New Lebanese restaurant in Hatch End (replacing Serrata). Dishes I recognise include hummus, kebab and baklava. What was new to me is the ...
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Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Mexican Hat Dance (El Jarabe Tapatio) - André Rieu made popular by Anna Pavlova. Eat pavlova while listening
The Mexican hat dance is the national dance of Mexico. And very jolly it is too.
I came across the jolly video of the delightful Mexican hat dance when I searched after I saw that the Russian dancer, Pavlova, who lived in London, England, had made the dance popular.
She was famous for performing in Swan lake and she kept swans as pets in her home in London.
Go to Australia and New Zealand and you will find the white pavlova in summer, the circular hard meringue used as a base for summer fruit. One story goes that the chef who invented it, said, or was told, that the meringue was as light as Pavlova.
Visit London and you can see the plaque to Pavlova on her former home in Golders Green and the left side of the road as you drive downhill into Golders Green from Hampstead.
On Youtube you can see the Mexican hat dance whose music you will probably recognize. If you want to make and eat a pavlova whilst watching the dance she made popular, here's one recipe. I used to be afraid of making a meringue. But it is easier than cooking a cake. It is basically sugar and eggwhites whipped up. If you are making it as a base for fruit, any mistakes can be hidden by strategically spaced pieces of fruit. And cream can be used to sandwich together any broken pieces.
Beat the egg whites and salt to a very stiff consistency. Add water and beat again before folding in caster sugar, vanilla and vinegar. Beat until the mixture holds its shape and stands in sharp peaks.
Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Slow-bake the mixture at 150°C (300°F) to dry all the moisture and create the meringue, approximately 45 minutes. This leaves the outside of the pavlova a crisp crunchy shell, while the interior remains soft and moist.
A top tip (but not traditional) is to turn the pavlova upside down before decorating with cream and fruit because the bottom is less crispy than the top after cooking and unless you serve it immediately after decorating the "top" absorbs moisture from the cream. Another tip is to leave the pavlova in the oven after turning off the heat - this helps to prevent the middle of the pavlova from collapsing (although if it does collapse, generous application of cream can hide any mistakes!)
Angela Lansbury was born and brought up in London. When she visited Australia she made a point of visiting the hotel where the pavlova was supposed to have been invented.
About the Author
Angela Lansbury, is a semi-retired travel writer still researching bucket list countries and seeking out the special, unusual, people, places, landmarks, hotels, museums and trails, fabulous foods, recipes, clothes and online souvenir shopping.
Angela Lansbury is a member of Toastmasters International.
About the Author Angela Lansbury
The Author - Quick Quotations
Angela Lansbury B A Hons is the author of ten books by regular publishers, plus another ten self-published books.
About Angela The Speaker & Trainer
Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.
Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Vice President, Public Relations, Immediate Past President. VPPR
Former Area Director S3. Club Coach for Nee Soon South Toastmasters Club.
Also Member of: TCA Toastmasters Club; Singapore Online Dynamic; Harrovians UK
BHA
Past meetings have included Garen Tee on using story-telling in business, on
bha.learncool.sg/meet/bha .
Recent meetings of BHA included an educational session on using Powerpoint for posters.
Next BHA meetings, always first Wednesday evening, 7 pm Singapore time. Next meeting is the third Saturday afternoon, June 19th 2pm Singapore time. Inauguration of the new committee was by the incoming Director of S, plus a lively speech on teamwork.
Next meetings will be on these dates (unless a national holiday in Singapore or worldwide)
Themes and word of the day are tentative
2021
JULY - JUBILANT JULY
Theme/WOD Jubilant
WORKSHOPS & EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS (based on level one of Pathways)
1 Your first speech or role EASY ENGLISH LANGUAGE (Articles A and The, Plurals, Tenses, Pronunciation, Singlish)
2 CHOOSE YOUR PATH
Wed July 7th What Your Committee Can Do For You
Saturday 17th
July 4th American Independence Day.
2021 AUGUST - AWESOME AUGUST
1 Pathway Level 1 Introductory Speeches
2 Evaluations
Wed 4th
Sat 21
2021 SEPT - SUPER SEPTEMBER
Wed 1st
Sat 18th SPEECH CONTESTS
Humorous Speech Contest
Table Topics Contest
2021 OCT - ODD OCTOBER
Wed 6th
Sat 16th
2021 NOV - NOVELTY NOVEMBER
Wed 3rd
Sat 20th Wed
Diwali Hindu Festival of lights Nov 4th.
Nov 25th American Thanksgiving.
Hanukah starts 28 Dec 8 days until Dec 6. Jewish Festival of lights, celebrated by Jesus.
2021 DEC - DARLING DECEMBER
Wed 1st (Hanukah if not previous month. Festival foods.)
Sat 18th
Speech on
JAN 2022 - JOYFUL JANUARY
Wed Jan 5th New beginning - forget the past
Sat 15 Long-term plans = for the future/Chinese New Year (CNY for short)
2022 FEB FUN FEBRUARY
Theme Love and romance - Chinese New Year
Feb 1st and 2nd are holidays - do we move this Feb 2nd meeting date?)
Wed 2nd (Valentine's Day Mon Feb 14)
Sat 19th
2022 MAR - MARVELLOUS MARCH
Theme
Wed 2nd
Sat 19
March 1st is Christian Pancake day.
2022 APR - APRIL'S AIMS
Wed 6th
Sat 16th
Muslim Ramadan 1-30 April.
