Learning German For English Speakers - easy and confusing words

 Where can you learn and practise speaking German? 

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You can use German in Germany, Austria and German-speaking parts of Switzerland.  Also Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and parts of Belgium and Italy.

Flag of Luxembourg.

Flag of Liechtenstein.

German - English Confusing words

The German word Chef is not a chef but a boss.

Chef - boss

das ist kein - that is not (not that is small which is klein)

klein - small

German - English Words With Similar Spelling or Similar Sounds

Remember that nouns start with a capital letter in German

(eine) Banane - (a) banana 

braun - brown

frustriert - frustrated

hier - here

kollegin - colleague

laut - loud

das Shampoo - the shampoo

schwer - difficult (makes you swear)

Spinat - spinach

suchen - to search for / look for

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English - German Words With Similar Spelling Or Similar Sound

a banana - eine banane (remember to change the final a to an e as in eat)

brown - braun 

colleague - Kollegin

difficult - schweg

loud - laut (the letters t and d sound similar and involve the same movement of your tongue)

shampoo - das Shampoo

shoe - schuh (add the letter c like see, and other h, for a pair of shoes)

small - klein (If you know anybody with the name Kleinman, that means small man. Calvin Klein, fashion designer. Naomi Klein, psychoanalyst.)

spinach - Spinat

vegan - vegan

Different ways to pack a suicase

1 Traditional Flat Packing

The theory is that clothes stay crease-free. If you put the tops of clothes, the neck of a shirt or dress, against the short side of a suitcase, you can then fold the garment exactly to fit. Shoes go in a separate bag, or are forced down the edges or corners later.

Socks are packed inside sandals, shoes or boots to make use of that space and keep co0ordinating colour together and ensure you have no shoes without suitable socks. 

Why do you need socks? To stop sandals rubbing your feet and creating blisters.

Variations: 

2 Interleaved Flat Packing

I used to pack all whites together, all blacks together, all coloured clothes together. I separated the whites from the blacks with a see-through plastic bag.

Another system is to pack each garment in its own bag. I wanted to ensure no damage such as damp coloured or black clothes staining white clothes. You could have bottles of alcohol, or water, or lotions, leaking inside the case. Or cases left outdoors in the rain on a trolley next to the plane waiting to be loaded. Or sequinned clothes and belts with buckles making holes in delicate silk clothes.

Complete Outfits Together 

Dress or trousers (Americans say pants) with jackets, matching underwear, socks, even shoes or sandals. Ski suits with gloves and knitted brimmed hats and socks, or thick socks inside the boots. Necklaces to match evening dresses.

3 Hanger Packing

A man's suit can be packed inside a black suit cover on a hanger. A bride's dress can be packed on a white hanger labelled Bride. (You can buy sets marked bride and groom.) 

I like to pack outfits on hangers, the thin wire hangers from dry cleaners. My clothes are ready to hang straight up on arrival at a hotel or conference centre, or family, no delay. Clothes pack straight back into the suitcase, and hang up immediately on unpacking.

Packing Night Clothes

Night clothes on top if reaching destination late. Night clothes on top if returning home late.

Swimsuit on top or in wheel-on bag or shoulder bag if arriving late at hotel destination. No need to wait for the porter to deliver your luggage to the room. No risk of reaching the swimming pool just as it is closing. (In the Canary islands at the Parador hotel on La Palma, we arrived from the ferry and drive up the mountain at 5 pm, just as the outdoor swimming pool closed.)

4 Roll up clothes.

Laundry Bag For Dirty Clothes

Dirty clothes in laundry bag.  Maybe a separate bag for shoes. They are separate so the smell or dirt from shoes does not affect clean clothes or those which are worn many times. 

No Dirty Clothes - All Cleaned

If you stay at a big hotel with a big budget, are on expenses, you can have all your clothes sent to the laundry. This works well if you send one garment every day. Once, I had to send a week's laundry for two people, and it took an hour to put everything in the bag and tick all the boxes, phone down to get the bag collected before the noon deadline, so I missed the morning tour of the city.

