April 1st, known as April Fools’ Day or All Fools’ Day, is here and if you’re like me, I’m kind of feeling like Mother Nature is playing a very nasty prank on humankind. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our world in many different ways and the seriousness of it makes it pretty hard to feel much like laughing. But, boy, if there was ever a time we needed to laugh, it’s now!
Laughter is good for the soul and can help us get through really hard times. It can lighten the load of what we’re going through – the loss of jobs, the worries about paying our bills and buying life’s necessities, the inevitable cabin fever that comes after weeks of self-quarantine.
It doesn’t take away our concern for others, our sorrow over the thousands of lives lost and the thousands of people who are sick with the virus and those who may become sick in the coming days. It doesn’t dilute our respect for all of the front line medical staff, the paramedics and police, the firefighters, the truck drivers, the grocery store workers, the cleaners, the cooks and delivery drivers, the letter carriers – all of those people who are carrying on with their work, despite the challenges all around them.
What laughter can do is bring a ray of sunshine into a darkened sky, even if only for a short time.
So, here are a few funny translations of signs from around the world, that might give you a chuckle. I applaud all of them for trying, though!
Welcom Turist, We Spik Inglish
Shop in Laos: Sell wholesale, sell a wing, a donkey that intimately trims the skirt orders to follow (don’t even know where to start on figuring this one out!)
Airport in India: Eating Carpet Strictly Prohibited
Hotel in Finland: Due to happenstance beyonde our controll this elevator is so broken
Beauty Salon in UAE: High Maintenance Chick Salon (features Hair Botoxx)
Mosque in Bahrain: Toilet – The Place of Prayer
Lebanon restaurant menu: Itch Salad with Bourghoul (do they make it from scratch?)
Hotel in Spain: For a proper service, please turn on the vaacum cleaner when using the shower. Thank you.
Bag of candy in Saudi Arabia: Cream Milk with Coconut Humans
Wildlife park in Equador: Please do not feed the Flamingos (picture of a llama)
Menu in Myanmar: The Fish estimates sea thicket is angry
Menu in France: Salomon and his Duet of Squid
Language Schools somewhere in the Middle East: English 102 – Gramer and Riding and English Tetchar
Street Market in Vietnam: This Street Will Not be Able to Walk While Eating
Russian Sign in Metro: No Smocking (are they allowed to knit or crochet?)
Menu in Spain: Spicy brave potates and Snap the Garlic Mojo to the Orange
Train station in Italy: Diversified Trash (diversity is so important these days)
Park in Rome: Keep Off the Grass! Trasgressors will be Prostituted According to Law (shouldn’t that be Transgrassers?)
Sign in a Park in South Korea: Do Not Disturb! Tiny Grass is Dreaming.
Keep smiling and stay well everyone!