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Saturday, October 31, 2020

My Halloween Props For a Zoom Meeting of Speakers


You can see behind me the backdrop showing spooky eyes and spiders' webs and the words Happy Halloween. The backdrop is a plastic tablecloth.

 I was Toastmaster of the Day at a meeting of Singapore International Dynamic Speakers. Thanks to: the President and meeting host Willie Loh who organized a conference call so we could plan the meeting, speakers, rol holders and strategy.

Alicia VPE was the co-host, wearing a white mask. I wondered why she looked so serious and didn't laugh at my jokes. Then I realised she was wearing a mask!

Best fancy face was Jennifer Lim who face painted white with neat black streaks around the eyes and on the nose.

Excellent table topics from polyglot CJ who had the numbers on a spooky castle.

The winner of table topics was Aaron who quoted, begin with the end in mind from a Toastmasters International champion. Patricia as Language Evaluator pointed out that in English a sentence starts with a subject(not a verb. She ended with a quotation: I'll try again tomorrow.

Lee Buckley gave a well researched speech on Halloween, in costume.

A speaker as well as evaluator was Kannan - how tenacious, (Patricia's word of the day). Owen was our other Evaluator.

. The online club meets every Friday evening at a time convenient for Australia, Singapore, the UK and USA.

I have bought halloween props from supermarkets in the UK: Morrisons, Tesco, Marks & Spencer.

Best British Food? B and K Salt Beef Bar For Salt Beef, Potato Latkes and Fish Balls


"When you are in London, what do you miss about Singapore?" my favourite friend asked me.  I had to give an honest answer. B & K Salt Beef Bar. 

What do I miss eating? The salt beef, of course. 

What else? Potato latkes. (Like Swiss Rosti and American hash browns  - fried grated potato.)

You can see my take away meal from the B & K deli counter. You can also discern, with my hints, the chopped egg and the chicken liver pate. 

We have added a salad, because I am on a diet and beef and potatoes can be fattening. I want to lose weight. 

Overseas we also miss British salad. Cucumber. Beetroot. Crunchy Cos lettuce.

I also think of the fried fish balls. After that I think of the boiled fish balls.

After the main course you don't have room for dessert. But you make room.

I'm dreaming of lokshen pudding. (If you try to explain that to somebody in the orient, it is a solid noodle pudding made with plump, juicy sultanas and tangy lemon juice. I wonder if it is hidden somewhere in the fridge. 

Maybe I shall get a surprise tomorrow.  Or next week. Or next month. Or next year. Today I can only dream.

You can visit the two branches of B & K, one in Edgware and one in Hatch End.

Useful Websites

https://www.zomato.com/london/bk-salt-beef-bar-hatch-end/menu

https://www.ubereats.com/gb/london/food-delivery/b-%26-k-salt-beef-bar/


About the Author

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

Please share links to your favourite posts.


Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Fun Finds From France: Shutters, Wine Curtains, Kitchenware, Food

 


For years French restaurants in London and worldwide have had their menus written in French, a handy way to brush up on your French. Wine bottles from France, on your restaurant table, to drink, or as table lamps, on your own table at home, or in the supermarket, provide another reminder.

In London, England, we have some cheese shops providing French cheeses. One of my early discoveries was Gaperon d'Auverge, a soft garlic cheese. The amazing thing in French restaurants in French hotels and outside, is that when you ask for cheese they appear with an entire two level trolley of assorted cheeses, the way hotels used to do with desserts.

The Effect of Cove-19

With buffets disappearing, due to Covid-19, perhaps the trolley, operated by one person, with covers over the bowls, would be an alternative, offering the temptation of the sight of the food.


In London, England, we have a cheese shop, La Fromagerie, near Madame Tussauds. Although the opportunities for tasting cheeses in shops and visiting them and sitting with groups of friends and sharing plates has diminished, the numbers of items sold online by businesses and supermarkets is increasing to offer an alternative to the buyers and sellers of food worldwide.


Singapore Flag

Asia - Singapore

Worldwide, including Singapore, cheeses are available. Singapore has some very expensive speciality cheese shop. You can get all sorts of things if you are prepared to pay. You can go onto their mailing lists and read about what they are importing each seek. 

Most weeks we sit and tut over the prices. Then once or twice a year we say, It's a birthday. We aren't eating out. Let's treat ourselves. No worse than the price if we ordered cheese in a restaurant, and we can eke it out over two or three meals.

