Kiyoto Restaurant Restroom (Ladies' Toilet)

 

Kiyoto restaurant restrooom. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Isn't this clean and modern and charming. 

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Albanian easy to remember 55 words, 40 revised - how many words can you recognize!

 

After returning from Albania, I've looked back at the words to remember. to my list of 40 words which I found before I went to Albania, I have added a few more.  The easiest word was 

1 TUALET for toilet. You walk to the back and to the left or right of the bar you see this word. Again and again.

Here is my original list, with a few extra memory aids.

Arriving by plane or car, in Tirana, the capital, at Mother Teresa airport, you see the name of the airport, and the name mother Teresa on the statue on the roundabout 

2 Nënë Tereza - mother Teresa

The second e with the double dot is prounced the same as the two later letters er in the word mother.

You might make your first stop the museum cafe, Komiteti Kafe Muzeum. Not a cafe turned into a museum, but a collector who opened a cafe to attract people to see his collection. Items from all eras include embroidered felt dresses. 

However, the good news from a linguistic point of view is that the word 

3 Komiteti means committee. 

4 Kafe is coffee and 

5 muzeum is museum. 

They say you can see Tirana in a day. Which means a two night stay. (I couldn't.) After that, it's off to the wineries.

 Albania has lots of wineries, all over the country. 

Useful words for maps and street signs

The double dot is like the German unlaut

I copied it once, then used paste to put it in all the words where I needed it in the dictionary or glossary list

Albanian - English

6 rruga - street (like the French word rue)

Similar words, 

7 hotel, 

8 menu, 

9 tualet (toilet) 

10 restaurat (restaurant) 

Kafe is coffee

11 coffee bar is coffee bar

12 kafene is cafe, like caffeine

13 snack bar - snack bar

14 delicious food - delicatessen (meaning delicious food literally provisions of delicious)

15 food is food, food is food

English - Albanian

1-10

16 alcohol - alcohol

17 bay - gjiri (pronounced jeery - forget the first letter, memory aid - a bay like the letter Jay) 

18 beach - the beach 

20 bill - fature (my memory aid, I'd rather pay this bill in the future, after the meal and coffee)

21 breakfast - mëngjes (like manger, French for eat)

22 bridge - gji (masculine)

23 castle - what is it?ë (looks like castle, or the Italian castello, e with the double dot is er; kala (feminine)  Kalaja 

24 cheap - i lirë (memory aid just one lira!)

25 closed - closed

26 dinner - darkë (dinner time, after dark)

11-20

drink - drinks

entrance - hyrje /exit - dalje (here we are, entrance, don't dally, leave)

expensive - shtrenjtë (shocked at the price! - but you can bargain in Albania, Turkish bazaar influence, so asking price in a family business can be high to allow for you to bid lower, and you might be given a souvenir such as a magnet which means either you paid too much, or thank you for your custom, come back) 

no entry -ndalohet hyrje (no don't let anyone in here, you)

hill - kodër (up and over this hill)

hotel - hotel

house - ispi (step up to this house)

left - majtas  - right - djathtas  (starts with a d, like right in French is droit)

straight (ahead)/to drejt (starts with the letter d, later letters re, and ends with t, like the English word direct, or the romance languages, toute droit)

lunch  - drekë (Dinner, that is lunch, but not late night dinner which is  darkë (dinner time, after dark)

main street/high street - main street. ruga e lart ë (rruga like the French word for street, rue, krysore, is this street an eysore, we saw in in the street, larte pronounced later like larger street)

21-30

menu - menu

mountain - mali (both words start with m and have the vowels a then i, but in Albanian you add the l like hill)

museum - museum

new - i ri  

north - the north

old - l years oldr (like the French for old, vielle)

open - hapur (Happy to be open)

park - park

parking (lot, or car park) - parking

please - ju lutem (you let him - please!)

31-40

restaurant - restorant

right

road/path - rrugë (as in the French for street, rue)

sea/salt water - deti (dirty water, with salt or sewage)

south - jug (yes, let's jog south from the UK to Spain or the USA to S America or from Albania to Greece, letter U in south and jug )

square - katrore (like quarter, four sides)

street / path  (or spell it ruga )

thank you - faleminderit 

toilet - tualet

breakfast/lunch/tea/dinner - morning meal, drink and dine at lunch, cha tea time, dark so dinner)

yes - po (yes, it's possible)

no - jo (yo, yo,yo, no, no, no!)

