Handy Tips For Double Sim Card Phones And Old Phones For Emergencies

Problem
Mr X has transferred his SIM card. He has two phones for two countries and used to keep them separate to be sure of not running up high roaming charges. Some people have two phones, one for work, paid for by the company or a business expense if you are self-employed, and the other phone for social calls. (He has the recent LGX Power - battery lasts about four or five days, "a brilliant phone" - the one available at no extra cost with the two year Singtel contract in Singapore.)

Answer
One of the phones has a space for two SIM cards. It can be used for calls in both countries. You just have to remember which line in which. (As you would when using two phones. Except that with two physical phones you can disable one phone and lock it away in a drawer so neither you nor anybody else uses it forgetting that it will run up bigger bills or not get reception.)

The old phone can still be used as a camera. It can even be used without a SIM card to make emergency calls.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts. 

Even Numbers In The West ; My Rant Against 3 Samosas Between 4 People and 1 chocolate between 2

Problem
Can you count to two, and four? Yes. So can most people. The British, and most westerners, like even numbers. In England you buy a dozen roses. Not a baker's dozen, thirteen which guarded against the risk of being hanged for short changing a customer by giving him food under weight. Let's look on the bright side. A dozen roses. If you can't afford a dozen, half a dozen roses.

The British used to have a dinner service of 12 dinner plates. Thirteen was unlucky because it reminds you of the last supper. 13 had supper. Only twelve survived the night.

Supermarkets sell eggs in boxes of six. Every now and then a manufactuere tries to reduce the number to 5. Howls of outrage.

Four would be okay. You can sell a set of four cups and saucers. For two couples. Or two cups. For one couple. Or a single person and a date or a guest, a friend.

But you can never sell five cups nor three. One person would be left out of the conversation. Five cups? Even in a charity shop, you must reduce the price of a set of five cups with six saucers. The British buyer thinks: I have been short changed. There should be six, an even number.

A supermarket can sell a customer: 'Buy two, get one free.' But you can't sell three. It looks like the retailer bought sets of four from the wholesaler and is cheating the customer.

Restaurant Tables For Two and Four
Restaurants have tables for two and tables for four. You can't sit three people at a table for four. That looks as if you are cheating the restaurant of a fourth setting.

Waiters don't like it. The restaurant manager loses the sale of a meal. The waiter has a reduced tip.

Even in an empty restaurant. An imaginary group of four might materialised out of the cloud, in an empty restaurant, and want to choose that table. That table is reserved.

You might try to move to a table for two. As the waiter said, it is small. You will cope. Then you try to move a chair from a table for four, to convert a table for two into a table for three.

Watch what happens. The waiter says, "You can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"My staff can't get past. We might have an accident. It's a table for two. It's two small for three."

They Are Odd, In the East
In the East, they like odd numbers.

Japanese Tea Sets
When I was teaching English conversation to a Japanese lady she served tea, two cups from a set of five. The Japanese have tea sets with five cups. "In England we have six tea cups," I told her.
"Why do you have five," I asked her. "

"Ah, so. Four guests. Plus hostess to serve them. Five."

She thought:
"Why do you have six?"

A generation or two ago, families would serve 12 people. Now we have smaller families, and sets of six.

Three Samosas
The menu of the new Sakonis vegetarian Indian restaurant in Hatch End, North London, offered vegetarian samosas (3).

Samosas are trangular pastry cases with various fillings.

Ordering Four
I supposed we could have ordered two, portions, making six, one per person and two spares.
My husband refused. He was the man in charge of ordering and he wanted several different dishes. "I'm not going to order two plates of the same dish. Besides, it's two much food. That would be wasteful."

When ordering, we asked if they could make four. Our server went to the kitchen to ask if the cook could make that 4 pieces.

Yes.

However, we got three. We were served three samosas between four people.

Another 'small plate' which we had potato bajis, balls like dumplings, as a starter was also three pieces.

Divisions
The division of the samosas created divisions amongst the customers.
We divided the first two Samosas into half,, one half for each per person.

The potato bajis, balls like dumplings, are also served as three pieces. We often eat as a threesome. but in a foursome this is odd.

The restaurant could reduce the portion to two and give you three if they see three people, forcing you to order two plates for four people. I hope they don't. Maybe we should just keep quiet!

This is not the first time I have found a discrepancy. After a meal in a restaurant, when they present chocolates of bisucits with the coffeee or the bill, I worry, how many chocolates will you get?

Chocolates
I've had this problem before with chocolates, chocolates at restaurants, and chocolates in hotels.

Chocolates in Hotels
Two or three times I've been in hotels which offer a turn down service. They don't seem to co-ordinate with the desk to find out that two people are sharing a room. So we get one bathrobe between two. We get one pair of slipers between two. Plus one bath towel between two.

Finally, one chocolate between two. Since we both like chocolate, this could be a problem.

Supposing the chocolate is on one side of the bed, and the person on that side eats it, thinking that there must be one the other side, or that the other person has already eaten theirs.

I remember, one one occasion, after a tiring day, the missing chocolate was 'the last straw'. I phoned down to housekeeping. I asked, "Is it possible to have another chocolate?"
A voice replied, "Another chocolate?"

"Yes," I replied, trying to sound light hearted. "Two of us had one chocolate. If either of us eats it, the other person will commit murder. Can you send up a second chocolate? It will save an aful lot of trouble for us, and you."

"You want another chocolate?"

"Yes. Please."

"Anything else, Madam?"

"Yes, another bathrobe. We have one between two. And another bath towel. And another pair of towelling slippers. I'm fed up with hopping about wearing one."

