PHOTOGRAPHY | TRAVEL | GLOBETROTTERS WRITING PROMPT
Signs That Will Make You Smile
Or simply laugh out loud!
I love to photograph signs, especially those that make me laugh. The one you see above is in Singapore in front of Universal Studios. We were wandering around trying to decide where to start our tour and had to vote. It wasn’t an easy choice but S.E.A. Aquarium won out. En route, we spotted this colorful ice cream van and I immediately had to pose with it. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be there for the awesome?
And if you are wondering whether we enjoyed the ice cream, yes, guilty. They were quite delicious and most welcome in the superhot weather.
Laughing, we headed to the S.E.A. Aquarium, filled with anticipation. We were not at all disappointed. It was simply gorgeous. I was dazzled by the trip and we took our time reading all the signs when we walked out. I loved the sense of humor in the copy!
Take a look! What a brilliant move to make you laugh while delivering information in the most fun way!
There were more than 20 of these and I found it hard to pick just four to share here. Gotta love the parents of the year!
This one below had us giggling. What does spank my dough mean? They are a brand with handmade artisanal doughnuts that are brioche-like. Yum!
While on the subject of food, take a look at these two below that we came across while visiting the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland. We had the best time watching over 30 tribes perform on the lawns. Around lunchtime, our tummies began to growl and we headed out looking for vegetarian options.
The menu was delicious and the staff was attentive. Of course, it involved a long wait as we weren’t the only ones hungry. But we amused ourselves reading these funny and punny food signs put up all over the place.
Naan stop? Yes! Curry on, oh yes!
I am certainly glad I do not have to look back and think I could've eaten that…because I did eat all of it! All while enjoying live music and conversation!
Still on the subject of food, not of the edible kind, though, I am taking you back to Universal Studios in Singapore. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did — what with the adrenaline-pumping rides, the interactive 4D shows and other themed sections based on movies and TV shows! My folks were amused to see me running off to catch the queue waiting for some of the major rides.
This one is the Puss In Boots Journey. We had a hilarious time in the queue reading all the signs that were bizarre recipes. Take a look. There was also a thoughtful shopping list! Best time ever!
As you can see, there were also recipe books. We could not stop laughing because the titles are literal. The joys of cooking for relatives and royals — imagine! And Burglars to Burgers!
And just before we leave Singapore, let me show you a sign that made my heart sing, rather loudly! We arrived at 6 a.m. and headed to our hotel. Check-in was at 3 p.m. but they said they would try and see if we could have an early check-in at 9.30 a.m. They suggested we tried the food market where there were restaurants.
Turned out to be the best idea. There was a sign with my name, calling out to me.
No, not Kimly, but COFFEE! Made a beeline there and asked for the traditional Kopi and Kaya toast, which is two slices of bread with butter and coconut jam, served with a side of soft-boiled eggs. We skipped the eggs.
Well, we had no idea what Kopi was at the time. All we knew was we were craving coffee. What we got delighted us. At first, we thought it was black coffee and were fine with it. Then we discovered a big fat layer of condensed milk at the bottom of our beer-mug type glass.
We thoroughly enjoyed it and took our time over breakfast. The ambiance was lovely, with conversation buzzing around us, some people rushing through breakfast while others lingered. Everyone cleared up after themselves because, as we experienced it, Singapore is synonymous with “clean”. So impressive.
So this sign is super special to me because, although breakfast was included in our hotel booking, we made it a point to visit this place across the street for the Kopi every day! And of course, once we returned home, Kopi became a beloved tradition!
In December of 2022, we were in Jammu & Kashmir, India. We had two days for sightseeing and visited the Mansar-Surinsar Lakes. There are many legends associated with these lakes. One story, as per Hindu mythology, associates this lake with the Mahabharata war when Arjun’s son shot an arrow into Mansar and this resulted in water gushing out, turning it into Surinsar lake. Of course, there’s a temple there. But what we saw was glorious nature.
The 70-kilometer drive up to Mansar was an experience in itself. We enjoyed the serene lake, the unusual fish, and the lovely little “zoo” attached to Surinsar Lake.
It was wonderful to see the eco-conscious signs, urging visitors to say no to plastic and to appreciate and protect nature. There were huge walls with art that we enjoyed looking at.
It reminded me of this sign we saw at the Gopalpur Zoo in Dharamsala, India. (Yup, the same trip when I met The Dalai Lama!) I thought it was a nice pictorial representation of how animals feel when humans don't leave them alone in peace.
So much nicer when we treat each other with love and respect! This sign I saw at the Dhauladhar Mountain range later that day and simply had to take a picture! This was at the entrance to a school in the mountains. It was still being built. I guess by now it is operational. We discovered it while looking for a … er… restroom. (If curious minds are wondering, yes we found two clean ones at the construction site!).
We always love to walk around every city we visit — isn't that the best way to get to know the place? And also, isn’t that the best way to see local signs? Here is one that brought on big fat smiles as we walked on air after we met The Dalai Lama at Mcleodganj, Dharamsala!
This one, especially. If only it were that easy, eh?
This one was not mincing any words while informing visitors that they would pay a fine if they violated the photography prohibited rule! Also, no shoes are allowed inside a temple. Point made!
Another sign that made me laugh was this one: a place called Boring in Portland. I have to say that our trips are anything but. I was visiting my friend in October 2023 and we were heading back to her house from her cabin in the woods and a visit to Oregon’s highest point, Mount Hood, and the Timberline Lodge there. (Jealous? He he!).
We slowed down at the traffic lights when I spotted this sign. We were already singing loudly and were getting to that point when we didn't care about tone or pitch and this set us off!
During that trip, I also visited Virginia and New Jersey before flying back home from New York City. In New Jersey, I spent a week with my classmate from college. Yes, so blessed! We had the grandest time! I had never seen an apple tree in my life of 60 years, despite consuming apples almost every day — and we set about remedying that!
We went apple picking at Giamarese Farm. Gorged on many varieties of apples straight from the tree. At one point we were rather delirious and could not stop laughing when we saw the sign that said “Please, No carts in apples”. Cute, right? We had the best time walking around the pumpkin patches and trying to lift the huge ones. Such a memorable time!
And now, as Universal would say — That’s a wrap! I thought this sign was so appropriate for the gift shop. We window-shopped and walked out without buying anything.
If there’s one thing we have learned from traveling a lot, experiences and memories are the best souvenirs. Thanks to our cameras, we can relive them over and over.
Thank you for traveling with me! ❤
Like Jillian Amatt - Artistic Voyages, I’m happy when I see the signs!
Follow along with Anne Bonfert’s version of African signs that lead the way (or not)
Thank you to the team at Globetrotters for January 2024’s fabulous prompt — Signs, enabling us to travel the world through words!
Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles ❤ Did you smile today? Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | Mastodon Help me support underprivileged children via Ko-Fi. Thank you!