The biggest, best, most, highest, tallest - what has your country got? Here's Tanzania.

Flag of Tanzania.

Map of the world showing Tanzania on the East African Coast.

From Tanzania I received this message:

 Tanzania has the highest mountain in Africa, the Kilimanjaro.

Elephant and snow-capped Kilimanjaro. 

My husband did this climb, once. (I exercise daily, by climbing out of bed.)

A climber on Kilimanjaro.

Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyasa the three largest lakes in Africa are also largely in Tanzania.

Serengeti, the world largest game reserves and many other national parks are available in Tanzania.

What does your country have? Or your favourite country?

More on Tanzania

Art. Tingatinga painting.

Wikipedia reveals:

Tingatinga (also spelt Tinga-tinga or Tinga Tinga) is a painting style that developed in the second half of the 20th century in the Oyster Bay area in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and later spread to most East Africa. Tingatinga is one of the most widely represented forms of tourist-oriented paintings in Tanzania, Kenya and neighboring countries. The genre is named after its founder, Tanzanian painter Edward Said Tingatinga.

The Tingatinga school of painting sold their work in Oyster Bay, Dar es Salaam. Picture from 1973

Tingatinga is traditionally made on masonite, using several layers of bicycle paint, which makes for a brilliant and highly saturated colors. Many elements of the style are related to requirements of the tourist-oriented market; for example, the paintings are usually small so they can be easily transported, and subjects are intended to appeal to the Europeans and Americans (e.g., the big five and other wild fauna).

A feature of the art, which was probably inspired by murals on the outside of houses in Tanzania, is the filling of the entire canvas.

In visual art, horror vacui (UK: /ˌhɒrə ˈvækjuaɪ/, US: /- ˈvɑːk-/; Latin for 'fear of empty space'), also referred to as kenophobia (from Greek for 'fear of the empty'), is the filling of the entire surface of a space or an artwork with detail. In physics, horror vacui reflects Aristotle's idea that "nature abhors an empty space."

The tallest land Animals - giraffes

(Where next? The famous Giraffe Manor hotel is in Nairobi, Kenya. Costing over 600 dollars a night if you can get a room. It has 12 bedrooms. Next door is a giraffe sanctuary where you can meet giraffes.)

Monuments

Arusha Declaration Monument, has murals around the plinths of the arches.

If you climb Kilimanjaro, you will have ample opportunities to buy tee-shirts with the word Kilimanaro on them.

However, if you don't want casual clothes but something special and national look for a Kanzu for men.

The male costume, especially for formal occasions, is a white or cream coloured kaftan or Kanzu or robe or floor-length tunic. The kanzu is worn with a cap called a Kofia. (Other African countries wear the same or similar). 

the female common costume is a kitenge, a wax print, brightly coloured, oblong sarong, edged on the long side. It can be wrapped around the body, used as a baby sling, a head-dress, a table cloth or wall hanging.

Useful Websites

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Arusha_Declaration_Monument_mural_B.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tingatinga_(painting)

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

https://www.facebook.com/kitengeclothing/

https://www.businessinsider.com/giraffe-manor-center-travel-advice-kenya-instagram-famous-2019-4

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/

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

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=471680081168487

About the author of this blog post

Angela Lansbury

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

 

Kendal Mint Cake For Climbing - Buy it in Britain

 The UK standby for hiking and hill-walking is Kendal mint cake, which comes as a plain white bar but many people prefer the chocolate covered version, a dark chocolate bar with a white centre. Not thin like After Eights, more like the round, hard, solid, circular mint chocolates. You can buy it in the Lake District in England. 

One of the Kendal Mint websites claims that Kendal Mint was taken up Everest by Chris Bonnington, which sounds very likely.

My husband took a bar up Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania.

"Delicious," says my husband. "You don't need it except up on the hill. But it's delicious even when you are up on the hill.

"In Kilimanjaro, a big hill, the highest in Africa, which takes a week to spiral up. On the last morning you get up at 2 am and walk in a large convoy. The route goes up to the rim. You walk clockwise to the highest point. 

 "At least, that was the route I took, we took. There are several routes up.

"When you get to the highest point you might spend twenty minutes there, taking photos, waiting for dawn. By the time I got there I was shivering.

"Then you come back anti-clockwise. And run down the gravel,  

"So, first, I ate my Kendal mint cake. It gives you instant energy. I wolfed it down. In a minute I stopped shivering. It's what you need."

I asked, "How do you manage not to eat it on the way up?"

"You have breakfast before setting off. You can't stop once you are on the way up. You are in a convoy. I must buy some."

I sit at home trying not to eat chocolate or sweets. I once offered to accompany my husband on a trek. He walks faster than I do even around a supermarket. He replied, drily, "You wouldn't enjoy it. Even if you did, if you came with, nobody else would enjoy it."

Useful Websites

Kendal mint cake

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

https://groceries.asda.com/product/mints/romneys-white-mint-cake-chocolate-bar/709323

http://www.stricklandgate-house.org.uk/historic-kendal/kendal-mint-cake

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Romneys-Chocolate-Covered-Kendal-Mint/

https://www.kendalmint.co.uk/shop/kmc-nrg-bar-white

https://www.kendalmint.co.uk/our-story

Kilimanjaro trips

https://www.kilimanjarochallenge.com/

Mooncake update - making mooncakes, and travelling with mooncakes

 

I chose topics for impromptu speeches connected with festivals, mid-Autumn festivals, Chinese festivals, lanterns and mooncakes for a Zoom online meeting of the Braddell Height Advanced Toastmasters club, based in Singapore.