"A chocolate. A Bathrobe. A bath towel. And a pair of towelling slippers?"

"Yes, please, that would be delightful."

PS Flower Numbers In Russia and Romania
In Russia, Romania and Slavic countries you send even numbers of flowers to a funeral. You send odd numbers for a bride or a gift for living people.

Flower Numbers In Singapore
The same applies in Singapore where a bride carries seven flowers. (However in Singapore gifts of money are given in multiple numbers of lucky eight. The number four is unlucky because it sounds like the word for death. House numbers and motorbike numbers with eight are favoured.)

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have many posts on language and destinations in Romania and Singapore. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Notting Hill Carnival: I Am Still Watching Stilt Walkers and the Dancing Policeman

Problem
What did I miss?

Will there be another Carnival next year in Notting Hill? Or will the police and government force it to move somewhere such as Hyde Park and be a paid event? I have read reports about attacks on police and arrests.

On a lighter note:

Here's a video showing a glimpse of stilt walkers, on You Tube by Jodanta:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buH0BNWWYJI

Type images stilt walkers Notting Hill Carnival to see more.

And the dancing policeman, on YouTube and several of the UK's newspapers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGt-zVprfPc

St Pauls Carnival in Bristol. Held every year in July. Photo by Jezhotwells from Wiki.

www.visitbritain.com
www.visitlondon.com
http://www.thelondonnottinghillcarnival.com/experience.html#experiencePhotos

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Views of And From the New Queensferry Crossing Bridge, Britain's Tallest Bridge

The Edinburgh Festival is known for comedy but here's something serious, light-hearted and good for tourists every day of the year. Here's a great view of the elegant new Queensferry Crossing road bridge, taken in 2017
by KlausFoehl, in Wikipdedia. The clouds seem to be imitating and admiring the bridge.

My second favourite photo, or set of photos, is the one taken at night.

http://metro.co.uk/2017/08/30/first-drivers-make-their-way-across-scotlands-new-1350000000-queensferry-bridge-6888723/

My third favourite view of Britain's highest bridge, near Edinburgh, is taken from one bridge showing all three bridges, the new one, the railway bridge and the Queensferry road bridge which the QueensFerry Crossing replaces.
http://edition.cnn.com/style/article/queensferry-crossing/index.html

A great video of the bridge being opened, changing colour, and a voice with a Scottish accent!
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/scotland/499553/video-queensferry-crossing-lights-ahead-official-opening-articleisfree/
 video is on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGd1ZzvePzQhttps://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/scotland/499553/video-queensferry-crossing-lights-ahead-official-opening-articleisfree/

Author, Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have other posts on this bridge and one on the Tay Bridge disaster. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Sakonis Vegetarian Indian Food - Superb Addition To N W London

Problem
Where can you take friends who are halal, vegetarian, kosher, teetotallers or on a budget?

Answer
Sakonis Vegetarian restaurant in Hatch End.

Extensive list of drinks. This pink drink is Faluda, rose flavour and aroma. I had previously had this in Singapore. If don't want ice cream added; I must remember to say no ice cream next time. I ordered it as a pre-dinner drink. My companions looked at me and my drink with amazement. Why have you ordered dessert? Make sure you are ordering a drink suitable for starter. I didn't think to ask and they didn't think to tell me. An alternative would be chair (tea).

The counter at the back has sweets on the top level.

Post a selfie with your food and make sure you tag us, says the placemat. 

Cutlery and copious supply of white paper napkins in a container on the table. Glasses are in the blue theme. You can't see if the glass is clean or the colour of your drink but this is for water and I like the colour.

Gold colour cutlery. I turned it over the see what is was. The brand is Utopia. It is eighteen something or other which is the thickness of the plating, usual for restaurant quality. 

(Years ago I bought some cutlery which was not this standard and it went rusty in my dishwasher and if left to dry rather than being wiped straight away. But wiping with a new towel risks adding germs and takes time so I like my glasses and cutlery to drip dry. it was years before I found out that the rust was not caused by the dishwasher but because my Viners cutlery was not the durable higher quality which costs more.)

This is the faluda. Lurid pink. The little globules are semolina or something, which I used to find odd tasteless and yucky, but oddly with the whole mix they add bulk and seem to go down well.

Something string shape, adds interest. I have to say the whole combination is good. But I must remember to drink water and not gulp it down, but take it slowly to enjoy the rose flavour.

Samosas were spicy. 'The triangular ones' said somebody who is not familiar with Indian food. 

Those who don't like spicy food (three of our party of four) found them too spicy. The one who liked spicy food was happy.

The potato balls were the favourite of the three of us who liked non spicy food. They came in portions of three. We had asked for four and the person who took the order asked for this on our behalf but it never happened. We managed to divide one between two. This requires goodwill from diners towards management and between diners and fellow diners. 

I am not a fan of crisps on health grounds. However, if you like crisps these are good. Not potato but something else.

Yes, I was very happy with my food.

The staff seemed very happy too.

This is the eggless cheesecake. The menus said strawberry and they asked if I was ok with nuts. Yes, I'm not allergic to nuts, in fact I love nuts. This seemed to have a mini Ferrero Rocher ball on top.  Unexpected vanilla ice cream. Oh dear. More calories and more sugar. I suppose you need it to counteract the chocolate. We were not hungry.

This is what Sakonis looks like after dark, bright inside at night.

All photos in this post by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The mango dessert was too sweet for one of our group who wanted an unsweetened fruit dessert. If you are diabetic or health conscious stick to the main courses. Not so good for fruitarians, dieters or people allergic to nuts. But excellent for vegetarians and anybody wanting to try something new. totally different from Britain's ubiquitous (that means found everywhere) curry houses. 

