Gregorian and Julian calendars - what are they, who uses them, which am I on?

 The calendar used in the UK and much of the world has an extra day every four years in February called a leap year.

Julian\\

Julius Caesar bust in museum.

The Julian calendar is named after Julius Casesar.

CJuly is named after Julius caesar believed to have been born in that month (previous called the fifth month, after the year starting in march, march april may june july. So when the year moved back to January, July became the 7th month.

(In some calendars the months are given numbers, as are days of the week.)

Russian uses the old Julian calendar, so their Easter is later than that in the UK. In 2004 Easter Sunday is Sunday 1st March. But the Russian Easter is celebrated a week later, on Friday April 5th, with Easter Sunday on Sunday April 7th.

You can see busts of Julius Casar in the Vatican museum and the Napes National Museum of Archaeology in Italy.

Gregorian

The Gregorian calendar is named after pope gregary.  The calendar for easter was getting out of sync wwith the seasons. He changed the start of the year from spring to January 1st, (giving us new year' eve close following on Christmas in the UK, but not in Spain and nearby countries which celebrate on 2th night in January)

Useful Websites

Wikipedi

Calendar

Julius Ceasar

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Clocks Go Forward Today In the UK - need to co-ordinate with Singapore and other countries

 

UK

Today in the UK clocks have gone forward. In London my famly who got up after 1 am Sunday morning found that the radio active clocks and computers had changed time. A kitchen oven clock, microwave and wristwatch had to be re-set to an hour later.

I remember at a book group which met on Sunday afternoons there was always one person who arrived at the wrong time.  Fortunately, if you are half an hour later in the springime, you arrive early. (But in the autumn if you have not reset your clocks you are an hour late.)

USA

The USA has a long history of daylight saving time, back to WW1.

Australia is upside down compared to the UK. Their dates are different.

Useful Websites

https://www.timebie.com/timezone/

https://www.timebie.com/timezone/singaporelondon.php

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

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If you are holding an event on Sunday, it's a good idea to remind everybody who is likely to be attending. 

The time change is set on Sunday to have the least impact on businesses, schools and life in general.

Why learn Russian - or Cyrillic - what use is it to me?

 I am an aspiring polyglot (speaker of many languages. One of the challenging languages for me has always been Cyrillic. That language or font is used in Russian but also in 50 other places or languages, in Bulgaria and Ukraine. I found this out first when on holiday in Bulgaria. Then I saw signs welcoming and directing Ukrainians at British airports. 

I am now researching languages for my educational speeches at my Toastmasters prospective club called LILT. We are working whrough the alphabet of languages and have readhed R for Russian. 

I have discovered nemous sources and resources. The challenges are translating the names of cities on maps and Wikipedia articles and websites for tourists, restaurants' names and menus, items for sale in online supermarkets, wine suppliers, souvenir shops. 

History and geogrphy are alo other places wheere thr writing is a hallenge to decipher, 

Joys of Deciphering

But a joy wheen you unlock the secrets of Cyrillic. I spot the name of a museum in a photo. 

I recognize names on postage stamps. 

Or the name of a stadium in a news article such as one about the tragic deaths in Russia at the stadium in Moscow.

Each time I open an article on the web, I check for the Cyrillic for the name, recognize it and say it.

Useful Resources

duolingo

Trilingual 888 English German Russian

Lonely Planet Eastern Europe Phrasebook

LILT meeting Sundayy 31 March, 2024, 2.30 UK time, 9.30 Singapore time. Contact Angela Lansbury or Carolyn Street through Facebook or Linked-In or Toastmasters International or WhatsApp or their other clubs such as Singapore Advancity, TCA, UK Harrovians and HOD.

What is your escape plan? Relocating/bus/train/car/hotel

Location - escape plan

When planning to relocate, as an expat, or working overseas, or even just in another city, consider travel costs. What does it cost to travel from your home country to the business.

 The British Council was set up in London, England, so that two or more offices were both next to Central line stations. That way those in charge .could travel from one branch to another easily and quickly, at low cost. Visitors could travel easily for collecting leaflets and information or for job intrviews.

If I look for a second home, or to relocate, I shall look at safety of the location and travel routes.

In a hotel, look for the exit from the restaurant and the hotel bedroom. 

Route to Location 

If you are planning an overseas wedding, check the cost and travel times to your destination from your home country and the nearest train station or airport. 

How will latecomers reach you? If flights are delayed, your guests might not be able to reach you on a cruise ship. 

In the USA, off Florida, I was a witness at a wedding on a cruise ship. The groom never made it to the first wedding I was asked to be the witness for. 

I was witness at a second event instead - arranged by the purser who had to find two witnesses for a couple who had no guests. It was her second wedding. His fifth.  

Check the driving or bus route out. In the event of a war, or just a change of weather.

Prevention

Prevention can include clearing paths to exit.

Checking fire alarms work. Checking fire extinguishers are up to date. They have use by dates on the sides. They don't last forever.

Prevention for others - security

Checking Escape Routes

If you are an air steward on a plane giving an annoucement obviously you have to learn the speech about safebelts and exits. But is you are looking after a group on a train, you need to do the same thing. In a car I avoid the middle seat. I like to sit on the pavement side. Sometimes this means I must jump in first, or wait until last. 

Cars and Car Doors

Or it might mean moving the luggage, if you and your suitcase are in the back of a vehicle. Do you want the suitcase by the door where it is easier to offload to the pavement. Or would you be better advised to have yourself next to the door to get out in a hurry, even if it is only to ask the way to the car park.

Emergency Eit - Escape Plan For yourself

I read in a newspaper an account of somebody who survived a serious railway accident. He got out of his carriage because he had noted the door from his carriage to the corridor, the distance to the nearest window and main carriage door, as well as the distance to the window and how it opened. His habit was to always check the escape route on a train as he boarded and sat down. 