In Singapore, Brie is increasingly common, and Camembert. We can buy brie in Singapore from the more expensive and upmarket supermarkets. We look for the special offers. Buy now and eat now.

My favourite things from France as you drive from the ferry port over the Channel from England are the shutters. Wooden shutters. They frame the windows. You can paint them contrasting colours. They look rustic and olde world. Or brand new and smart. 

Practical too. No need for nets. Just close the shutters and you get shade and privacy. 

So many kinds of shutters. Arched shutters. Flat shutters, horizontal shutters. Striped shutters. Vertical shutters. Lattice shutters. Shutters with a heart shape cut out.

I thought, on my next trip I shall measure up my windows. I could even phone home and ask family, friends or neighbours. Great if you are building or renovating a house from scratch. 

However, there's one problem. As I found. 

Would you believe it - British windows open outwards.  Yes, so? But French windows open inwards. 

We looked at our London windows. With shutters closed from outside, you cannot open your window.

Now, you could buy purely decorative shutters for a window which does not open. Such as a fixed window on a shed or conservatory, designed for light but not air. (Or with a vent on top.) But that would not match any other windows on the front or back or side of your house.

It might do for a dormer window, an attic window which was sealed permanently shut for safety reasons. to prevent accidents or burglary, to keep in your baby or child or cat or valuables.

If, on the other hand, you have a second home in France, no problem.

You can also use them indoor to frame a mirror or painting creating the trompe l'oeuil of a scene outside to enliven the wall in a home lounge or a restaurant.

What about inside? I love the French net curtains which are picture curtains.

Useful websites

CHEESE

La Fromagerie, London, England

https://www.lafromagerie.co.uk/

SHUTTERS

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/540353093/heart-primative-shutters-wooden-window


About the Author

Angela Lansbury




Tuesday, October 27, 2020

What's the difference between living in London and living in Singapore? A friend asked me.

WHAT DO YOU MISS ABOUT SINGAPORE?





 My friend wrote: 'Where would you rather be?

' I thought you would have been speeding back to the sunshine of Singapore. I’ve never been there and unlikely to now, but it looks very different from here and I am just wondering what you feel about the differences in the two places, and your two homes..... what do you miss about Singapore when you are over here, and what do you miss about London when you are over there? Which place are you happiest in?

'Nosey? Well, that’s a writer’s prerogative. 🤣'


WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT LONDON?

 I love London. My family and many long term friends are in London. I like the semi-detached houses in the suburbs, the art deco, and grand Victorian buildings, the cultures.

British Food 

Yes, and the food.  

1 I miss British food. Potatoes. 

2 Proper porridge. The cheapest private label will do.

In Singapore porridge oats comes from Australia and most is precooked. The raw stuff is not milled as fine so we give it a few seconds whizz in the liquidizer. It took us a while to work that out. 

In London, Waitrose supermarket provides all the British favourites, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Other supermarket have Scottish shortbread, porridge oats, and all kinds of potato. Thick cut marmalade. You can also buy Thai soups and Indian food.  

4 Fish and Chip shops

5 B & K Salt beef bar and restaurant. Salt Beef - eat in or take away. Fried fish balls. Lokshen pudding. (Noodle pudding, like a cake, cold or hot, with lemon and sultanas.) 

WHAT DO YOU MISS ABOUT SINGAPORE?

Singapore Food and Drink

1 Chicken Rice/ Duck Rice

2 Indian food served on a green banana leaf.

# Durian Ice Cream and Durian Cakes and Durian Paste (like green toothpaste) on Desserts. 

Mandarin oranges and lanterns for Chinese New Year. Mooncakes in autumn for the harvest festival.

Singapore

Toastmasters Friends

 I have even more friends from Toastmasters in Singapore, 

The trains run on time. Above all, weather wise, in winter I would rather be in Singapore. Summer sun all year. Longer days, daylight. 7 pm all year. 

Christmas Lights

As for Christmas, yes Christmas in London means pantomime and outdoor ice skating. The must see lights are in Oxford Street, Regent Street, and the stores such as Selfridges, Harrods, and Hamleys toy store. Many suburban streets also have lights. The big Xmas tree in Trafalgar Square is the focus of many photos and activities. Hot chestnuts are sold from kiosks in the streets. 

