thank you for silly…

There are some days when laughter is the best possible pick me up and here there is much that is surreal or plain daft. So today I thought I would share a few of the memories I am saving for a rainy day when I need a smile to hand:

• the unforgettable Chinese opera that sounded like a cat being killed slowly, at length..
• being ushered into the VIP section for Chinese diplomats for no apparent reason and then congratulated on my excellent English?!
• causing a mini riot in a five star hotel by making an appearance on the dance floor – and having volunteers step forward to do my crowd control!
• being put into yet another VIP section as protection from big moustached men with wildly gyrating pelvises..
• going to exhibits and being the most photographed thing.
• the regular random text messages that suggest I get myself de-wormed..
• learning that deep fried lentil balls have a name in Bangla that sounds like a squirrel sneezing in a strong wind.
• my lost in translation that caused me to suggested boiled vegetables should be added to trifle to add colour and taste.
• cooking experiments where I faithfully follow instructions but end up with no idea about what was in the box or what it is I’ve made..
• trying to food shop when I don’t recognise anything and have serious doubts about whether I really want a snake gourd in the house..
• speaking Hausa to an Arab, Arabic to a Bangladeshi and then total gibberish to myself.
• asking for the exit, ending up in the ladies and then hanging around to try and be polite!
• learning to say ‘breasts together’ in German… which allegedly means cheers if you’re swiss, silly and very very buxom..
• being overheard calling a street dog ‘sweetheart’ by a giggling local
• mud bathing in mangrove muck until not an inch of skin was clean and then slip-skidding even deeper into it with the boldest of the kiddies
• giving new lyrics to  ‘Eye of the Tiger’ – now known as ‘Overweight Tiger’ – because it felt much safer walking in the forest if the big cats were all cutting back..
• making up my own names for the constellations the sailing overhead – the curly tailed tiger was my personal favourite but the confused extraterrestrial came a close second..

Thank you for silly. Thank you for laughter…