What’s Your Sign?

While I’m finalizing our next post on Peru I thought I’d share our small collection of favorite signs that we’ve managed to capture on film.  No international journey is compete without some humorous observations of awkward translations and communication.   To be fair, someone else could and should blog about all of the linguistic missteps that we have made over the last 100 days.  To that, I would say have at it and send me the link.   In my mind, if something prompts a laugh then international law should grant permission to publish most everything.

I hope you can appreciate our humor.

I will never, ever, give accolades to the person who created selfie sticks.    They turn our blue skies gray and seem to reliably kill any beautiful moment.   That said, if the person who invented them is reading this post, I will happily join you for lunch on your yacht.

A Lavin family rule

While we found this in a cafe in Antigua, Guatemala, I see no reason not to post the same sign in our house.  It succinctly gets the point across, especially with the five exclamations.

House rules, sponsored by Visa

As any parent of school aged kids knows, technology is our best friend and greatest enemy.  We try our best to adhere to a “no devices at the table” rule, but available wifi always wafts techie temptation.  I grinned from ear to ear when I spotted this sign at La Picanteria restaurant in Lima.  In fact, I might have done a fist pump in the air like Tiger Woods.  It reads, “We don’t have WI-FI, talk amongst yourselves.”

A mom’s mantra

These next two are repeats from our blog post on Guatemala, but they are just too good to not re-post.

You can translate

I love a good multitasker

Bathroom humor is, for better or worse, a staple in our house of three boys, so we love this one found in Ollantaytambo, Peru..   I’d welcome any drawings as to what the faces might look like.

If only we could see their faces

A half of a city block is what separates the historic Catholic cathedral of Arequipa, Peru and classes in pole dancing.   Get vertical to thumping music, then skip over to take communion and confess your sins.  Efficient.

Last but not least, I spotted this one at a Tango club in Buenos Aires.    I’m pretty sure it wasn’t THAT kind of place,  although we did go on the early side with the kids so who knows what happens late night.   Ooops.

Send me any good ones you find!