Funniest Thing for August

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 JANE LEONARD-O’BRIEN of Savannah, Georgia:

In May ’05, my husband and I boarded a Qantas flight bound for New Zealand. With our aisle seats and the pleasant, courteous service, it was as idyllic as a long haul can get.

Just as I began to sip a glass of wine and eat a snack, I heard an ominous sound — my pants were ripping in the rear! I stood up to investigate and, to my horror, realized I had exposed my leopard underwear to a good portion of the plane.

Well, I fashioned a skirt out of the Qantas blanket, and, each time I went to the lavatory, as people stared I simply smiled and explained I was wearing a new style of poncho.

Getting off the plane, I told the flight attendants I would return my “new garment” on the return flight, but they said to keep it with their compliments.

Finally, we exited and found our tour guide, Bob Wilkinson. This unflappable, witty man took one look at me and said, “Jane, what a charming sarong!”