 I asked: What was your greatest success or failure with with festival foods, such as mooncakes. The winning table topic was about mooncakes.

In Praise of Mooncakes

To sum it up, winner, Jim started by praising the Chinese for inventing compact and highly calorific mooncakes. "Not like any other cake." 

Extracting Cooked Mooncakes From Moulds

The body of his speech was devoted to describing his failure to extract his home-made, cooked mooncake from the straight-sided cupcake shape bowl in a wooden mould. 

"Neither knives nor spikes would remove the cupcake, just created crumbs." 

"Finally, I tried the traditional system of banging  the mould on a table. My cupcake fell on the floor!"

Mooncake For Travelling?

He ended by suggesting that such a condensed cake would be ideal for a quick pick-me-up for travellers. Small. Simple shape.  

Hm. A bit heavy to carry.

 The UK standby for hiking and hill-walking is Kendal mint cake, which comes as a flat plain white bar. But many people prefer the chocolate covered version. The white sugar centre is not thin like After Eights, more like the round, hard, solid, circular mint chocolates.

My husband took a bar up Kilimanjaro. If you are in the East, or near a Chinatown at the right time of year, look for mooncakes. 

If you are in the west, in the UK, look for Kendal Mint cake. See next post

Useful Websites

Mooncakes

Dozens of suppliers during the season. Set your price and filling in the search engine. Look for local Chinese or other oriental restaurants such as Korean and Japanese.

https://tuktukmart.co.uk/products/double-happiness-white-lotus-paste-double-yolks-mooncake-

https://www.foodforfoodies.co.uk/products/zheng-feng-mooncake-red-bean-paste-

2 mooncakes, London, UK:

https://www.yepss.co.uk/products/fa-famx210102

Mooncake moulds

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cookie-Stamps-Autumn-Festival-Cutter

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cookie-Stamps-Thickness-Adjustable-Decoration

Set to amazon.com if not in the UK. In theory your computer shows Amazon the address you have set and adapts.

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Paper-Lantern

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is Vice President Public Relations of  Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Club.

What To Look For At Beach Shops and Online For Local Motifs: Giraffes, elephants, birds, butterlfies, palms, orchids - where can I get that dress

I started showing my caftans in assorted amusing prints on Facebook.
Why buy caftans?I began in 2020 by showing myself wearing a butterfly design on a caftan. This attacted so many comments that I decided to go with the flow and show a dress of the day. I took out of my cupboard items which had been sitting their unworm for years.
I has started buying caftans on my trips to tropical Singapore, which I made as stopovers on our annual summer holidays in New Zealand where it was winter and my family went skiing. 
My husband was working as an expat in Singapore. Our son was at boarding school in England.  My suitcase was filled with warm weather clothes for New Zealand skiing. 
Caftans were the only clothes large enough to fit me. The Chinese girls were tiny and shops stocked clothes in sizes UK 8 (US 6) to 12. 
Also my weight yo-yoed. I would expand during the flights of 13 hours and in the heat.  

Then Elephants.
I discovered clothes from Thailand in Singapore before I went to Thailand. Elephants are popular designs on clothes from Thailand. Thai silk is heavy and hard-wearing and does not crease  much or need ironing if you keep it on a hanger or fold it flat.  I used to avoid buying clothes which were too small. Now I undo the two side seams under the arms and insert a piece of ribbon, horizontally or vertically. With a jacket on top in an air conditioned restarant or hotel, nobody would know or notice.
While you are on holiday you can look for local designs. hawaiian shirts with tropical scenes are no surprise. They may suit beachwear and be too bright for home wear except for holidays. But dress down Friday at the office, or online, they might be just the ticket.Giraffes.I started going through my wardrobe of clothes. I wore a beach dress with giraffes and one of my facebook friends, a friend in real life from my annual writing holidays, asked where I had bought it. This caused me to do a search online.
Now I knew that Thailand specialises in Thai silk and one of their favourite patterns is elephants, the national symbol.
It appears that pandas are popular in China. 
Giraffes appear on African prints, esecially from Kenya and Tanzania. 
China makes scarves in many patterns. Favourites are cats and dogs, butterflies and flowers.
Chiffon Giraffe Print Maxi Dres

poshmark.com
https://theprincessshirt.com/product/chiffon-giraffe-print-maxi-dress/

Shirt with giraffes from cotton doux
49 pouns sterling
https://www.cotondoux.com/en/p/5792-lady-shirt


https://www.amazon.com/Clearance-Ruhiku-GW-Sleeveless-Printed/d

Single giraffe with bow tie and spectacles on white tee shirt

urbanmatter.com

 I found four great red giraffe patterns and several more giraffes.

Useful Websites, Ebay, For Duvets With Giraffe Patterns

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Giraffe-3D-Design-Bedding-Set-3PC-Of-Duvet-Cover-Pillowcase-Single-Double-King/2

Sorry about the underlining. I copied a link and now everything on the page is underlined.

About the Author
Facebook; LinkedIn, Youtube. Amazon.com
 for a book on Wedding Speeches. Lulu.com for a book entitled Quick Quotations