Address

Fatmir Haxhiu Street, Tirana, Albania

Useful Websites

Museum Cafe In Tirana

https://thebalkanista.com/2018/02/28/komiteti-kafe-museum-one-favourite-spots-tirana/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g294446-d7912633-Reviews-Komiteti_Kafe_Muzeum-Tirana_Tirana_County.html

Find the e to copy into Albanian words in the right size here in Wikipedia from German or from the word reëntry under the side heading English"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8B

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How to hang up a handbag when you are seated on a bar stool, in a restaurant, home or even a public toilet

 How to hang up a handbag. I recalled that in London at a restaurant with high bar stools, I could not reach my handbag which was far below - also on the fity floor, and vulnerable to being trodden on, or stolen. The staff showed me that they had installed hooks for handbags.

I was sitting in Wine Connection in Telok Ayer, and thinking, what a pity they don't have hooks for handbags. They could attach them. Is there a suitable spot on the wooden cross board or legs. I looked under the table top and do my surprise and delight, there was a hook!

I had not thought to ask. The staff had not thought to tell me.

Now I am wondering whether this is a common feature of tables where diners have high bar stools. In future I shall look. 

If there is none, I shall suggest to the staff that such hooks should be installed, and promoted as a service by the thoughtful staff and management.

Hook for handbag or hat, underneath high tables at Wine Connection, Telok Ayer, Singapore.

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The alternative is to carry a folding handbag hook in your handbag. They are not expensive. They make an amusing novelty gift.

You can buy a set of four different ones for under ten dollars, to keep one for yourself and give others to family or friends or as gifts and giveaways at conferences and contests.

There are loads of amusing, pretty, or elegant designs. 

The dearest I saw was about twenty dollars from Clips which ran a video showing their device attached to the handbag strap and un folded to fasten the bag onto a table, armchair and public toilet washbasin.

Americans call them purse caddy. 

Americans use the word purse where the British would say handbag. In British English, a purse is what other versions of English would call a coin purse, or clutch bag.

Useful 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=handbags+hooks+for+table&adgrpid=153705952068&hvadid=644836291419&hvdev=c&hvlocint=9045970&hvlocphy=9062509&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=2806546795560624803&hvtargid=kwd-1943649555250&hydadcr=22583_2214456&tag=googhydr-21&ref=pd_sl_6ea01nf0lx_b

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Personalised-Foldable-Handbag-Hanger-Portable/dp/B09SBDPHT3/ref=sr_1_24?adgrpid=153705952068&hvadid=644836291419&hvdev=c&hvlocint=9045970&hvlocphy=9062509&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=2806546795560624803&hvtargid=kwd-1943649555250&hydadcr=22583_2214456&keywords=handbags%2Bhooks%2Bfor%2Btable&qid=1681802920&sr=8-24&th=1

MOMENT

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016212VD4?pd_rd_i=B016212VD4&pf_rd_p=2fa5a177-ff58-47c1-b70e-97fbff1ec480&pf_rd_r=C74FJR1FPPVK7YFBFSQQ&pd_rd_wg=UppsX&pd_rd_w=nZN9M&pd_rd_r=c4d6f9f5-a4d5-4e69-b48a-10031b43a56e&th=1

English, Americanisms, Australian

American flag.

British English - Other 

biscuit (UK) - cookie (USA)

cubicle (UK) - stall (USA)

jelly (UK) - Jello (USA brand name)

my mistake (UK) - my bad (USA)

shopping trolley (UK) - shopping cart (USA)

pants (UK) - underpants (USA)

spare room (UK) - guest suite (US)

Sweets (UK) - candies (USA)

tap (UK) - Faucet (USA)

toilet (UK) - restroom (USA)

trousers (UK) - pants (USA)

wash basin (UK) - bathroom sink (USA)

washing up liquid (UK) - dish soap (USA)

Useful Websites

I have several posts on Americanisms

German Phrases, hello, goodbye, and where is the toilet

In question sentences, the structure would typically be (question word)-verb-subject-noun.

Was essen Sie?

What are you eating?

Essen Sie den roten Apfel?

Are you eating the red apple?

Addressing people[edit]

By default, addressing adult strangers and superiors requires Sie, unless they explicitly use du when talking to you. The latter is commonly reserved for close friends, children and family members, and people of younger age.

Herr (pl., Herren)

for men (equivalent to Mister in English). Note that this word also means "master, owner, ruler, gentleman, sir" and is also a form of address for the Christian God (English equivalent: Lord).

Frau (pl., Frauen)

for women (equivalent to Ms. and Mrs. in English). Note that this word also means "woman" and "wife."

Dame (pl. Damen) (DAH-me, NOT deim)

the polite German word for women/female. The salutation "Ladies and Gentlemen" would be translated to "meine Damen und Herren".

The term Fräulein which literally means Miss in English, is now deprecated and even considered condescending.

As Germans are particularly fond of their academic degrees, a Schmidt with a doctoral degree or as a doctor would be called Herr Doctor Schmidt. While this usage is more common in writing a letter than speaking, it is expected in a meeting with someone of a superior position if they introduce themselves or are introduced as such.