America has the biggest and best decorations. Individual houses with scenes on the front lawn, rooftop displays. Blocks of flats and offices with a cross and bow of neon to make an oblong building look like a giant parcel.

Christmas is good in Singapore. Because the streets are full of shops and filled with seasonal lights, all along Orchard Road. With multi-cultural areas in addition, you have lights for Indian/Hindu festivals, as well and the Chinese and Malay communities - and Christmas. But the lights for Christmas come down on what in England is Boxing day, Dec 26, changing to a Chinese or other festival, whereas in the UK light often stay up until January 6th.

Religions in Singapore

Singapore is geared to shopping, like New York run by the Chinese (who are the majority, from nearby China. China has whole cities geared to providing goods. At least one city is like a huge industrial estate, supplying the UK Poundland type shops). Singapore shops employ multi-national and multi-racial shop assistants. Anything which can promote the buying of goods and services is promoted. As a result, every festival is a chance to attract shoppers with lights. 

Halloween in Singapore

Halloween is also big in Singapore. In shops and Toastmasters clubs.

However, in Singapore, the devout Christians may refuse to partake in Halloween. 

All Saints Day is a Catholic celebration, in France. (I learned from my Catholic French au pair girls who stayed with us in the UK when our now adult son was small). 

The Protestant countries and Church of England and Anglican groups do not have saints days or name children after saints. 

 Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is a big event in decorations and meals at hotels and restaurants and shop windows and shops and online in Singapore.

But Muslims, especially those from neighbouring country Malaysia, are told that it is not a Muslim event and encourages promiscuity and fornication and they should not celebrate it or partake in it so they do not participate in table topics (impromptu speeches) on what did you do for Valentine's Day at toastmasters meetings. 

UK & Irish Names

So in the UK, you would find a Catholic Irish maid called Teresa, but from Northern Ireland an Irish, Northern Irish, girl called Elizabeth. (So I was told by an Irish friend at the Writers Circle in Harrow, NW London, when we were discussing choosing appropriate and popular names of heroines and major and minor characters in novels set in England and Ireland and worldwide. 

Jews and Hanukah in London

Jews and Jewish festivals are a feature of shops and restaurants in NW London (and New York and US cities). The best Jewish food, in my opinion, is from B & K in Edgware and Hatch End. Salt beef and , or Kosher Chinese Kuo Yan in Edgware. (In Edgware where Anne Franks father lived postwar, unknown even to local liberal and Reform Jews).

You see the orthodox Jews in the big black hats in Edgware and Golders Green, and on Saturday everybody in their fine clothes with ladies wearing smart hats going to synagogues.

At Hanukah a giant menorah has been lit outside Edgware station, in NW London.

Jews and Hanukah in Singapore

The synagogue in Singapore in heavily guarded and it is no longer easy to get in like it once was to admire the architecture, take a tour, pay in advance for a meal and look at the shop.

In Singapore in 2019, a giant menorah was lit in Orchard Road.

Valentines Day in England

Heart shaped everything in London. 

Valentine's Day in Singapore

Heart shaped everything in Singapore.

The government policy is for everybody to join in everything.

The devout Muslims may refuse to attend or decline to speak about Valentine's Day. I was once asked by a Chinese Singaporean (Christian?) why a Jewish man attending a meeting declined to join in Singing Christmas carols. I was unable to explain why. (Now I can see why. In Singapore the Muslims I know see Jesus as just another excellent prophet, who pre-dates their religion, but was not The Messiah. The orthodox Jews recognize carols as hymns, many of which refer to Jesus in the manger or the messiah being born,'the little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head and so on) and in Europe, I think at the time of the Inquisition, maybe as late as WW2, Jews were forced to convert to Christianity and in some cases then promptly killed to ensure they went straight to heaven to prevent them recanting later.)

Shopping

Orchard Road has some expensive department stores. However, head to little India and the giant Mustapha's on two block has parts open 24 hours, and is a bargain store, crammed with foods and goods.  

SHOPPING IN LONDON

What's different to buy?

Cheese

In London, UK in late 2020, the bigger UK supermarkets have more of Marmalade and Cheddar cheese and English cheese and French cheese. Some Asians are milk intolerant and Singapore has a couple of expensive cheese shops and you can get Brie. But England has more English cheeses.

