Preventable accidents? Warning signs to buy, display, demand

 

I read about four kinds of fatalities this month (October 2023). 

1 A passenger in a train lost their life looking out, learning out of a window. One of several accidents and near accidents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK1mYj8B5Z0

2 A major fire at a wedding in Iraq. The video shows fireworks setting fire to decorations above. Reports imply that the non fireproof cladding installed without breaks allowed the fire to spread rapidly. If the fireworks had not been set off indoors this would not have happened. However, the owner appears to blame an electrical fault. In my opinion that would make the cladding more of a culprit. Because any kind of spark, electrical as well as fireworks, candles, arson, could have caused a rapid spread of fire. The other factors which exacerbate in this kind of fire emergency, were inadequate fire exits, lack of fire extinguishers. In many UK Toastmasters meetings the MC (master of ceremonies) starts by indicating the location of toilets and fire exits. An event organizer or bride and groom should have a checklist which includes safety of venue, including fire exits (how many do you need for how many people?), are there lights showing the way to fire exits (like on aircraft) so you can reach the nearest exit. Should there be a warning before fireworks are started. Should they be banned indoors and near trees and bushes? (In the UK a tenant lit a flame indoors for a baby blessing ceremony. She repeatedly insisted that you MUST go seven times around a fire to bless the baby. yes, but not in her building. It should be banned in the lease. 

3 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12576845/The-teenage-girl-died-school-bus-crash-M53-Wirral-named-15-year-old-Jessica-Baker.html

4 A so-called freak accident in which a passenger stood up in the sun roof of a car in a car park. Apparently the passenger was hit by a low roof or beam.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12577065/Teen-18-dies-freak-accident-sticking-head-car-sunroof-hitting-concrete-beam-cruising-parking-garage-second-visited-mall-Canada-features-indoor-waterpark.html

The accident was not a freak accident. It was preventable. If the car would be designed to not move unless the back seat passenger's seat belt was done up. If cards had warnings of Ten Commandments For Safety for front seat and back seat passengers. If the car park was designed so that somebody standing inside a car could not hit their head. If the Highway code carried a page warning of types of accidents with a quiz asking drivers to note them. 

4 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12575453/Iraqi-bride-lost-entire-family-including-three-brothers-grooms-mother-wedding-inferno-left-100-dead-terrifying-new-video-shows-joy-turn-horror-inside-burning-hall-dance.html#reader-comments

Useful Websites

Warnings

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12575453/Iraqi-bride-lost-entire-family-including-three-brothers-grooms-mother-wedding-inferno-left-100-dead-terrifying-new-video-shows-joy-turn-horror-inside-burning-hall-dance.html#reader-comments

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12577065/Teen-18-dies-freak-accident-sticking-head-car-sunroof-hitting-concrete-beam-cruising-parking-garage-second-visited-mall-Canada-features-indoor-waterpark.html

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

Do not lean out of window video

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&ei=UTF-8&p=do+not+lean+out+of+windows&type=E210US739G91802#id=3&vid=c29144d6e6052d24f79c8383e18aacea&action=view

Fire prevention

Order signs from websites. Also fire extinguishers.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=fire+extinguisher

https://www.bradyid.com/signs/fire-exit-sign-cps

https://www.ebmag.com/exit-and-emergency-lighting-and-signage-a-primer-for-these-continually-evolving-life-safety-solutions/#:~:text=an%20exit%2C%20a%20public%20corridor%2C%20or%20a%20corridor,of%20level%20where%20there%20are%20stairs%20or%20ramps.

https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/2018-11/FY06_46e0-ht10_stf_emerg_illumination_checklist.pdf

https://www.eaton.com/content/dam/eaton/markets/buildings/fundamentals-of-emergency-lighting-guide.pdf

https://www.compliancesigns.com/pd/portrait-do-not-lean-out-of-the-car-sign-with-symbol-nhep-34242

https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications-and-media/Blogs-Landing-Page/NFPA-Today/Blog-Posts/2021/07/16/Fire-Extinguisher-Types

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/illegal-stick-head-out-car-window-sunroof/

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Raffles Hotel Singapore a white and green delight

Raffles Hotel entrance. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Fountain in enclosed courtyard with trees, to the left of the entrance.