A bill for four people including three non-alcoholic drink and four desserts would be about £60 including the 12 (and a half?) % 'optional' service charge.  You can pick up a take away menu from the table by the door (on the left on entering) or look on line. On line they don't show the drinks and desserts so the paper menu is handy. 

Will I be going back? Yes, definitely. I am a lapsed dieter.

Tips

www.sakonis.co.uk

http://www.utopia-tableware.com/cutlery-care-advice The Utopia cutlery website page explains the different numbers and the care needed for different types of cutlery.

Author:

Angela Lansbury, freelance travel writer and photographer, blogger. (I have several blogs, this one on travel worldwide including destinations, restaurants, attractions, trails of famous people and learning languages, others on giving speeches and assorted subjects if you are looking for amusement, entertainment and information.) Please share the links to your favourite posts.

Notting Hill Carnival Videos Advice - Verdict I vote for films from Nottingham

Problem
What to do to get the best out of the carnival?

Answers

Here's a video of advice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2JRsopnuVE
The speaker is amusing. He tells you to drink water, wear proper shoes, not flip flops (which he mysteriously calls sliders).
Well done for showing street names on street signs.
He should go to Toastmasters or City Lit or Elocution lessons and learn to pronounce the letter T.
Interesting idea that you could pay £1 to go to the toilet in somebody's house instead of the Portacabin toilets (which I haven't seen on any video).
I haven't seen any dancing instruction either.
Yet.

Advice to others:
Don't bore every body with a person talking unless they are in fancy costume or world famous. Get straight to the people in costume.

Don't bounce your camera up and down and move it side to side. Amateur, makes you sea sick. Let the dancers make the movement. Get somewhere you can see, not back views of people walking in front.

Prepare a useful commentary, names of bands, the street you are in.
Get some aerial views, maybe from somebody's upstairs window.

Maybe I should apply for lottery money of fundign to do a proper video. Frankly, the Nottingham carnival was better organised or at least much better filmed.

I tried Vimeo. Better. At least videos started with a title and had some subtitles. I raced through three and got bored and gave up.

Finally Aug 29 I have clicked on the stills and here are some great shots:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4829272/Thousands-streets-Notting-Hill-Carnival-finale.html

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

How To Fix Broken Zips On A Suitcase

Boken zip pull. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problems
The Zip pull is broken. In fact two of them have broken. On one, the end of the pull has broken. I have two nasty sharp points digging into my fingers and scratching my skirt.

On the other zip, nothing to pull. The zip is stuck half way around. So on holiday to extract my clothes is a tug of war. Re-packing is a nuisance, takes longer.

Answers
The missing zip pull was replaced by a wire tie. It worked, but hard to grasp and looked untidy. The broken one was in the way.

Ordering Spare Parts Sets
I ordered a zip repair kit on line. It arrived with three pairs of zips in different sizes. One pair was a match.

I left the pack it alongside the suitcase needing repair. At the weekend we got out the repair kit. How would we detach the broken zip pull and attach the new one.

Tools Needed
We needed a pair of pliers.

Pliers and zip pull to repair. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

We looked at the zip. The set of zips had no instructions. But we already knew that when replacing a zip on a garment or pocket you simply take off the end of the zip by slitting the stitches, slide off any broken pull, slide on the new pull, then sew down the zip ends.

That doesn't work on a suitcase because the end of the zip is robustly fixed and hidden under the fabric or seam.

The Parts


At first extracting, the broken bits seemed a challenge. But it came off.

After thought - Old Broken Suitcases For Spares?
Having done that, the family Mr Fix-It said: 'But we have zips on old broken suitcases which we use for storage.'

We have in the past thrown away broken suitcases, ones with faulty wheels, or slits, or just battered and stained. Now we keep them for storage.

If you have an old plastic handbag which has disintegrated or got stained, you might save the whole zip, or just the zip pulls, for immediate use or for stock.

Storing Spares
How will you find them when you need them?

1 Keep them in the front pocket of the broken item with a label attached to the handle.
2 Label a box of 16 screw drawers with the word ZIP PULLS.
3 Keep them in your sewing kit - if you have only one sewing kit.
4 hang them on a key peg or store with your suitcase keys.
5 Send yourself an email headed sip pulls saying where you have stored the zip pulls. Attach a photo of the zip pulls and the drawer or bag or box where they are stored and say in which room.

Job done: Zip repaired. I feel zippy! Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. Author of How To Get Out Of The Mess You're In.
Please share links to your favourite posts.

I Spy A Spider - What Next - A Cockroach on Camera?

Problem
A spider.

Answer
It's not a problem if you have a camera. In fact, far from trying to get away, or moving it, your main aim is to get as close as possible.

Mobile Phone Cameras
I took this picture with a mobile phone. My phone is the one I bought after trying out three mobiles of different sizes (and prices) in the shop, taking something at a distance, comparing results to see if the extra money made a difference.

Our other more recent experiment was to see whether two phones, one for the UK, one for overseas, had the same results, or if one was better. The phone with the larger screen did not have the best camera. So, with a choice of two mobile phones, you might gain best results using the large screen mobile as a phone, but the one with the better camera on days when you expected to take photos.

Story
When I saw the spider, I called the family photographer with the tripod and the patience, (the introvert) to take a close up picture.

Looking at the spider on a big screen, I am amazed how colourful is our spider. What looks like black and white from a distance, close up the legs are oblongs of orange and brown as well as black and white. And so many hairs on the legs!

Where are the face, the eyes?

On a day when you are stuck at home working, still a chance to get great photos, in Singapore birds on the aloe vera on the balcony, geckos.

