Prepare For Emergencies - Like in Japan and the Philippines

Be Prepared

The scout's motto is be prepared. First Aid. But not only first aid. Scouts are constantly learning new skills. How to read maps. How to cook food. 

Outdoors

Hiking and camping holidays teach you what you need to survive, alone or in a group. Protective clothing. Food and drink. Knowing the weather. 

Planning a route. 

Telling people where you are, where you are going, when you will be back. 

Avoiding Danger

Check weather forecasts. Watch out for wild animals. Avoid dangerous places. Avoid dangerous activities.

Have insurance. Keep the number of who to call in your pocket. 

Know the location of the nearest hospital and emergency department. Does the hotel or ship have a resident doctor or nurse or first aider?

Hotels

Hotels show you escape routes on the back of bedroom doors. 

Know the location of the fire extinguishers.

 And the fire exits. Are they locked or blocked? If I am in a group and arrive first, but see no fire extinguisher or exit, I pick a table near the front entrance.

Trains

One man who survived a train crash, fatal to other passengers, explained how he was able to save himself and his family. As he entered the carriage and took his seat, he had simply noted the location of the nearby window and how to open it.  

Types of situations: 

Fire. Flood. Food poisoning. Earthquake. Plane crash. Boat sinking. Rip tide when swimming. Avalanche. Tsunami. Storm. Wild animals. Escaped pets. Active shooters. Riots. Burglars. Carbon monoxide. Sink holes. Car accident. Robbery. Kidnap. Wrongful arrest or imprisonment. 

Rescuing Others

Drownings in pools and on beaches.

Fires in homes and entertainment and hospitality venues.

Prevention is better than cure. Erect fences around swimming pools and ponds before moving in with the family. Keep little ones in cots so they cannot wander out until such fencing and all other items are secured. 

In a high rise building you should never put children on or near window ledges. Secure the windows with the latch. 

You can buy portable fire escapes. Or choose to tell an agent that you wish to be on the second floor. Up one level away from snakes or burglars and running out into roads, but low enough to be rescued or jump onto mattresses.

Display telephone numbers of family and hospitals for babysitters.

If an ambulance can reach you in under fifteen minutes it is quicker to take the ambulance than drive yourself. They are equipped with sirens to clear traffic, stretchers, first aid kits, and phone access to alert emergency services to be at the door to give instant attention. They also have access to hidden entrances which drive in under cover.

Emergency Bag

In Japan it is usual to have an emergency bag close to your front door to grab as you exit in the event of an earthquake, tsunami or any other emergency.

Apparently the British government n 2026 plans to issue advice to every household in Britain.

 You would need everything for a weekend away, plus more food and drink and first aid equipment and documentation. But a small enough bag to carry.

I have seen people saying we don't have need for this because the UK is not in an earthquake area. However, I was jolted by an earthquake in London.

What if you travel to an earthquake area on holiday? I was take by surprise by an earthquake on a Greek island. 

I was a travel writer on a press trip, a guest of the government tourist promotion. Ironically, we were listening to a speech, in Greek, about how safe the island was. A translator summarised briefly in the pause after every fifth sentence. In fact, the safety they were talking about was robbery.

There was a huge crash. The drinks in our drinking glasses shook. The Greeks all ran out. I thought a lift had fallen. (Americans say elevator.)

Then one of the fellow Brits said, 'I think that was an earthquake. If they have all left, we should leave.' So we ran outside.

The following day we went to a museum and read about a major disaster which had happened to the island a decade or more previously.

When I arrived on La Palma in the Canary islands in June 2026, I had no idea that a major volcanic eruption has happened less than a decade earlier. The museum's day by day videos kept me mesmerised for several hours, whilst my husband was hiking.

In the UK there are people living in houses along crumbling clifftops. Others are in houses built on flood plains. These are disasters we know about. Sink holes appear suddenly over areas which have been mined a century ago. In the UK. And many other countries. 

We also have flash fires. In nightclubs. Such as the one in January in Switzerland. Safe, law-abiding, affluent Switzerland.

Suggestions

First aid kit and first aid instruction book, including bandages, first aid equipment and sterilisers such as wipes. I would include waterproof bandages and tape.

Survival book.

