Ever sniggered at a translation blunder on a sign or instruction manual? Check out these hilarious menu blunders that will make you think twice about what you’re eating…and the benefits of spell-check!
When traveling abroad, I always marvel at the many creative interpretations of the English language.
Though the effort to translate local specialties for tourists is no doubt a smart marketing move, the results might sometimes have the opposite effect…
1. Chocoholics Beware!
Room Service Menu at the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou, China.
2. A Modest Selection
Restaurant in Saigon, Vietnam.
3. Made with Love and Effort…
Chinese flea market in Atlanta, Georgia.
4. Teach Your Poultry a Lesson!
Chinese menu.
5. Cannibalism on the Side?
Chinese menu
6. Vanilla Lovers: a Sacred Desert
Chinese menu
7. What’s My Dad Been up to?!
Menu found in Zhejiang, China
8. A Meal for the Militantly Healthy
Menu found in Shenzhen, China.
9. The Post-Breakup Dish
10. On a Second Thought, I’ll Choose the Merlot..
Got more hilarious translation blunders? Post up your comments below, we want a laugh!
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China holds a fascinating allure for adventurers all over the world. But exploring China can be daunting. Get the inside track with these top tips from expert travelers.
With a population of 1.3 billion people, one of the world’s fastest growing economies and landscapes ranging from subtropical forests to deserts and mountains, who wouldn’t want to visit China?
It’s right up there on my travel to do list, but I’ll be honest, the thought of stepping off the plane into one of the hugest countries in the world does scare me a little.
If in doubt speak to people in the know, right? So… check out these top tips from the people who travel for a living and explore China like a pro!
1. Avoid “Tourist” Rates
“If you’re comfortable staying at hotels where few of the staff speak English, you can avoid paying high “foreigner’s prices” by booking your hotels through elong.netor Ctrip.com – sites targeted at domestic Chinese travelers.
“Very few people speak English so a good phrase book is essential. Use the point at phrases method or bring a picture book, but as long as the Chinese is there you’re all set.
Planning on visting Guilin? … Head to Yangshuo instead. Much less touristy and much more beautiful. You’ll get all the Benefits of Guilin with more natural wonders and great hiking.
Take a local bus to a nearby town for a more authentic and less expensive experience. Most towns have a few hotels and it’s easy to find a beautiful place for less.
Take an overnight train – go for the soft sleeper if your budget allows. They’re comfortable and clean and will save you the cost of a hotel. Another bonus is that you get to see the countryside.”
“The Grand Hyatt Beijing is perfect, no doubt about it! Fresh flowers skillfully laid out in my room and a meal never to be forgotten. The pool is laid out like an island resort, just amazing.
Go for lunch in an average Chinese restaurant. A simple meal there can be as fresh and satisfying as a luxury dinner!
Beware of subversive blogging from Shanghai: censure is common practice!”
“Ask your hotel’s concierge for a card of common destinations in the city. Get the concierge to write the corresponding Chinese characters. Indispensable for directing taxis!”
”Taxis are abundant and inexpensive in China’s major cities, but most cab drivers do not speak English. Most hotels have business cards with their address written in English and Chinese and a space on the back where the Chinese name of a destination can be filled in.”
“Be adventurous with the food. There are so many great regional variations across China that travelers can miss out on the best food if they just stick to the dishes they recognize from their local Chinese take-out!”
Desperate to see the world but letting your finances hold you back? You don’t have to be a millionaire to make it happen. Check out these top budget travel tips from expert traveler, Nora Dunn.
Vietnam, China, Italy, Brazil… I’d love to set off on a long trip ticking off all these countries along the way but….. I never seem to have the cash!
Nora Dunn is a Professional Hobo, having sold off and packed up her life in Canada to travel the world full-time.
She’s adamant that you don’t need to be rich to travel the world!
Nora recently shared her traveling secrets with the online world. Check out her top budget travel tips below:
1) Get smart with flight bookings
Save up to 80% on airfare by looking where the standard search engines don’t – check out sites like Which Budget.
2) Trade work for a room
WWOOFing (Willing Work on Organic Farms) is a popular way of trading work for accommodation, but there are lots more ways of trading a room for work.
3) Get free accommodation
Using hospitality exchanges, you can stay in somebody’s home for free, and arguably get much more out of your trip by staying with the locals.
4) Work whilst traveling
If you’re traveling long-term, you’ll need to consider various work options to keep the travel dollars flowing.
5) Get to grips with volunteering
Volunteer trips can end up costing more than you might have thought. Use reputable sources to get the most out of volunteering.
6) Become part of a community
Integrate yourself into new and foreign communities for all sorts of opportunities that are bound to save you cash.
7) Avoid THE biggest spending trap
Can you guess what the biggest waste of money is when traveling? Souvenirs! Don’t fall into the trap!
Be food wise
Where you eat, how you eat, when you eat… Food can be a big expense when traveling but following a few practical tips can make all the difference.
9) Roll with the punches
Travel will always present you with opportunities, provided your eyes are open to see them. Be flexible and you’ll surely benefit financially in the long run.
10) Rethink travel expenses
Budget for your trip before you leave. Check out Tripbase’s Travel Costs Calculator for estimates on daily traveling costs across the world.
11) Travel slowly
The less you move, the less you spend, and the more you’ll get out of each destination. It’s a win-win situation!
“The Time Machine”, “Star Trek”, “Dr Who”… Time travel has captured our creative imaginations for centuries. But could it really make the quantum leap from fiction to reality??
Traveling through time, what a mind-boggling concept! Surely this is just the stuff of science fiction??
Perhaps not! Here are 5 reasons why time travel might just be possible!
1. Professor Ronald Mallett, from the University of Connecticut is building a real-life time machine! He intends to manipulate past, present and future by twisting space and time into a loop.
2. Time travel has not been proven to be possible but it’s also not been proven to be impossible.
3. If matter could be moved faster than light then, according to special relativity, there would be some inertial frame of reference in which the object was moving backwards in time.
4. Physicists at the University of Koblenz claim to have transmitted photons faster than the speed of light, using a phenomenon known as quantum tunneling.
5. If a cylinder is infinitely long and spins fast enough about its long axis, then a spaceship flying around the cylinder could travel backwards or forwards in time.
Will time travel will ever be possible? When would you travel to?? Post up your comments below, we want to hear from you!
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Be food wise
