Funniest thing

This month’s winner is CAROL H. PROBST of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania:

Eight years ago, my husband and I visited the country of Jordan, where a highlight of our trip was a day spent touring the site of Petra. 

Checking into our hotel that evening, we found that, despite the cool weather, our room was stiflingly warm. I fiddled with the thermostat on the wall, but only hot air came out of the vent. Eventually, I gave up and phoned the front desk.

I wasn’t quite sure the clerk clearly understood our situation, but he sent someone up to fix the problem....

This month’s winner is DONALD A. CESARIO of Oro Valley, AZ:

Last year on a visit to South Korea, where I was staying with American friends who had been living there for a few years, I was introduced to one of their female friends, whose first name was Shin.

On the assumption that I might meet her again, I made an attempt to remember her name by making a mnemonic association.

Sure enough, the following week we were again in each other’s company, and in my eagerness to please her by remembering her name, I blurted out, “Hello, Knee.”

This month’s winner is ROSEMARY McDANIEL of Trenton, Florida:

On my first trip to Madeira, Portugal, in 2014, I changed planes in Lisbon for my 1½-hour flight to Funchal, Madeira. I was to be met by a private driver who would drive me to my apartment, so, upon deplaning and going through Immigration, I went outside and looked for someone holding a sign with my name on it.

After waiting an hour and not seeing my driver, I decided to hire a taxi. I gave the driver the address of the apartment, but he was unable to find it when he entered it into his GPS. He kept...