I like all my clothes washed overnight. Then, if you should be in a car accident or plane crash, neither you nor anybody else will receive a suitcase containing clothes which were dirty three months ago. 

Swimsuit Packing 

A wet swimsuit can be squeezed to damp by a towel, then left hanging freely on top of suitcase. Packed in when dry. Some cars have a hook on the inside roof behind the driver's seat, meant for hanging a suit jacket so that it arrives uncreased. this could be used to hang up a wet swimsuit, especially when you are stopped for lunch and the car is parked beside your outdoor table. We don't leave clothes or other items visible in parked cars in foreign cities where tourists and thieves are known.

 Or pack a swimsuit in a waterproof bag. I have a waterproof base compartment of a gym bag. It also takes wet umbrellas.

5 Separate Souvenirs Bag

Clothes you came in inside main suitcase. Souvenirs in second bag previously inside main bag which leaves more room.

6 Expanding zipped suitcases. 

Leave home with it done up tightly. Then you can expand it at the destination.

One year I left home with it already expanded to make a bigger space. Big mistake. No room to expand it to take guidebooks bought on holiday, souvenirs and new shoes.

7 Quick Instant Throw All In Pack

Throw everything in the big suitcase. 

Overflow

When the suitcase is full, put the overflow in a carrier bag. Or two bags. Or three.

 This works when family are fetching you by car with an empty car boot. (Americans say car trunk.)

8 Postbox method. 

I invented this method or at least the name today.

 Out of desperation!

Place your suitcase upright. Pack the overflow bag. Then pack the suitcase. Zip it up and stand it upright. Unzip slightly and feed in the overflow. 

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Translating Labels, real gold and silk, real silk, real what?

Is it real or fake? One hundred per cent or a mix? If you are buying gold or silver or jewellery, it helps to recognize the words for real silver and gold, and gold plated, or silver plated.

When buying leather, such as jackets, bag, or shoes, it helps to recognize both the symbols for leather and synthetics, and the words used. I have seen PU leather, which pops up in a search for leather boots, but it is fake lather, or leather look.

Sometimes you want the alternative. You might prefer plated items because they are cheaper. Or synthetic rather than leather or fur because you don[t want to be cruel to animals. 

You might want to find out the difference between 925 silver, and alloys. Also polyester cotton, which to my mind saves ironing

 I bought a scarf, second hand, pre-loved, whatever you want to call it. I loved it.

It had the label 100%. But 100% what?

 It had three letters I could not understand, not just in a foreign language, but also in a foreign alphabet.

It felt soft. But not quite as soft as silk. I had hoped for silk. Was it a good modern imitation?

I tried googling lists of words for silk in all languages. It was not silk.

What was the language. It looked like Russian. I worked out from another Russian word that the first letter was L.   What was the E with the two dots? The e pronounced like ay. The last letter looking like an H was N.  Lane?  The French for wool is laine. The word was not Russian for wool.

I had invited a friend to lunch with me at a restaurant. I showed her the scarf. She suggested linen. That sounded like the letters L A for ay, N. But the scarf did not feel thick and heavy and tightly woven, like linen suits which are stiff, resembling denim jeans.

Linen.

However, a search for the Russian word for linen produced a match. So did copying the word as an image and asking for a translation.

Photograph by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

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Changi airport has a resting lounge

 

Photo by Trevor Sharot. copyright.

Changi airport in Singapore has a resting lounge in each terminal.  Some upright padded chairs but also long banquettes where you can put your feet up and lie down.

Fewer people and no crowds surging past so less danger of losing luggage.

Just google where can I sleep and your airport name. You might find budget hotels and those which rent out rooms for only a few hours, day, or night. Or lounges where you can doze, like this one.