 On a train,, I always try to dsit near an exit - and to watch y luggage to guard it against loss or theft, or to grab it on the way out. You have to keep watching as others board and sling their stuff on top of yours. To mke my exit easier and qicker in a normal situation, I keep moving my little suitcase so it is always on top, not squashed nor inaccessible under a heavier, larger item.

Warning Others

If you leave a builing in a fire, you could knock on other doors as you pass. If you don't want to delay, you could at least shout a warning. Or grab a bottle to bang on each door so you don't have to stop to ring bells and hunt for knockers. 

Afterwards - Survival Kits

The Japanese keep survival kits by their front door. Basically a suicase as if for a camping trip, first aid and food and drink, spare clothes, as well as vital documents, house insurance emergency number, address of family, clothes sizes, duplicated or copies of passports, driing licenses, credit card emergency numbers and old phones which can be reused temperoarily with a new sim card. Whatever you think might be handy. 

What Can You Claim For Accident, Injury or Death At a Concert, Stadium or Plane Crash?

 Compensation Claims

Whenever I read of an event, a disaster, I wonder if the victims or families are all entitled to refund of their concert or football tickets or the air fare in a plane crash. If you have travel insurance, this might exclude hooliganism and terrorism - as I noted when we were in Prague one New Year's Even and our hotel warned us to get our car into a covered and gated car park and off the street, away from drunks, hooligans and falling fireworks. 

After the loss of life in Russia at the Crocus Stadium, I went online to read about compensation claims.

Online Lists of Compansation

I found a website from lawyers who represent accident victims, such as falls in stadiums. THeir list of compensation amounts was interesting. For example, if you injure different parts of your body, different aounts. 

Car Accident Injuries

In the past I have had car injuries. Apart from whether the vehicle drivers ere responsible, the claims are usually dealth with by competing insurance companies. 

Closing A Glaim

What are the factors affecting the claim? Why does it matter.? Can you just move on?. You are often asked to accept a certain sum of money but must sign an agreement that you will not make any later claim. 

Recurring Aches

All very well, but you can find the pain comes back later. 

WW2

Wartime Claims

I was amazed and appalled to find that my father in law could claim for hearing loss, which was in part due to injuries in world war 2, affecting his hearing many years later in old age. 

Reminder Aches

Minor aches and pain are one thing. ut a real reminder.

Car Accident Reminders - Pedestrians

I feel an itch in my leg and rub it. Then I recall that was where I was hit by the car bumper when I was knocked down by a car in Corsica back in 1984.

Stepping On Nails

 I feel a niggle under my foot. I remember I trop on a nail (left by carpet replacment of the flat above ours - sending me into hospital I had just come out of with my new baby, I ws wearing platform slippers). That was 1979. 

Paving Stone Injuries

But that was just minor niggles. I may feel that I am recovering from a fall over a raised paving stone in Brixton, London, this year. But what if the pain recurs, and I am unable to work, or keep waing at night as I turn onto the damaged part, or lose a tooth because I can't brush y teeth because of the numb gum.

Compensation Lists

In addition to claims for pain, the claimant might have claims for loss of earnings. If you cannot work. Or your empolyer takes away your job because of your short or long absence.

Useful Websites

https://www.legalexpert.co.uk/peronsal-injury-compensation/guide-football-stadium-accident-claims/

If you are a friend of mine on Facebook or LinkedIn or inreal life and have any information  please send it to me. 

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RUSSIA - why you cannot visit it right now

 

 Most people try to get out of war zones, for their own safety. And all the tourist destinations are likely to be closed. There are people going to war zones, mostly escorted by soldiers, delivery foood parcels, or medicines or reporting news.

However, even for the bold and fearless traveller there are good reasons for not going.

1 Number one is restricted travel. I looked at the UK advicor on travel by chance, because I was ressseraching the Russian Language for my club on learning languages. Up popped assorted travel guides, and the UK government warning. It said there were no direct flight. You could get there indirectly, via a couple of countries which fly to Russia. 

However, apart from any moral reasons for not going, the practical considerations are the restrictions on travel. The warnings are, 

1 that it is dangerous. 

2 You might not be able to get transport back home again. 

3 If you get into any trouble, the embassy of your country may not be functioning or not be willing able to help you.

4 What's more your insurance is likely to refuse to pay out. 

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How Uncle Sam's Subway Stations Could Prevent Another Suicide, Accident or Murder

 

Train arriving at Woodlands MRT station. Photo by Angela Lansbury.Copyright

Another person pushed off the platform into the path of an approaching train in the USA. It doesn't happen in Singapore. Singapore's station platforms are glassed in. The doors giving access to trains open automatically only after the train stops.

The same is done on the new Elizabeth line in the UK, in London.

Time for New York stations to get an upgrade. Yes, of course it will cost money. Time for a couple of multi millionaires, some insurance companies, the United Nations, and crowd-funding to invest in an upgrade. 

Cutting The Cost

If the cost of upgrading the whole system is too daunting, start with one station. Each area should fun its own station upgrade. 

Who Benefits?

Everybody benefits. No more lost phones dropped. No more delays due to 'an incident'. Quieter stations. Safer travel. Win win all round.

Upgrading works can be done at night. 

One of the lessons learned from travel.

Useful Websites

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13240309/subway-nyc-death-push-carlton-mcpherson-crime.html

See my post entitled Easy Train Changes

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Travel Safety - suitable clothes,sun protection, insects, preventing pickpockets

 An Indian contact on zoom asked me, "What about safety when travelling in Europe?".I replied:

First check weather and clothing. You want to proect yourself against sun and insects in the topoics, and summer.  I always travel with a protective hat which has a brim, neck covering.

You also need some way to prevent a hat or cap falling off when you or I look down. You might look down over a cliff path, or above a well. Your hat could get caught by a gust of wind by the sea in a sea breeze, or on a boat.