Phrase list[edit]

The following phrases are for Standard German, and will generally be well understood across the German-speaking world. A local variation of words (such as those limited to Austria or specific regions of Germany) are indicated where necessary. See the Swiss-German phrasebook for the local variety spoken in Switzerland.

Basics Greetings

Common signs OPEN Offen, Geöffnet CLOSED Geschlossen ENTRANCE Eingang EXIT Ausgang PUSH Drücken PULL Ziehen TOILET WC, Toilette(n) MEN Herren, Männer WOMEN Damen, Frauen FORBIDDEN Verboten DISABLED Behinderte EMERGENCY EXIT Notausgang NO PARKING Parken verboten / Parkverbot YIELD / GIVE WAY Vorfahrt gewähren! STOP Halt / Stop

The right way to say yes You say Ja when you confirm an affirmative question: Essen Sie gern Wurst? Do you like eating sausages? Ja, ich esse gern Wurst. Yes, I like eating sausages. If you wish to contradict a negative question, the reply is Doch: Essen Sie nicht gern Wurst? Don't you like eating sausages? Doch, ich esse gern Wurst. Yes, I like eating sausages.

Good day (formal)

Guten Tag. (GOO-ten tahk)

Hello (informal)

Hallo
NOTE: In Northern Germany, locals greet each other with Moin, Moin (MOH-een MOH-een). In Bavaria and Austria, they use Servus (S-AIR-vus) or Grüß Gott (GREW-SS gaw-t). In Switzerland, they use Grüezi (GREW-tsee).

How are you? (informal)

Wie geht's? (vee GATES?) used as a real question, not a form of greeting.

How are you? (formal)

Wie geht es Ihnen? ("Vee gate s eenen?)

Fine, thank you.

Gut, danke. (goot, DAN-keh)

What is your name? (formal)

Wie heißen Sie? (vee HIGH-sun zee?)

What is your name? (informal)

Wie heißt du? (vee HIGHST doo?)

My name is ______ .

Ich heiße ______ . (eekh HIGH-suh):Mein Name ist _____ . (mine NAM-uh ist)

Nice to meet you. (formal)

Nett, Sie kennen zu lernen. (net zee KEN-en tsoo LER-nen)

Nice to meet you. (informal)

Nett, dich kennen zu lernen. (net deech KEN-en tsoo LER-nen)

Please.

Bitte. (BEE-tuh)

Thank you.

Danke schön. (DAN-kuh shurn)

Thanks.

Danke. (DAN-kuh)

You're welcome.

Bitte schön! (BIH-tuh shurn)

With pleasure.

Gerne (GERR-nuh) (gladly)

Yes.

Ja. (yah)

No.

Nein. (nine)

Excuse me. (getting attention)

Entschuldigen Sie. (en-SHOOL-dee-gun zee)

Excuse me. (begging pardon)

Entschuldigung. (en-SHOOL-dee-goong)

I'm sorry.

Es tut mir leid. (es toot meer lite)
Lit: It does sorrow to me.

I can't speak German (well).

Ich kann nicht [so gut] Deutsch sprechen. (eekh kahn nikht [zo goot] doi-ch shprekhen) better: Ich spreche kein Deutsch (eekh spreh-khuh kine doi-ch)

Do you speak English? (formal)

Sprechen Sie Englisch? (shprekhun zee ENG-leesh)

Is there someone here who speaks English?

Gibt es hier jemanden, der Englisch spricht? (geept es heer yeh-MAHN-dun dare ENG-leesh shprikht)

Help!

Hilfe! (HEEL-fuh)

I don't understand.

Ich verstehe das nicht. (eekh fur-SHTAY-uh dahs nikht)

Where is the toilet, please?

Wo ist die Toilette, bitte? (voh eest dee twah-LET-uh BEE-tuh)

Do you know where ... is?. (formal)

Wissen Sie, wo ... ist? (VEE-sun zee voh ... ist)

Good morning.

Guten Morgen. (GOO-tun MOR-gun)

Good evening.

Guten Abend. (GOO-tun AH-bunt)

Good night.

Schönen Abend noch. (shur-nun AH-bunt nokh)

Good night (to sleep)

Gute Nacht. (GOO-tuh nakht)

Goodbye

Auf Wiedersehen. (owf VEE-dur-zane)

Goodbye (informal)

Tschüss (CHUS)

 Useful Websites

duolingo.com

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

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Villa Bianca, Beautiful Restaurant in Happy Hampstead Clean, White and Bright, with Fast, Friendly Service

 

Villa Bianca exterior. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Villa Bianca 

Villa Bianca is a popular though pricey Italian restaurant in happy Hampstead.

