There’s a plethora of slightly strange T-shirts on display here in Xining.  I wish I could remember all the funny ones I’ve seen.  I’m specifically talking about the T-shirts with English "slogans" on them.  I often find myself trying to get into the mind of the Chinese marketing/design person or department who was responsible for these fashion trendy mottos.  What were they thinking?!? is a constant mantra I find myself chanting.

These examples aren’t the best I’ve seen, but the only ones I can remember off the top of my head.  I saw these slogans recently emblazoned on the chests and backs of many men and women here in Xining:

• Puerto Rico.  Huh?  There’s not much that I consider stranger than seeing a Chinese person living on the Tibetan plateau advertising the travel-exotic and renowned location of the U.S. protectorate of…Puerto Rico (?).  If this person could even point Puerto Rico out on the map, I would buy him a bag of yak jerky.  I should have tried this experiment…
• Wear Juicy. This one is quite popular with the ladies.  Something about this makes me a little nauseous.  It’s disturbing for some unexplained reason.
• NIRE. What does it mean you may be asking yourself.  Can’t say for sure, but the NIKE swoosh below the word NIRE gave me a pretty good idea where they were going with that one.  By the way, this wasn’t just a misprint.  I saw racks and racks of Nire shirts.

Like I said, I have forgotten a lot of the funniest ones I’m sure.  I’ll keep my eyes peeled and pen handy from now on.