1 What precautions should he take?

2 Will a foreigner be safe, acceptable?.

3 Any other advice?

1 Dress for the weather. Carry clothes for all weathers. You might change your route Secure hats so they don't fly off in the breeze, such as when in a rickshaw, in Cambodia. Secure spectacles with chains.

2 Take out travel and sports insurance with 24 hour hotlines for emergencies.

3 Find some local organization with connections to your work or hobby. Find out if there is a conference. They may have excursion in a group, or for spouses. 

You could offer to speak, in which case you might get free entry fee, accommodation, meals, drinks, a welcome dinner, 

Clothing with extra pockets is also handy if you want too be hands free when climbing over rocks on a hike, no handbag needed.

Security Clothes

Double pockets are handy. Make sure all your pockets have closures such as zips.

Useful Websites

Pick pocket proof (pockets) in convertible trousers

https://www.clothingarts.com/products/pickpocket_proof_convertible_travel_pants

5 pocket t-shirts (With two open hand-warmer pockets and three concealed zipped pockets

Useful Websites

https://ayegear.com/products/t5?variant=12113869668396

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Family Skiing in Les Meunieres, France

 

A family friendly resort.

Ski lessons for under fives. Morning and afternoon

Optional lunch for kids so you can ski all day. Or take a break with the child for lunch.

Entertainments

Carousel (merry go round)

 Local finger food. Pancakes folded into a flat square, topped with eggs and cheese..

24 hour pizza from an automatic machine in France. Photo copyright Sharot Family.

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Hiring Clothes For Conferences & Hotel Events At home or Overseas

 I always pack one fancy evening dress, even if I have no plans to eat out anywhere fancy. You never know what might happen. 

Indian Wedding Clothes Needed

On a plane to India, we were delayed several hours and got to chat to other travellers. One of the Indians was on his way to a family wedding and invited me. I suddenly needed something really grand to wear. And not something revealing. 

Ski Clothes Needed

On another occasion I travelled from the UK to Singapore and had tropical clothes for Singapore, then we extended our flights and took a trip on to New Zealand where it was ski season in the UK summer. I needed ski clothes in a hurry, not another set at large prices. I ended up in a charity shop. Clothes problem solved. 

The only difficulty was packing the bulky jacket. No hire shops were available for clothes at the ski area of Queenstown at that time. But you could look at collecting hire clothes from the capital or airport city on arrival in a foreign country, or having them sent to you family, friends, or colleagues, if you attend a conference with a last night grand ball.

Fancy Dress Needed For Hotel Murder Weekend

You could be out in the street, joining a parade, or indoors at a private wedding reception. or conference.

On another occasion I was at a hotel in the UK for a murder mystery weekend. The opening night was a mock wedding. Americans arrived well organized, with fancy dress in their luggage. Unfortunately, their airline had misrouted their luggage which was due to arrive the next day, after the dinner.

Party Hire Shop For Conferences

Another solution is from Swanwick Witers Summer School in Derbyshire. They have a fancy dress night on a theme sometimes, the FORTIES (1940S) or Sixties. The committee of the Summer School arrange for a local party shop to deliver a rack of fancy dress clothes. In some cases you have to order and pay in advance. The copany collects everybody's party clothes the next day. This is good for those traavelling by train and not wanting to carry extra clothes in additon to the books they have bought, or brought but not sold. 

https://www.hurrcollective.com/

https://thevolte.com/dresses

For next year's St Patrick's Day - erfect party hats and accessories

 

I like green. I ike four leaf clovers. Ad three leaf clovers. And leprechauns.

Hats from VGOODALL on Amazon or their own website.

I found these on Amazon. The trick is to order them far enough in advance to receive them in time. 

You can visit the church with a stained glass window showing St Patrick in Ireland. Expect a grand parade in Dublin. . St Patrick's Day is a national holiday in Ireland. Others parades are held worldwide, especially in Australia.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day

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Rent a dress, wedding dress, guest dress, groom's outfit, party dress

Impeccable. Clothes hire for special occasions. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

For years you could rent clothes for the groom and ushers. In Hatch End, England, we have a shop called Impeccable.

 Here's an idea. When you are travelling on a budget airline with limited suitcase space. Rent a dress. No need to pack it up for home. No need for more wardrobe space.  For wedding guests, as well as the groom and ushers, who have been doing this for years.

On the other hand, to buy second hand cheaply from a charity shop, and then donate to that shop or another charity shop in another country fulfils some of the same objectives. I've heard it suggested that if  you go to a charity shop in a smart residential or shopping location yyou are likely to get good quality and designer clothes. 

However, sometimes the pricier items are left untouched in shops in cheaper areas because the customers won't pay the higher prices asked by the canny staff who go online to check designer brand labels. Nowadays the charity shops offer goods online. 

I always pack one fancy evening dress, even if I have no plans to eat out anywhere fancy. You never know what might happen. Ona plane to India, we were delayed several hours and got to chat to other travellers. One of the Indians was on his way to a family wedding and invited me. I suddenly needed something really grand to wear. And not something revealing. 

On another occasion I travelled from the UK to Singapore and had tropical clothes for Singapore, then we extended our flights and took a trip on to New Zealand where it was ski season in the UK summer. I needed ski clothes in a hurry, not another set at large prices. I ended up in a charity shop. Clothes problem solved. 

The only difficulty was packing the bulky jacket. No hire shops were available for clothes at the ski area of Queenstown at that time. But you could look at collecting hire clothes from the capital or airport city on arrival in a foreign country, or having them sent to you family, friends, or colleagues, if you attend a conference with a last night grand ball.

On another occasion I was at a hotel in the UK for a murder mystery weekend. The opening night was a mock wedding. Americans arrived well organized, with fancy dress in their luggage. Unfortunately, their airline had misrouted their luggage which was due to arrive the next day, after the dinner.