Toothpicks

I also look for the triangular toothpicks by Wisdom.

Pills

Chewable Vitamin D

Chewable vitamin D tablets.

Thyroxine

Only available from a doctor. In Singapore I had an online consultation, first time for me and her. I got a pack of 50 pills, twice the 25 a month quantity.

In the UK you get a pack of 28, and if travelling can ask for two packs.

Cheap Clothes

In the UK you can buy second hand clothes in charity shops. In Northwood the cancer research shop had a washing machine so all their clothes, although second hand, did not carry the germs of the sick and elderly who had died and whose widows or children had done house clearance by giving the clothes to charity.

SINGAPORE SHOPPING

In Singapore you would look for market stalls around the suburban railway stations, especially at any festival or national holiday.

In the UK you can buy clothes at large supermarkets, not just Marks, also Siansburys and so on.

In Singapore there is often a Tesco rack inside a convenience store, like the kosher section in some supermarkets in the UK, a tiny rack with wines and sweet biscuits and savoury crackers (in London the kosher section might have matzos) and chocolates.

SINGAPORE HOMES

Homes - in Singapore most people live in high rise government built blocks which are rented out, though they can be bought with a loan from your own CPF, government administered tax into your personal savings scheme of bought on you must stay here for five years before re-selling at a profit.

Flats in Singapore often have a scullery, tiny box room just big enough for a small single bod, like the third bedroom in some small semis in the UK, for the maid or nanny or to store your suitcases, or for a baby or small child, and a toilet. The flat we rented did not have the third toilet connected. It would be a good idea to connect it during Covid-19 for any visitors. However, there are proposals to charge a water rate depending on the number of wash basins, showers, and toilets. So, whether as owners or renter, we (and you) would be paying more for water.

In the UK more homes have baths, which are warming in winter. In Singapore our landlady had converted the bath into a shower. I have got used to this. Can't waste time filling a bath, waiting for it to fill and empty, taking a bath, cleaning a big bath.

In the UK I can buy in my Tesco express. Dr Beckmans carpet stain remover with attached brush. Very handy. Works a treat.

Insects

Singapore flats have cockroaches and termites. The are outside the building and get in.

In the UK, more spiders.

The UK has adders. Singapore has many kinds of snake. Call the authorities or the local workmen who will catch it and eat it. 

Covid-19

Going back to Singapore you pay a large amount of money covering your enforced quarantine in a hotel with meals delivered to the door.

If you are on homestay they can phone you and ask for a picture of your surroundings. No messing about. 

heat sensors at airports to take your temperature.

Most people are law abiding. They live in government run blocks of flats and won't risk upsetting the government. 

Singapore has a history of dengue fever, and according to a Singapore based Indian friend from Toastmasters, Singapore takes this more seriously than in India. We have huge banners near bus stops telling us the figues for the dengue cases in the area, with the five step mossie wipe out.

Every week you hear the noise and see the white smoke, and sometimes hear a siren, warning you to close your windows because at ground floor level workers with machines are spraying a mist of foul-smelling, choking mosquito killer spray and mist.

On my Singapore phone, in both the UK and Singapore I have opted to receive the mid-day and mid-night update on the cases of Covid-19 in Singapore.

UK Gardens

In the UK we enjoy seeing the birds, squirrels, foxes and cats.

Singapore

I enjoy the coconut palm trees.

Horrid Haze

I hate the haze, choking you with winds from fires in Indonesia when the cut down the jungle to plant palm forests, every other summer it seems to me. Our affluent friends, the really relatively rich, fly off to their second homes in Australia. You listen anxiously to the radio or TV or news online and read the reports. When it is at its worst all outdoor places close, and all those partly outdoors, the schools, the playgroups, universities. Even if the pupils could travel, without waiting at outdoor bus stops, the gardeners and gatekeepers and cleaners and car park operators and maintenance workers are not allowed to work and the buildings and outdoor food courts shut down. 

Although a small number of allotments exit, most people in Singapore would grow plants on balconies.  The government sent out seeds. Two packets per household, on request. One of mine was for pak choy which is a Chinese vegetable I don't like. I think it is stringy with no flavour. 

British cucumber is better.

Singapore has more mango, papaya, tropical fruits, durian. I like durian only when mixed into ice cream or cake. Then I love it. A cross between banana and chestnut. Fresh it smells of sulphur. 