White Decor

This clean white restaurant is one of the whitest and cleanest I have seen. Bianca is Italian for white.

Two Sittings

They were fully booked for the eight o'clock sitting on a Saturday night so we had to settle for 6 pm - and agree to be finished before 8 pm. That suited the hosts of the evening who had a baby. The main menu does not have the desserts but I always look at desserts first to decide whether I want to leave room for dessert and forego the starter. I also save time on occasions like this when either the restaurant or the dinner hosts might want us to dash off without delay. If I already know what I want for dessert I can whisper my order to the waiter or order instantly without waiting for the menu to appear and delay everybody by reading it and discussing it. I already know from this dessert menu that I want the strudel and when I tell the others we agree to opt for dessert instead of starters.

Extensive Menu at Villa Bianca. Dessert menu. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Starters

I cannot comment on the starters. Only to say that there were several and shellfish was prominent. I am allergic to shellfish. 

We all went without a starter, which saved time as well as money and left room for dessert. 

Meanwhile, the restaurant provided nibbles of a delicious tiny, one bite size spinach mille feuille. Also bread sticks. 

Bread Sticks

The bread sticks were a hit with the baby. Easy to handle, hold, wave about, hand to mother, and grab back, and chew on with five tiny teeth. Entertainment for all.

Toilets

Time to kill and fill, while waiting for the main course. A chance to locate the toilet, before drinks make me too tired and wobbly to mount the stairs. Yes, the toilets are upstairs.

The stairs have a rail on one side - that's the third restaurant I've visited recently with only one rail. A very elegant rail.

Upstairs was another dining room with a pianist, at what looks like a small grand piano - and a small balcony. 

And the toilets? Must be down a couple of steps. I'm fine with a couple more steps. But where do wheelchair users go?

The thickest small towels, folded for each person. The two cubicles were so clean I felt that you could put your handbag on the floor. 

Back to the table with its white cloth to chat whilst waiting for the main courses.

Main courses

Main course mushrooms and pasta. Vegetarian option. Also kosher. Photo by Angela Lansbury.  

The menu was not the same as on the website. My husband thought that was good because it showed that the chef changed the menu. I thought that the website should have been kept up to date, as I had saved time by reading the website menu in advance, and had chosen chicken in creamy mushroom sauce and was disappointed not to find it. However, i got to try the mushrooms. Good texture and great flavour.

My main course was poussin. Poussin means young chicken. I think that I speak fluent French. However, I somehow thought that poussin was a different kind of fowl, a cross between a quail and a chicken. I was wrong. It's just chicken. Very young chicken. So you get a whole one. Sometimes called spring chicken. 

I am a bit quiet in the conversation. I am thinking about whether it is healthier and tastier to eat young food (veal) (and I now realize poussin). One's first thought might be that an animal should be allowed as many years of life as possible. That somehow a baby anything, cow or bird, is cute, so it is more unkind to kill it than an old animal nearer the end of its life, spared getting old. I am inclined to the view that it is better to have circumcision early (at 8 days, Jewish style, rather than 8 years, Moslem style when the child might fear or remember it, worst of all as an adult, unless an adult has fortitude and a stoic philosophy). The diners ask the waiter about the source of the veal. Is it banned in the UK, imported from overseas? 

And what of abortion? Best to have contraception - although Catholics used to ban that, which inadvertently, as so often happens, results in greater distress to the mother and potential infant by making the cut off point later. Better to have abortion than a child killed at birth, like in India, and sometimes other countries. Certainly less strain on the mother's body.

The diners are not so bothered as to refuse to eat or order the veal. Go with the flow. The law-makers have made the rules. Here is the food. Lions don't worry about their lunch or dinner. They just eat. 

Veal in Villa Bianca Restaurant, Hampstead, London. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Two others chose the veal, which came as a cutlet. Almost thick as a fillet steak, and soft to cut and eat.

 Another diner chose the pasta with mushrooms. With some fiddling around, I could have constructed veal with mushrooms, or asked for it, since the kitchen had veal and the mushrooms in a cream sauce. My plate ping pong of main courses was good enough to give me a taste of the veal and mushrooms as well as my poussin, which was good enough, although two of us agreed it was a little dry and unexciting.

 You had to pay extra for potatoes. Mash or saute or another kind. The saute potatoes were cooked with the skins on. Not my preference. My husband says that is how they should be done Healthier. (And quicker.)

Dessert

Desserts included tiramisu, strudel, chocolate pudding, ice creams and sorbets.

One of our group had the tiramisu. 

Ice Cream

My favourite of the desserts was the scoop of hazelnut ice cream. It comes with an upside down cone on top. 

Strudel at Villa Bianca, London, England. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Strudel

I also shared the strudel. First bite was perfect, pistacchio nut. (The Italian spelling is with a double c. The English spelling is often with a single c.) 