Party Hire Shop For Conferences

Another solution is from Swanwick Witers Summer School in Derbyshire. They have a fancy dress night on a theme sometimes, the FORTIES (1940S) or Sixties. The committee of the Summer School arrange for a local party shop to deliver a rack of fancy dress clothes. In some cases you have to order and pay in advance. The copany collects everybody's party clothes the next day. This is good for those traavelling by train and not wanting to carry extra clothes in additon to the books they have bought, or brought but not sold. 

https://www.hurrcollective.com/

https://thevolte.com/dresses

How To Recognizei Alphabets On Signosts and Road Signs - Using alphabets

 

Indian  alphabet.

If you see a sign on a signpost you can do a screen capture and image search to match it up.

Simpler still, check the national languages, and the nearest countries.

Indian Languages\

Urdu and Hindi are almost the same. But Hindu used byy Hindu people is written in their script. Uurdu used by a mainly Moslem population is written in the Arabic script. is

Hebrew

The Hebrew script is used for writing the Hebrew language, as used in versions of the Old Testament, and prayer books in Jewish Orthodox synagogues. Also for writing Yiddish (German with a sprinkling of Hebrew and Russian words), and Ladino (Spanish, with a spriling of other language words). Hebrew letters were also used by the preist Cyril to create the Cyrillic language so the bible could be read by Russians. Cyril used both Hebrew and Greek letters which is why learning or recognizing any of these alphabets helps with the others.

Russian and Cyrillic\

Cyrillic is also used for Bulgarian. Plus a few extra letters. I found languages got easier when I stopped thinking of letters as being a task and a hindrance, and started thinking of them as a help. The same goes for vowels and diacritics, dots, and dashes which show which vowels are pronounced differently.

\Greek

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Dangers Of Letting Dogs Swim in ponds - on a walk around Grimsdyke, Bentley Priory and London

 I have always wondered whether it is safe for a dog to swim in ponds. Now I have been informed that the pond itself, the pondlife, could be endangered by dogs.According to the handy nature trail guide, Old Redding Nature Reserve, dogs can endanger freshwater ponds.

1Flea treatment in fur kills freshwater invertebrates. 

2 Feet damage the pond's banks and bottom, stirring up sediment and preventing the growth of plants.

3 Dogs' coats pick up invasive bacteria, animals and plants, movving them from one area of water to another.

The Council claims it has to spend hundreds of pounds every year on clearing an aquatic ferm which was brought it by an animal. The gfern grew into a thick mat which covered the whole surface of a pond. The shade interfered with other plants.,

Tthe rest of the leaflet is good news, wonderful things yu can see on the nature trail. 

Opportunities for walkers. And for volunteers to help with conservation.

In addition to this area, the London loop signposts walks for 150 miles. Enough to keep you busy on a trip to London, or if you live in London, to keep you happy getting exercise every weekend, every week, or every day.

www.harrowncf.org/Bentley_Priory_circular_walk.pdf

Starting to learn Polish

Visit 

Flag of Poland

Recognizing The Flag

The flag of Poland is easy to recognize and remember. Just two colours. White above and red below.

A little like the flags of Indonesia and Singapore. 

Singapore, being Chinese speaking as well as speaking English, Malay and Tamil as national languages, has the lucky red above, plus a crescent, reflecting its origin in Malaysia. 

Why visit Poland? 

Polish is becoming the most spoken second language in the UK. Polish restaurants and cafes and shops are all over London. 

Let's get the sad facts about the past out of the way first. For a long time I did not want Poland because I thought its sad history would diminish the enjoyment of a happy holiday. (Although the same can be said about history in practically every country.)

 Poland was our ally in WW2. Due to an earlier agreement, Britain went to defend Poland when it was invaded by the German army, and the Polish exiles operated from the UK.

That's past.  Why not visit Poland?  I went there to accompnay my husband who was on business.

We visited assorted museums . Warsaw has the Warsaw ghetto, a recently established Jewish museum.

 The second city is very pretty Krakow. The city centre has a grand cathedral on a fine square. Take a trip to Auschwitz and Birkenau, and end on a slightly happier note at Schindler's factory museum.

Now let's look at the happier things and end on a bright note.

1 Amber. In Singapore I made friends with two lovely ladies who were promoting the Amber Museum. You can buy amber items from shops all over Warsaw and Poland. (And more amber, indeed, from other Baltic states with seaside and beaches bordering the Baltic sea.) Seaside Gdansk has an Amber museum.

2 Polish cuisine. Borsht, beetroot soup, the best. Thick. The way it is served in Jewish style restaurants in London such as B & K in Hatch End in London.  (Contrast with the thin Russian beetroot soup which I sampled in Bondi Beach in Australia.)

Dumplings. In soup. In main courses. With those snowy winters, you need hot filling food to warm you up.

3 Warsaw is historic but modern and clean. Like several cities in Northern Europe, old paintings and diagrams have been used to rebuild buildings with cellar restaurants in romantic, traditional style, but clean and modern with the modern benefits of lighting, plumbing, heating and cooling and so on.

The language used to be a challenge. Books with small print. Huge dictionaries. Impossible pronunciation. Mysterious. 

Nowadays we have at least 3 quick online sources

1 Google translate Polish

2 Wikivoyage Phrasebook Polish

3 /wiki/Talk:Polish_phrasebookWiki Phrasebook Polish. (Discussion on pronunciation.)

Useful Websites

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Talk:Polish_phrasebook

https://languagetsar.com/polishpod101-review/

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

St Patrick's Day green dress

 

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

I decided to wear green and orange for online meetings all through the month of March to celebrate St Patrick's day.  