Jewish Passover (Seder meal=Last supper) April
16
2022 MAY - MODERNISING MAY
Wed 4th
Sat 21
2022 JUN - JUBILANT JUNE
Wed 1st
Sat 18th
Jul 6, Jul 16, Aug 3, Aug 20, Sept 7, Sept 17, Oct 5, Oct 15, Nov 2, Nov 19, Dec 7, Dec 17.
Angela The Blogger
Angela has several blogs speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:
See many varied posts such as the post on sculptor Tom Harvey.
Please share links to your favourite posts.
TCA (A for Advanced club) is another advanced speakers' club which meets both online for visitors from worldwide and physically for walks, meals and socials in the Tampines area. Meetings are in the TC Community Club when Covid-19 regulations in Singapore allow it, but meanwhile come along to meetings online.
TCA meetings are on the fourth Tuesday evening of each month at 7 p.m Zoom room open to check your sound and online appearance and chit-chat, ready for a 7.15 pm start. I usually manage to attend meetings whether I am in Singapore or the UK.
Another club, totally online, is Singapore Online Dynamic, meeting 9 pm Singapore time on Fridays. I am a member of this club.
I am also a member of Senja-Cashew. When it meets physically it is in a convenient large complex containing a swimming pool beside a landmark lake next to a shopping complex. Right now it is online.
Once you join a club, your club's president will give you the opportunity to be informed of Toastmasters club meetings worldwide, especially those which have interesting workshops.cAbout the Author
Angela Lansbury, is a semi-retired travel writer still researching bucket list countries and seeking out the special, unusual, people, places, landmarks, hotels, museums and trails, fabulous foods, recipes, clothes and online souvenir shopping.
Angela Lansbury is a member of Toastmasters International.
About the Author Angela Lansbury
The Author - Quick Quotations
Angela Lansbury B A Hons is the author of ten books by regular publishers, plus another ten self-published books.
About Angela The Speaker & Trainer
Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.
Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Vice President, Public Relations, Immediate Past President. VPPR
Former Area Director S3. Club Coach for Nee Soon South Toastmasters Club.
Also Member of: TCA Toastmasters Club; Singapore Online Dynamic; Harrovians UK
BHA
Past meetings have included Garen Tee on using story-telling in business, on
bha.learncool.sg/meet/bha .
Recent meetings of BHA included an educational session on using Powerpoint for posters.
Next BHA meetings, always first Wednesday evening, 7 pm Singapore time. Next meeting is the third Saturday afternoon, June 19th 2pm Singapore time. Inauguration of the new committee was by the incoming Director of S, plus a lively speech on teamwork.
Next meetings will be on these dates (unless a national holiday in Singapore or worldwide)
Themes and word of the day are tentative
2021
JULY - JUBILANT JULY
Theme/WOD Jubilant
WORKSHOPS & EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS (based on level one of Pathways)
1 Your first speech or role EASY ENGLISH LANGUAGE (Articles A and The, Plurals, Tenses, Pronunciation, Singlish)
2 CHOOSE YOUR PATH
Wed July 7th What Your Committee Can Do For You
Saturday 17th
July 4th American Independence Day.
2021 AUGUST - AWESOME AUGUST
1 Pathway Level 1 Introductory Speeches
2 Evaluations
Wed 4th
Sat 21
2021 SEPT - SUPER SEPTEMBER
Wed 1st
Sat 18th SPEECH CONTESTS
Humorous Speech Contest
Table Topics Contest
2021 OCT - ODD OCTOBER
Wed 6th
Sat 16th
2021 NOV - NOVELTY NOVEMBER
Wed 3rd
Sat 20th Wed
Diwali Hindu Festival of lights Nov 4th.
Nov 25th American Thanksgiving.
Hanukah starts 28 Dec 8 days until Dec 6. Jewish Festival of lights, celebrated by Jesus.
2021 DEC - DARLING DECEMBER
Wed 1st (Hanukah if not previous month. Festival foods.)
Sat 18th
Speech on
JAN 2022 - JOYFUL JANUARY
Wed Jan 5th New beginning - forget the past
Sat 15 Long-term plans = for the future/Chinese New Year (CNY for short)
2022 FEB FUN FEBRUARY
Theme Love and romance - Chinese New Year
Feb 1st and 2nd are holidays - do we move this Feb 2nd meeting date?)
Wed 2nd (Valentine's Day Mon Feb 14)
Sat 19th
2022 MAR - MARVELLOUS MARCH
Theme
Wed 2nd
Sat 19
March 1st is Christian Pancake day.
2022 APR - APRIL'S AIMS
Wed 6th
Sat 16th
Muslim Ramadan 1-30 April.
Jewish Passover (Seder meal=Last supper) April
16
2022 MAY - MODERNISING MAY
Wed 4th
Sat 21
2022 JUN - JUBILANT JUNE
Wed 1st
Sat 18th
Jul 6, Jul 16, Aug 3, Aug 20, Sept 7, Sept 17, Oct 5, Oct 15, Nov 2, Nov 19, Dec 7, Dec 17.
Angela The Blogger
Angela has several blogs speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:
See many varied posts such as the post on sculptor Tom Harvey.
Please share links to your favourite posts.
You also get access to the online magazine. And the club will appoint a mentor to guide you through your first three speeches and plan your year so you can complete a Pathway suited to your personal interests. I chose the basic Presentation mastery path to start. Next I did the Engaging Humor path. Now I am onto the leadership paths such as Visionary Communication.
I am also a coach for Nee Soon South.
All the clubs worldwide have just handed over to the new team from July 1st, all full of enthusiasm, seeking new members, sometimes with a space for a committee member if you are job-hunting, or climbing the corporate ladder, just the thing to add to your c.v.
Toastmasters has made links with the Rotary club organization. So if you are interested in Rotary clubs, you might investigate both.
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