Photos

The Wonderfully Weird World We Live In! The oddest and funniest images of 2022

A war is being fought in Ukraine, the cost of living is increasing and there’s anger and unrest across the world. But amid the gloom and doom, these images show that not all is bad. There were many reasons to smile and laugh

FP Staff December 21, 2022 17:00:51 IST
In a Right Lather: First year students of the University of St. Andrews, kiss as they take part in the annual “Raisin Monday Shaving Foam Fight” at the Lower College Lawn, in St. Andrews, eastern Scotland, on 17 October. The Raisin Monday Costumed Foam Fight is the culmination of a week of mentoring to welcome first year students into the “academic families” as they start their studies at the university. AFP
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In a Right Lather: First year students of the University of St. Andrews, kiss as they take part in the annual “Raisin Monday Shaving Foam Fight” at the Lower College Lawn, in St. Andrews, eastern Scotland, on 17 October. The Raisin Monday Costumed Foam Fight is the culmination of a week of mentoring to welcome first year students into the “academic families” as they start their studies at the university. AFP
Snow Bomb: The Naked Cowboy performs during a snow storm in Times Square, New York on 29 January. A powerful winter storm packing heavy snow and high winds pummeled the US East Coast forcing the cancellation of thousands of flights as severe weather alerts were sounded across a region of around 70 million people. AFP
2/18
Snow Bomb: The Naked Cowboy performs during a snow storm in Times Square, New York on 29 January. A powerful winter storm packing heavy snow and high winds pummeled the US East Coast forcing the cancellation of thousands of flights as severe weather alerts were sounded across a region of around 70 million people. AFP
A Bright Idea: Staff members from the Hoshinoya Tokyo hotel demonstrate the “Lantern Dining Experience”, where lanterns made by Kojima Shoten – a shop in Kyoto – are used to shroud diners for mask-free dining amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in Tokyo. AFP
3/18
A Bright Idea: Staff members from the Hoshinoya Tokyo hotel demonstrate the “Lantern Dining Experience”, where lanterns made by Kojima Shoten – a shop in Kyoto – are used to shroud diners for mask-free dining amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in Tokyo. AFP
When Up is Down and Down is Up: People pose for photos inside the upside-down house, in Guatavita, near Bogota. The house is designed by its Austrian owner Fritz Schall. AFP
4/18
When Up is Down and Down is Up: People pose for photos inside the upside-down house, in Guatavita, near Bogota. The house is designed by its Austrian owner Fritz Schall. AFP
Doggie’s Day Out: Summer Strand and her dog during the annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival on Fifth Avenue in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City on 17 April. AFP
5/18
Doggie’s Day Out: Summer Strand and her dog during the annual Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival on Fifth Avenue in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City on 17 April. AFP
Walking to Her Own Tune: A model presents a creation during the Moschino catwalk show for the Fall/Winter 2022/2023 collection on the third day of the Milan Fashion Week in Milan on 24 February. AFP
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Walking to Her Own Tune: A model presents a creation during the Moschino catwalk show for the Fall/Winter 2022/2023 collection on the third day of the Milan Fashion Week in Milan on 24 February. AFP
Hair Scare: Revellers smeared in coloured powder dance during the Holi celebrations, the spring festival of colours, in Hyderabad on 17 March. AFP
7/18
Hair Scare: Revellers smeared in coloured powder dance during the Holi celebrations, the spring festival of colours, in Hyderabad on 17 March. AFP
Yoga With a Twist: Shelagh Kane takes part in a Snow Yoga with Alpacas class at Brae Ridge Farm and Sanctuary near Guelph, Ontario, on 20 February. AFP
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Yoga With a Twist: Shelagh Kane takes part in a Snow Yoga with Alpacas class at Brae Ridge Farm and Sanctuary near Guelph, Ontario, on 20 February. AFP
Pant or No Pant, Your Vote Matters: A man casts his vote during Australia’s general election at a polling station at Bondi Beach in Sydney on 21 May. AFP
9/18
Pant or No Pant, Your Vote Matters: A man casts his vote during Australia’s general election at a polling station at Bondi Beach in Sydney on 21 May. AFP