The Flag of Eire

St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. His day fell on a Sunday this year, which is a great day since you can celebrate all day at the weekend.  But in the USA they start serving green drinks at pubs near universities before St Patrick's Day. 

I posed questions about St Patrick's Day at Toastmasters clubs in the UK and online to Asia. Many people in India have not heard of it, so I had a chance to enlighten them.

Green Colour

Why green? Ireland is known as the emerald Isle. The countryside is green. The same as other parts of the UK, notably Scotland, the lake district of England, where the water falling from the Westerlies, westerly winds, creates lakes.

St Patrick

St Patrick supposedly travelled from the mainland UK to Ireland to convert the Irish to Christianity. Now in Eire the majority are Roman Catholic, with the pope in the Vatican as the head of their church.

Snakes In Ireland

So the, story goes, had miraculous powers. He exterminated all the snakes in Ireland. Whilst it is true that there are no snakes in Ireland, and have been none since his time, researchers found that there were no snakes in Ireland earlier either. As they say, why let the truth get in the way of a good story. 

The Blarney Stone

Perhaps we should credit the famed Blarney stone. Legend says if you kiss it, it gives you the gift of the gab.

New York

The Irish Heritage Museum in New York has an exhibit about Irish dance dresses, which frequently have green, at least as a border.

The places to see Irish costumes next year include, pubs in the UK, pubs in Singapore and Malaysia, Japan and Korea,, The USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, especially Montreal, Moscow, 

If you want to stock up for next year, or buy second hand, look at Shein, Amazon, Temu and other places for green hats, ties, bow ties. You can also buy spectacle frames, scarves, stocks, bunting, and sleeves which look like tattoos.

Favourite motifs include shamrocks and leprechauns.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day

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Romanian Language your first ten easy words

The name Romania comes from the word Roman.  Wikivoyage phrasebook romanian says that the language is more like Italian than French. I recognize plurals formed by adding the letter i as used in the Italian language. 

But I speak French so I recognize lots of Romanian words as being similar to French. For example, the Romanian word for thank you is mersi, like the French word merci. So to me, the Romanian language is more like French than Italian.

Where can you start to learn? It's easy to start for free on Duolingo. The system has several features which I like. Pictures are matched with everyday words. A simple grammar guide and list of phrases starts each set of exercises. 

Two words for you, several of which sound similar to French. 

English (alphabetically) - Romanian

are (they are) - sunt (like the french nous sommes in we are and elles sont in they are) 

cocoa - cacao (proounced cack - ow as in howl or owl. The English word has the letter o twice, but the Romanian has the letter a twice)

honey - miere (me air ay or me air er, like the French word miel)

I - eu (pronounced yo)

thanks -  mersi (like the French merci)

the - la (as in French)

two - doi (notice the letters d and o like the English word duo)

unt - butter (notice the letters u and t in the Romanian and the English)

You - tu, voi (the same as the French tu, and similar to the French vous, which also has the letters v and o)

we - noi (similar to the French nous which has the letters n and o)

Romanian (alphabetically) - English

butter - unt

cacao - cocoa

doil - two (like the English word duo)

eu (pronounced yo) - I

la - the

mersi - thanks

miere - honey

noi - we (like the French word nous)

sunt - are

tu - you

voi - you

Numbers[edit]

1

unu (OO-noo)

2

doi (doy)

3

trei (tray)

4

patru (PAH-troo)

5

cinci (cheench)

6

șase (SHAH-seh)

7

șapte (SHAHP-teh)

8

opt (ohpt)

9

nouă (NOH-uh)

10

zece (ZEH-cheh)

Useful Websites

duolingo

https://www.duolingo.com/

wikivoyage Romania phrasebook

My Memories of Visiting Romantic Romania, and Roughing It

 We flew into the capital city. Bucharest. A romantic city ruined by Graffiti. A walk into the old town found several  romantic restaurants with outdoor seating or indoor seating amid pictures of the notorious Vlad the Impaler. And the Romanian royal family through the ages. Plus wine bottles whose labels were decorated with pictures from horrid history or scary myths.

Romantic Romania

I loved the painted churches. So colourful. So photogenic.

We were meeting a hiking group. We went out to the second city .Brasov From there we walked around the fortified walls of olden times. 

A car trip to the ruler's castle, Dracula's Castle, Bran Castle, of earlier times was a must. It was in the centre of a little mountainside town with traffic jam one way systems and crowded cafes and souvenir shops. The exhibition about Vlad the Impaler pointed out that in his times, all surrounding Europen countries had equally fearsome and cruel kings.

Then it was off to hike through the mountains. The hiking trails were clearly marked. But a bit short on toilets. 

Toilet Tricks

You don't want to go too far off trail. You could fall over a tree root, and never be found. 

You can get tangled in branches. Fall into holes. Get clothes snagged on brambles. Be struck by branches, entangled by tendrils and torn by thorns.

You could disturb something. Be bitten by insects insects. Scared by noises incicating larger things. Who knows?

You get aboandoned in the middle of nowhere, with nobody of the same sex to act as a loookout. However, when nature's call is so instant that you are obliged to stop, suddenly large groups of people appear. 

 After I returned to the UK I learned the travel and hiking trick for improvised toilets in the wild. Carry an umbrella for instant privacy.

Bears

The notice baords were helpful. But the countryside is over supplied with over size wildlife. Bears. 

On the one hand, the radio warned of roaming bears. On the other hand, tourists were off on bear sighting trips and annoyed when they never saw a bear. 

I was not bored by the lack of bears. I was very happy to get safely back home.

Now that I have been there, I am more interested in learning Romanian. Yes, ironoically, learning the language after my return. I suppose that is the enfit of travelling. It makes you more interested in the culutre and language of other coutnries. The one things which I learned effortlessly was that the Romanians use the French word merci, in Romanian spelled mersi, for thank you. 

