Start Esperanto with a few easy words A-Z and some grammar rules

Dr Zamenhof created the language Esperanto (which means I hope). An easy language. 

I started this list from words I learned on Duolingo.

 I filled in the missing letters by checkling online and a paperback Teach yourself Esperanto Dictionary.

 Esperanto - English

al - to

avo - grandfather

bela - beautiful

blanka - white (adjectives end in a

blua - blue

bruna - brown

capo - cap

Dankon - thank you

estas - is/are 

estis was/were

flago - flag

griza - gray

havas - have

helpi - help

infano - child

januaro - January

kara - expensive kastelo - castle kisas - kisses

libro - book

Londono - London (all nouns end in the letter o)

Mi - I

Ni - we

oktobr - October

parko - park

q - NO WORDS quality - kvalito

restoracio - restaurant

Saluton - hello!

tago - day

unu - on ne urbo - city

Vi - you varma - warm

w NOT USED

x NOT USED Xmas - Kristnasko

y No y, use the letter j, pronounced y

zebro (nouns end in o) - zebra zipo - zip 

mi estas instruisto - I am a teacher (instructor)

Mi havas uno filon. - I have a son (add n for the object of a sentence)

Tips

1 See my other posts on Esperanto for inspiration and encouragement.

2 You see how easy it is to recognize vocabulary, which you can do on Esperanto websites. 

3 You can convert Wikipedia into an esperanto version. 

4 Or turn a short article into Esperanto after reading the English.

Please follow my blog and share links to your favourite posts.

Chinese New Year in Singapore in January - and Chingay Parade in February

 

Red wall hanging and pink flowers at Cashew Heights Condominium, Singapore in January 2023. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Chingay Parade

We have more to look forward to. The Changay Parade in Singapore takes place on Friday February 3rd 2023 and Saturday February 4th. 

The government website shows photos from previous years, apparently sent in after a request to citizens. The recent pre-Covid event in 2021, which just made it before the restrictions, was a water based event, not on the river nor the sea but on a created water area.

I was confused by the advertising, because the event is supposed to be free, but you can buy some high priced tickets. I presume the tickets are for a constructed seating area, up high overlooking the central stage showing the start and end of the parade floats. 

More events take place in the 'heartlands', suburban city centres, some of which were originally villages and pioneer days government housing and shops and office development areas. Since Covid, because of Covid, to prevent crowding, and to enable everybody to share in the national events which unite everybody patriotically, local events are organized for major celebrations, spreading areas enjoying the fun and the government funds for events.

A favourite new year song is Congratulations, congratulations, Gong Xi Gong Xi.

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gong_Xi_Gong_Xi

Chinese lyricsHanyu PinyinEnglish Translation

每条大街小巷，
每个人的嘴里
见面第一句话，
就是恭喜恭喜
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀,
恭喜恭喜恭喜你

měitiáo dà jiē xiǎo xiàng,
měige rén dè zuǐ lǐ
jiànmiàn dì yī jù huà,
jiù shì gōngxǐ gōngxǐ
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ ya
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ

On every street and in every lane,
On everybody's lips,
Whenever people meet,
The first thing they say is "Congratulations."
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you

冬天已到尽头
真是好的消息
温暖的春风
就要吹醒大地
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀
恭喜恭喜恭喜你

dōng tiān yǐ dào jìn tóu,
zhēn shì hǎo de xiāo xī
wēn nuǎn de chūn fēng,
jiù yào chuī xǐng dà dì
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ ya
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ

Winter has come to an end,
That is really good news,
A warm spring breeze is
Blowing to wake up the earth.
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you

浩浩冰雪融解,
眼看梅花吐蕊
漫漫长夜过去,
听到一声鸡啼
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀,
恭喜恭喜恭喜你

hào hào bīng xuě róng jiě,
yǎn kàn méi huā tù ruǐ
màn màn cháng yè guò qù,
tīng dào yī shēng jī tí
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ ya
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ

The icy snow has melted,
See the plum tree blossom!
The long night is past,
I heard the rooster crow.
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you

经过多少困难,
历经多少磨练
多少心儿盼望,
盼望新的消息
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀,
恭喜恭喜恭喜你

恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀，
恭喜恭喜恭喜你

jīng guò duō shǎo kùn nán,
lì jīng duō shǎo mó liàn
duō shǎo xīn ér pàn wàng,
pàn wàng xīn de xiāo xī
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ ya
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ

gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ ya
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ^[3]

