Where To See Joseph Conrad memorial in Singapore and other statues worldwide

Author Joseph Conrad, 1857-1924, who wrote Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim(1900).

Why would you find a plaque to Joseph Conrad in Singapore? He features Singapore in his short story, The End of the Tether in 1902, as well as using Singapore in other stories. As the plaque says, Singapore was his home port. he would have had to register at the post office which is now the landmark Fullerton Hotel.


Singapore flag.

Singapore was and still is an important port and stopping place for ships to re-load goods and fuel, crew and passengers. Conrad spent a lot of time aboard ships and went from one country to another.

I was visiting the historic hotel in Singapore by the museum and river when I came across a plaque to Joseph Conrad. He was a most remarkable man. He grew up surrounded by the patriotic Polish people and language in places which were under Russian rule, in what is now Poland, in cities such as Krakow (now Poland) and Lvov (now in the west of Ukraine on the border).

He lived in many countries, first France, and finally including England where he became British and managed to extricate himself from Russian citizenship. He later had chosen to avoid countries such as Russia and France where he would have been forced to serve in the military.

He had lost his parents (who both had tuberculosis) when he was a 12 year old child. Later in life he attempted suicide.

He wrote best sellers in English, which was not his first language. It was his third language after Polish and French.

Like many authors, he lad a life more dramatic and incredible than his plots and books. He met other famous authors and was the model for the character in another author's book.

He spent about ten years at sea, working his way up through the ranks.

I took a photo in Singapore at the time I first saw his monument and again, which has unfortunately disappeared into my stored photos on a disc somewhere. Never mind, you can easily find photos of  his monuments including the memorial in Singapore in Wikipedia and on the web.

I had copies of his books but looked up the plots in Wikipedia. I like that about Wikipedia. In review sites you don't get a through analysis of a book because they are to anxious not to reveal the plot twists and ending. Wikipedia gives you plots, characters, films made of the book, enough of the author's life to see what inspired him, and separately the author's life and quotations.


Conrad's grave at Canterbury Cemetery, near Harbledown, Kent.

Conrad's grave in England.
As Jonson famously said, 'Worth seeing but not worth going to see'.

Useful Websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Conrad
https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Attraction_Review-g294265-d11824838-Reviews-Joseph_Conrad_Korzeniowski-Singapore.html

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

Information For Travellers To Spain, Finland And Countries With Incidents

Problem

I am already planning a holiday or business trip to a country with a natural disaster or terrorist attack. Where do I find information?

Answers

Sources include:

Sources in your country: In the UK the foreign office websites covering all aspects of travel from safety and security, from visas to pickpockets and flight restrictions. The USA government has similar. 

For each country you can check, advice from the country for people carrying your passport; from your leaving point, from your destination, from any transit country. Travel agents and Tripadvisor are further sources of information.

Check independent information from any third country, or a country adjacent to your destination.

You may also want to check your travel insurance. And your employer. If you are running a business and have group travel insurance, the insurer probably won't cover travel by employees travelling to a country where nationals are told not to go by their government. 

Story
International incidents can affect other countries, especially if your flight arrives from the affected destination, or had a stopover there. I was travelling from Singapore to South Africa on 9/11. Planes were prevented from travelling into the USA; other round trip flights were not coming back into Singapore from the USA. Passengers were cancelling or re-routing, so half full flights were not economic. A scared passenger phoned a bomb hoax so my flight had a long delay. After a 12 hour wait, we needed a new crew because our crew could not fly because they were over their limit for hours on duty.

I had insurance for a certain number of days. I had booked my flights so that I stayed the maximum number of delays. An extra day took me over my limit so I was flying uninsured.

SPAIN

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain

information in English about the current situation in Barcelona is available via the following links: 

• http://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/en/
• http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/
• https://twitter.com/VisitBCN_CAT

The municipality has also set up two telephone numbers for visitors: (+34) 93 285 38 32 (+34) 93 285 38 34

Advice from US government

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/spain.html

Advice from US government embassy in Spain

https://es.usembassy.gov/visas/

FINLAND
Several websites about safety say that Finland is the safest country in the world. The information might have been compiled before the most recent incident. Always check the news before travelling.  