Maybe next time I shall try to treat 'my' visiting cockroach like my spider.

I can send somebody else in with a spray and a tripod, and view it at a safe distance, on the screen.

PS
I have tried to identify this spider. It looks a bit like a Garden Centre Spider.

This is a British spider.

http://www.uksafari.com/garden_centre_spiders.htm
Their first page shows you several spiders to help you identify yours.

If you prefer a bigger spider for your photographs, go to Australia. We had a spider the size of a tulip in the bathroom at Margaret River, Australia.

As for cockroaches, in Singapore, when I called an Texan American to see what I thought was a shockingly large cockroach, she shrugged. She commented:
We've got bigger ones in Texas.

AUSTRALIA office tourist board site:
https://www.australia.com/en-us

SINGAPORE
http://www.visitsingapore.com/en/

UK
visitbritain.com

USA
visittheusa.com
https://www.visittheusa.com/state/texas

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Teacher of English and other languages.  Please read my other posts about Singapore, the UK, photography, destinations and languages. Share links to your favourite posts.

How Do You Operate Hazard Warning Lights To Signal Your Car Or Vehicle Is Stationery?

Hazard Warning Light on car. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problems
How do you signal that your car or vehicle is stationery?

Why would you need to? On suburban roads you are supposed to park in the direction of the traffic so that drivers can see your tail lights (reflectors). But on a motorway vehicles are coming up fast and need warning to slow down and pass when safe to do so, or stop.

On a motorway you need flashing lights to warm that you are not moving.

a) If you have to stop on the hard shoulder of the motorway because of a fault in the car.

b) If the driver or passenger is unwell.

c) If another vehicle ahead has an accident.

d) An obstruction such as a living or dead animal.

e) A police block.

f) A traffic jam.

g) A criminal trying to rob you has stopped your car with a fake accident or simply by running in the road.

Stories
In the UK the worst accident for several years took place on the motorway. Apparently a large lorry (Americans say a truck) was stationery for more than ten minutes. A minibus appears to have come up behind it and pulled out, hitting another large vehicle. The two lorry drivers survived, but eight passengers in the minus died, leaving another four badly injured. Details are still emerging. Whoever was right or wrong, if anybody, the fact remains that if you are stationery, you want to warn others, to protect yourself and them (and third parties).

You need to know how to signal you are stationery, something rarely needed, if you are a driver, and / or have a new car.  As a passenger you need to be able to do the same, in the case of an accident, if the driver is unconscious or their arms are broken or trapped or they are in shock and can speak but can't move. This applies whether or not you can drive.

I asked my family how to operate the warning device on the car.

"Its a round red button with a black warning triangle, on the dashboard."

Story
My 1984 Motorway Accident
I remember being in shock when my car was hit in 1984. A man came running up to ask, "Are you OK."
"Yes," I said.
"You're lucky," he said.  "Not a scratch on you. But you can't drive. You'd better get out of the car."
"I can't move," I said.
"You are in shock!" he said.
"Yes," I admitted. "I can't move at all. I think you'd better call an ambulance."

The car was immobile. I was immobile. I thought I was OK, just breathing shallowly and fast, but I could not move. I later discovered I had broken ribs.

My 2013 Motorway Accident
I have written about this twice in earlier posts in 2013.

Tips
The week before a journey, check you are familiar with lights and dimming lights, operating the warning lights, the location of the warning triangle in the car. When loading the boot (Americans call it the trunk) be sure the warning triangle is not under the suitcases, perhaps, if you have a passenger, or think you are most likely to be accessing it safely from the passenger side, accessible on the left hand side, the passenger side.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4829456/Polish-born-drink-driver-31-court-M1-smash.html
http://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/lighting-requirements.html
https://mocktheorytest.com/resources/when-can-you-use-hazard-warning-lights/
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/alive-after-motorway-accident.html

Author, Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Should You Guard Privacy and Shred Your Boarding Passes For Security?

Problem
Some people show their boarding passes on media and this is a security risk. Also throwing them away is a risk.

Answer
Some people prefer not to print their boarding pass but keep it on their mobile.
What if you lose your mobile or internet connection? Or a third world airport official claims you need a printed copy so he or she can charge you for printing it (either official charge or a bribe).
In theory if you have ID the airport staff can print your boarding pass.
I like to photograph my boarding pass. However, I shall think twice now.
If you shred your own boarding pass or other document with scissors put the two halves in different bins at different locations on different days.

For details discussion see:
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2017/08/why-its-still-a-bad-idea-to-post-or-trash-your-airline-boarding-pass/

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Easy To Remember German Words from the Poem Bridge on the Tay (railway disaster 1789)

Problem
I found a German poem about the Bridge on the River Tay. The disaster happened Dec 28 1879. Scottish poet immortalised the event and himself in the poem he wrote.

Wikipedia told me that a German poet had written a poem on this event.

Die Brück’ am Tay

(28. Dezember 1879)

When shall we three meet again? The three witches in Macbeth, making predictions.