So, mersi for reading my post about Romania. Please share links to your favourite posts. My next post is on the Romanian language.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bra%C8%99ov

Grimsdyke Hotel - Setting For Birthday Parties

 Grimsdyke hotel is a suitably grand place for a birthday party, small or large.  The grounds are magnificent and historic. Along the boundary and right down to Hatch End is the dyke or ditch from ancient times. It is called Grisdyke. The hotel reception had a hleaflet whcih helpfully described how in ancient times any mysterious or wooded area might be called Grim.

The Delightful Exterior

The house was built before the time when Gilbert lived there, working as a local magistrate and doing his second job, writing comic operas with collaborator composer Sullivan. An historic plaque on the outside gives a brief history.

The entrance makes you feel happy as you enter and exit.

Angela Lansbury checking out the hotel before booking.

The entrance to Grimsdyke hotel. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

Indoor Decor

The toilets are on the upper level. But the staircase indoors had comfortable wide steps and hand rails both sides.

Upstairs in the grand drawing room a 60th birthday party, a suprprise big occasion, planned by the wife, was held, with lots of music and jollity which we hears every now and then from downstairs.

We used to like the Gilbert room. The website says they don't guarntee which room you will be in. Probably because the bigger room upstairs is booked for events. The Gilbert Room was recently closed for renovation. The lounge with its grand fireplace was sufficiently hisotric and distincitve and with a good view. 

A baby high chair was provided.

The napkins were cloth. The napkins would benefit from the buttonholes which I used to like at the Tanglin Club in Singapore. 

To our surprise the dining room was empty except for one other table. Maybe the rain and the recovery from Christmas spending has kept people away. Besides, the third party was in the big room upstairs. So the hotel catering business was doing all right. As a result we did not have to worry about distraction from other diners, not the risk that our two year old might cause disturbance to others.

The other table of diners was in the dining room ahead of us and they had either been given or chosen the table nearest the grand white fireplace at the back. I asked my huband, 'Would you ratther I asked to be by the grand fireplace next time?'  However, my husband said he was happy to be in a table more central and nearer the door to see and hear passers-by. Livelier.

Drinks

On a reconnoitering visit I had noted that Prosecco in the bar cost eight ounds a glass. So I was agreeably surprised to find just what I wanted, a glass of pink sweet Zinfandel, at under six pounds for either a smaller or larger glass.

Starters

I had the soup of the day which was sweet potato. No surprises. Very pleasant. The suprise however was alongisde, Two buns, soft, hot bread rolls, one containing wanuts. Delicious. The two diners who had the duck with sald as starter were equally pleased.

The hummus plate was pleasant. I liked the large oblong plates.

Our grand-daughter had a plate of chips to start. She liked them. Her parents asked for ketchup. It came up in sachets. 

Main courses

I chose the fish and chips. Good batter. Big chips. Home made. I like big chips. Less fattening and greasy outside. More soft, sweet, healthier inside.

My husband like his shepherd's pie. (Mince meat with potato topping and some kind of seasoning.) He said it came up in crockery, which showed it was home made. Very tasty.

Desserts

For me the tangy lemon tart was the star of the show. the chocolate pudding with cherries was nice and choclately, but lacked the oozy delight yu sometimes get in restaurants. However, the pistacchio ice cream was heavenly. 

We did not get offered coffee on the menu. Nor did we think of ordering it. By now we had all already eaten too much. We were alone in the restaurant. the little toddler was getting retless ready for bed. it was time to go.

The one who paid seemed satisfied with the price. 

He was also happy with the selection of wines offered. Nothing exceptionally great or expensive, but a reasonable wine at an affordable price. He ordered the Steen (grape variety) which comes from South Africa.

Birthday Chocolate

The waiter checked which one of us was having the birthday. Me.

My dessert came with a teeny chocolate piece with the words Happy Birthday written so small that I didn't notice it until half way through my dessert. You can buy these.

Useful Websites

https://www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/birthday-chocolates.html?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqdqvBhCPARIsANrmZhMyrJNFY9OnghEEy58YX9HdAyiOngWjvq0YgJBPlIS3Go5wTU1UBKIaAkhkEALw_wcB

https://www.cocobachocolate.com/products/personalised-engraved-chocolate-bar

Heroes of Vilnius - the Jerusalem of the North (Lithuania)

The capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, was known as the Jerusalem of the North. Two local heroes are recalled by statues and monuments. Starting with the earliest, we have the renowned Vilna Gaon. The word gaon means guru or genius.

He was known as the Baal Shem Tov. Baal means master. Shem means name in Hebrew. Tov means good.  Master of the good name. It doesn't mean that he had a good name but he was a master of studies of God. (Think of MA in religious studies, but higher than that, more like a professor emeritus.)

Wikivoyage makes brief mention of the vilna Gaon museum, the Jewish Vilna genius, who is buried in a Vilnius cemetery, as is mentioned, but he has a longer article elsewhere in Wikipedia. 

Quotations From The Vilna Gaon

 Wikiquote has two quotations from him which I found quite negative. One quotation was about telling his wife to stay home and avoid gossipping.

A commenatary explained that women in those days were not obliged to attend synagogue at all. Why? Because women were fully busy looking after the home and family, children. (In that era married women went from one pregnancy to the next throughout their childbearing years).

 However, another website produced lovely timeless sayings that his wife and mother should get along, and woman should be good to their neighbours.

'I ask my wife to honor my mother, (as it is written in the Torah), especially a widow, because it is a great sin to cause her sadness, even with a small gesture.

 I also ask my mother that there be peace between you two. 

A woman should make her neighbor happy with good things'. 

What lovely thoughts, well expressed, even though we are reading in translation. 

The Vilna Gaon Museum has a page on him, and a shop selling publications, books, bookmarks, magnets and postcards.

