Funniest Thing for June

Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. There are no restrictions on length. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.) The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.

This month’s winner is BILL O’CONNELL of Castro Valley, California:

Some years ago when my wife and I were on a Brendan tour of Ireland, we stopped overnight at Waterford. We didn’t get to see the glassmaking because they were on strike, but we did admire a river and port below our hotel.

I asked a native, in my best Irish style, “Sir, would you be knowing the name of that river down there?”

“Sure,” he said.

“Well,” I replied, “what is it, then?”

“I already told you,” he grumbled. “It’s the ‘Suir’.”

After we had our laugh, he said some of the locals pronounce it “sewer” instead of “sure“ and added, “It’s funny to see the expressions on you Yanks’ faces when the waiters say, ‘The fish you’re having for lunch today was in the “sewer” this morning’.”