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Opinion
Home / New Zealand

<i>Sideswipe</i>: Wednesday

Ana Samways
Opinion by
Ana Samways
Sideswipe - ana.samways@nzherald.co.nz·NZ Herald·
9 Sep, 2008 04:00 PM3 mins to read

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Gavin Crombie and his wife were at a real estate agency in China. 'At the door they had a huge banner advertising a new development in Chengdu. The agents were stunned when we translated the meaning for them and rushed out with tape to cover the words.'

Gavin Crombie and his wife were at a real estate agency in China. 'At the door they had a huge banner advertising a new development in Chengdu. The agents were stunned when we translated the meaning for them and rushed out with tape to cover the words.'

KEY POINTS:

That coffee cup on the back of the car reminded me of this picture I took in Feb 06, writes Geoff. "Somebody in the 'line maintenance' crew with a sense of humour has obviously nailed his old work boot on to the cross arm of this pole on the Paeroa/Te Aroha road at Tirohia. Wonder how many others have noticed it over the years?"

* * *

Organisers asked churchgoers for chat up lines that they had used, or that had been used on them, in a story about Christian dating workshops. Examples included:

"Now I know why Solomon had 700 wives. He never met you."

"Is this pew taken?"

"I just don't feel called to celibacy."

"You float my ark."

"I didn't believe in predestination until tonight."

"Is that a thinline, duo-tone, compact, ESV travel Bible in your pocket?"

"How many times do I have to walk around you before you fall for me?"

"The name is Will. God's Will.'

(source: Telegraph.co.uk)

* * *

Tony File writes: "It was brought to my attention the other day just what a cosmopolitan society we have become; when a couple of customers walked past a colleague and myself, in the store where we both work, talking in a foreign language. My colleague, an Indian national, asked me if I could identify the language they were speaking. After a moment listening fruitlessly, curiosity got the better of me and I approached the husband and asked politely, 'My colleague and I were unable to recognise your language, may I ask, where are you from?' He replied, Pakuranga!"

* * *

Rob of Westmere writes: "My father sponsors a candidate in the general election, and so his name and address is on all pamphlets regarding this candidate. He was out door-knocking over the weekend, and he reckons that most people are civil. But the coward who chucked a brick through his basement window on Sunday was not. This is not Nazi Germany and do they think that doing such a thing to a 79-year-old was particularly brave?"

* * *

Trudi says in her experience employment rules haven't changed much since 1852. "I recently applied for a job in Auckland to demonstrate products in supermarkets. Not only are employees required to bring their own rubbish bins, serving platters and chilli bins, the job description also demands that they organise the stock, do the set up, tidying up and reporting in their own time! Mind you, they are allowed a generous five-minute toilet break provided they arrive at the store 15 minutes before starting time."

* * *

Today's Webpick: Radical ecological group crying over dead trees. Watch it here.

These are the very best online videos from Ana's online magazine Spare Room.

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