Then on to the apple. My final verdict was that the strudel was tasty, but not much better than my favourite place for desserts, B & K back in Hatch End, NW London. 

Coffee and Biscuits

My husband ordered an espresso coffee. In Starbucks he orders a double espresso, which in Italian is doppio espresso (can panne - with milk or cream). I get to finish the last drop with the milk, which he does not want much of. However, he felt that in an Italian restaurant it would be more correct to have a single espresso without the milk. 

So the coffee was correctly minuscule (that is the way espresso is served, small size and strong to revive you after over-eating at your meal). But the way it was served was good - with not one but two thick concave biscuits. We broke them in half so each of the four of us could have a mouthful. The biscuits were hard and crunchy.

The biscuits were the final good note. As Shakespeare said: All's well that ends well.

To conclude, the decor here is top notch, at top prices. Definitely a great place for a celebration, or a regular treat.

Service

The service was great. Attentive. Friendly. Fast. All in all, an excellent evening.

We finished in time.

An early sitting gives you time to go home and talk on the light summer evenings. But the full restaurant at 8 pm had more of an atmosphere, a buzz of excitement.

The pianist upstairs played loudly. But you could hardly hear him downstairs. All I could hear was just a pleasant murmur of animated conversation. 

As we left, we looked behind at the pretty flower displays in front of the windows. Above was the balcony with a table for two, just the two. Romeo and Juliet. Romantic. 

Italian restaurants are famous for being family friendly. It's part of the Italian culture.

Practical Information

Villa Bianca

1 Perrins Court

London NW3 1OS

tel 020 7435 3131

contact@villabiancagroup.com

www.villabiancagroup.com

Also on their business card

Piccola, 33 Heath Street, NW3 6TR

The Fish Cafe, 71 Hampstead Heath High Street NW3 IQP

The Coffee Cup, 71 Hampstead High Street

Connubio, 229 Muswell Hill

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Writing my elevator speech in Chinese and other languages

Why learn to read a foreign language?

I want to read foreign languages so that I can read signs on stations and in hotels. I need to read signposts and maps when walking, driving, or taking a taxi.

It is also useful to be able to translate the headlines in newspapers.

When listening to conversations, I listen out for useful words, at least to know if the answer to a question is yes or no.waiters and hotel receptions saying, yes, no, we can, and we can't.

Greek

In the Meze restaurant in Limassol in Cyprus, I could only see that they were still discussing whether they could find us a table and when.

Russian 

When I listened to a Ukrainian woman talking on the mobile phone to her son, I kept hearing Da, which is yes in Russian, so I assumed it was the same in Ukrainian.

USA

We often hear about how you should prepare your elevator speech. That's a two minute speech introducing yourself when you happen to find yourself with the CEO or VIP - or in fact anybody who might be useful. 

First, make yourself sound pleasant: useful, helpful. (I am visiting your lovely country.) Or a recipient of the listener's greater wisdom. ('We are lost. Are you local?')

Next, end with your question. Or call to action.

Your request for action or answers could be simple. 'Where is the restaurant?' Or, 'Where is the nearest toilet?'  

Cyprus

In Cyprus, our statements and simplified questions were, "We (are) British tourists. Here (only) one day.  (We don't mind) waiting, (for a table). (Is that  ) OK? (Can we sit on) a chair? (And read) the menu? (Maybe order) a drink?"

Eventually, I want to give the introductory or icebreaker speech to a Mandarin speaking club in Singapore. I want to know how to introduce myself in a minimum of four minutes for a four to six minute speech.

Some sentences are easier than others. Some nationalities are easier to pronounce than others. Decide what you want to say, and the easiest way to remember the useful words. For example, Is it easier to say, I am English, or, I am not American. 

Can I make a joke? using the same sentence structure, I might use different nouns or adjectives. Translate, I am not American, I am not Australian, I am not Chinese, I am English. 

Many phrase books such as the Berlitz phrase books divide the sentences into useful things you can say in certain situations or places, such as at the doctor, dentist, hospital, airport, train or bus station.

Berlitz also started Earworms. I have the discs and books. They come in a set of two. I have set one for German and Chinese. The part one starts with a conversation on a plane. I would like a beer, a glass of water, and so on, to the air hostess. To your fellow passenger, I am from such and such a city. Where are you from. Are you married? I am married. (Vital for singles, this one, if looking for romance, and for married people, when trying to prevent trouble.)

In Chinese I wanted to look up the difference, if any, between I and me, and me and mine.

What are: I , me , my book 

I translate into Chinese, then separate the words to see what each one means. Then translate back into English.

Google translate gave me this

I - wo

of - de

book - shu

You have to watch the accents which are a guide to the tone. 