Singapore is and and humid all year. Sometimes I look forward to returning. Not just family. Escaping the cockroaches. Singapore is hot and humid all year.

What Do I Like about London?

1 London is better in the summer, not so sticky.

In London I have a garden. In London you can grow apple trees, grapes on a vine, rosemary on a bush. 

The trains during Covid-19 are relatively empty, never a problem getting a seat. I am happy in London in summer. Transport is free in London for my age group. At the moment.

In England I have a dishwasher. Most homes in London have dishwashers. Most homes in Singapore don't.

There you have it. 

About the Author

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

. Please see my other blogs and share links with your friends

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Japanese Thanksgiving Day - what they add on November 23rd every year


Japanese Labor Thanksgiving Day is not for the harvest, nor, of course, the American Founding Father thanking the Lord God for safe arrival overseas. it sounds to me more like the thanks given in the UK and Singapore and worldwide to the NHS staff and others, celebrated with rianbows and appluse for their overtime and efforts and risk taking dealing with Covid-19. 

Here is what Wikipedia says:

 Labor Thanksgiving Day (勤労感謝の日, Kinrō Kansha no Hi) is a national holiday in Japan celebrated on November 23 of each year.[1] The law establishing the holiday cites it as an occasion to commemorate labor and production and give one another thanks.

Events are held throughout Japan, one such being the Nagano Labor Festival. The event encourages thinking about the environmentpeace and human rights.[citation needed]

Early-grade elementary students often create drawings for the holiday and give them as gifts to local kōbans (neighborhood police stations).[citation needed]

History[edit]

Labor Thanksgiving Day is the modern name for an ancient harvest festival known as Niiname-sai (新嘗祭, also read as Shinjō-sai), celebrating the harvest of the Five Cereals (ricebarley/wheatfoxtail milletbarnyard milletproso millet, and beans).[clarification needed] The classical chronicle the Nihon Shoki mentions a harvest ritual having taken place during the reign of the legendary Emperor Jimmu (660–585 BC), as well as more formalized harvest celebrations during the reign of Emperor Seinei (480–484 AD). Modern scholars can date the basic forms of niiname-sai to the time of Emperor Tenmu (667–686 AD).[2] Traditionally, it celebrated the year's hard work; during the Niiname-sai ceremony, the Emperor would dedicate the year's harvest to kami (spirits), and taste the rice for the first time.[citation needed]

The modern holiday was established after World War II in 1948 as a day to mark some of the changes of the postwar Constitution of Japan, including fundamental human rights and the expansion of workers rights.[3] Currently, Niiname-sai is still held privately by the Imperial House of Japan on the same day as Labor Thanksgiving Day, which has become a public national holiday.[4]

May 1 is also celebrated as Labor Day by many trade unions in Japan,[5] which hold large rallies and marches in TokyoOsaka and Nagoya.[citation needed]

Celebration[edit]

On this day, school children prepare cards or gifts to distribute to police officers, firefighters, hospital staffs, personnel of the Japan Self-Defense Force and the Japan Coast Guard and other people in the labor sector to show appreciation for their contributions to the country. Companies review their accomplishments and congratulate their workers for their dedication. Families get together and have dinner at home on this holiday.


My experience of my travel and dinners and homestays is that the Japanese are great at making origami and dolls and are fond of giving gifts, and reciprocating by giving something back to the donor.


I am writing this in late October. You have time to prepare to receive gifts in Japan or to send thanks and wishes and virtual gifts or real gifts to Japanese friends in person or online.


Useful Websites

American Thanksgiving

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

Japanese Thanksgiving

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


About the Author

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

Thanksgiving - what you see, do and eat In the USA and worldwide






Flag of the USA.

 

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving, giving thanks, popularly said to be for the safe arrival of the Pilgrim Fathers in the USA, is celebrated not just in the USA but also Canada and other countries. It is not just a bit of fun. It is a national holiday, when families get together, like Christmas dinner for Christians and the Seder night around Easter for Jews. 

Dates vary in different countries.

You can buy festival foods all around the world and online.

(The Japanese and Germans have similar festivals.)