Kafe Ador - Pleasant Decor and Fresh Food

 

Choose to eat outside in the sun, or inside at the front, alongside the counter, or at the back by the screen showing changing vistas of scenery. Hatch End has many restaurants and coffee shops with lovely decoration and interesting menus and this is one of them.

We were brought glasses of tap water in fancy glasses. My friend has the same glasses at home.  She bought them because she thought they looked strong and unbreakable.

I opted for the beetroot salad. My friend asked to make up her meal of a selection of sides. 

The scrambled egg is on bread. What looks like a large chip is halloumi, grilled or fried cheese. The beetroot is creamy. The salad looks and tastes nice and fresh.

Afterwards I chose cheesecake from counter. It was partly covered in a thin chocolate, like old fashioned ice creams. I and my friend both liked it, satisfying texture and yummy taste.

I chose that rather than the cheaper huge croissant. Because you can buy a croissant even cheaper in Lidl. But then you are not sitting in agreeable surroundings, with waitress service.  

Despite the high cost of cafe and restaurant food compared to what you buy in supermarkets, I reckon they do a good job, considering they have to pay for decorating, cleaning, rent, and council taxes.

They opened in December 2024, as I see from my previous reviews. I said then

Who are the owners? The owner also runs Izgara along the street. Turkish. A big busy and successful restaurant with lots of lights and bright decor. Figures. No wonder. Ador means a perfume.

Kafe Ador

414 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, Pinner HA5 4HP.

info@kafeador.co.uk

tel 44 3084 2112

https://www.kafeador.co.uk/

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Buy Cashmere From Scotland and see Cashmere Goats In Coats

In Scotland you can visit Lunanbay Farm and see Cashmere goats and buy products.

The label, of the merino wool and cashmere scarf. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

 Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Scarf in merino and cashmere. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

I was in St Luke's charity shop in London looking for a brightly coloured scarf, and at the last minute decided to  try on this scarf with its subtle colours. In the end I bought this scarf because it felt soft and soothing. 

Cashmere is a different spelling of what English-speaking people call Kashmir. The technical term for changing the spelling is Anglicization.

Cashmere is not sheep wool but from a goat. To sum up a long article on Wikipedia, the goat moults in spring, loses the hair it needs to keep warm in winter. You can do machine sheering, or comb it by hand. The tougher hairs are used in brushes and the softer ones for clothing. The goats have been imported to the USA, UK and France in the past but today most of the product and finished articles come from Asia and China. 

From an environmental point of view, the bad news is that over-grazing by goats turns the land into desert. This has increased the local temperature by up to four degrees and caused pollution in the air as far away as the USA. 

Oates & Morgan and Roger Oates

To sum up the story of the production of the scarf, regarding the manufacturer's and designers' names, Roger Oates and his wife Morgan (surname) met at art school in London and founded a company way back in 1977. After at least one buy out, a new company formed with the Roger Oates name. 

My scarf says Made in Mongolia. The latest good news is the latest company with the Oates name is helping to stall and reverse climate change. 

Cashmere And Dry Cleaning

My scarf is of pale colour, but the label says dry clean only. When the cost of dry cleaning increased, I stopped buying clothes which said dry clean. Or a part washed them in cold water.

My friend Lynda washed a cashmere scarf and it shrank. You are supposed to be able to restore a shrunken item by wetting it again, with cold water, and stretching it. She says the scarf also lost its vibrant colour.

You can buy farm tours at Lunanbay Farm, in Scotland. Online buy yarn and knitting patterns from Lunanbay Farm in Scotland. They also sell scarves at £95 and £395, socks at £55, and a headband and fingerless gloves. The goats in coats soft toy comes with either a green or blue coat and a lovely smile.

Goat in coat

The soft toy smiling goat in coat is approx 30 cm tall they say, choice of green or blue waistcoat, every one different, plus postage of £3.99 in the UK.