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/finland

http://www.visitfinland.com

Advice from Government of Canada

https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/finland

Advice from US government:

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/finland.html

Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have written other posts on various aspects of safety and security including pick pocket proof clothing. Please share links to your favourite posts.

What the news teachers travellers, builders and planners

Even on a sunny day, hiking in Romania, after a day of rain, an 'easy' level path had a pond.
Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problems
What can the news teach us about safety, before and after major events?

Answers
Do you work or deal with people who work in hotels, restaurants, construction or insurance? Most of us do every year, every month, every week, every day.

This year I have read news items about the fire in the Grenfell skyscraper in London, terrorist attacks worldwide, crocodile, lion, dog and animal attacks, earthquakes in Turkey and Greece and floods and Tsunamis. Today I looked at photos and videos of people hiding under desks to avoid flying objects in an earthquake in Turkey, and Kos island in Greece, and a toppled minaret, and a chair and pushchair delaying people rushing out of a restaurant.

My first thought on seeing the toppled minaret was, haven't we learned anything from the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Towers are an example of seeking attention, rather than thinking of health and safety.

Why do we need towers? Church towers with bells and minarets can be used to summon people to prayers. Clock towers can be used to signal time to all. Flag masts atop towers can be used to signal welcome, royals in residence, danger, or at half mast to signal mourning. High towers in Italy were used by rich, rival families to advertise their importance. The highest tower in the world nowadays gets into the Guinness book of records. Tallest, like biggest, is a sales attraction for tourists, status seekers, investors.

But just as cars are nowadays required by law to fit seat belts, and other safety devices, which began as novelties and rarities, in some new models, in all new models, in older ones adapted at great cost, prices come down, in all or most, in some or all countries, so with building regulations.

What can the tourist do?

DOCUMENTS / INFO /FINANCE IN POCKETS
What should you do? If you are ultra cautious, in an ideal world you have copies of all vital documents including credit card, phone and phone numbers in pockets so you don't delay yourself and others taking luggage.

Luggage Delays
Imagine the plane is filling with smoke, like it did in a plane this month (July 2017). You don't want delay getting luggage out from overhead. Nor do you want people obstructing the aisle with wheelie bags. Sometimes your luggage is at the other end of the place because the locker was full.

Chutes
You can't or shouldn't take your carry on luggage when exiting from an aeroplane via a chute. The luggage falls to the bottom. You hurl into it, fall over it, obstruct your quick exit. Don't delay yourself and everybody. Duty free drinks bottles break and cut your feet which are without shoes if you were on the plane without shoes or had to removed high heeled shoes.,

This is the path on day one, the easiest day, on a hiking holiday in Romania. Two toads are clearly seen in the middle. Several more camouflaged until they move and swim. The mud on the side is slippery. I fell once and covered my clothes in mud. The mud sucks your shoes. Better to wade through the water. Try not to wet your shoes, slip in the mud, kill the toads. This is good weather on a good day. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Waterproof Boots
I looked at people in a tsunami flood in Greece and Turkey. Only the emergency services and park rangers and nearby residents had access to their waterproof above the ankle boots. When going by car, I am thinking about packing waterproof boots or Wellingtons in the car boot (called car trunk in America).

Even in a minor flood and puddles boots mean your feet stay dry. In deeper water, they can protect your lower legs from wet, and dirty, flood water, as well as surface and hidden underfoot debris.  Plus wildlife. Toads in shallow puddles.

Waterproof kniee-length boots, used for gardening, wet and snowy weather, known as Wellingtons, or the style of Wellington boots. Bought by mail order from shop advertising on Ebay. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Tips
News updates from news sources found on Google and from travel agents who have their own bulletins
https://www.ttgmedia.com/news/news/tourists-killed-as-aegean-sea-earthquake-strikes-greece-and-turkey-10979?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Midday%20Bulletin

The UK Foreign office has guides for travellers from Britain on British passports but the safety advice may be applicable to others going to specific countries. Here's just one example of the safety and security webpage for Japan.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/japan/safety-and-security
Author, Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.