Observed byCountries
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Grenada
  • Liberia
  • Saint Lucia
  • United States

Sub-national entities

TypeNational, cultural
Date2nd Monday in October (Canada)
1st Thursday in November (Liberia)
Last Wednesday in November (Norfolk Island)
4th Thursday in November (U.S. and Brazil)
2020 dateOctober 12, 2020 (Canada);

November 5, 2020 (Liberia);
November 25, 2020 (Norfolk Island);

November 26, 2020 (U.S. and Brazil)
2021 dateOctober 11, 2021 (Canada);

November 4, 2021 (Liberia);
November 24, 2021 (Norfolk Island);

November 25, 2021 (U.S. and Brazil)


Thanksgiving Dinner
Thanksgiving dinner centrepiece is often a turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce. This is the main dish for Christmas in the UK. Because the Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving, they prefer something different for Christmas.


Pumpkins
What I remember about Thanksgiving in America, from living in America, was that pumpkins were not just decorations for inside houses, homes and restaurants. Pumpkins were visible as you drove through the cities and towns and out of town along the roadside. Piles of pumpkins to buy. Strings of paper and plastic pumpkin lanterns strung between lamp posts.

You can buy pumpkins in grocery stores and supermarkets. Pumpkins can be huge, big and heavy to carry. You need a strong man who does not have a hernia, or a shopping trolley, or delivery.

So, if you want them only for decoration, stick to the paper ones which are cheaper and can be stored for next year.

However, you can also buy or make pumpkin foods, like at Thanksgiving. 

At Halloween cakes and orange frosted items is popular. 

I like the look of pumpkins. I like bright orange. I like circles and ovals. I like the smell and the taste of pumpkin soup and a thicker texture. I like the smell and the taste of pumpkin pie and not mushy but a more solid texture.

At the American Club in Singapore there was a long waiting list for membership, longer for non-Americans, and a high monthly fee. I was a member of the Women's Association, which was open to non-Americans. You were not allowed to use the pool which was for members only but could attend interest groups such as the bridge club which met in a meeting room, and sometimes in members' homes. Through the American Women's Association I was allowed to buy a ticket for the Thanksgiving lunch, which I attended two years running. I recall pumpkin soup and pumpkin pie dessert.  

What is the difference between a good pumpkin pie and a pie which makes people say, " I've had better - like the one at ...,' or, "I make it better myself. I'll give you the recipe."
One question is, is it freshly made? Does the pumpkin flavour come across strongly. (Opinions vary. If you like pumpkin pie, which I do, you want a strong pumpkin flavour, or something to enhance it. If you hate it, like my husband, your prefer it to be bland or faintly flavoured with something else to disguise it.

Instead of overdosing on cakes and sweets, you could add warming pumpkin soup.

Pumpkins are orange-red the colour of autumn.

Plain Pumpkin Pie
A pastry base and solid orange pumpkin filling.

Pumpkin Cakes
See Halloween for ingredients and ideas of colour schemes.

Pumpkin Soup
The orange pumpkin soup colour is enhanced by a swirl of white cream in the middle, white boiled egg, or green mint or other green herb. 

For an orange, white and green theme you could offer the alternatives of:
white potato soup and 
red tomato soup and 
orange carrot soup and 
green pea soup.
Party shops can supply clothes, tablecloths, themed plastic or paper plates and napkins, posters and banners.

Useful Websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_dinner
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin_pie


Japanese Thanksgiving
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Thanksgiving_Day

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

Call To Action
Check out Angela's books on Lulu.com and Amazon.com, read her other posts. and share links to your favourite posts with your family and favourite friends.

How Halloween Is Celebrated Around the World

Spiders' web and googly eyes.

 When I was a child in the UK, we had never heard of Halloween or Thanksgiving and I had never eaten a pumpkin. 

All Saints day was a Catholic holiday celebrated in France. England had lost its association with saints and saints days when protestants came along and Henry VIII and his daughter Queen Elizabeth established the Church of England.

The name Halloween reflects the saints, or hallowed ones. 

How different life is now in the USA and UK and Singapore and worldwide. Supermarkets worldwide stock Halloween and pumpkin items.

Pumpkins are eaten and the left behind casing is cut to make a face with a candle inside, known as a Jack o' Lantern. Various stories from Ireland and elsewhere give the origin of this tale, of the man who could not get into Heaven or Hell and wandered the earth with a DIY lantern.

You can be religious or secular, serious or humorous. Healthy or not. Fruit or sugar. Savoury or sweet.