Not so Royal Behaviour: Britain’s Prince Louis of Cambridge was hilarious, as he holds his ears while standing next to Britain’s Late Queen Elizabeth II to watch a special flypast from Buckingham Palace balcony following the Queen’s Birthday Parade on 2 June. AFP
10/18
Not so Royal Behaviour: Britain’s Prince Louis of Cambridge was hilarious, as he holds his ears while standing next to Britain’s Late Queen Elizabeth II to watch a special flypast from Buckingham Palace balcony following the Queen’s Birthday Parade on 2 June. AFP
I’m All Ears: Breeder Mohammad Hasan Narejo displays the ears of his kid goat Simba, in Karachi on 6 July. A kid goat with extraordinarily long ears has become something of a media star in Pakistan, with its owner claiming a world record that may or may not exist. AFP
11/18
I’m All Ears: Breeder Mohammad Hasan Narejo displays the ears of his kid goat Simba, in Karachi on 6 July. A kid goat with extraordinarily long ears has become something of a media star in Pakistan, with its owner claiming a world record that may or may not exist. AFP
Baring it All: A cyclist takes part in the World Naked Bike Ride in central London, on 11 June. Participants ride naked on various routes across London to protest against the global dependency on oil and celebrate body freedom. AFP
12/18
Baring it All: A cyclist takes part in the World Naked Bike Ride in central London, on 11 June. Participants ride naked on various routes across London to protest against the global dependency on oil and celebrate body freedom. AFP
Beauty and the Beast: Jeneda Benally introduces her dog Mr Happy Face on stage during the World’s Ugliest Dog Competition in Petaluma, California. Mr Happy Face, a 17-year-old Chinese Crested, won the competition taking home $1,500. AFP
13/18
Beauty and the Beast: Jeneda Benally introduces her dog Mr Happy Face on stage during the World’s Ugliest Dog Competition in Petaluma, California. Mr Happy Face, a 17-year-old Chinese Crested, won the competition taking home $1,500. AFP
Bappa with a Twist: Policeman Rajendra Kane takes a selfie with an idol of Lord Ganesh in the avatar of a policeman during ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ festival in Mumbai on 31 August. AFP
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Bappa with a Twist: Policeman Rajendra Kane takes a selfie with an idol of Lord Ganesh in the avatar of a policeman during ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ festival in Mumbai on 31 August. AFP
Back with a Splat: A reveller covered in tomato pulp takes part in the annual “Tomatina” festival in the eastern town of Bunol, on 31 August. “La Tomatina”, a famous tomato fight that attracts thousands of tourists to the town of Bunol (eastern Spain), made its comeback after two years of absence due to the pandemic. Some 15,000 people took part in this food fight, with 130 tonnes of (very) ripe tomatoes as ammunition. AFP
15/18
Back with a Splat: A reveller covered in tomato pulp takes part in the annual “Tomatina” festival in the eastern town of Bunol, on 31 August. “La Tomatina”, a famous tomato fight that attracts thousands of tourists to the town of Bunol (eastern Spain), made its comeback after two years of absence due to the pandemic. Some 15,000 people took part in this food fight, with 130 tonnes of (very) ripe tomatoes as ammunition. AFP
Heel Talk: A model presents a creation for Moschino’s Women’s Spring Summer 2023 fashion collection on 22 September. AFP
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Heel Talk: A model presents a creation for Moschino’s Women’s Spring Summer 2023 fashion collection on 22 September. AFP
Spray Attack: A picture shows the Manneken Pis statue dressed in tribute to late French-Belgian singer Johnny Hallyday on the fifth anniversary of his death in Brussels. AFP
17/18
Spray Attack: A picture shows the Manneken Pis statue dressed in tribute to late French-Belgian singer Johnny Hallyday on the fifth anniversary of his death in Brussels. AFP
Green on Wheels: Autorickshaw driver Mahendra Kumar drives his vehicle with a ‘garden’ on its roof, in New Delhi. Yellow and green autorickshaws are ubiquitous on New Delhi’s roads but Mahendra Kumar’s vehicle stands out — it has a garden on its roof aimed at keeping passengers cool during the searing summer season. AFP
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Green on Wheels: Autorickshaw driver Mahendra Kumar drives his vehicle with a ‘garden’ on its roof, in New Delhi. Yellow and green autorickshaws are ubiquitous on New Delhi’s roads but Mahendra Kumar’s vehicle stands out — it has a garden on its roof aimed at keeping passengers cool during the searing summer season. AFP