Useful Websites

Spanish words for shopping and eating out in restaurants, simplified with memory aids

 We checked into a parador, one of those wonderful historic hotels in Spain. Next morning we went down to breakfast. We went to reception. We did not know the Spanish word for breakfast. The receptionist knew no English. I tried asking in French. She did not understand. My husband tried German. She did not understand.

I had to go all the way back to the bedroom and hunt through my suitcase until I found my small Spanish dictionary. Desayuno.

The receptionist then reached under the reception desk. She revealed that she had a four-language booking form which included most of the words one might need in a hotel.

I now know the word for breakfast in Spanish. I also know that the word for restaurant is similar in both languages. I could also mime or draw. However, I try to learn a few words of Spanish every day. Finding a link between the letters or ideas is helpful.

In addition to the word for breakfast, it is handy to understand the words for toilet, or ladies and gentlemen. 

My late father made a mistake when he was in the Spanish restaurant, La Giralda, in Pinner Green, London. He went to the toilets and saw the sign Senoras. He assumed that was plural for senor. So he pushed open the door. The lady inside was washing her hands. She was outraged. She complained to the management. The restaurant owner came over to ask us, "A lady customer has just complained that your father walked into the ladies toilet. Can you please explain why?"

When my father explained, we all rolled around in hysterical laughter. The moral is, a little learning is a dangerous thing. Once you have started, keep on learning.

Spanish - English

amo - I love

aires - airs

barato - cheap - (sounds like bargain)

Buenos - good ones (sounds like beautiful and beneficial) 

caro - expensive (my image is the cost of a car)

centro comercial - shopping mall

comprar - to buy

desayuno - breakfast (sounds like day starts, you know)

hotel - hotel

ir - to go 

me gusta - I like (sounds like I eat with gusto)

para ver - to see 

restaurante - restaurant

sandalias - sandals 

sombrero - hat

vino blanco - white wine (sounds like a blank colour, colourless wine)

vino tinto - red wine (sounds like tinted)

visitar - to visit

English - Spanish

airs - aires

breakfast - desayuno

gentlemen - caballeros 

good ones - buenos

hat - sombrero

hotel - hotel

I like - me gusta

I love - amo (sounds like amorous)

I want - quiero (looks like my quest)

I want to buy - quiero comprar

ladies - señoras

restaurant - restaurante

to visit - visitar

red wine - vino tinto

sandals - sandalias

shopping mall - centro comercial

toilet/bathroom - baño (sounds like 'in the bathroom, you know')

white wine - vino blanco

Useful Websites

duolingo.com

earwormslearning.com

translate.google.com

 

American English and British English

 

American - British

A bunch of people - a group of people, a bunch of flowers

check - bill

chips - crisps

cookies - biscuits

diaper - nappy

eraser - rubber

faucet - tap

french fries - chips

gas - petrol

it sucks - it's bad news/it's a disaster/that's bad luck/a real bind/that pisses me off/disappointing

over easy (of an egg) - cooked both sides

raised - brought up

rest room - toilet

rubber - condom

sunny side up - a fried egg

truck - lorry

worrisome - worrying

British - American

a fried egg - an egg,  sunny side up

a group of people - a bunch of people

bill - check

biscuits - cookies

brought up - raised

chips - french fries

condom - rubber

crisps - (savoury) crackers/potato chips

it's bad news/it's a disaster - it sucks

lorry - truck

nappy - diaper

petrol - gas

rubber - eraser

tap - faucet

toilet - rest room

worrying - worrisome

Useful Websites

translate google

About The Author Angela

Angela Lansbury is a British author who has lived in the USA.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

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

Angela Lansbury, 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.

Snow - How to prepare for the cold when travelling and avoid or find snow

One year I was booked on a walking tour of East London. The weaterh was really cold. Why was I so cold? In the USA at ski resorts I had walked around in snow and not felt so cold. The reason was, I was wearing padded ski jackets.

I hunted in the clothes cupboard. I found a ski jacket. It was dayglo colours. I looked absurd.

I arrived to join my group. They were all normally dressed, neat suits and coats and jackets. I felt silly.

However, at the end of the tour, an American lady said to me, "You were the only person dressed suitably for the occasion!" I was so grateful to her for saying that. I wished she had told me earlier.

So get out your ski clothes. One year I arrived in New Zealand with everything except a ski jacket which fitted. The shops were out of my size, had ridiculous prices, or were a bus ride away from my family's hotel. I walked around the shopping centre and found a second hand shop. Just the thing. Not as cheap as I wanted.

I took it to the counter. The assistant looked at it. He said, 'Sorry, it's missing a button, and this zip on the inside pocket is stuck, and there's a stain on the inside of the arm - nobody else will see it, but you might not like it. I could make a reduction, if you really want it."