Language translation. learn the language before travelling.

I spent a year learning Spanish. When I fell down a flight of stairs on holiday in La Palma in the Canaries, I shouted, 'Help, help, help.' 

Nobody answered. 

I then reckoned that most of the hotel staff spoke Spanish. So I shouted, 'Ayuda', meaning aid or help, in Spanish. People came running.

What if you are just stuck for hours, waiting for a replacement plane or ship? 

Toys, games or entertainment, for yourself and others, while waiting. A pencil and paper to draw noughts and crosses, make a fortune teller. A tiny pack of playing cards.

Water, drinking cup, maybe water purifier.

Seeds to grow edible plants. 

Small tins of food with tin opener. I would opt for sardines.

Also plant edible plants in your garden. Every garden should have an apple tree, and a tree growing nuts or other suitable food for protein. 

Two scenarios require opposite action. One is escape. The other is stay in place because roads are blocked, or the doors are blocked, and you are beseiged or waiting for help. So you need food and drink in the pocket of your coat or dressing gown. 

Aircraft

What are you given on an aircraft? Bulk to protect you. Flotation device for landing in the sea, river or lake, or flood water. 

Whistle to make sound which carries, or small bell if you are too weak to shout. Or mirror for signalling, to rescuers for away or overhead in aircraft.

Supplies for others, children, pets, the elderly, those you meet on the way to safety.

Identity documents. Insurance documents. Driving license.

Fire Survivors

Some people who survived a fire in a hotel because they were by the hotel swimming pool, wearing shorts. They needed regular clothes. Also credit cards to buy clothes, and food, and accommodation, and transport to travel home.

Useful Websites

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15977097/Householders-told-prepare-major-emergencies-new-government-public-information-campaign.html

https://www.jrpass.com/blog/what-to-do-in-case-of-an-earthquake-in-japan

Advice on what to pack when hiking

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

Updated 21 July 2026

Please share links to useful posts.

Goldfish sake from Japan and a brewery visit

 

What a wonderful bottle. With the goldfish design. It costs £110 in the UK. It is cheaper in Japan. However, still expensive, even in Japan.

A cheaper wine at about £30 -35 is export dry black.

Another is called Ima, meaning now, is a sweeter one. It goes with oysters, around 12% alcohol. This is the one which I preferred at the lower price.

In Japan you can visit the brewery, in Niigata, prefecture, region, nw of Tokyo.

Imayo Tsukasa Sake Brewery Co Ltd

Useful Websites

www.shop.sakecollective.uk

Floating Tram in Wuppertal, Germany and Visit Engels House Museum, Communist Manifesto Creation

 The floating tram is in Wuppertal, Germany, on the north coast of the country.

The name Wuppertal comes from the river Wupper. Tal means dale.

Let's start with where is it. North Germany.

The city has steep streets, green parks including a sculpture park, and several architecturally interesting modern buildings.

Steep Streets

Green Parks - Sculpture

A memorable landmark in the colourful figure of eight, flat roof, junior university building. 

The orange tower.

The Lawrence Church

Church, Germany.

The swimming pool

Swimming pool, Germany.

Ilisenturm

Elisenturm, Wuppertal, Germany.

Engel's House

Photo and caption from Manos in Wikipedia.

A museum you can visit. Very opulent, capitalist looking house. 

Family home, of Friedrich Engels, who jointly with Marx wrote the Communist manifesto in the swan restaurant in Brussels, Belgium.

Another modern building, the New Burgische Synagogue.

The city is twinned with the Shonan monoril in Japan.

Shonan monorail, Japan. 

You can find monorails worldwide, in Singapore, and East London in England. But the suspended monorails look more challenging for the builders - and nervous  passengers!

Pina Bauch Dance Theatre

Pina Bausch was famous for her dance groups which improvised and did unusual theatre. One well-known performance had the dancers with blindfolds. Dancers served tea from trays to the front row of the audience. 

Her groups performed worldwide, including ain the cultural Olympics fbefore the Olypic games. Other danced in a forest of leaves falling about them, or on soil underfoot. After she died, the group continued.

More information from

Useful Websties

Suspended railway in Wuppertal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuppertal_Schwebebahn?

