A few Kunming signs

開關 -- I had to look that one up. "Open" "Close", I guess that makes some sense.

I didn't know 伹 (qu1) before I saw this note, I couldn't even find it on MOE or CC-CEDICT.

I'm afraid that's 但. But hey, you learned a new character.

"Stay away from documents later than Qing, and perhaps also those from Qing."

I think this is the sort of handwriting Hofmann warned us against.

Haha, so I did! B)

Although I'm unclear as to how it works if the switch is broken. Do you just turn it on and off by connecting it to the mains?

Is "mains" a British term for what we in the colonies would call an "electrical outlet"?

Anyway, I assume it has a plug, and you just plug and unplug it from the wall. Are you trying to tell me you've never had something that operates that way? Our rice cooker, for example, never had an on-off switch.

In Britain we have butlers for that kind of thing.

Our rice cooker, for example, never had an on-off switch.

Now this is very dangerous in my opinion. Decades ago, my mom's hand got burned when she unplugged the rice cooker (don't ask me why, I just know that there were sparkles and she got burned). Please either get an on/off switch or employ a butler (or a cook, or at least a maid).

Oh, is that why my wife has me unplug it?

[seriously, thanks for the advice. I'll be real careful from now on.]

"Stay away from documents later than Qing, and perhaps also those from Qing."

I think this is the sort of handwriting Hofmann warned us against.

I don't see anything wrong with the handwriting. It looks pretty neat and clear to me at least. Sure it is not to be used as a calligraphy reference, but neither would you expect to see one on a radiator, do you.

Although I'm unclear as to how it works if the switch is broken. Do you just turn it on and off by connecting it to the mains?

You plug it into the wall when you want to get warm.

I'm guessing the writing was "fuwuyuan calligraphy" 服务员书法。