After experiencing so many difficulties,
Going through so many ordeals,
How many hearts are looking forward
To the news of Spring!
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you

Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you

Useful Websites

See a youtube version of singing  the New Year song

.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcMGcT6gByM

Wikipedia Chinese New Year

Wikipedia Chingay Parade

www.chingay.gov.sg

https://www.chingay.gov.sg/photo-gallery/2010-2021/

Chinese New Year
"Chinese New Year" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Traditional Chinese	春節
Simplified Chinese	春节
Literal meaning	"Spring Festiv

I checked translate google for the words for 

spring festival 

to be sure which way round it was. 

I then divided the sections of the Chinese compound phrases and they mean spring-sky festival-day

Chinese (Simplified)

English

春
天
节
日

Chūn
tiān
jié
rì

What goodies does January bring for the traveller - or stay at home traveller?

 More Sunlight and Daylight In America and Europe

In The Northern Hemisphere

Every day is brighter and longer. Soon the little white crocuses will be peeping out. 

Lovely Leftover Food

But supermarkets are still stocked with Christmas goodies. 

Christmas Pudding

We still have English Christmas pudding.

German Stollen

Another recent favourite in the UK is German stollen with its sweet marzipan filling, 

Italian Panetonne

Italian panettone - yummy. I love the high, domed bread. The classic panettone is plain, or with currants. Nowadays many more flavours are sold in caffes.

Panettone. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Leftover Drinks

Bubbles - Kings' Ginger. Champagne. Cava. Prosecco. 

Spirits

Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry - at least it keeps. Let's take a closer look.

Nibbles

Scottish shortbread biscuits. Chocolates - Belgian chocolates. Chocolate from Hotel Chocolat.

Just around the calendar corner of the year, in Asia, China, Singapore and Chinese areas of big cities such as New York and London there will be Chinese New Year with orange lanterns and decorations on buildings, oranges, and boxes of biscuits for neighbours and friends and club members and colleagues.

What you see and learn about Auschwitz and camp 2 called Auschwitz-Birkenau

 Holocaust Memorial Day is in January, recalling the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland, where the larges concentration camp was situatedarn and the huge majority died. Our guide told us that although we were tired after touring several barracks buildings and the forecourt were the roll call was held and poeple were hanged, we must go on to Birkenau down the road. 

In Auschwitz you see te railway track which brought the trains from all over Europe. In Auschwitz, you see the receiving room where those who were kept alive were given numerical stamps on their arms, and you see the before and after photos, inlcuding one girl I recall. 

After 3 months the inhabitants were so thin and haggard they were not recognizable from photos and needed numbers. Then in other blocks you see the suitcases with names, then the children's shoes, the eyeglasses. The underground cells for the priest who took the place of a prisoner and was held until he starved to death or was killed.

When you reach Birkenau with the gas chambers, you go from the individual horror to the horrifying scale of the tragedy. You see the fields surrounded by tennis netting and watch towers. 

Your guide, who usually has a connection such as a relative who died there, is a guide for a set time and then needs a break from the emoitonal strain. Your guide says, this field held the French, the next field held the Italians, the next field held the Greeks, the next field held ..." Jews and other prisoners from the whole of Europe, transported here, en masse, and exterminated.

All the more remarkable are the ones who got away, some just before the war, or after the war started before the killings. Plus discoveries of items buried at concentration camps or elsewhere. And new reserachers, seeking grandparents or other relatives as the internet expands the numbers of people doing family research.

For more about the survivors and Prince William and Kate see previous post.

Interesting Websites

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

https://holocaustlearning.org.uk/learning/untold-stories-for-key-stage-2/

 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9192831/Survivors-Britain-escaped-Nazi-Germany-mark-Holocaust-Memorial-Day.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9189127/ID-tags-children-aged-6-12-murdered-discovered-Sobibor-Nazi-death-camp.html

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is teacher of English. (Advanced English and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, an aspiring polyglot.)

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Member of many toastmasters  speaker training clubs, and speaking contest judge.

Angela Lansbury, the author of 20 books including Wedding Speeches & Toasts, and Quick Quotations, has lived in the USA, Spain and Singapore. 

She  has several blogs and writes daily on at least two of the following:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

 Please share links to your favourite posts.