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Free aerial view of Singapore from the National Library

View from the National Library, high floor, overlooking St Joseph's Church, Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury 

View over Capitaland, showing trees on upper floors. Taken from the 8th floor of the National Library in the centre of Singapore behind  Raffles Hotel. Photo by Angela Lansbury. 

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Library,_Singapore

https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/visit-us

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Easy train changes

Some countries show easy changes on the main rail maps or supplementary maps. 

In Singapore the MRT map shows approximate walking time between stations nearby.

Sometimes the people manning the station kiosk are helpful. Other times they don't have a clue. You might find better results at another station. Nearer your change stations. 

Or ask people who live or work in the area. Or people who live in your block when you move to a new area.

If you move to a new city, you can calculate travel times. It is easier to time a real time journey.

Mark on your own 'magic' map the easy changeover stations and the difficult ones.

London, UK

For example, in London, sometimes you just have to cross the platform at stations such as Finchley Road going into town on the bakerloo and Met lines. And at Wembley Park.

Baker Street has some easy changes and some hard ones. 

Singapore

It also depends on your attitude. I like Newston station. I find the change over easy, although you take 2 escalotrs up, a quick walk past the ticket office, insert your ticket again. Better than Bugis which involves an escaalator up, a long walk with a travelator, Another escalator.  The worst station for me is Stevens.  I took a bus from the Orchard Road and Orchard MRT station area to Stevens MRT. I counted six escalators. My husband said it was five. Plus some walking. Whatever. it was more than two escalators too many.

Lots of stations have seveeral entrances and exits. For example, Tanjong Pagar. I was visiting International Plaza. On my way there, I had an Escalator up. Returning I would have had to descend a large number of steps.

However, new friends led me across the road, through a shopping centre, which seemed an unnecesary diversion, however, down a lift to the platform, no steps. 

Another station with assorted exits is Little India. Check exits in advance. if you take the wrong one, not only do you have a walk, but you might need to cross diagonally which means an L shape of two sets of traffic lights and long waits.

Useful Websites

UK

https://www.reddit.com/r/TransitDiagrams/comments/uhepia/oc_a_new_map_for_london_rail_river_services_with/

Singapore

https://mothership.sg/2017/09/lta-produces-maps-with-walking-times-calories-burnt-between-mrt-stations/#:~:text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%20by%20train%2C%20travelling%20time,is%20just%20five%20minutes.%20And%2022.5%20calories%20burnt.

Photograph, buy or make Chinese and Mid Autumn Festival Lanterns

 Lanterns

Lanterns appear on greetings in WhatsApp, with lights inside, Chinese writing captions and flowers. A tassel hangs from the bottom of closed lanterns.

Open lanterns have a light inside. So do some closed lanterns. 

Child's small lanterm decorated with cartoon characters. Showing tassel underneath.Photo by Anglea Lansbury. Copyright.

Lanterns are used to decorate. They are made of paper and can concertina so you can carry them easily. They are sometimes given away as a gift to each guest, or distributed from decorations, at the end of the event. Those lanterns for children might have cartoon characters.

Light

Inside the lanterns you sometimes get a small plastic light with a tiny bulb. Turn it on and off by sliding the switch.

When buying online note the sizes. Do you want an indoor lantern or one which is weatherproof?

For DIY lanterns, many schools publish crafts projects and seasonal online templates of card and papercraft for teachers and parents worldwide.

Useful Websites

https://www.littledayout.com/make-your-own-lantern-mid-autumn-festival-paper-free-template/

https://www.amazon.com/Decorative-Decoration-Weatherproof-Birthdays-Decorations/dp/B0BQ7537YV/ref=sr_1_21?keywords=chinese+lanterns&qid=1695706047&sr=8-21

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Did you put on weight on holiday, or the business trip? How to find out

Weighing machine. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

You can tell if your buttons are popping. Your clothes are tight.  

What about the fact that you weight yourself naked at home?

Simple. Weight yourself fully clothed in your commonly worn travlling outfit before leaving home. Do it the day you leave or the day before. That is your first day weight.

But dare you weigh yourself.?

