Osaka Part Five

testeez: 29th Oct 2007 - 13:04 GMT

What does the red character say in the first one (sticker)?

Peter: 29th Oct 2007 - 14:32 GMT

it looks like a "chop"... (Seal (Chinese))

i like the orca graf, too... nice shots, chiam...

chiamattt: 29th Oct 2007 - 21:28 GMT

You are correct, Peter. It is a seal.
Testeez, it's my name phonetically spelled in Hangul.

chiamattt: 30th Oct 2007 - 13:27 GMT

The stamp is my name in Korean, but my girlfriend (Fashion Chic) had it made for me in the Qingdao airport...which is in China.

The shell of the stamp is a snake. I was born in the year of the snake. In the second photo, you can see the quasi-traditional stamping ink many Koreans (and other Asians) use to stamp their names. These stamps can be very important, and mine is registered with my bank as it is considered a signature. Nevertheless, with globalization and the era of the credit card the western concept of a signature is very common in Korea. Stamps can be cheap or expensive, big or small. Some are still made from ivory (illegal), but most are made from wood or soft stones.

The cap (not pictured) is loose...but that doesn't matter. There are magnets that prevent the lid from slipping off easily.

Stamps are cool and better than a cheesy 'Asian text' tattoo. You should be able to find someone who makes them in "Chinatown" for a reasonable price. I had a really cheap one a few years back that cost me 5 bucks.