Visit Engels House in Wuppertal, Germany

https://www.mi-wuppertal.de/en/news/guided-tour-engels-garden#:~:text=After%20the%20guided%20tour%2C%20you,is%20included%20in%20the%20price.

Wikipedia Wuppertal

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

Monorail in Japan

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Shonan_Monorail

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Chinese and Japanese Menu language, food and toilets

 Japan

What to Eat

Sushi

Sashimi

Wagu Beef

What Not To Eat

Poisonous puffer fish

What to drink

Sake. You could try one from country's oldest brewery.

UK Sushi restaurants

Singapore

Wat to eat

Chicken Rice (in a hawker centre or food court, usually served with the chicken soup). 

Useful Websites

Follow Me JAPAN
enquiry@followmejapan.com.sg

tel +65 6507 3900

Was promoting Ibaraki area of Japan, which has flowers and food and drink.

Food & Drink by country E-K England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, from cheddar and stilton, to kir and sake

 England

Food - savoury

Cheddar cheese, stilton blue cheese 

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.

Fish and chips.

Sweet

battenburg cake, Crumpets, Scones

Cadbury's chocolate

Fox's biscuits

UK ice cream brands, tubs, bars and sticks, include Cornetto, Mangum, Ben & Jerry's, Haagen Daz.

Wine

Sparkling white wine from Nyetimber and others.

Cider. Beer.

France

Food - Savoury

baguette, coq au vin, duck a l'orange, French onion soup

Food - Sweet

chocolatines (pain au chocolat), croissant, nougat, macarons

Drinks

Bordeau, Burgundy, Champagne, Kir (aligote grape and cassis which is black currant) 

Dubonnet, a sweet, fortified red wine, drunk as an aperitif.

Germany

Food - Savoury

Wurst (sasages)

Food - sweet

Stollen

Drink

Riesling

Greece

Food savoury

rice in vine leaves, moussaka

Sweet

baklava, kataife, 

Drinks

Ouzo (anise plant which gives us aniseeed)

Greek coffee

Hungary

Food, savoury. 

Hungarian ghoulash is the national dish of Hungary. 

Food - sweet

Hungary has a marzipan museum, in Budapest, the capital city. The museum's name is the Szabo Marcipan Museum.

Wine

Bull's blood wine

India & Pakistan

Food - savoury

Tandoori chicken

Food sweet

Gulub Jamun

Jelabi

Drink

Lassi - sweet, sour, mango

Ireland

Food - Irish stew, sourdough bread, 

Drink

Guinness

whisky (no e, the e is Scottish whiskey)

Israel

Food - savoury

Israeli salad.

Kosher food

Food - sweet

Halva, slabs of wrapped confectionery, based on sesame seeds.

Parve - neutral, not containing milk, nor a meat product or by-product such as gelatine, therefore can be eaten at both meat only or milk only meals and restaurants.

Kosher wine

meshuval - heated to a high temperature or pasteurised, and can then be already purified and safe to be handled by non-observant Jews and non-Jewish catering staff.

Rules vary from country to country, rabbi to rabbi and year to year and product to product. Please consult locally.

Sabra chocolate orange liqueur

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

Italy

Savoury

Pasta spaghetti bolognaise, carbonara 

Sweets

Amaretti di Saronno macaroons

Bitter and crunchy little biscuits in half moon shapes.

Ferrero Rocher chocolates

Nutella hazelnut spread

Zabaglione

Cassata Siciliana

biscotti

Drinks

Asti spumante

Prosecco

Illy coffee

Jamaica

Japan

Food

sushi - rice cylinders with topping of  raw fish or egg

Drink

sake - rice wine

Korea

Food - Kimchi (pickles)

Drink - Soju - rice wine

Places to go and things to try in Japan, or from Japan, from simple sushi to Dinosaur Robot Reception At Hotel Henn Na

Japanese flag

Let us start with what is widely available, worldwide. In Singapore the local supermarkets such as cold storage have a whole counter of sushi, whilst in the UK you might get just one or two choices.  