Brilliant Bellanger Restaurant in Islington Near Euston - get on their dinner list

I returned to Bellanger where we once had a birthday lunch. Brilliant decor.

The Journey
Euston to Angel.To get there from the Angel station, first we walked through the ever so old and nooky Camden passage. Old atmospheric shops, but also new and convenient ones.

Bellinger's is on the green. Islington Green. The green! A strange oasis is the middle of a bustling area.

We went to Euston station then one or two or three stops to Angel station. Strange, bizarre statue at the top of the escalator when you arrive.

The Restaurant
Bellangers is also odd, old wood, seems to go on forever, with alcoves.



I loved the private room at the back. Lots of paintings.


An old fashioned ladies toilet with wooden doors and dividers in dark wood right down to the ground for seculusion and privacy. Not like modern toilet cubicles where you can see other people feet and shadows, and feel rushed, like taking a shower on a campsite. Wooden toilet seats. Two taps on each basin.

Bellanger has pictures of Goethe everywhere.

We went there a couple of years back for a birthday and found it good but pricey.

This time we had a pre-arranged dinner called A Taste Of Alsace and although it was pricey it included three desserts and several glasses of wine.Four glasses. Plus a sorbet between the courses.

If you are arranging a dinner, try to get the chefs (one is South African) to make you the pre-meal filling nibble to share, the tartes flambees, like a giant circular crispy pancake, topped with dices of goats cheese. Alsacienne Chevre, miel et thyme. We had an Alsace theme meal to go with Alsace wines, at a dinner arranged by a promoter of Alsace wines.

The next highlight tangy taste, from the hors d'oevres which followed, was the red onion marmalade.

Finally a triple dessert.

Apricot crumble, Gewurztraminer and gooseberry custard, tart au citron. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The yellow lemon tart was tasty, tangy, zesty.

All the wines were delicious. Not often I can drink every wine, We finished with a sweet wine to acompany the sweet desserts. 2015 Cuvee Christine Gewurtztraminer. The name is German for spicy traminer grape.

The restaurant runs events throughout the year s they say 'celebrating the best of France'.
Their annual Fete des Rois (festival of the kings) is on January 6th. They say they offer a complimentary meal to any guests in costume.

Bellanger,
9 Islington Green
London N1 2XH
www.bellanger.co.uk
Tel 020 7226 2555.
reservations@bellanger.co.uk

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and phtographer, author and speaker. Please contact me for a speech on food, wine, travel, learning languages, or any other subject. I used to write for enecyclopaedias and have won numberous prizes for impromptu speeches.

Did you miss the New Year's Day Concert, broadcast by the BBC from Vienna?

Problem
My family in Singapore missed their favourite New Year's Day activity, watching the concert from Vienna, Austria, with ballet dancing accompanying the music, pictures of the grand concert hall, an informative commentary on the music, musicians and city, and sometimes a travelogue around Vienna or Austria. Unfortunately, the BBC broadcasts, even if you have paid your license fee in the UK, are not available in outside the UK, as the notice on your screen informs you.

Answer
Fortunately, the concert is available on the iplayer for late watching throughout January. So, if you are returning home to the UK after New Year, or staying with a family in the UK which has BBC iplayer available, you can watch the concert.

Do you really want to watch it? You can find out by watching the brief trailer on YouTube.

We love the concert. The broadcast includes the grand gilded building adorned with flower displays, moments of glamour from the ballet costumes, skill from the dancers. The music is usually upbeat and the happy mood is often accentuated by humour from the conductor interacting with members of the orchestra.

You can re-live or revive your memories of a previous year's event and get a glimpse of the next one as a reminder to put it in your diary to watch it when you get the chance.

Here's the YouTube trailer for the 2017 concert showing the venue and the jollity of the occasion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XxX00Bjjzk

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

Ill over Christmas? Can't Cook? Lonely or Alone In December or January? The Answer - travel to later celebrations

Problem
You are ill over Christmas and can't enjoy it. A relative by marriage tells me and the world on Facebook that she is too ill to celebrate Christmas. She is too ill to get out of bed, go out, cook, taste the food, indulge in Christmas food, cook or drink alcohol. I have managed to celebrate Christmas with others from early December through to mid-January. How?