1 Pharmacies. In italy and other countries there are weighing machines. You may have to pay. They could be free.

2 Any time you go to the doctor for anything the doctor's prmises or nurse's room probably has a weighing machine.

3 Many hotels and hostels have a large weighing machine for weighting large luggage. This is to help guests find out if their luggage is over weight before leaving for the airport.

4 Some countries in Asia have street vendors who sit with a wighing machine at their feet and make their lving by charging you a small fee, or accepting a donation, from passers-by who wish to weight themselves.

5 Some large deaprtment stores stock weighting machines. Some may be in packets and won't work until you remove the packaging or insert a battery or turn them on. However, look around, you might find one which works. If you smile and chat up a bored assistant, they might help you.  

6 Carry a tape measure. Measure your waist. 

Sometimes the scales tell you mystery numbers.

Just google it to find the conversion.

Useful Websites

https://coolconversion.com/weight/kg-to-stones-pounds/_56.4_kg_in_stones_and_pounds_

Mid Autumn Festival Celebrations at Gardens By The Bay, Condos & Toastmasters Clubs

  Outings and Events - Gardens By The Bay

Mid autumn festival, a harvest festival, a festival of the moon is celebrated in Singapore and Asian countries and places with Chinese populations and Chinatowns. 

In Singapore you can see seasonal displays at Gardens by the Bay.  How long should you allow? Twice as long as you thought. 

Condos Holding Parties

Private events take place in condos. At a condo in Cashew Heights, Singapore, adults and children were given lanterns.

Cashew Heights Condo party for the Autumn Festival, with flowers and coloured paper langerns. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Toastmasters

Toastmasters clubs in Singapore decorate rooms with lanterns and serve calorific moon cakes.

Tampines Changkat Advanced Toastmasters Club in Singapore.  Lanterns for the Mid Autumn Festival.

Useful Websites

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

https://www.youtube.com/user/gardensbythebay/videos

https://www.toastmasters.org/Find-a-Club/

Mooncakes to Buy Worldwide, to Choose At Hotels and Supermarkets, Or Clubs, Or Make

Every year Chinese and Asian communiities hold a mid-auttumn festival which is celebrated with moon cakes. In the UK we have apples falling from trees in gardens. In Chinatowns and Asia and online there are mooncakes.

Moon Cakes

Traditonal moon cakes have a baked pastry case.  Inside are dense sugary fudge-like filled The sweetmeats are muffin size. If you have a group, you cut the mooncake into tiny triangular sections like a large cake. A tiny piece, like a dice of fudge, goes a long way. Most are pure sweetness. 

You can buy a variety of flavours. 

Flavours

Red bean. Lotus. Grreen Tea. Ice cream. Durian.

Eggs

More expensive are those with teeny boiled eggs inside. How do they get the eggs so small? Are they baby eggs or shrunk? They are duck eggs. The eggs complement the sweet taste, and provide protein. 

Souvenirs

Hotels sell expensive versions with decorative boxes you can give as gifts to business associates and as a thank you to hosts or guests. Pop-up shops sometimes sell individual ones as well as large boxes of four or more.

You can buy mooncakes online from the websites of supermarkets in Singapore. But watch out for scams on WhatsApp.

DIY

You can find recipes and buy plastic or wooden moulds.

Amazon sells a set of two modern mooncake moulds which push out the mooncake.

Mooncake moulds from Amazon.

Supermarkets

In September 2023 Fairprice supermarket in Singapore was offering online mooncakes, a single moon cake at 15 Singapore dollars, Flavours include lotus paste, green tea. A large number of individual mooncakes and boxes are shown on the website.

Fairprice supermarket also stocks halal mooncakes.

See my previous posts on mooncakes.

Useful Websites

Useful Websites

https://www.fairprice.com.sg/product/prestigio-delights-lotus-paste-double-yolk-mooncake-180-g-90141002?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6_CYBhDjARIsABnuSzqoTmivI4NL7jBe8llIkCAsZKfM6iacogPsvPBRNPxuJEwVoRyr2EgaAs6TEALw_wcB

https://www.facebook.com/toastboxsingapore/posts/these-traditional-teochew-style-mooncakes-from-thye-moh-chan-are-made-with-delic/3213940525320115/

Great recipes:

https://zhangcatherine.com/mooncakes/

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2021/09/food-and-fun-at-autumn-harvest.html

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American English and British English - do you know these?