Sushi from Fairprice supermarket in Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Secrets of Sushi

When I first tried sushi, I used to opt for the ones with pink fish. I thought it was smoked salmon, which in England often comes from Scotland. I thought the Japanese sushi followed their principle of bland food, 'very subtle flavour', which means that the Japanese don't have bad breath and don't need deodorant. (Contrast bland Japanese food with delicious, flavoursome, spicy Indian food, which can be overwhelming to or from some diners.)

Only when a guest from Indonesia refused to eat what I thought was a treat, did I discover what my sushi was another fish, not smoked, but raw fish. My friend recoiled and said, 'I never eat raw fish!'

Varieties of sushi readily available from supermarkets in Singapore are those with egg topping. Or eel. Or shellfish. Or mock shellfish. Since I am allergic to shellfish, I stick to the fish which looks like smoked salmon. 

If you are okay with shellfish, and actually enjoy it, you can buy what looks like a cone  of snack food. We have found the secret of sticking to a diet whilst still eating rice. Choose sushi. We eat three pieces of sushi with salad. Portion control. Quite filling. You are less likely to overdo the rice, as you would if you cooked it yourself or went to an Indian restaurant where they generously dole out unlimited amounts. 

At lunch time you might want to go without alcohol, like the Americans, because it sends you to sleep. Spirits have a high alcoholic content. I used to think that those tiny bottles of Saki, with the tiny cups, were a bit mean. Then, later in my life, I discovered that sake is rice wine and highly alcoholic. You don't want to drink a lot because it would quickly make you drunk and send you to sleep.

Bargains

Sometimes, towards the end of the day, the prices of sushi in supermarkets are reduced. 

HENN Na HOTELS

Henn na means weird in Japanese. These hotels are highly automated with robots in the shape of dinosaurs operating the front desks and real staff hidden behind the scenes if the technology goes wrong. You can find them in Tokyo, Osaka in Japan, as well as other countries such as Turkey. Read the reviews on Tripadvisor and elsewhere.They are all automated budget hotels, and , to my mind best suited to families with children who like dinosaurs.

Toilets

If you are out and about in Tokyo look for transparent toilets. You can see if they are unoccupied, and clean. When you go inside, they stop being transparent. You hope!

In hotels and homes you will possibly find bidet toilets. I have seen these in Changi airport and some hotels and museums in Singapore.

Another idea is basins for hand washing agove toilets, or insdet in the toilet lid.

From Wikipedia

Funny Fridges

 Homes in Japan might have other gadgets, such as a walking fridge, from Panasonic.

Useful Websites

 https://za.investing.com/magazine/brilliant-inventions-that-only-exist-in-japan/

https://knaviation.net/henn-na-hotel-tokyo-haneda-review/

Getting To Grips With Chinese Language

  When I get in the lift (elevator) in Singapore I read the Chinese and English instructions. I look for the simple signs, like the double curve like the running legs pronounced ren for person. The English instruction mentioning the guard uses three symbols, including this one.

Another simple source is the children's card book I bought which shows the flags. I have learned the sign for Japan. Ri ben. Sun origin. Sun, like a squared off sun, doubled, like sunrise and sunset.

The Chinese sign for America is beautiful country, or beautiful kingdom. Wei, meaning beautiful is the sign for sheep. 

(That reminds me of the slightly rude joke about sheep in New Zealand: 'Why do you have to fetch the sheep in before it gets dark? So you can see them and recognize them. Otherwise, you only get the ugly ones.')

Useful Websites

books

Chinese for toddlers and beginners

Academic

The language of Language by Madalena Cruz-Ferreira and Sunita Anne Abraham

duolingo.com

wiki Chinese language

Egg Museums, Egg Restaurants, Easter Eggs, Hot Cross Buns, in Asia, Australia, England, Europe And the USA - where to eat and learn to cook and decorate eggs

The Egg Museum, Ukraine.

Egg Museum, Austria. Wikipedia.

In Singapore the decorations and supermarket gifts have changed from Xmas to Chinese New Year, in Fairprice in Bujit Panjang.

In Australia you can buy Easter eggs and hot cross buns in supermarkets and stores, such as Coles and Woolworths.

When I read the news on Google last night, January 6th, I was sent articles to read on making stollen and hot cross buns.

January 6th is celebrated as Christmas day in several European countries (with January 5th being Christmas Eve. I discovered this when visiting my parents in Marbella, Spain, where they had a one bedroom flat. 