Answer
Rest
In my experience I get ill if I am doing too much and not getting enough rest. Some years I feel I have been travelling too much on crowded buses, trains and planes and mixing with too many crowds and breathing too many of other people's germs. Eventually something goes. Illness is my body's way of going on strike and telling me to go to bed and get some rest. After a day's sleep, I feel rested, better. Going to a club party means minimum effort organixing food, although some parties are pot luck.

December 25th, 2017, Chritmas Day at rooftop bar, Singapore. Just pay $22 entry per person for admission which includes $2 towards food, then add $2 to order a $24 platter of pizza.

Singapore's Early Christmas Parties In December
In Singapore the Francophone Toastmasters club which meets the first Friday of the month had their Christmas party at the start of December.

Changing Dates and Time Zones
In Singapore Christmas ends on Boxing Day (which is a holiday in the UK and some Commonwealth countries). However, if you wish, you can celebrate the 12 days of Christmas and leave up the decoration until January 6th.

Going Out To Meet Friends On Boxing Day
In London we used to meet a specific group of friends for a Boxing Day evening get together at a restaurant. This is a good system for a group including mixed nationalities, mized religions, couples with mixed marriages, or small families where you cannot have Chrsitmas Day at granny's, mother's, or one sister's home and boxing day at the other sister or sister-in-law or brother-in law.

I asked a Chinese single lady who has eight brothers and sisters and a clan of three generations, "Do you have a pot luck party?"

She said, "No. Americans like pot lucks. We are all too busy working, often from 7 am.  I teach in a local primary school.  Some of my family get home at 7 or eight or even nine at night. Too tired and busy to cook. We have a catering company delivery a buffet for our big family."

In Singapore our Indian friends organize an annual Boxing Day lunch at an Indian restaurant. The husband says, "It is because 'Judy' (his wife) is a teacher always has that day off from teaching." His wife teaches English and French at American and ex-pat schools.

Singapore's Late December Celebrations
Bishan Toastmasters club has a meeting December 26th, 2017 with one Christmas theme speech listed.

Cairnhill Toastmasters club has a Christmas potluck supper in the break of a Christmas theme meeting on December 27th, 2017.

In London in 2017 a club's meeting date fell late in the month, too close to Christmas. Some people were involved in office parties. Others were travelling overseas to family, or just taking a Christmas holiday. Therefore they postponed the club Christmas party to January when they also got a lower price for a restaurant meal for the group and choice of dates because the restaurants were not already booked up with other people's Xmas parties. Christmas decorations in the shops were cheaper and club members had leftovers from their own home Christmas parties as well as stocks from previous years.

Christmas Warmer and Earlier Down Under
In Australia and Singapore, the clocks are different. Therefore you can see the Queen's Speech several hours earlier on TV.

If you suffer from SAD (lack of sunlight as well as cold making you stay indoors out of the sun causing depression) you could go south around the world to the warmer tropics such as India, Singapore, or South Africa or Australia or New Zealand.

Czech Republic In Europe
Last year, 2016, I was in Prague, Czech Republic. I thought there would be nothing happening on December 27th, certainly not a club meeting. I emailed the half dozen clubs in Prague and was amazed to find an enthusiastic response from a Pague club which was holding a Christmas theme meeting.

If you are visiting a club overseas, you might wish to pack Christmas theme biscuits from home as a contribution to the festivities. Be prepared for a charge made to visitors and members for Christmas food. It will be less than you would pay in a restaurant with the added bonus of networking and conviviality. The Czech group ran things differently, a short meeting, then all going on to a budget restaurant with long tables in a giant cellar beer hall - with Christmas decorations. If you have a small family, or are single or widowed, visiting or joining a club is a way of finding a group with whom you can talk.

(Toastmasters International, which started in the USA, is now worldwide. Membership is about £100 a year depending on the location and frequency of meetings. You can join most clubs for half a year at a reduced price. When you are a member, you are welcome to join meetings worldwide and learn how to log into Find-a-club.)

Travel To A Change Of Christmas Scene
Back to Christmas. Dates are arbitrary. You can follow the sun or the moon, Julian's calendar or Gregory's calendar. Some countries have a day of rest on Friday, others on Saturday, others on Sunday. If you can't co-ordinate with one country's celebrations, find another which co-ordinates its parades with your health when you feel ready to go and celebrate.

Celebrating New Year
Who celebrates later? If you need a mid-winter break or holiday, the Scots have their main celebrations at New Year. Join the Scots in Scotland and Scottish ex-pats worldwide or in Scottish communities or watch on TV.