UK flag.

 American - British

closet - wardrobe

dish soap - washing up liquid

hair pin - hair grip

passed (died) - passed away

take out - take away

British - American

hair grip - hair pin

passed away - passed

wardrobe - closet

washing up liquid - dish soap

Useful Websites

BBC

Wikipedia

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

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Wine Lounge opens in the Tanglin Club, Singapore, and The Affordable Wine Section - What's In It for you?

 White wine by the glass and the new wine menu at the Lounge bar. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

What do you do with an empty space, a tea lounge which has no customers after 6 pm? Convert it into a wine lounge. The Tanglin Club already has a bar in the Tavern restaurant where you can perch on bar stools before a sit down dinner. The wine lounge is a good place to go if you are waiting for a table in the Tavern.  Or don't like bar stools.

The Wine Lounge is closed Monday and Tuesday. Open Wednesday to Sunday. The menu shows lots of wines by the glass including the Prosecco which I had. Cold cuts (meat) and cheese platters can be ordered to go with the wine.

Angela Lansbury,wearing grape and wine theme blouse, enjoying the white wine she chose to buy, plus anjoying the free cashew and mixed nuts provided to celebrate the opening of  the new Wine Lounge, evenings Wednesday to Sunday at the Tanglin Club in Singapore. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

My husband and I were able to promote TAWS, The Affordable Wine Section, which meets in the club for a wine dinner once a month. You pay a year's membership (as well as your monthly fee the club if you are a member, and get free leftover drinks at the end of the year party. You can invite guests who have to pay a bit more as they are not paying the wine section member ship fee, which is used to buy the wines for the wine dinners in advance of receiving the payments for those signing up to attend. If you are a member of one of many clubs worlwide which have a reciprocal arrangement with the Tanglin club, you can arrange to attend by getting a letter of introduction emailed, and/or by finding a friend who is a member of the club.

We were members of the club for twenty years and never made any friends. I used to go to the bridge club where you sat in silence playing cards. However, after joining some of the sub-groups and finding people with common interests, we started making friends. It also helps to get on a committee since you are in regular touch with minor queries. The same as in Toastmasters International Clubs. 

Useful Websites

https://www.tanglinclub.org/

https://www.tanglinclub.org/dining/tea-room.html

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Find my suitcase, my toddler, my family, my mother, my passport, my home doorkeys, my hotel doorkeys!

 Lost People

My friend lost her mother for an hour. My friend's mother made a mistake and thought they were going directly to their later destination for lunch. three of them were due to go to the lunch place eventually. 

Meanwhile the mother was missing. Eventually my friend was able to contact her mother.  But by then my friend was on her way to pick up her mother at work. My friend was in a Uber and they are not allowed to change their route. You are quoted for a price to go from a to b and that is qhere you must go. 

How can you find someone or something which has gone missing? The find my phone tracker has lots of uses for travellers, and items and people which go off travelling.

Key Finder

I had a device for finding keys. If you shouted, the keys bleeped. However, the keys bleedped when the phone rang, the doorbell rang, you argued too loudly, called to someboody in another room, turned on the TV. Then you had to run to the keys and turn off the bleed and re-set it. 

It went off when a car alarm rang in the street outside and you were sleeping. The car alarm turned off but the key alarm stayed on. Eventually we got tired of this and disconnected the bleep.

We solved the lost key problem by attaching a lanyard to the inside of the handbag or tote bag or rucksack, wtih the doorkey attached. 

A lanyard round my neck worked well for doorkeys with a large hole, including hotel doorkeys. 

Key Card

However, this went wrong when I was at the Writers' Summer School at the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick, Derbyshire, England, UK. The bedrooms had a key card which you had to put in the slot by the door to operate the lights.

I managed to work out how to operate the card. So far so good.

On day two I went out holding the books I need for the workshop I was giving on promote your books. When I returned just before midnight, I realised that I must have left the key in the slot.

I phoned the emergency helpline. They told me that the man on the reception desk handed over to the night porter at midnight. He could not leave and take the ten minute walk to me, then back again. So I would have to wait for the night porter, who would be informed of my predicament. 