After the festival prices come down in the supermarkets. I stock up for the following year. 

First the dates.

Halloween

October 31st. In 2020 in the UK this is a Saturday.











Useful Websites

Which countries and cultures do we have to thank for which festivals and foods?

America for Thanksgiving. USA. Canada.

The Chinese for the autumn mooncake festival. (China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Chinatowns.)

Christians for Christmas.

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

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack-o%27-lantern


About the Author

Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer. She has lived in the UK, USA and Singapore.

Call To Action

Visit Toastmasters club for Halloween and Thanksgiving themed meetings.

Go to Facebook or Toastmasters International Find a Club and look for

Braddell Heights Advanced

Tampines Changkat Advanced 

Singapore Online Dynamic

Himmafushi in the Maldives? What? Where? Why?

Maldives flag 

The first good news is that when I came to load up the Maldives flag I found it instantly, thanks to my earlier research. White crescent for a Muslim country, green peace, and blood red. 

Let's do a quick recap of essentials from previous posts.

The Maldives was in the news because it is on the fly allowed list for the UK in October 2020. This could change any time, and be different for other countries, so be sure to check the latest rules and regulations. 

The Maldives is southwest of India and Sri Lanka, and when restrictions allow your needed options (depending on where you are starting from where you are going and when) you can do a two centre holiday, visiting India or Sri Lanka and then the Maldives.

 I was researching the Maldives when I saw that a company visited several islands which were new to me. Time to take a quick look. This is what I found.

Himmafushi

Himma like the German word himmel, for heaven, f for fun and ushi like suchi, savoury often containing fish.

Wiki says:

The island is 16.32 km (10 mi; 9 nmi) northeast of the country's capital, Malé.[2] It is located in North Malé Atoll. Himmafushi is about 18 km (11 mi) from Male Airport. The only way to reach it is by boat.

To sum up, it is a tiny island, population about 1000, public ferry ride about an hour, under five dollars in each direction, good if you are a budget traveller and want to see local life. You can also hire a private speedboat. 

Locals dress conservatively, women in a hijab. Apparently there's a semi-official bikini beach. (Frankly I would stick to a one piece costume, to avoid bikini marks, risks of sun cancer from hot tropical sun, or dengue or malaria from tropical mossies. I live in Singapore. 

No alcohol, no dogs. Bad for some, good for others. A crash course in the Muslim way of life.

In any case, you don't need alcohol when swimming or snorkelling. So a ban suits the sport of snorkelling. You can hire snorkelling stuff locally, but with Covid-19 I would like my own equipment against my body and in my mouth. The place has about three convenience stores and some souvenir shops. 

The main activities are:

1 Snorkelling

2 Visiting the Park

Lots of palm trees. Same as all over the Maldives as well as much of Asia. But in Singapore the palm trees are all straight, same as those avenues of palm trees in the city of Los Angeles. Here the beach and park palm trees are leaning. 

A beach with leaning palms. Everybody's dream picture. I never tire of palm trees. Nor coconuts.

3 Boating

There you have it. Snorkelling, surfing, swimming, sports, a park and palm trees.

Plus of course swimming, sleeping and eating. Eating what? Coconuts and tuna fish.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himmafushi_(Kaafu_Atoll)

https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4177384

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Maafushi

Tripadvisor

(Post being written Come back in ten minutes.)

Not much on the internet. If you go there, maybe you would like to add some photos and reviews to public places. And contact me, Angela Lansbury.

About the Author

Friday, October 23, 2020

Maldives - the sunny side of life - islands and food

 


Other islands:

Dhiffushi, Himmafushi, Huraa. Double letters:f,a,m (as in family).

You can take a package tour Honeymoon holiday and visit four islands, the main island and these three.

Dhiffushi

Dhiffushi is the most Eastern so you can work out where it is, in the middle right of the long necklace of islands.



Dhiffushi

About 23 miles from the main island of Male which is the capital.

Surprisingly easy to reach by ferry or traditional boat. You can also stay at guesthouses and eat at family run restaurants. 

The population of this little island is less than a thousand.

I watched a youtube video and saw white sands, leaning palm trees, neat parallel streets, motorbikes, motorboats churning up white waves, clear blue underwater views of teeming fish, some striped some half see-through!

The video equivalent of window-shopping. A Youtube break.