Celebrating In January
Eastern Europe and Eastern Orthodox communities worldwide celebrate in January. If you haven't the health or money or time to travel in January, you can travel on the internet.

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

Malay and Indonesian - practical words from school to sea

Problem
I pick up leaflets in a Singaporean Community Centre. By mistake I have picked up the Malay version.

Solution
Later I find an English version. By comparing the two, or copying words from the Malay leaflet into Google translate, I can find words on subjects which interest me and are practical.

Spelling and Pronunciation
Double words are plurals. For example, anak is child and anak-anak is children. There are no double letters. Every vowel is pronounced.

Malay - English
a i r / a y e r - water
anda - your
bank - bank
dan - and
i n s u r a n s - insurance
 j a n u a r i - January
Kredit - credit
laut - sea
p o l i t e k n i k - polytechnic (looks like polite  - k - nik !)
p r o f e s i o n a l - professional
p r o g r a m - programme
sekolah - school
skim - scheme
u n i v e r s i t i - university
w a n i t a - woman

English - Malay
and - dan
bank - bank
credit - K r e d i t
Politeknik - polytechnic
programme - p r o g r a m
sea - laut
university - universiti
water - a  i r / ay e r
woman - w a n i t a
your - anda

AUTHOR
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, teacher of English and other languages.

Carnivals, Festivals and Feasts With Fruit and Flowers

Where was that parade, or festival, the one with the fruit or vegetables and flowers?

By Country

GERMANY
Stuttgart Beer Festival or Autumn Fair, 17 day festival with a fruit column, fireworks. Starts late September until mid-October.
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannstatter_Volksfest

ECUADOR
The name Ecuador means Equator, a hot country.
http://www.ecuador.com/blog/the-festival-of-fruit-and-flowers-in-ambato

ITALY
The Battle Of The Oranges
Culminates in a fruit throwing festival. Wear clothes which don't matter and look for designated areas of refuge.
January at Ivrea, near Turin, Italy.

http://news.opodo.co.uk/NewsDetails/2007-01-16/Battle_of_Oranges_at_Italian_carnival

Umbria - see previous posts.

SPAIN
La Tomatino is a festival which culminates in a tomato fight. The last Wednesday in August and the preceding week. In Buñol near Valencia.
https://www.spanish-fiestas.com/festivals/la-tomatina/

UK -
Cheese rolling
Pancakes - Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day nationwide, offers in supermarkets and recipes in newspapers; pancake races, with pancakes in frying pans

USA
Parade of the Roses, Jan 1st? California?

Angela Lansbury
Travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

When Should I Take Down Christmas Decorations?

After Christmas the Christmas decorations were still in shops.

Problem
When should I / you take down Christmas decorations?
1 Midnight on December 25th? Singapore shops think Christmas ends at the end of Christmas Day.
2 On Boxing Day? (That's December 26th in the UK - St Stephen's in Catholic and European countries.) 3 On New Year's Eve (replacing decorations with mistletoe and silver and gold and Happy New Year banners, and Christmas cards put away and replaced with Happy New Year cards?
4 Evening of New Year's Day, January 1st - holidays over - it's back to work. Shops replace Happy Christmas with January Sales signs.
5 January 5th - 12th Day of Xmas.
6 January 6th? Sounds like a nice even number.

Let's Count
Jan 24 - Xmas Eve - must have decorations up.
Jan 25 1st day of Xmas. (Unless you start counting on Jan 24th, which is a half day holiday in many businesses.)
Jan 26 - second day. Jan 27 - third day. Jan 29 - fourth day. Jan 30 - third day.

(How many days in December? The old rhyme goes, 'Thirty days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31 days ....) So December has 31 days. Keep going.

December 31st (New Year's Eve) - fourth day.
Jan 1st - fifth day.
Jan 2nd - 6th day.
Jan 3rd - 7th day.
Jan 4th - 8th day.
Jan 5th - 9th day.
Jan 6th - 10th day.
Jan 7th - 11th day (but counting Xmas Eve as Day one it's 12th. So take things down on the morning or evening of the 7th, or midnight on the 6th. Hm. This year that's Friday night. End of the working week. Weekend clear to today up and pack away. Sounds good to me.

