Chinglish is the unique form of Chinese directly translated into English. My fascination with the subject began moments after I first set foot on China's soil. It's nearly impossible for an American visiting China to miss it . It appears on signs, T-shirts, packaging and in the mouths of Chinese students everywhere. Through the magic of computer translation, multitudes of businesses put on an international face in an effort to make their appeal seem broad, unaware that foreigners chuckle at each glimpse.

Yet, even after only three years living and teaching English in Jilin and Shaanxi provinces, I've noticed a steady decline of Chinglish signage in public. Beijing, in particular, made a strong push to improve its signs in the years leading up to the 2008 Olympic Games. So I've made an effort to capture and share some of my favorite examples of Chinglish before they disappear.