What's in a Name?

"What's in a Name?"

Walking through Chinatown, a tourist is fascinated
with all the Chinese restaurants, shops, signs and
banners. He turns a corner and sees a building
with the sign, "Hans Olaffsen's Laundry."

"Hans Olaffsen?", he muses. "How the heck
does that fit in here?"

So he walks into the shop and sees an old
Chinese gentleman behind the counter.

The tourist asks, "How did this place get a name
like "Hans Olaffsen's Laundry?"

The old man answers, "Is name of owner."

The tourist asks, "Well, who and where is the
owner?"

"Me, is right here," replies the old man.

"You? How did you ever get a name like Hans
Olaffsen?"

"Is simple," says the old man. "Many, many year
ago when come to this country, was stand in line
at Documentation Center. Man in front was big
blonde Swede. Lady look at him and said, "What
your name?" He say, "Hans Olaffsen." Then she
look at me and said, 'What your name?'"

"I say, Sem Ting."
Received on Sun Dec 4 08:20:49 2005