GERMAN

»Wann treffen wir drei wieder zusamm?«
   »Um die siebente Stund‘, am Brückendamm.«
     »Am Mittelpfeiler.«
         »Ich lösche die Flamm.«

5

 »Ich mit«

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
When will we three meet again? (Literally: when meet we three again together)
On/around the seventh hour, on the (bridges dam/ Google gives Bridge of Bruck?)
On/at the pillar /pier (middle pillar)
I'll erase/lose/extinguish/kill the flame (metaphor for life?)
I with (Me with, Me too, I also, I'm with you, I'll be with you)

         »Ich komme vom Norden her.«
»Und ich vom Süden.«
             »Und ich vom Meer.«

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
I come from (the) North
And I from (the) South
And I from (the) sea

»Hei, das gibt einen Ringelreihn,

10

Und die Brücke muß in den Grund hinein.«

»Und der Zug, der in die Brücke tritt
Um die siebente Stund’?«
             »Ei, der muß mit.«
»Muß mit«

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Hey, here is a ring
And the bridge must (go) in the ground (fall/go in/enter)

And the train, which in/on the bridge goes
At the seventh hour
Oh, it must (go) with
(It) Must, (go) with (or too)

Ringel is ringlet
sieben is seven

15

        »Tand, Tand

Ist das Gebilde von Menschenhand!«

Auf der Norderseite, das Brückenhaus —
Alle Fenster sehen nach Süden aus,
Und die Brücknersleut’ ohne Rast und Ruh

20

Und in Bangen sehen nach Süden zu,

Sehen und warten, ob nicht ein Licht
Übers Wasser hin »Ich komme« spricht,
»Ich komme, trotz Nacht und Sturmesflug,
Ich, der Edinburger Zug.«

25

Und der Brückner jetzt: »Ich seh’ einen Schein

Am anderen Ufer. Das muß er sein.

[586]

Nun, Mutter, weg mit dem bangen Traum,

Unser Johnie kommt und will seinen Baum,
Und was noch am Baume von Lichtern ist,

30

Zünd’ alles an wie zum heiligen Christ,

Der will heuer zweimal mit uns sein, —
Und in elf Minuten ist er herein.«

Und es war der Zug. Am Süderturm
Keucht er vorbei jetzt gegen den Sturm,

35

Und Johnie spricht: »Die Brücke noch!

Aber was tut es, wir zwingen es doch.
Ein fester Kessel, ein doppelter Dampf,
Die bleiben Sieger in solchem Kampf.
Und wie’s auch rast und ringt und rennt,

40

Wir kriegen es unter, das Element.

Und unser Stolz ist unsre Brück’;
Ich lache, denk’ ich an früher zurück,
An all den Jammer und all die Not
Mit dem elend alten Schifferboot;

45

Wie manche liebe Christfestnacht

Hab’ ich im Fährhaus zugebracht
Und sah unsrer Fenster lichten Schein
Und zählte und konnte nicht drüben sein.«

Auf der Norderseite, das Brückenhaus —

50

Alle Fenster sehen nach Süden aus,

Und die Brücknersleut’ ohne Rast und Ruh
Und in Bangen sehen nach Süden zu;
Denn wütender wurde der Winde Spiel,
Und jetzt, als ob Feuer vom Himmel fiel’,

55

Erglüht es in niederschießender Pracht

Überm Wasser unten... Und wieder ist Nacht.

»Wann treffen wir drei wieder zusamm?«
   »Um Mitternacht, am Bergeskamm,«
     »Auf dem hohen Moor, am Erlenstamm.«

[587]

60

 »Ich komme.«

     »Ich mit«
         »Ich nenn’ euch die Zahl.«
»Und ich die Namen.«

        »Und ich die Qual.«

65

 »Hei!

   Wie Splitter brach das Gebälk entzwei.«
        »Tand, Tand
Ist das Gebilde von Menschenhand.«

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
And I (am)the torment
Hey!
So (in) splinters broke the (building/entablature) in two
(a) (tiny) fragment, (a) tiny fragment
Is the structure /construction (building or rebuilt literally has been built ge means past/gone/done) of (the) men's/ mankind's hand (the hand of a man but German makes one word from the double word phrase)

Looking at the German poem, I have picked out words which I can easily recognize and remember. I am recording them alphabetically. 

GERMAN - ENGLISH
Only one or two letters change to something which sounds similar. Same letters in caps.

Brücke - bridge (BR..E ck -dg)

dezember - December (DE.EMBER z-c)

drei - three (.RE. d-t) 

hand - hand

haus - house (H ..S au-ou)

ich - I (I..)

ist - is (IS. st-s)

komme - come (.OM.E k-c)

Mensch - man (M.N...)

nacht - night (N.cH. ch-gh) 

Norden - North / northern area (NOR.... d-th)

und - and (.ND u-a)

von / vom - from (..O. v-f n-m)

Wasser - (.A..ER water SS-t)

It's easy to work out the English from the German, in context, and once you know, especially with the help of Google translate.

ENGLISH - GERMAN

and - und

bridge - Brücke

come - komme

December - dezember

from - von / vom

hand - hand

house - haus

I - ich

is - ist

men - mensch

night - nacht

North / northern (area) - Norden

three - drei

water - Wasser

Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Teacher of English and other languages. I have several more posts on European languages, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Welsh and Romanian. Also destination guides and stories. Please share links to your favourite posts.

The Major Edinburgh Bridges In Historical Order

Problem
I can't work out which bridge is which.

Answer
You will find loads of detailed information on construction on Wiki plus links to newspaper articles and can spend hours on it (as I have) but here's a simplified version.
Let's take the four well known bridges in historical order.

1 The Tay Bridge Disaster (Railway)
This was immortalised by the dreadful doggerel of William McGonagal.  This is the one I heard about in English lessons in school and it's quoted all over the place and in poetry anthologies and examples of how not to write a poem. The Tay is not Edinburgh. Edinburgh is on the Forth.

2 The Queensferry Bridge (Road)
Open 30 Aug 2017. (Pedestrians could take a look earlier.)

3 The Firth of Forth Bridge (Railway)

4 Queensferry Crossing (Road bridge)
Cable stay bridge.
Two lanes in each direction, total four lanes.

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

***

Now let's get up to date and concentrate on the three major bridges:

When you drive up to Edinburgh from London or take the train you are going to cross one of these major bridges with spectacular views.