January 6th, my diary tells me was epiphany. What is epiphany? The appearance of the three wise men. Some sources say Shepherds, others say kings, others say wise men.

The word epiphany, which I checked in the Oxford dictionary online, is from the Greek meaning to reveal. Revealing the birth to the gentiles, the non-Jews in distant lands.

If you like eggs, you might be interested in egg museums. 

Egg Museum

Austria has an egg museum.

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

Ukraine has a museum devoted to decorated Easter eggs. The museum itself is egg shaped. 

The museum is called Psyanka.

Egg Museum, Ukraine

Egg Museum, Ukraine

Egg Restaurants

Ohio, USA has two branches of City Egg which serve egg dishes from 6.30 am to 3.30 pm.

Eggslut.

Eggslut.

Eggslut has branches in  Japan, Kuwait, Korea; Singapore, London, UK. California and Nevada, USA.  

I ate ostrich eggs and got a souvenir huge ostrich egg in South Africa.

I gave a speech about cooking eggs to Toastmasters International in a contest, using my Ostrich Egg from South Africa as a prop.

Useful Websites

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10377693/Woolworths-Coles-shoppers-left-shocked-hot-cross-buns-easter-eggs-appear-stores.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ico=taboola_feed

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10377693/Woolworths-Coles-shoppers-left-shocked-hot-cross-buns-easter-eggs-appear-stores.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ico=taboola_feed_article&ns_mchannel=rss&ico=taboola_feed

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

https://cityeggrestaurants.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CITYEGG-Menu-Nutritional-Info.pdf

https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/dining/eggslut-open-singapore-restaurant-277821

https://www.eggslut.com/locations

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

Decorated ostrich eggs

Author

About the Author Angela Lansbury

BIOGRAPHY

Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5 
The Author of several books including  Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.

Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President

Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time 

Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;

Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;

Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.

More details from Toastmasters International find a club.

Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.

Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.

Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.

Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.

Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.

Language and speech workshops in Singapore.

Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.

Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.

Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.

Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.

 Please share links to your favourite posts.

Books by Angela Lansbury
How to be the best man. (Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Wedding Speeches and Toasts.(Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Unforgettable British Weekends.
Poetry Workshop Workbook.
The Tailor and the Spy. (Lulu.)
Larry The Talking Labrador. (Lulu.)
Writing Poetry for fun.

Quick Quotations

Who Said What When

 

How To Use Ribbons to Sew A headband or Expand a dress during hotel or home stay Lock down

Sewing is so handy and therapeutic. Today I sewed a blue fabric flower onto a blue ribbon. The needle was from a hotel sewing kit.

Blue ribbon with fabric flower. Photo by Angela Lansbury. copyright.

The ribbon was from Daiso which has shops in Japan, Singapore and several other countries. I bought ribbon in all three available colours on the week when I visited, red, blue and green.

Expanding Too Tight Clothes
Ribbons have so many uses. You can cut the side seams of a shirt or dress which is to small. Either sew in a vertical ribbon on both sides to make it slightly larger.

Or sew two or three strips of ribbon on both sides, under the arm and at the waist.

Or sew loose tie ribbons on both sides of a tunic or sarong and tie as tight or loose as needed.

Blue ribbon from Daiso. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Ribbon Pendant
The ribbons with the flower will go with one of my blue dresses. I was thinking of a hadband or choker ribbon neckalce or ribbon pendant. Maybe pin it on as a brooch just below the shoulder to add eye interest. Or on a v neck dress or top to cover the cleavage.

Blue summer dress. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

If your dress is too long, cut the hem and make a matching belt or headband.

Need to know how to sew? See previous post.

About the Author

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

I and my family have lived in the UK, Spain, the USA and Singapore. I am a travel writer and photographer and teacher of English A level and English as a foreign language.

Please come to a Toastmasters International Club where the English clubs have a language evaluator or grammarian.  We also have French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Tamil and other language clubs based in Singapore and many more online around the world which because of Covid-19 are now meeting online.