Answer
Jan 6th is the 12th Day of Christmas with the Feast of Epiphany. Jesus was circumcised on the 8th day after his birth, as is still done by Jews nowadays.

Do what you like. Tidy minded people take them down and pack them up as soon as possible, whilst still on holiday to save work later. But there are good reasons for all these ideas and dates. To get best use of your decorations, leave them up as long as possible.

Traditionally, you would leave the decorations up in the UK for the 12 days of Christmas, as in the song 'The 12 days of Xmas'.

Tips
Store Xmas decorations in tote bags from supermarkets which have Xmas themes in order to locate them easily next year.
Need to know more?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2008/august/real-twelve-days-of-christmas.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-festivals/12082544/What-is-Epiphany-Here-are-10-facts-about-the-history-and-meaning-of-Three-Kings-Day.html

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. Author and speaker.
See my other posts and blogs. You can also follow me on Facebook and see profiles and posts on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube videos. Please follow, like and share.

What to call your child? Names from places, months, birthdays, saints' days

Florence Nightingale was named after Florence in Italy, the bird, the Nightingale.

Placenames

Placenames include

Alexandria

Austin

Berlin (Isaiah Berlin)

Charlotte

Chelsea

Dallas

Florence (Florence Nightingale)

Helena

Israel

Jordan

Madison

Paris (Paris Hilton)

London (Jack London)

Problem
1 What to call your child?
2 What to call yourself if you want to translate your name to make it understandable to people who pick another language?

Answer
1 and 2 In Europe and Catholic countries such as in South America, or visiting a Catholic colleague in another country, pick a saint's name day.
Family dispute about the name? End of argument.

Story

Tip

Wikipedia has a list of the names in the Czech Republic. They leave out the national holidays. You can also check the

January

New Year's Day
Karina
Radmila
Diana
Dalimil
Tři králové
Vilma
Čestmír
Vladan
Břetislav
Bohdana
Pravoslav
Edita
Radovan
Alice
Ctirad
Drahoslav
Vladislav
Doubravka
Ilona
Běla
Slavomír
Zdeněk
Milena
Miloš
Zora
Ingrid
Otýlie
Zdislava
Robin
Marika

February
Hynek
Nela, Hromnice
Blažej
Jarmila
Dobromila
Vanda
Veronika
Milada
Apolena
Mojmír
Božena
Slavěna
Věnceslav
Valentýn
Jiřina
Ljuba
Miloslava
Gizela
Patrik
Oldřich
Lenka
Petr
Svatopluk
Matěj
Liliana
Dorota
Alexandr
Lumber
Horymír

March
Bedřich
Anežka
Kamil
Stela
Kazimír
Miroslav
Tomáš
Gabriela
Františka
Viktorie
Anděla
Řehoř
Růžena
Rút/Matylda
Ida
Elena/Herbert
Vlastimil
Eduard
Josef
Světlana
Radek
Leona
Ivona
Gabriel
Marián
Emanuel
Dita
Soňa
Taťána
Arnott
Kvido

April
Hugo
Erika
Richard
Ivana
Miroslava
Vendula
Heřman
Ema
Dušan
Darja
Izabela
Julius
Aleš
Vincenc
Anastázie
Irena
Rudolf
Valérie
Rostislav
Marcela
Alexandra
Evženie
Vojtěch
Jiří
Marek
Oto
Jaroslav
Vlastislav
Robert
Blahoslav

May
Labour Day
(May Day)
Zikmund
Alexej
Květoslav
Klaudie
Radoslav
Stanislav
National holiday
Ctibor
Blažena
Svatava
Pankrác
Servác
Bonifác
Žofie
Přemysl
Aneta
Nataša
Ivo
Zbyšek
Monika
Emil
Vladimír
Jana
Viola
Filip (English Philip)
Valdemar
Vilém
Maxmilián
Ferdinand
Kamila (English Camilla)

June
Laura
Jarmil
Tamara
Dalibor
Dobroslav
Norbert
Iveta
Medard
Stanislava
Gita
Bruno
Antonie (English Anthony or Antony)
Antonín
Roland
Vít
Zbyněk
Adolf
Milan
Leoš
Květa
Alois
Pavla
Zdeňka
Jan
Ivan
Adriana
Ladislav
Lubomír
Petr a Pavel
Šárka

