybe a very bad case of piles? An organic bird-feed shop, or maybe a tea salon with dark purple walls and copper mugs? Either way, Mui Wo is still just a sleepy smattering of village houses along a stretch of sandy beach. I have yet to see any plums but I am sure there are holes.