I am President of Braddell Heights Advanced, meeting every Wednesday, on zoom the first Wednesday of the month but the other Wednesdays are workshops on app 

learncool.sg

Or quicker to type and easier to remember: 

 tinyurl.com/BHACOOL

Useful Websites

https://www.lazada.sg/products/10pcs-travel-home-sewing-kit-case-needle-thread-tape-scissor-set-handcraft-

https://www.qoo10.sg/item/SATIN-RIBBON-25-YARD-ROLL-GIFT-WRAPPING-RIBBON-

ART-AND-CRAFT/

https://www.facebook.com/angela.lansbury.121

https://www.facebook.com/groups/polygotcommunity/

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

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

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

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogs

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2019/04/how-to-say-thank-you-in-several.html

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2019/05/introducing-yourself-in-english-spanish.html

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2020/01/second-set-of-portuguese-words.html Please share links to your favourite posts

https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club

translate.google.com

duolingo.com

Coronavirus Update snippet

JAPAN
Two Japanese passengers on Diamond Princess cruise ship now have died from the virus, according to a report in BBC news. I cross check with the Daily Mail. You should read your country's newspapers and other countries' media. If you speak two languages, even better.
 Those already showing signs of illness are to stay in Japan.

SINGAPORE
In other news, a friend in Singapore is worried because two people nearby are in quarantine.

UK and British
Other cruise passengers, British, only those not (yet!) infected, to be flown home.

In the UK burglars are running amok.

Maybe to protect your house you should print signs on every door and window, 'do not enter, quarantine'.

Useful Websites
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51568058#_=_

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

Why were they laughing at me when I tried to speak their language?

Have you ever had people laugh when you tried to speak their language. I have.
What makes others laugh at me?


The South Korean flag.


I want to a lot of trouble to find the Korean words for thank you. However, when I say thank you in Korean on leaving a restaurant, three members of staff burst out laughing. The same in the next restaurant. And the next. What has gone wrong?

Koreans laughed in a restaurant when I tried to say thank you in Korean, which is staccato. I was unaware that my sing-song British accent was what amused them.

I thought I had accidentally said a swear word. I returned from Korea haunted by the fear.

Eventually I had tea with a Japanese friend in Singapore. I askedI
"Do you speak Korean?"
"No. Yes. Only few words."

"I said thank you in Korean and that made them laugh. Do you know why?"

"Ah yes. Japanese is (the) same. Staccato - every syllable - (the) same intonation. You speak like singing."

"Sing-song?"

"You don't mind I tell you."

"Not at all. I am very pleased to know the answer. Very relieved. I thought I had accidentally said a rude word."

What makes me laugh?

The Welsh Flag

The Welsh accent.

Marilyn Monroe. Photo public domain in Wikipedia.

Marilyn Monroe said, 'If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything. "

I am not sure about that. It didn't work when a man was having a lovely laughing conversation with me on the phone. Then he started trying to chat me up in a Welsh accent.

I love the Welsh accent. It's friendly. It's funny. It makes me laugh with delight. Perfect for being friendly with a stranger and telling jokes.

But it didn't fit the seriousness of an anxious romantic proposal. A man trying to impress me.

Humorous Accents I can make Asians laugh when I put on different accents in English including the Scottish and Welsh accents.

For years I have been trying to make people laugh, without success. At last I have found the answer. When people laugh at you, use that in a humorous speech.

Practise Intonation The moral for travellers using other languages to be polite is:
Don't just learn the phrase from a book.
Repeat it to anybody, the hotel receptionist, the waiter, so you get the accent right before you start saying it to strangers.

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

Some more odd things about Bulgaria, Budget, Bargains, Bargaining, and Sofia

First you need an international driving license to drive. A Singaporean license was not accepted by Hertz/Thrifty. However, another friend from Singapore and Indonesia said he had no trouble getting his non European non International license accepted by a different hire car company.

At the aiport you can see the OK taxis which seem to have a monopoly, and yellow cabs are lined up outside stations and main buildings.

No Tipping
Bulgaria, being a former communist country, has a no tipping culture, so what you lose on being cheated you gain on not giving a tip.

Try Bargaining
Taxis tend to ask for double the fare instead of turning on the meter. Try quering the price or asking them to set the meter. You never know.

In Borovets, south of Sofia, a ski area in winter, a walking area in summer, many of the shops and hotels were boarded up and closed in summer. I looked at a hat on a rack of summer hats outside the doorway. The assistant came to help. The hat rack was labelled 12 leva. I turned over the ticket and read aloud, Twelve leva. I stepped back.