I sat on the floor of the corridor outside my room. I was tired. I felt foolish. 

Luckily, a girl who had been on my course came along. She knew me and seeing me sitting on the floor took she pity on me. She invited me into her room to wait. We had a very jolly conversation about my course, books, flowers, and all sorts of things. 

Then I walked back to reception to be sure they had my message. It was soon sorted.

Afterwards, other people told me that often you can use another card of similar size to turn on the lights. Providing it is the sort of system which operated simply on the pressure, not on reading a specific card.

Find my suitcase

Find my bag

Find my jacket

find my hat

Find my passport

Find my tickets

Find my doorkeys

find my toddler

Find my hotel.

Find my cat

Find my dog

Find my parrot

Find my tortoise

Find my lunch

Find my boots

Find my skis

Find my guide

Find my taxi

The hotel may stay where you left it, with your suitcase inside your bedroom. But if you are in Hong Kong and get into a taxi and the driver does not understand you, it would be handy to show where on the map you need to get to.

Useful Websites

https://www.lazada.sg/products/smart-mini-gps-tracker-anti-lost-finder-itag-tracker-alarm-gps-locator-wireless-positioning-wallet-pet-key-wireless-40-i2251302956-s12963545725.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201439790

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

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

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Taiwanese Food To Try

Chinese food is always full of surprises.  The Taiwanese  eggs look like the eggs I tried and tried to make in Singapore. You soak them in tea. Chinese style. But the ones in Taiwan are soaked in soy sauce.

The foods which I look forward to eating in Taiwan include

eggs stewed in soy sauce.

Coffin bread.

Hollow out the cooked bread, fill with cream of chicken or mushroom, add fried bread or toast lid.

To finish, pineapple tart.

And figs floating in ice.

And to finish, bubble tea, invented in Taiwan.

Bubble tea. It has balls of glutinous tapioca floating in it. This makes the tea last longer. Adds a touch sensation.

Useful Websites

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

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Chinese_cuisine#Etiquette

See my other post on the Taiwanese blue magpie.

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Taiwanese Sights Promoted In Singapore

 

I was photographed with this amazing large mural of the Zhilan Park Ocean Viewing Platform and other sights around Taiwan. the huge advertisement was in Bugis MRT underground railway station in Singapore.

Afterwards I looked up Zhilan Park. It is in the north of the lozenge shaped country. In Taipei, the capital.

Useful Websites

https://www.northguan-nsa.gov.tw/user/article.aspx?Lang=2&SNo=04007243

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/New_Taipei#:~:text=back%20in%20time.-,Understand,population%20limit%20for%20county%20status.

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Cider in Norway and Cider festival in Norway

Norwegian flag.

 

Where is Norway? North of the UK. East of the UK. 

But west of Sweden, and Finland.

Norway is known for its fjords. And gravadlax from salmon. I was pleased to learn that the gravad lax is frozen for more than 24 hours to kill off parasites before they add the salt and sugar mix and herbs. It is not smoked. It might be cured with lemon or vodka. And what of Norway's drinks? 

Cider, or alcoholic apple drink, has been made in Norway since Viking times. Nowadays their ciders are winning awards and have protected place name designations, like Champagne in France. 

Norway's cider festivals are in May. The next cider festival is May 9-11 2024.

Hardanger International Cider Fest.

The Fruit & Cider Festival in Øystese, is held in October.

For a non alcholic drink, try Eplemost.

Follow the fuit and cider route, from the village of Ulvik.

What Norwegian traditional food would you eat with your cider or Eplemost? Open sandwiches. 

Useful Websites

https://www.siderfest.no/

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230920-the-rebirth-of-norways-cider-tradition

https://www.visitnorway.com/things-to-do/food-and-drink/norwegian-cider/

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Which landmarks are your favourites in each country? The places everybody researches?

Someone has searched for the place we search for on the internet. Not necessarily the same as the places people actually visit.

THE AMERICAS

The places everybody researches are the unsurprising Niagara Falls in Canada. Yes they are also in the USA, but all the excitement of walking behind the falls and the museums is on the Canadian side.  

EUROPE  & UK

In Europe, the Eiffel Tower in France is another place searched for.. 