I was so happy!

Feb 27 2020 It was snowing in London but not laying on the ground. The online newspapers showed white snow in the north of England. What does that mean for travellers?

It's good for ski resorts, if it's the right kind of slow, not turning to slippery slush which you sink into, nor freezing into slippery ice. Shoes with gripping soles are an advantage and you can buy overshoes and carry small slippers to wear indoors to protect floors from spikes and melting snow.

Food And Drink
I always like to have something to eat and drink with me. It cheers you up if you are waiting an hour for a train or bus or in the cold at a bus stop or on a draughty railway station.
If you are in a car you can stock up with food and water.

One year I made the mistake of putting it in the boot (Americans say trunk) of the car. Food, drink, and umbrella were all in the back. If you are in pouring rain you don't want to have to get out and get soaked fetching your umbrella and food and drink.

Emergency Toilet
In major motorway upheavals sometimes a toilet bus will go along the hard shoulder. Do you want to get out, in bear country, or after your car is cornered by an elephant in a safari park?

A large container with a sealable cover makes a makeshift toilet which can be emptied out later or immediately, from a door ajar if you are in the countryside and don't want to leave the car.

Yes, I was on a platform in Cardiff, Wales, recently, waiting for the train back to Paddington, London. I chose not to go into the waiting room, although that might have been warmer. Why?

Where To Sit
1 I wanted to keep away from others to avoid coronavirus.

2 The waiting room attracts people from both platforms. It is easy to sit tight because everybody else is doing so, when your train is going from platform one and they are all waiting for the train from platform two.

Years ago, in France, when I was a student, I snoozed in bed thinking that because I could hear the French girls talking, then breakfast had not started nor finished and my coach had not left.
When I eventually decided to get up, I had missed breakfast, and missing the day's outing, because they were not booked to go on the outing. They were the last half dozen friends of the previous week's course and were catching another coach home in another direction.

3 On the platform you can read the overhead signs. You don't have to rush out through a heavy door. You can rise and get ahead when the platform fills so that you are early onto the train steps and doors.

Dress warmly. My relative said, "I don't need to because I am going all the way by train."

Be prepared. As American Benjamin Franklin said, Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

If you end up taking a replacement bus you could have a long walk in the cold along the platform and outside across the car park, standing in a chill wind, waiting for your suitcase to be loaded below the bus, then into the bus sitting by the open door.

Warm Clothes
Even gloves and a hat packed into a bag or pocket can keep off the chill without taking up too much room. I always look for jackets with built in hoods, the sort you buy at ski resorts and in sports shops and even second hand shops (in the USA look for 'thrift' stores).

Tube Station Toilets
If you need a toilet in a hurry, it's handy to know which stations have toilets.

Singapore Stations
In hot countries you drink more water, which means you need toilets more often. In Singapore life is easy. Almost every station has a toilet near the ticket office. Look for the sign. It's outside the barrier, so you can use it even if not travelling by train.

The toilets are outside the station. It's a good idea to go before boarding and after getting off.

If you are caught short, you could always try playing the tourist card, asking for the toilet and looking woebegone. Maybe the office clerk will open the ticket gate and let you out and in again so you don't have to pay a second fare. This happened to me the first time.

Now I know to go in advance.

In London, the tube maps mark which stations have toilets. The print is very small. I suggest getting a magnifying glass, writing a big t alongside the stations with toilets.

Changing Trains
If you have a ten minute change from a train to a replacement bus, you cannot risk leaving the group. The bus won't have a toilet.

Go to the toilet on the train half or two thirds through the journey. Take your laptop with you.

GWR
On GWR trains from London to the West and Wales, you have large toilets big enough for wheelchairs. Everything is clearly marked.

Save Your Seat
You might want to leave something behind to reserve the seat, unless you have a reservation card, or ask the person beside you or opposite to keep your seat in case anybody else tries to take your place.

Planes To Ski Resorts & Back
On a plane going from a ski resort to a warmer climate you may find it convenient to get out of your seat and removed your warm jacket. if there's no room overhead, on a regular large plane flight you might be able to ask the smiling stewardess to hang up the garment and give it back to you at the end of the flight. Set an alarm on your watch on a 13 hour flight from New Zealand or Australia back to Europe or the UK. By tomorrow morning you will have forgotten your jacket. If you change seats, the person who stowed your jacket might have trouble finding you. Allow time to get back into your outer clothes before your hear the announcements to sit down and fasten seatbelt and prepare for landing.

Garage Toilets
Driving from London west towards Wales, we stopped to fill the car up with petrol and I went to the toilet at the same time. But some places the toilet is outside the shop, around the back, which is colder.

Hotel Toilets
More chance of getting warm water.

And a warm hand dryer. This dries your hands and warms you up.