July
Jaroslava
Patricie (English Patricia)
Radomír
Prokop
National holiday
National holiday
(Jan Hus, 1415)
Bohuslava
Nora
Drahoslava
Libuše/Amálie
Olga
Bořek
Markéta
Karolína (English Caroline or Carolyn)
Jindřich
Luboš
Martina
Drahomíra
Čeněk
Ilja
Vítězslav
Magdaléna
Libor
Kristýna (English Christina - short form Tina)
Jakub (English Jacob)
Anna
Věroslav
Viktor (English Victor)
Marta (English Martha)
Bořivoj
Ignác

August
Oskar (English Oscar)
Gustav
Millie
Dominik (English Dominic)
Cristián (English Christian)
Oldřiška
Lada
Soběslav
Roman
Vavřinec
Zuzana
Klára (English Clara)
Alena
Alan
Hana (English Hannah)
Jáchym
Petra
Helena
Ludvík
Bernard
Johana (English Johanna)
Bohuslav
Sandra
Bartoloměj
Radim
Luděk
Otakar
Augustýn
Evelína (English Evelyn)
Vladěna
Pavlína (English Pauline)

September
Linda/Samuel
Adéla
Bronislav/Bronislava
Jindřiška
Boris
Boleslav
Regina/Regína
Mariana
Daniela
Irma
Denisa (English Denise)
Marie (English Mary or Maria)
Lubor
Radka
Jolana
Ludmila
Naděžda
Kryštof
Zita
Oleg
Matouš
Darina
Berta
Jaromír
Zlata
Andrea
Jonáš
Václav
Michal (English Michael)
Jeroným

October
Igor
Olívie/Oliver
Bohumil
František
Eliška
Haunt
Justin (English Justin)
Věra
Štefan/Sára (English Stephen, Steven, Sarah)
Marina
Andrej (English Andrew)
Marcel
Renáta
Agáta
Tereza
Havel
Hedvika
Lukas (English Luke or Lucas)
Michaela (English Michael)
Vendelín
Brigita
Sabina
Teodor (English Theodore)
Nina
Beat
Erik (English Eric)
Šarlota/Zoe
National holiday
Silvie (English Sylvia)
Tadeáš
Štěpánka

November
Felix
All Souls' Day
Hubert
Karel
Miriam
Liběna
Saskie
Bohumír
Bohdan
Evžen
Martin
Benedikt (English Benedict)
Tibor
Sáva
Leopold (In English Leo for short)
Otmar
Mahulena
Romana
Alžběta
Nikola (In English Nicholas or Nicola)
Albert
Cecilia
Klement (English Clement)
Emílie
Kateřina (English Catherine or Katherine)
Artur (English Arthur)
Xenie
René
Zina
Ondřej

December
Iva
Blanka
Svatoslav
Barbora (English Barbara)
Jitka
Mikuláš
Ambrož
Květoslava
Vratislav
Julie
Dana
Simona (English Simon for a boy or Simone for a girl)
Lucie (In English more often Lucy or Lucia)
Lýdie
Radana
Albína
Daniel
Miloslav
Ester
Dagmar
Natálie
Šimon
Vlasta
Adam/Eva, Christmas Eve
1st Christmas Holiday
Štěpán (2nd Christmas Holiday) (English Stephen, Steven)
Žaneta
Bohumila
Judita (English Judith)
David
Sylvester

I have highlighted some of the names which are more common in English. Go to Wikipedia to see the days.
Author, Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, speaker, language teacher.

Useful Websites

https://www.insider.com/baby-names-inspired-by-geography-cities-countries-travel-2017-7#1-florence-is-a-city-in-italy-but-also-comes-from-a-word-meaning-to-flourish-1

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Meal Deals; Indian, Chinese, Buffets, Bargains, Now Until New Year and January

Indian and Chinese meals
In the UK and worldwide look for Chinese and Indian restaurants which often have set meals including coffee or tea. Before ordering or booking a buffet at an Indian restaurant or hotel buffet, check whether dessert and coffee are included. Look in free newspapers and magazines.

In NW London Optima is delivered to suburban homes. Optima runs a one page restaurant review and usually a page with four or advertisements often offering season deals.

Christmas
Christmas set menus are popular - often at higher prices than previous months. If you are on a budget look for deals in the carveries and budget pub chains.

Free Champagne For New Year
Premium prices are for Christmas Day and Christmas eve. New Year's Eve meal deals often include once glass of Champagne.

