N.B. – This was published in Asian Correspondent (May 26, 8:00 a.m.) where I write a column (Philippine Fantasy).

Humor can be subjective. What’s funny for me may not be funny for you.

But is it also perceptual? Let’s look at the mirror in Daejeon, Korea (where I stayed for one year).

You only see what you want to see, in this case the missing “e.” I know that my knowledge of Hangul leaves much to be desired, but believe me when I tell you that the first two Korean characters there (pronounced as “jeon” and “sin”) refer to “whole body.”

In this particular sign, you don’t need any knowledge of Hangul.

Didn’t quite get the joke? Let’s have a close-up, this time taken at another branch of the store that sells the road in front of it.

Okay, I was just kidding about selling the “way.” It actually is a convenience store that makes buying stuff, well, convenient.

“Buy the Way” reminds me of another convenience store in Daejeon. It tells a good story of smile, speed and smart.

I know that Koreans, especially those working behind the counter, smile a lot. Their services are as lightning-fast as their Internet connection. Don’t get me wrong: I know that they’re very smart. I just don’t know how it applies to selling at a convenience store.

Anyway, I always see my country, the Philippines, everywhere I go in Korea. While waiting for a meeting with a fellow Filipino at Starbucks in Seoul, I noticed that my cup bears the name of my wife.

Yes, it was just a coincidence that the cups were designed to celebrate Christmas, not my temporary separation from my wife. But rest assured that I was free from any irritation, as what this sign says.

In the Filipino language, “inis” means irritation or annoyance. I know: Only Filipinos can get the humor that going inside this store relieves you of your anger!

If this sign isn’t funny for non-Filipinos, I have to warn you that the one below may have the same effect, especially if you’re not from the Bicol region in the Philippines.

Let me just give you a crash course in the Bicol language (one of the more than 100 languages in the Philippines): “kino” means rat. But believe me when I say that this is one of my favorite restaurants in Daejeon, and that you cannot find rats inside this very clean place. For me, it serves the best burgers and, of course, omelettes. It’s also popular among non-Koreans like me because it has an English menu, and the two owners (Jin and Kino) speak very good English.

Believe it or not, this product was taken at World Food Mart in downtown Daejeon. It obviously sells various products, including some items from the Philippines. But what caught my fancy was this product from Indonesia.

Anyway, when I was in Indonesia a few months ago, I didn’t have time to think about drinking “susu” as I was greeted by this long line at the immigration counters.

Why was there a long line? This sign more or less explains the situation, the English grammar notwithstanding.

Yes, it’s appropriate for our Indonesian friends to apologize for the inconvenience, and we admire them for that. But should they also apologize for the misspelling, run-on sentence and murder of the English language?

I agree: Someone should help edit the signs at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, perhaps starting with these signs that have a missing “d”

I know what you’re trying to say: A Grammar Nazi like me has no right to be proud of the quality of English in the Philippines. To this I reply: You’re absolutely right! When I left Incheon for my trip back to Manila, I noticed this sticker placed on my handcarried bag.

Indeed, I cannot “wash my hands” of the funny signs in the Philippines, which you will know more about next week. Thank you for reading!