Three main bridges linking Edinburgh and Scotland to the south (England).

1 The Queensferry Bridge (Road)
Open 30 Aug 2017. (Pedestrians could take a look earlier.)







From Wikipedia.

Oops. Those cables are wearing out. The bridge had much more traffic than originally intended. We need a new road bridge, just in case it ever collapses completely, or rather we see in advance that it will be unsafe, and to prevent that, less traffic on this one.

2 The Firth of Forth Bridge (Railway)
The red railway bridge.

From Wikipedia.

3 Queensferry Crossing (Road bridge)
Cable stay bridge.
Two lanes in each direction, total four lanes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensferry_Crossing

I find it confusing to have the two road bridges similarly named but this name was chosen by popular vote.

(How I remember: The new crossing made environmentalists cross because they wanted a tunnel.)

The new Crossing involved demolishing a landmark lighthouse and excavations revealed the oldest archaeological find of a dwelling in Scotland.

From Wikipedia.

More information:
List of Edinburgh bridges and links to pages on them in wiki:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Bridges_in_Edinburgh

Author,
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, teacher of English and other languages. See my other posts. Please share links to your favourite posts.

New Bridge From England to Edinburgh in Scotland on the Firth of Forth

Problem
Which bridge goes where?

Answer
The new road bridge is the Firth of Forth road bridge. A firth is an estuary. The alliterative Firth of Forth. (The Firth, not the fifth, and the Forth, not fourth meaning four.) It is the estuary blocking the way from England to Scotland to Edinburgh on the East.

How do I remember Edinburgh is in the East of Scotland? I visualise the map. I live in England and look at the map of Britain quite often.  But if you are not familiar with the map, if you are in America or Asia, remember that the capital, Edinburgh, capital E, is in the East, capital E.

Glasgow is to the West of Edinburgh.

The Firth of Tay is the estuary of the Tay river, Dundee.

Confusingly, to the English, Aberdeen is on the Tee. Tea in Aberdeen with the Dean.

Let's go back to the new bridge. It's not a replacement bridge but an additional bridge. The old bridge had to be closed in bad weather. Like what? I suppose winds and waves too high. The new bridge will stay open all the time. The old bridge will be a supplement in good times when the roads are busy.

However, websites currently say that initially drivers will be directed to the new bridge open officially this month, initially to pedestrians, then to road traffic.

Sounds like they want everybody to get used to the idea of the new bridge.
The Old Queensferry Road Bridge
The old Queensferry Road Bridge.

Photo by KlauswithK. In Wikipedia.


The old bridge is apparently going to be temporarily converted just to pedestrians, then later opened up again to buses. Hm. I suspect plans will change.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-40972881
Tourism Websites
www.visitbritain.org


The Railway Bridge. Forth Bridge.

Photo by Andrew Shiva from Wikipedia.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I am also a teacher. I teach English and other languages. How did you guess? See my other posts on languages and destinations. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Notting Hill Gate Carnival Videos Are On YouTube! Music, Colour, Singing, Dancing!

Problem
I was looking on the BBC and Daily Mail sites and finding little of nothing.

Answer
Then I looked on Youtube and found this years' (Saturday Aug 27 2017) as well as 2017 all in one place without having to flip from one news site to the next.

The reporter getting daubed with paint:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzrEJSl_Yks

Nottingham 2017
I clicked on this because it popped up. I thought it was Notting Hill. better than the Notting Hill videos.
Best so far of this year - Nottingham Carnival 2017, starts with great music and lots of different bands. If there's one you don't like, slide the slider to the next.
ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIQRcF9tDss

Highlights of 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkI5og9jum8
Annoyingly when you copy the code you get the numbers and letters and not the title , so, especially when the video jumps to 'on next' you are not sure whether you have caught the current title or a subsequent one.

This has some good if repetitive music, some stunning near naked dancers of both sexes gyrating. I was reminded of the quotation that dancing is the vertical expression of a horizontal desire.

I just looked up the quotation. It was George Bernard Shaw. He said perpendicular, not vertical. As is usually the case, the relative nobody who repeats the quotation incorrectly succeeds in saying it more succinctly and memorably that the famous person's original.

I suppose the best part of the Notting Hill Carnival is being saved for the Grand finale tomorrow, Bank Holiday Monday. Come back.

Meanwhile:
Toronto Caribana 2017. If Rio has Rio Toronto has rears. "If you've got it flaunt it," says the nearest male in my family when I call him to comment. Busts too. Glamorous girls.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuCXSLE8kQE


Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Author of Quick Quotations for Successful Speakers. See previous posts on Carnival in UK and worldwide. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Carnivals, Festivals and Feasts With Fruit and Flowers

Where was that parade, or festival, the one with the fruit or vegetables and flowers?

By Country

GERMANY
Stuttgart Beer Festival or Autumn Fair, 17 day festival with a fruit column, fireworks. Starts late September until mid-October.
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannstatter_Volksfest

ECUADOR
The name Ecuador means Equator, a hot country.
http://www.ecuador.com/blog/the-festival-of-fruit-and-flowers-in-ambato

ITALY
The Battle Of The Oranges
Culminates in a fruit throwing festival. Wear clothes which don't matter and look for designated areas of refuge.
January at Ivrea, near Turin, Italy.

http://news.opodo.co.uk/NewsDetails/2007-01-16/Battle_of_Oranges_at_Italian_carnival

Umbria - see previous posts.