Wiki reports

Public ferry[edit]

  • Everyday except Friday & Monday
  • Takes 2 hrs 45 mins
  • Tickets per person MVR 20
  • Leaves from Male' at Villingili Ferry Terminal at 2:30pm. The ferry dhoni arrives at the island at 5:30 pm
  • Leaves from Dhiffushi to Male' at 6:30 am. The ferry dhoni arrives at Male' at 09:30 am

Fast ferry[edit]

A speedboat ride of 40 mins, tickets cost $35 per person.

From Saturday to Thursday, this ferry leaves from Male' to Dhiffushi at 4:30 pm in front of the Bank of Ceylon. The return journey from Dhiffushi to Male' leaves at 7:30 am. On Fridays, the journey from Male to Dhiffushi is at 8:30 am and 7:00 pm. The return journey from Dhiffushi to Male' is at 5:00 pm.

However, the latest information I read says you can only visit the island on which you are staying, so you will want to carefully check out all the islands in order to choose which one to make your home from home on this trip, and where to go for a return trip next year.

Himmafushi

(More later in next post)

Huraa

(More later)

I had trouble typing, spelling and remembering these names. However, I created three useful memory aida: 

1 different DHIFF(and no suchi, sh! USHI; DHIFFUSHI. Note dh, ff, SH.

2  hurray, hurrah, aah! HURAA. Note double a, AA.

3 Himmafushi - for him a fun sushi; HIMM A FU SHI. Note double m MM and SH.

All three end in vowels, i or a. 

Pluses and minuses to remember?

Out in public on the remote islands local women wear hijabs. On the other hand, with everybody worldwide wearing masks, we are pretty used to finding it hard to recognize even our friends. The locals don't eat nor serve alcohol nor pork. However, in the resorts and on the livaboard boats you are likely to find alcohol and pork.

If you want to wear a bikini or bikini top, some beaches are dedicated bikini beaches. Just have two types of clothing in case you need it and check regulations before travelling overseas and taking trips from the resort.

On Tripadvisor there's a wide range or reviews, including some very positive ones from honeymooners.

Here's the shopping bag I must have picked up containing brochures at the World Travel Market, held every year in London in November for tourist boards to promote to travel agents and the media. This year, 2020, the World Travel Market will be an online event. 

What to drink

Coconut milk

What to eat

Tuna soup with flatbread

Tuna curry


Useful Websites

visitmaldives.com

Dhiffushi on Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6eKZO1FRe8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhiffushi_(Kaafu_Atoll)

https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/rediscovermaldives

https://www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-dishes-in-maldives

See earlier post on The Maldives

Americanisms and British (UK) English equivalents



New Ones!

 American - British (UK) English

broil - cook with direct searing heat, such as grill on top or gridiron from underneath 

Freezer paper - greaseproof paper

Powdered sugar - icing sugar


Old Favourites



American - British

diaper - nappy

eraser - rubber

fall - autumn

hood (of car) - bonnet

rubber - Durex

truck - lorry

trunk (of car) - boot


British - American

autumn - fall

bonnet (of car) hood

boot (of car) - trunk

lorry - truck

nappy - diaper

rubber - eraser


About the Author


Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. She and her family have lived in the UK, USA, Spain and Singapore. 

Many more posts on languages! Please share links to your favourite posts.

You can connect with Angela through Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Angela Lansbury is a member of several Toastmasters International speakers clubs many of which are accessible online to visitors for free worldwide through zoom. Most are English speaking, but there are several for speakers of  Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, Spanish, Tamil, with speakers' manuals in several languages. 

Harrovians in NW London, England, the UK. Monday evenings, 1st and 3rd Mondays, UK time starting at 7 pm or 7.30 pm.

Braddell Heights Advanced in Singapore. First Wednesday 7 pm Singapore time and and 3rd Saturday afternoon starting at 2 pm Singapore time, not on Zoom but on learncool.sg / or the learncool app

Please come along. You will love it, and have opportunities to speak, and speak about travel.

Angela Lansbury is the immediate past president of this club (2019-2020) and current Vice President Public Relations (2020-2021).

Singapore Online Dynamic - meets every Friday evening, 9 to midnight Singapore time, timing moved from the usual 7 pm, two hours, to be later so that members and visitors can join from the UK after lunch and from the USA in the early morning. Do join us.