Cashmere in Scotland

https://www.lunanbayfarm.com/

Useful Websites On Cashmere

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Oates

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashmere_wool

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pashmina_(material)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle-to-cradle_design

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Prevent Loss From Open Top Bags

 

Bag with central press stud. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

This bag has a handy press stud in the middle under the handles. But many tote bags are completely open at the top. The name on the bag is InStyle (all one word) which is an American monthly fashion magazine.

Open Top Tote Bag Problems

When I put a tote bag under my seat at a meeting, or a hotel airport, when I pull the bag out, the contents scatter. There's a delay. I feel foolish. My companions are annoyed. I shall lose my place in the queue to board. I look under the chair again from the other side and find I nearly lost a pen. I vow that I shall do something to solve this problem next time.

Temporary Tote Bag Solutions

There are two temporary last minute solutions to this scattered souvenirs problem. 

String or ribbon to tie up the handles of your duty-free bag and attach it to your main luggage, with the top held together.

Or carry a stapler.  

Permanent Solutions - Zips and Press Studs

Put zips in a tote bag, which you use for extras you buy. Or, after boarding, put the duty free bag inside the zip-up tote bag.

Today was next time, to find a permanent solution. As usual I have my mind on packing for my next holiday.

Check every item of clothing. Stains. Look for loose seams and hems. Loose buttons. Jammed zips.

Open-top pockets and tote bags need closures. Should you quickly sew on one small, or large, press stud? (Americans call them snap fasteners.) Or a zip. (Americans call them zippers.)

I have lots of tote bags. I have lots of zips. Some zips I removed from garment which were past their use by date. (Joke.) Others I bought second-hand on ebay. Some I bought new. Cheaply from China, never mind the wait, they were for stock. More expensively from UK department stores. Sometimes the added postage makes it better value to buy two at once, although you need only one, and keep the spare in stock.

How to sew in a Zip

For years I had thought sewing in a zip was complicated. Then I was showed how to sew a zip into the top of a handbag. My instructor was an au pair girl from France who stayed with us through her summer to help look after my then small son.

It's really simple. In theory.  You sew up at least two straight lines of stitching, along the left and right of the long sides of the zip.

Well, I lied. It is more complicated. As you find out when you try to do it. Your zip is usually too short or too long. 

Short Zips

If it is too short, there is a gap. If you leave the gap at the zip pull end and things might fall out. The tote bag might not hang right, straight and neat. 

Instead, I sew up the gap at the other end. You can sew the sides of the bag together over the gap. Or sew the ends of the zip together and leave them horizontal and sewn into the end of the tote bag.

What if you have only small zips? And zips of different colours? Choose two dark zips. Two light zips. Two nearly matching the colour of the bag. Two of maximum contrasting colour to the bag - jolly. Co-ordinates with more clothes and suitcase colours. Match the suitcase colour. Such as black or coloured.

You could divide the tote bag into two verticals to make two separate compartments for bottles or rolled-up magazines and newspapers. With or without a line of stitching down the bag.

My latest effort was to sew two old zips into a tote bag. Why two? I did not have a zip the right size. I did not want to waste a big zip. I thought of having just one zip on one side to keep the bag half closed. No. All or nothing.

Tote Bag Supplier

I had bought the blue and yellow tote bag from St Luke's charity shop in North West London, which raises money for hospices in that area. Different parts of the UK and other countries raise money for their local hospice, often named after a Christian saint.

Useful Websites

St Lukes

https://www.stlukes-hospice.org/shops/

https://aleteia.org/2021/10/13/10-saints-who-served-and-healed-the-sick/

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Angela Lansbury is the author twenty books, including several books on etiquette, wedding etiquette of comical poems, such as Animals Pets and Pests. She has also written  books on about writing poetry such as Poetry Workbook, which you can browse of buy from Amazon.co.uk, or Amazon.com and Lulu.com  She has also contributed poems and chapters to anthologies edited by Carolyn Street.

A book on clothes and sewing will appear in the next year. Earlier if somebody helps me with loading my word documents into publishing format, or convinces me that like sewing, you just try it and keep going until it's good enough.