Also see the street named after the Vilna Gaon with a statue of the Vilna Gaon.

See the bust of the Vilna Gaon in Vilnius.

Also in Vilnius you can see a statue of local hero, a member of parliment, friend of the poor, who enabled them to  consult a doctor when needed, and friend of children. 

Zemach Shabad

The name Zemach is Hebrew for blossom or flower.

His charming statue shows him helping a little girl who holds a kiten.

Wikimedia reveals

Zemach Shabad, a kind Jewish doctor, who treated poor people for free, and helped orphans.  He was a member of the Polish parliament, a friend of Einstein.  He lived from Feb 5th 1864 until January 20th 1935 He died aged 61, and 30,000 people attended his funeral.

Contrasting the interests of youngsters in Vlnius in olden times with modern, cosmopolitan Vilnius, for fun, around Vilnius see a bust of Frank Zappa, guitarist, no connection with Vilnius except fans who wanted his statue, The Frank Zappa statue is in front or a spray mural depicting a band playing. 

Another statue shows John Lennon.

Useful Websites

Go Vilnius

Flashcards and trilingual books for learning languages

I bought a set of 11 language cards from OOOZU. 

this weekend I was looking for a background for a zoom meeting with Hapy Birthday in multiple languages. 

Useful Websites

https://chrikarublog.wordpress.com/multilingual-flashcards/

Chineasy

ooozu.com

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Language-Cards-OOOZU-Lightweight-

trilingual Books

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trilingual-English-Arabic-Illustrated-Vocabulary/

Rules For Weddings & Funerals - Who Is First? Who is the VIP?

Wedding vanue in Albania. Photo by Angela Lansbury

Weddings

The rules are quite simple in the UK and worldwide in most countries. At a wedding the bride comes first. Her dress and event have precedence over any other. 

Funerals

Similarly, at a funeral, the deeased and next of kin come first.

You do not upstage the event to clebrate them, the event and clothing which they have paid for. 

If in doubt, check with the hosts of the event.

If another event is to be announced, the announcement should be made by the next of kin or Toastmasters of the day with permission from the next of kin.

Useful Websites

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13200517/Prince-Harry-Meghan-Markle-American-Riviera-Orchard-William-Diana.html#newcomment

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Birthday Travel & Presents

Birthday headband in Morrisons, Hatch End, London, UK. Photo by Angela Lansbury

Birthdays On Public Transport

 If you are stuck travelling, be sure to tell the transport company it's your birthday. You could get the coach singing happy birthday and smiling. One year I travelled transatlanti from London to the USA on my birthday. The flight out of Heathrow, they had my passport and details and knew it was my birthday. I was given free Champagne. It was one of those journeys where staff change over mid lgight, and you have two or more connections. By the time I was onto meal service my second offer of Champange or sparkling wine and good wishes, the novelty had worn off. Then a third with the next meal, new crew, and a fourth offer of drinks and good wishes!

Remember to tell Restaurants. The efficient restaurant might greet you with a wish, Happy Birthday! 

Some restaurants are geared up for bithdays. In fact, that is their main business. I have sat in restaurants, larger restaurants, where two, three or four groups had birthdays. 

I had one disaster of forgotten cake. My son\s birthday at the now closed Alpine Restaurant. A couple who came in after us wre sent a bithday cake with a candle.

We waited, and waited. For ours. Eventually, despite my son asking me not to, I went over to the other table, to wish them happy birthday, and admire their cake. They were looking rather glum. I asked them whether their cake was a success. They did not look at all happy. The wife replied, "I'ts not a birthday. It's our wedding anniversary."

Then my son and I knew what had happened, and why we were waiting. Our cake had been sent to them. The kitchen had to make another cake for us with fresh decoration. (Or to defrost.)

Some retaurants get the staff to gather around the table and sing hpp birthday, all war hats. You could bring your own balloon. 

Or book a priae room. That way so you can sing without disturbing others, and put parcels under the table with no risk of passers by or staff tripping, moving boxes, or your losing them. 

We used to arrange our travel so that we spent one weekend in Singapore for my birthday, perhaps dinner at Raffles Hotel. We then flew to the UK for my son's birthday. We wanted to be sure he was not alone on his birthday. Later, we wanted to be sure he did not have a big party in our house when we were not there, whilst we worried about the remote but vivid possibiity of gatecrashers, drugs, fights damage, smoking, litter.

My son used to send flowers or a gift to Singapore on my birthday if I was there and he was in London. We used various companies, not only Interlflora and marks and Spencers. One year I had a cake with flower decorations. 

This year I have looked online. I have saved pop up cards showing cakes or flower, or frames showing a picture of flowers on the inside. Also cards with badges. at one point I had a card which played happy birthday to you when I opened it.

I also tried taking to the restaurant a miniature eletronic piano keyboard which had half a dozen built in tunes including hapy birthday. I also had a key ring which played happy birthday. You had to renew the battery in time for the birthday each year. That worked better. Less disruptive to other diners. No spinning through six songs to find Happy birthday.

Somewhere there must be a tee shirt with a build in hapy birthday song. There used to be a tee shirt which played merry christmas at christmas time. I had one. You have to take the batteries out of six months later they leak down the shirt.

If you are travelling, or waving off family who will be away on a birthday, you can send a card with their spouse or parent who is accopanying the birthday boy or girl. 

To be sure the restaurant remembers that it\s your birthday, you can wear a birthday tee-shirt. In a large group that also tells the waiters where to set down the cake with the candle.

One year we ordered for me a cake with my photo on it. It was a ity to cut the cake and immediately lose it. Another year instead I ordered a set of a dozen cup cake toppings, so I could put them all over the cake, or on more than oen cake, to celebrate on both Saturday and Sunday, or midweek on my actual birthday and again tat the weekend when I met family. 