SPAIN
La Tomatino is a festival which culminates in a tomato fight. The last Wednesday in August and the preceding week. In Buñol near Valencia.
https://www.spanish-fiestas.com/festivals/la-tomatina/

UK -
Cheese rolling
Pancakes - Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day nationwide, offers in supermarkets and recipes in newspapers; pancake races, with pancakes in frying pans

USA
Parade of the Roses, Jan 1st? California?

Angela Lansbury
Travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Notting Hill Carnival Pictures At Last + Wikipedia, Leeds, Las Vegas, The Caribbean and Canada, Europe and the USA!

Problem
A million people attending Notting Hill Carnival but not one knows how to load a picture onto Wikipedia.

Answer
Neither do I. I shall have to remedy this.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4827264/Notting-Hill-carnival-goers-cover-reporter-paint.html
Update - they've now added a video to this page.

http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/notting-hill-carnival-live-travel-13535859

Leeds Carnival
I just discovered there's also a Leeds Carnival, same dates as Notting Hill. The Leeds Carnival has, or had, a king and queen of the carnival.

The latest picture on Wikipedia is from 2009.
 
The king of the Leeds Carnival in 2009. Photo by 'Chemical Engineer' from Wikipedia.

LEEDS
A father and daughter were the King and Queen of the Parade in Leeds in 2009.

Another novelty is a Prince and Princess of the Parade for children.

The founders were given honours for their initiative and hard work as you will see if you read the Wikipedia article.

It looks like the revellers and photographers in Leeds have been asleep for eight years. Maybe the tourist board of Leeds could look into this.

The magic words are not 'upload photo' but 'add image'.

UK AND EUROPE

France[edit]

2014 Tropical Carnival of Paris

• Carnaval Antillais de Colombes — every year late June.
• Carnaval Tropical de Paris — every year early July.
• Carnaval of French West Indies, about two months between the Sunday of Epiphany and Ash Wednesday^[44]

Germany[edit]

• Berlin — Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures),^[45] every year in May (Whitsuntide weekend)

The Netherlands[edit]

• Rotterdam — "Summer Carnival" Zomercarnaval: occurs every year in July. Each year there are more than 800.000 visitors.^[46]

USA, CARIBBEAN, CANADA

Wiki also has a list and links to numerous Caribbean Carnivals all around the Caribbean, plus more in the USA and Europe, many in the Caribean and several in Canada. 

A few of the festivals have either fizzled out or been cancelled. I wonder if the reason is cost, lack of sponsorship, or violence or the increased cost of security needed. Anyway, plenty of festivals are still taking place.

Why would you or could you go?

You like music.

You like performing arts, singing, dancing, comedy.

You love costumes, looking at them, making them.

You are looking for outdoor activities.

You want to support the event.

You want to sponsor an event.

You want to promote your business of music, songwriting, costumes, food, drink, events,.

You are looking for a surprise or new event for a birthday or anniversary.

You are planning a short trip to family or on business to a specific city or country and want to extend the stay over a weekend or holiday with a specific event to enjoy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Adding_image
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_carnivals_around_the_world

UK

www.visitlondon.com
http://www.visitleeds.co.uk/maps-and-more/Tourist-Information-Centre

www.visitbritain.org

USA
https://lvcaribfest.com (Las Vegas October 26-29 2017.)

https://www.nycgo.com New York City official page. Other websites offer NY discount passes.

https://www.visittheusa.co.uk/

Update. 11.30 pm UK time many more pictures.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4827264/Notting-Hill-carnival-goers-cover-reporter-paint.html
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Carnivals Worldwide and Summer Sundays in London, Singapore or DC, the The Sunday Times, Silverstone, and Notting Hill Carnival On Mobile Phones

West Indian Parade or Labor Day parade, first Monday in September, New York, USA. Photo by Shankbone. From Wikipedia.

Problem
Where to go? What to do?

Bank Holiday in the UK and I am waiting to see the Notting Hill Carnival on TV iplayer and checking on Carnivals around the world.

In the UK my family have gone to Silverstone. I haven't gone to Silverstone. The ticket price is too high - about £75 per person and up. (Plus parking. They bought tickets for the event months ago but forgot about parking which would have been cheaper in advance. They spent a long time trying to book parking on line yesterday, Saturday, the day before the event, without success. You could book online for today, yesterday, Saturday, but not for tomorrow, Sunday.)

We have already paid for the sports TV. So they can watch TV whilst being at the show, as well as later.

Notting Hill Carnival. Photo from Wikipedia.

Meanwhile, back in London, England, Notting Hill Carnival is free. So is watching on TV.

These are one off events.

Every Sunday in England, Britain, we can fill our day reading The Sunday Times, the British version. You can subscribe to it on line for a fee. (I am currently using online without spaces as an adjective but without spaces as a noun. Go on line to watch online events and read online newspapers.)

The British Sunday Times can keep you busy for easily an hour or two.

Sunday In Singapore
In Singapore the same goes for Singapore's big Sunday newspaper. It is summer weather in London so you can sit in the garden or go to a park or a pub for Sunday lunch. In Singapore, most people live in flats and condos. You could sit on a balcony or go out to a park for a walk. I find the weather too hot and humid for outdoors in Singapore. I look for a swimming pool in a condo, a country club pool or a public pool. The trouble is they often close off the condo and country club swimming pools on National holidays for a BBQ by the pool with the local member of parliament or a swimming competition or another paid for ticketed event.

Singapore's National Day parade is annually on August 9th. Also see Fireworks on New Year's Eve., parades on New Year's Day; other festivities in areas such as Little India for Diwali and cultural and religious celebrations including Hindu Thaipusan in January or February.

Sunday in the USA
In America you also have public paths and across of woods, all along the East coast, everywhere. Although some of the major parks have tolls, there are plenty which don't.

