Chinese Laundry


Walking through San Francisco's Chinatown, a tourist is fascinated with all the Chinese restaurants, shops, signs and banners. Turning the corner he spots a building with the sign,

"Jerzy Dudek's Chinese Laundry."

"Jerzy Dudek?" he muses. "How the heck does that fit in here?"

So he walks into the shop and sees an old Chinese man behind the counter. The tourist asks, "How did this place get a name like "Jerzy Dudek's Chinese 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 Jerzy Dudek?"

"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 is Jewish gentleman from Poland. Lady look at him and go, 'What your name?' He say, 'Jerzy Dudek.'

Then she look at me and go, 'What your name?'

I say, 'Sem Ting.'"