If you are a mother, a secretary, a tour guide, in charge of a group, a spare hat and pair of gloves and even spare hot drinks might come in handy.

Tiny Canape Cutlery
I found some old small cheap metal spoons and tiny three prong canape forks which my family had discarded and were about to throw out. I rescued one set of tiny knife, spoon and fork, not to heavy to carry. This enabled me to cut up a sandwich and eat half later, cut an apple. Even cold food warms you up when you are feeling chilled.

Avoid Snow - Down Under
To avoid snow, go south, to the equator or beyond. Australia or New Zealand at Christmas and Easter.

To Find Snow - Indoor Slopes
To find snow in summer, we go to New Zealand (via tropical, hot all year Singapore).

Finally, you can practise your skiing at indoor slopes in the UK and in Singapore.

Happy travelling. Keep warm. Take care of yourself.


Useful Websites
UK
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakerloo_line
https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/route/bakerloo/
https://www.gwr.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Western_Railway_(train_operating_company)
https://www.visitlondon.com/london-app
https://www.skimagic.co.uk/the-top-10-dry-ski-slopes-indoor-snow-centres-in-the-uk/

SINGAPORE
https://www.sportquest.com.sg/pages/snowcity
singaporeair.com

USA, EUROPE & WORLDWIDE
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indoor_skiing

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

Etiquette rules for you to follow in Asia and The West

In Asia the first things I learned were:

1 Beckoning
Beckon a taxi with  your hands palm down like patting a dog.

2 Business Cards
Present your business cards with both hands and a nod or slight bow. Receive a business card with both hands and a nod or slight bow.

3 V Signs
Winston Churchill made the V for victory sign popular in WWII.

Wikipedia article on V-sign. Photo in the public domain.

Asians are keen on V signs. With the palm facing forward, that's V for victory. Japanese girls use it as a peace sign.

I never make a V sign in case I get it wrong or the sign is misinterpreted. In Europe a V-sign with the palm towards yourself means up yours.

Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking thumbs up. Photo from Wikipedia article on hitchhiking. Photo author Drozd.

4 Right Hand Only
Asians who eat with their hands eat with their right hand in the food.
The left hand is reserved for going to the toilet.

5 Hand Shaking, Bowing and Namaste
In the US, UK and most of Europe, you shake hands on meeting somebody new or entering a meeting, greeting the Toastmasters of the day, and leaving the stage and welcoming the Toastmaster of the day or evening to take over, signing and sealing a business deal, often on congratulating somebody for winning a prize, and on leaving and saying goodbye.

Photo from Wikipedia article on Namaste: An Oberoi Hotel employee doing Namaste, New Delhi. Photo author Saptarshi Biswas on Flikr.

Namaste
Namaste is holding both hands together as if in prayer and nodding as a greeting.

Bowing
The Japanese bow. Men sometimes keep their arms to their sides as they bow. Women fold their hands as they bow. Sometimes men hold their hands as they bow.

The West - Europe
UK
A pupil should not address a teacher as Miss, but by their proper name.
In the UK small children who would struggle with surnames may call adult women Aunty and the first name.
In Singapore, the prefix, Uncle or Aunty, is a sign of respect and warmth towards an older person.
However, in the UK you would not call an adult stranger uncle or auntie, wich incplies they are related to you. Nor would you call an older person Grandad can be an insult, implying they are a grumpy old man.

Kissing
The French will kiss other on or near the cheek, not lips on lips, but kissing the air beside your cheek, as a greeting.

Thumbs Up

Thumbs Up - Numbers
A thumb up is one in the UK but five in Japan.

OK
The OK  or round sign formed by the thumb tip and next finger is OK in the USA but rude in several other countries. Rather than learning which countries, forgetting and getting it wrong, just avoid using the OK sign.

Useful Websites
Japanese etiquette
https://livejapan.com/en/article-a0000211/

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer, photographer, author, speaker.
Author of Etiquette For Every Occasion. You can buy it from Amazon or Ebay, new or second hand. If you read it, please give me a review. I have other posts on etiquette around the world. Please bookmark and share links to your favourite posts.  

Toilets? Can't find them? Airport's super size signs

Airport toilet sign, Terminal 4.Changi airport.

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Can't find a toilet in the airport or shopping mall? terminal 4 at Changi Airport in Singapore has the answer. It's these new super size illuminated toilet signs. Other airports and shopping malls, please copy.

Travel Tips

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

australia.com

visitbritain.com

visitbritain.shop.com

visitbritain.org

visittheusa.co.uk

visitsingapore.com

Singapore Airlines: 

singaporeair.com

Author

Travel writer and photographer, Angela Lansbury.  

Teacher and tutor of English and other languages.Please bookmark and share your favourite posts and websites.