Our visit to Sri Lanka was just so different from any vacation we had ever taken. Neither the Mister nor I had been so far East before, and we'd never experienced a country so obviously split between its tourist culture and its real culture. I don't know if I actually experienced the real Sri Lanka, but I am sure I got a little glimpse into the culture.
One thing I noticed a lot of: pirated images.
I'm used to seeing Google image search results on facebook, in my students' work, and on any number of websites. Readers of this blog know I am not innocent when it comes to the use of the Googs when I need a good picture. I am not throwing stones here; merely sharing an observation. I have never seen so many Google-image-search images in print and on vehicles decals as when I went to Sri Lanka!
I guess I'll give the Sri Lankans some credit: they were sneaky with their Google imaging. At first glance that toy store awning looks like a genuine display of the wares you would find inside...until you look through the storefront window and see creepy, naked, plastic dolls that are fading from exposure to the sun! "Wait a minute, that's not an American doll store!"
My favorite was the wedding planning company that had a doctored version of this image on its storefront:
It was obvious that the company owner had just googled "American wedding," saw a couple of pale faces looking in love, had NO idea of the plot of the movie and said, "That's perfect."
Even more hilarious was the private bus that had this baby on its side:
What!? The bus company either didn't know or didn't care that there was a comma missing in this "sentence." And it certainly had no knowledge of Harley culture. I can't imagine what phrase they googled to find this gem, but I giggle at the mental image of a a group of Sri Lankan business executives huddled around a computer with a mock-up of the bus decal design and thinking, "Yeah. Our riders will love the idea of riding ON freedom."
What does that even mean!?
Vicariously yours,
One thing I noticed a lot of: pirated images.
I'm used to seeing Google image search results on facebook, in my students' work, and on any number of websites. Readers of this blog know I am not innocent when it comes to the use of the Googs when I need a good picture. I am not throwing stones here; merely sharing an observation. I have never seen so many Google-image-search images in print and on vehicles decals as when I went to Sri Lanka!
I guess I'll give the Sri Lankans some credit: they were sneaky with their Google imaging. At first glance that toy store awning looks like a genuine display of the wares you would find inside...until you look through the storefront window and see creepy, naked, plastic dolls that are fading from exposure to the sun! "Wait a minute, that's not an American doll store!"
My favorite was the wedding planning company that had a doctored version of this image on its storefront:
It was obvious that the company owner had just googled "American wedding," saw a couple of pale faces looking in love, had NO idea of the plot of the movie and said, "That's perfect."
Even more hilarious was the private bus that had this baby on its side:
 |
| Literally. This exact image, but with a white background. |
What!? The bus company either didn't know or didn't care that there was a comma missing in this "sentence." And it certainly had no knowledge of Harley culture. I can't imagine what phrase they googled to find this gem, but I giggle at the mental image of a a group of Sri Lankan business executives huddled around a computer with a mock-up of the bus decal design and thinking, "Yeah. Our riders will love the idea of riding ON freedom."
What does that even mean!?
Vicariously yours,
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