Central London and suburban restaurants are so popular and often fully booked. In fact many often have two sittings, especially for New Year's Even. You may get a glass of champagne on arrival for the first sitting, or if you arrive early in the evening. They hope you'll order a second glass or a bottle to go with your meal. Then maybe more champagne after midnight.

After Midnight
The railway station had such a crush one year at midnight near Traveller Square, with the street outside packed with people wall to wall. Everybody was in concertina queues (Americans would say line-ups) behind ropes like a queue at Disney World. It was time wasting and claustrophobic. We went back to the restaurant and our leftover food and wine had been thrown away so we had to order more.

The second sitting often gets free glass of champagne at midnight. However, again the restaurant hopes you will order more wine during the meal.

January
Bargains start in January to fill up restaurants after everybody has spent on Christmas and is dieting, staying in, or on a budget. Some people stay home on Christmas and New Year and then eat out in the first week of January. Restaurants are getting wise to this ploy. Some are starting their bargain meals not on January 1st but a week later.

Buffet Deals
In Singapore you can find many offers of Sunday lunch buffets including either a glass of Champagne or sparkling wine, sometimes free flow sparkling wine. Look in the newspapers.

Lunch Time Bargains
In the UK many restaurants off a lunch time or evening deal of a one course, two courses, or three courses, at an apparently low offer on a chalk board outside the restaurant on the pavement. (Americans call the pavement the sidewalk). When you add on the price of a drink with the meal, dessert and tea or coffee, plus a service charge of ten per cent or twelve and a half per cent, the price of your meal doubles.

French Set Meals
In France it is a legal requirement to offer a set meal which includes everything, usually including one glass of wine or tea or coffee. This is usually a daily special.

Any problems with the set meal? We found this limited choice of set meals might not suit everybody,or both of you. You might find you have to go a la carte for one person which brings up the total cost on your joint bill. For example, if you are in a group and one of the courses is shellfish, or brains.

However, it's a great idea to protect the consumer and I wish the EU would make it standard and the Uk government would follow suit.

UK Newspapers and magazines
You can pick up copies of Metro and Evening Standard at the entrances to stations in London, England. Another free newspaper is City am.

Singapore Newspapers and magazines
In Singapore, Today newspaper is delivered to homes and in boxes in the central stations such as Orchard MRT. It's easier to find ads for meal deals in the paper version than on line.

Finally, if you are stuck at home, can't get a babysitter, Gousto can deliver a recipe and the ingredients.

https://www.gousto.co.uk
http://www.optimamagazine.co.uk
https://www.tobycarvery.co.uk/restaurants/east-of-england/aldenhamwatford/offers/christmas

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

Telegraph Travel Show Excel, London - January

The Telegraph Travel show takes place at Excel in London.

The Telegraph Travel Show to offer Escapism readers a pair of FREE tickets to the event, taking place from Friday 8 – Sunday 10 January 2016.

 They also run a free shuttle bus from various stations and you can book a seat on line.
.....
To find your way on London Transport
https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/stop

Travel show tickets http://telegraphtravelshow.eventgenius.co.uk for bookings

Information on wine tasting at the show (some or all already fully booked, but worth a look)
http://travelshow.telegraph.co.uk/whats-on/wine-tasting

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

Tax reminder - deadline Jan 31st

Xmas and New Year Tax deadlines
If you are planning to go away over Xmas, New Year, or in January, remember that a UK tax return has to be completed by January 31st.

The first year I did a tax return, the tax office came back to me with two queries so that by the time I had answered the second I was beyond the deadline, they claimed, and they issued a fine of £100.

If you are having trouble with passwords that could be another problem when travelling, especially if  they insist on sending the password to you by post, taking up to three weeks (plus xmas delays) or they are sending the password to your UK phone which you have left at home to avoid incurring roaming charges.

Accountant
You can use an accountant. But the accountant will be in a rush because everybody else is late as well as you, and the Accountant also wants a Christmas and New Year time off, plus a January ski trip.

Tax Return
So start planning your tax return now. If you are in the USA you have a similar problem. The ideal system is to do your accounts every weekend so that you have everything ready in the decline month.

Or you could spend Christmas and New Year doing your accounts, or do a spreadsheet whilst waiting at the airport for a plane, or stuck in a hotel room.
 Happy holidays, happy new year and -
Happy filing!


Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.