Some people arrange surprise trips and surprise reunions. Be sure to tell the birthday boy or girl that you have a surprise and a visitor that day. Otherwise if they think nothing is planned and you have forgotten them they might take a train trip to see a distant friend or relative so that your surprise trip to Paris has to be cancelled. (I hear of this happening once.)

You can also make sure they are dressed suitably for a smart place such as a Michelin restaurant or opera, or a companing and birdwatching trip, or skiing, or on a breezy boat, or a hike with weatheproof and safety and security devices.

If you want to order a tee shirt saying birthday boy or girl for an adult or child, or birthday helpers, do so well in advance to allow time for the post and not have to pay extra for overnight delivery. 

Birthdays Online

Another possibility which was done during the Covid lockdown, is an online gathering. The orgnaizer sends everybody a happy birthday greeting or ballons or the face of the birthday person to use as a backdrop. 

Food and Drink

The birthday boy or girl (by which I mean adults as well as or rather than childen) is sent either a cake or a bottle of sparkling wine. Individuals worlwide buy themslves a similar cake and/or sparkling wine and have a suitable decorative plate or drinking glass. At the start, middle, or end, everybody sings Happy birthday, and eats and drinks at the same time as the birthday person.

Happy birthday!

Useful Websites

Morrisons have birthday headbands. three pounds and three pounds fifty.

Mine was gold colour at 3.50. I wanted the multi colour but gold was more elegant. However, it disappeared into my blonde hair.

The brand on the supporting card was for wwwhootyballoo.com

To my surprise they were charging more, four pounds ninety nin pence. Admittedly, you got money off for signing up on their website. They offered the headband in silver and rose gold as well as gold. Their website had lots of cake toper, banners and see though confetti balloons. Hm, I thought. Vry pretty. Such fun. Although It might make a mess. I suppse you can vaccuum it up.

Temu has birthday tee-shirts. A huge range for men, women and children. Some come in assorted colours. 

Lifesaving rules for the beach and children

Warming sign includes the words, keep off dunes.

Three rules for children on beaches.

1 Do not leave the alone in or beside the water.

2 Do not leave them alone in or beside the sand.

3 Do not build a hole bigger than a child nor let them climb into a hole.

The same applies to making tunnels in the base of a cliff.  The death of a seven year old girl should be the last time it happens. But apparently it happens every year. Time to put warning signs on beaches. Common sense is common but not one hundred per cent. get some local  McDonalds to say, if leaving the beach for a bit, bring the children with you. Do not leave them alone. Do not allow them to build ditches and holes or tunnels not climb inside them.

Update, Sunday March 172024, experts say don't dig deeper than the knees of the shortest person.

Useful Website

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13194937/Distraught-parents-7-year-old-girl-suffocated-collapsed-sand-hole-beach-say-danger-never-crossed-mind-claim-known-overprotective-friends.html 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13196463/Sloan-Mattingly-beach-sand-pit-parents.html

Photo credit

Infrogmation of New Orleans - Photo by Infrogmation (talk) of New Orleans

 

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Learn Norwegian with Duolingo

 

Norwegian is an easy language.

I have started learning on Duolingo.

These are the words I have learned, and most of them are short version of the English word. Effortless. Instant success. I noted them all down on today's diary page. I have a page a day diary big enough for making notes like this as well as my appointments. (In case the notes obscure my appointments, the appointments are already in my phone alarm).

English - Norwegian

a - en

bread - brod

brother - bror

father - far

hi - hei (pronounced high, the same as in English)

mother - mor 

no - nei  (pronounced nigh)

sister - soster (with a line across the letter o)

tea - te

thanks - tagg

water - vann

wine - veen

Norwegian-English

en - a

brod - bread

bror - brother

far - father

mor - mother

nei (pronounced  nigh or ni as in night) - no

soster (line across the o) - sister

takk - thanks

te - tea

A little more and harder?

Norwegian-English

du- you (similar to French tu)

er- is/are

Ja - yes (similar to German and Malaysian and South African)

kaffe - coffee

melk - milk

min - my (like mine, but the Norwegian adjective comes after the noun)

og - and

vin - wine

Useful Websites

duolingo

wikivoyage norvegian phrasebook

Please share links to your favourite posts from this blog.

Mountain Dangers In Switzerland & Safety Precautions in the UK

An alpine tragedy. Three young men and their uncle died. Wearing Alpine clothing, light clothing, usually worn for a contest over the mountains later in the year. But that is supported by organizers officials along the route.

they ignored weather warnings, apparently. They day looked bright and sunny at the start. But weather can change quickly.

To travel faster, they did not carry equipment to dig themselves a good shelter.

What else could people on mountains do? Are such tragedies preventable. In the midst of a blizzard a flare is no good because nobody can see it and it's too dangerous for the rescuers to risk themselves and their colleagues.

Flares are for earlier or later.

Apparently, according to one comment from the UK, from somebody who used safety devices successfully, a protectiv bag is the answer.

Ccarry a pocket sized survival bag, which is basically a huge, orange plastic bag that you climb inside. It protects you from the wind and elements and helps to preserve your body heat. You can even get them large enough for group use,

Instead of using the word tent,I found using the search word survival bag, orange bags on Amazon and cheaper on TEMU, alhtough whether you have free delivery on Amazon prime could make a difference in price.

Useful Websites

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13188999/family-died-Swiss-ski-trip-pictured.html#comments

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/seasonal-advice/travel/out-and-about/camping-in-wind-and-rain#:~:text=Choose%20your%20equipment%20carefully.,30%20mph%20can%20cause%20damage.

https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=3&TopicID=230335&SearchPagePosition=1

https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=3&TopicID=248707&PagePosition=1

https://www.temu.com/ul/kuiper/un9.html?subj=goods-un&_

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lifesystems-Mountain-Survival-Bag-Orange/dp/B000P9CSGU

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

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