In the UK Stonehenge was a bit of a surprise. Not so easily accessible. I have been to Stonehenge. (I must admit that blank stones don't inspire me much. 

ASIA

I was more impressed by the faces in Cambodia.Ankor Wat is there most searched for place.

THE MIDDLE EAST

 Petra in Jordan is a firm favourite. Hasn't it been in numerous films!  I took a camel ride to see it. Jordan has lots of Roman ruins too. Column after column. But if you want columns, so do Rome and Greece. And a few other countries. Petra is unique, another culture.

Useful Websites

 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-12539567/What-world-wants-VISIT-Fascinating-map-shows-popular-landmarks-country-Stonehenge-Statue-Liberty.html#comments

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Taiwan's national bird, the blue magpie

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I like the blue wings, the red beak, and the red feet. This charming picture appears in the huge advertisement for Taiwan along the walls of the Linkway in Bugis station, Singapore. The blue magpie is in the mural on both sides, so you see it on your outward journey and on the return. the blue magpie eats snakes. That meets with my approval.

Wiki says

The Taiwan blue magpie^[2] (Urocissa caerulea), also called the Taiwan magpie, Formosan blue magpie

 (Chinese: 臺灣藍鵲; pinyin: Táiwān lán què), or 

the "long-tailed mountain lady" (Chinese: 長尾山娘; pinyin: 

Chángwěi shānniáng; Taiwanese Hokkien: Tn̂g-boé soaⁿ-niû), is a bird species in the crow family. It is endemic to Taiwan.

I can recognize the Chinese symbol for mountain in the bird name, Shan, a pitchfork pointing up ith no handle, reperesenting a mountain peak in the middle.

I have always wanted to visit Taiwan and to see the gold treasures in their national musuem. Let's look at Taiwan, starting with the flag.

The flag of Taipei has the blue sky, white sun, and red earth.

 "Blue Sky with a White Sun flag" (青天白日旗; qīngtiān báirì qí)

qīng blue

tiān sky

bái white

rì Sun

qí)

The central characters, sky, white, and sun, are common, frequently used signs,  known as radicals.

If you are tempted to plan to visit Taiwan, the capital, Taipei, is in the north.

The foods which I look forward to eating in Taiwan include

eggs stewed in soy sauce.

Useful Websites

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

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Coconut Palms - Watch Out! Dropping coconuts!

 Coconut palms look delightful. But don't sit under them, a guard warned me. 

In Singapore, the awnings have gone up for the celebration dinner for the Autumn harvest festival, also called the mooncake festival. Workers from Malaysia are in Singapore cutting down the coconuts, for safety.

The cocnuts are yellow or brown.

In a previous year my family asked for a spare coconut. But it was very difficult to cut it open. This year we were more canny. We asked one of the workers to cut one open.

It took him longer than I expeced. I thought he would chop it in one blow. However, he chopped bits off in all directions with a machete.

The white inside was soft enough to be cut with a normal fruit knife.

The resulting milk is transparent and not very flavourful.  But fresh. Fun. 

The coconuts when cut open and left on the work surface immediately attracted little fruit flies. So we put the cocnut in the fridge for a minute or two until we were ready to drink.

I am sorry we didn't leave the coconut in the fridge for longer. I wondered whether the coconut juice or milk would taste better, and be more refreshing, if it wwere cold. We had two half glasses full from one coconut.

Coconuts on the ground in a condo in Singapore, brought down by workers. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Cut coconut. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. 

Cocnut juice to drink with fresh coconut. Photo by Angela Lansbury. copyright. 

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Hanging Bikes

 You can buy devices for hanging bikes in bike shops. Why would you want to hang up a bike? 

If you want to work on it to repair it. Easier to see. Less likely to roll away from you if is secured.

To protect your bike, you might want to buy a bike cover.

No longer need a bike? Sell it or hang it as decoration.

Love bikes? Visit handlebar in Singapore where you can drive through for drinks and food.

Useful Websites

https://www.facebook.com/HandlebarSGGillmanBarracks/

https://www.instagram.com/handlebaroriginal/?hl=en

https://www.amazon.sg/FAVOMOTO-Storage-Mountain-Bicycle-Display/dp/B096KK9CT5/ref=asc_df_B096KK9CT5/?tag=googleshoppin-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=606349408013&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3586585188852099241&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9062510&hvtargid=pla-1965390241426&psc=1

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How To Hang Plants, Pictures and Bicycles, Indoors And Outside - Lesson Learned From The UK and Singapore

Hanging plants and bicycles in a residential block of flats in Singapore.