She quickly said, "Ten leva!"

Breakfast Buns
The breakfast offerings are strange. What looks like a straightened out croissant, or a muffin, turns out to have a white cream cheese filling.



Juices
A plus is the freshly squeezed juices. My favourite was grapefruit.

In Borovets outside a restaurant I stopped to look at the pictures and translations, chicken soup, as well as omelette, and local specialities. The owner came out to chat me up.
"Where are you from? You want lunch?"
I prevaricated, "Not yet. I'm waiting for a group who went walking."
She beckoned me in, "Just look. Just look." She enthused, "For your group, I offer ten per cent reduction!"

In the capital, Sofia, I had asked if there were any budget stores. In London we have Poundland. And charity shops such as Oxfam, Barnados, St Luke's, selling mostly second hand goods donated.

In Asia in Japan and Singapore you have the Japanese Daeso, everything two dollars, as well as Value Store.

"No such things in Bulgaria," I was told.

However, Lidl offered good prices. Lidl is everywhere in Bulgaria. We saw several in Sofia and more in Plovdiv.

Another bargain shop is Mercari. We found them in Sofia and Plovdiv.

Useful Websites
www.mercari.bg


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

Discoveries of the Day: Pink Piggy Statue in Sydney and Terrific Tower Views Worldwide

Great places to see and to be seen. Photo Opportunities and Selfie Opportunities!

Australia - the Pink Piggy
In Australia my friend William Brougham (met at Tostmasters in London, England) has shown himself in Facebook photo standing next to a larger than life vertical pink plastic pig. This photo opportunity invited lots of comments incorporting words from the fairytales and nursery rhymes. 'This little piggy went to market ...' and so on.

The standing pig statue is in Sydney. A great photo opportunity for children or adults.

If you are travelling south or east from America or Europe, here's another scene to note.

Japan
Another friend from toastmasters, this time originally met Singapore, Mithun, published a picture of his trip to Japan, with feet on glass.  I guessed this was in an elevator. (In the UK we say lift.) I wrote and asked. More than just an elevator on a hotel or mall. He says it is the Tokyo Skytree, a tower, a landmark

Skytree, Tokyo, Japan.
Photo by Kakidai in Wikipedia under Skytree.

If you want to enjoy seeing the view from a lift, make sure you turn around and look out.

Scared Of Heights
If you are scared of heights, turn the other way and watch the wall or the sign saying the number of floors. Or look at your feeet and try to remember the words of a poem.

London, England
In London, England, if you are looking for a tall tower with a great view, I recommend the Shard. Great view over the River Thames and London's famous buildings. We went there for the birthdays of myself and our son which fall in the same month.

The Shard, London, England. Photo from Wikipedia article on the Shard.

Singapore
In Singapore I recommend Marina Bay Towers.

Useful Websites

Angela Lansbury
Travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

How To Learn Chinese Numbers

Where can you see Chinese numbers?

Flag of China.

In China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore.

Flag of Singapore.

But also in Japan which uses the same symbols.

Japanese flag.

Plus of course in Chinese restaurants worldwide. Such as in the USA.

And in the UK.









And websites.

The Chinese numbers one to three and ten are easy, just like the Roman numerals but turned sideways.

The Roman numersals one to three are 1 11 111. Ten is X.

Chinese one is a horizontal line.
Chinese two is two horizontal lines, one above the other.
Chinese three is three horizontal lines.

Chinese ten is like a cross or plus sign. +

You can now read 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13.

How often will you see these if you don't know anything else? Surprisingly often. Look at the sign on a dooway or website giving the opening hours or dates of an event in English and you can see the equivalent in the Chinese.

Sometimes you see only the Chinese. If it's lunchtime and the sign is about opening or closing times and the times. If it is the first three days of the month, you can recognize the date. If you have a 24 hour clock you can read some signs.

Now that you have learned several easy numbers, you might have the confidence to learn some more and be interested in doing so.

Useful Websites
Free Chinese course on the internet
Duolingo.com
singaporeairlines.com
https://holidays.singaporeair.com/en-uk/

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.