When we lived in Rockville, Maryland, near, north of Washington DC, we would get in the car after work on Friday evening and head out along the motorway along the East Coast Parkway for a weekend away through the woods. More than fifty states to see, south through Virginia, North and South Carolina, Florida, Atlanta, New Orleans, or north to Pennsylvania and up towards New York.

The 24 hour all day stops and breakfasts and 24 hour supermarkets in the USA always provided us with plenty of budget food, and out of town family run, owned by 'mom and pop' motels.

Living Overseas
If you have travelled to another country to live or for a short break, you can look at local free newspapers in hotels and restaurants or dropped through the door of your bedroom or condo for events. Google maps to find the nearest outdoor park.

I try to get outdoors for a short walk every day (if I can't swim). I wear very cover up clothing and my latest annual check up told me I was short on vitamin D. That's what happens if you wear clothing covering everything except your face and feet and hands, whether you do it for religious reasons or to protect yourself from sand and dust and mosquitos and melanoma.

Lazy Sunday in London, England
Restaurants in London have their tables out on the pavement. A great way to spend Sunday, outdoors, Sunday brunch, watching the world go by. Time to stop snoozing and go out in the sun.

Two members of my family and a friend in London are off to Silverstone - a trace track on a converted air field, like so many race tracks. They have taken the current  Sunday Times. A combination of sport and culture.

What can we read? Motor Cycle News British MOTGP Preview, a 32 page Silverstone guide. Waitrose weekend, the supermarket's free newspaper, or an old copy of The Sunday Times.

Notting Hill Carnival
I am looking at Notting Hill Carnival on TV from afar, a British tradition started in 1966. The Sixties. The great music era.

The public can buy face paint and dress up at the last minute. But the carnival dancers and singers have been planning, practising, and making matching costumes all year. No wonder they didn't want to cancel or change the venue. Time to stop snoozing and go out in the sun.

Notting Hill Carnival. From Wikipedia.

Watching Events On Phones
If you are out and about, watching major events on your mobile phone, if you have two phones of different sizes, (or an iPad or laptop) as well as your mobile, you may wish to switch to the phone or device with the larger screen.

Sometimes the SIM cards are tied to the phone. If not, you have a choice. Load up the aps you need when switching phones or to an iPad or laptop. Check before leaving home. Take the other phone with you in case of problems.

What else can you do out and about or home alone?

Notting Hill Carnival
I can't understand why they don't have the whole day of the Carnival on the news continually. I think it's the cost. London Live broadcast starts at 4 pm Sunday Aug 27.
However, I have found some great pictures.

http://www.itv.com/news/london/2016-08-29/in-pictures-best-of-notting-hill-carnival-2016-grand-finale/

A video on the preparations and theme with Green For Grenfell (nearby skyscraper fire in which more than 80 people lost their lives), and dinosaurs in green.
http://www.londonlive.co.uk/news/2017-08-24/mahogany-arts-prepare-for-notting-hill-carnival-2017

Home Alone?
Watch the film Notting Hill. Nothing to do with the carnival, but a light hearted comedy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notting_Hill_(film)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/stickyjerkwingswiths_91690

If you can't attend, what's next in the tourist calendar?
For anybody whose family have birthdays in January, February or August, that's the birthday party or present sorted.

Masked Lovers. Carnevale di Venezia 2010. Photo by Frank Kovalchek in Wikipedia.

Carnival in Venice, January 2018.
Carnival in Rio, Brazil, 2018.

VENICE, Italy. Carnival 2018 Jan 27-Feb 13.
https://www.getyourguide.com/ (Events and making masks)
http://www.carnival-in-venice.eu/ (Masked ball in Venice)
http://www.italia.it/en/home.html
http://www.visit-plus.com/ Gives dates and information.

Rio BRAZIL.
Friday 9 Feb - Wed 14 Feb 2018.
http://www.riocarnaval.org/carnival-date/rio-carnival-2018.html

Samba parade at the Sambódrome, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo from Michael Baldwin from Wikipedia.

USA and Worldwide
New York, NY state, USA, West Indian Day parade, on Labor Day, First Monday in September. (Monday Sept 5 2017.)
Wikipedia has lists of carnivals in the USA, New York, New Orleans and around the world. In England even Leicester has a carnival.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mardi_Gras_in_New_Orleans

www.waitrose.com For supermarket addresses, opening times on Sunday, and Waitrose Weekend newspaper.
thesundaytimes.co.uk £2.50, £2 to subscribers, free from Waitrose with a minimum spend and loyalty card.
www.silverstone.co.uk for ticket prices and packages or call ticket hotline tel:0844 375 0740.
www.motorcyclenews.com See the MCN events page for Auto Jumbles, Bike Meets, Drag Racing, Enduro, Exhibitions, Festivals, Grass Track, Hillclimb, Long Track, Motocross, Rallies, Rideouts, Riding Schools, Road Racing, Shows, Sidecar Racing, Speedway, Trials, Track Days, World Record Attempts.
www.Facebook.com/MSVTrackdays

Travel and Tourism
BRAZIL
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/brazil
http://www.rio-carnival.net/sambodromo/sambadrome_tickets.php

ITALY
http://www.italia.it/en/home.html

SINGAPORE
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaipusam
www.visitsingapore.com

UK
www.visitbritain.org
www.visitlondon.com

USA
https://www.visittheusa.co.uk/
https://www.nycgo.com Official page. Other websites offer discount passes.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. I have other posts on Notting Hill, Silverstone and Rossi, Italy (Perugia), learning Spanish and Italian and many more destinations and languages. See previous posts and see next post. Please share links to your favourite posts.