UK Picture Hanging Joys

In London, England, we have brick walls and indoors they are often covered with plaster so it is easy to hang plants and pictures. Just pick up a hammer and with a trio of sharp taps you can knock in a nail.

Numbers, signs, house names, bells, are all easily added.

Singapore Tasks & Solutions 

Alas, this is not the case in Singapore. Most people like in blocks of flats or condos, built of impenetrable concrete.  Indoors, to hang a picture, you don't buy a long thin nail but a white plastic button with three tiny thick points on the back.

At the HDB black above in Singapore, I asked a Singaporean, 'How you get the nails into concrete walls?'

He replied, 'You need a drill'.

'A hand operated drill?'

'No. An electric drill.'

"I don't have one. If I did, I would be afraid to operate it and injure myself or damage the wall.'

'An electrician will do it for you. If you have called him for something else. It only takes him a minute to do each one. So get the whole lot done at once.'

'What will it cost?'

'If you live in an HDB (Housing Development Board, subsidized public housing in which most Singaporeans live) about 50 dollars. (Singapore dollars.) But if you live in a condo (rented or privately owned private housing for permanent residents from overseas) the price will be double. If you live in a bungalow (detached house, also called landed property) the price will be triple!'

Hanging Bicycles

Bicycles are often left outside the doors of flats. (In Singapore they are called units.)

The management might ban the parking of bicycles on the public corridor. Why? They claim that bikes obstruct wheelchairs and prams or strollers and prevent cleaners from washing the floor. Plants can attract insects  breed mosquitos in water collecting in saucers. One solution for the home owner is to make use of space overhead

The latest trend, encouraged by the Singapore government is to grow edible plants, fruit and vegetables and herbs. You can use the ground level, walls and overhead space.when it comes to plants and pictures  the more, the merrier.

Read more of my posts about people and places, scenery and statues, trails and tales, what is handy and dandy. After reading my travel posts, look at my blogs Dress of the day with Angela, and comic poetry with Hazel nutter.

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White delight of homes in Singapore

Housing in Hougang, north-east Singapore. The bright white is so fresh and clean. Contrast with the green and graceful curves of the palm trees. The white wall in the centre of the picture is enhanced by the six undulating vertical lines. 

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What Is In Nasi Lemak, A favourite Malay dish in Singapore?

Nasi Lemak boxed meal. Photo by Angela Lansbury. 

Nasi means rice. Lemak means fat. 

To the Chinese who love pork it might mean lard. But I was bought a halal nasi lemak. The rice was cooked with tasty coconut. This meal had a bit of everything. Egg, chicken wing, anchovies (called ikan bilis) and peanuts. Ayam is Malay for chicken.

Nask Lemak meal. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

You can see the coconut rice, white on the left,  I started with the rice. It was delicious. I loved the coconut.

The tiny curved anchovies lower left corner. To their right are the peanuts. 

In the tub I was told was chilli sauce so I did not eat that. But next time I shall try a tiny sip. 

The white in the centre is a fried egg. The yolk was just right. Like toothpaste. Soft enough to suck and savour but not so runny as to make mess.  

The chicken wing was top right. 

A slab of fish cake was on top. I did not touch that because I am allergic to shellfish. When i opened the box it had a pungent smell which I recognized. It reminded me of fish soup containing king prawns and other shellfish. I did not want to risk it, although people say that fish cakes often contain mock shellfish, just not worth the risk. The smell soon evaporated. Even without that, I had plenty to eat. 

The meal contained plenty of protein. What a generous mixture of eggs, chicken and fish. 

I left the other items.  One piece of cucumber. A thick slice.  Local dishes are not big on vegetables. You have to order a vegetarian dish to compensate. 

A few handy words of Malay

Malay - English

ayam - chicken

lemak - fat

nasi - rice

English - Malay

chicken - ayam

fat - lemak

rice - nasi

We also had spinach pizza and fruit salad.

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