Spanish Made Simple by Angela Lansbury

 Some Spanish words are easy, but other Spanish words are a struggle to remember. But here are some magical memory aids.

Here are words you are likely to need on your travels.

Spanish - English (memory aids, common letters)

alto/alta - high (altitude)

apartamento (flat, apartment)

arte - art

ayuda - help (aid)

barco - boat (we shall embark on the boat)

carro - car (in South America, driving a Corvette car from North to South America)

coche - car (in Spain, we leave the car and take a coach in the Channel to England) 

de nada - not at all (it's nothing, no trouble, replying to thank you, don't mention it)

donde - where (we will don our clothes and go there today)

dormitorio - bedroom (dormitory)

ensalada - salad

especial - special (that is special, I especially like it)

familia - family

gracias - thanks (how gracious of you, I'm grateful)

lampara - light

mano - hand (manual labour)

museo - museum (a museum - oh!)

musica - music

no - no (at the start of a sentence or before the verb it is a negative, think of no I don't, not the case that)

o - or

opera - opera

policia - police

por favor (please, I'm poor, do me a favour)

roto/rota - broken (it's broken, that's rotten)

sal - salt

si - yes

sol - sun

solo - only

tazon - mug (tankard)

tren - train

y - and (Yes, and that one)

Useful Spanish Phrases & Verbs

es - is (yes it is)

quiero - I want

soy - I am (permanently, eg my name is, Soy Angela)

estoy (I am standing temporarily eg I am on a train)

Useful Websites For Learning Spanish

duolingo.com

 Useful Websites on accents

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

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diacritic

Angela Lansbury's Blogs

Please follow me and my blogs on travel, wine and dine, dress, comical poetry. Bookmark your favourites and share the links with your family, friends and colleagues.

Angela Lansbury's Books

My books are on Amazon and Lulu. The subjects include how to write poetry, useful Quick Quotations, Wedding Speeches and Toasts, and more. Also amusing poems, and Embarrassing Moments including mispronunciations and misunderstandings.

Easy Spanish words for travellers 20 words

 Spanish - English (memory aid)

carro - car (Double the r to remember to roll your r. Add an o because unlike ships traditionally she in English, cars are a man's or boy's toy.)

buena - good (una buena idea = a brilliant/beautiful idea)

buscando - (I am) looking for (busy scanning the surroundings or the horizon)

cielo - sky (like ceiling)

clase - class

costa - coast (as in Costa del Sol in southern Spain)

demasiado - too, too much (think of deluge)

ellas/ellos planean - they (each and every one, female or male, like los angeles meaning the angels is plural for the) plan 

equipage - luggage, (like equipment)

es - is (yes it is)

estatua - statue

gratis - free, no charge

idea - idea

isla - island just drop the last two letters, (it's a small island)

libre - free, unoccupied

los - the (plural, like Los angeles, city in the USA, meaning the angels)

sol - sun

solo - only/solo (both words have the letters o and l)

train - tren (you have to roll your r, or listen for the word said with a rolled r. To roll your r, pull the tip of your tongue backwards along the roof of your mouth whilst breathing out - say three whilst breathing out)

el turista - the tourist

If you know all these words you can now say, it is a car, it is luggage, it is an island, it is a tourist. Raise your voice and your eyebrows to turn a statement into a question in Spanish.

Useful Language Websites

duolingo.com

https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Costa+del+Sol

See my other posts on Spanish.

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The DIY Dolls' House Or Theatre For Holidays

Kleenex Tissue Box House or theatre. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Kleenex Box Theatre

Here's a game for a dolls' house or theatre made on holiday. I have used an almost empty Kleenex tissue box. The had a dozen white tissues at the back form a backdrop. No need to remove them.

Ring Box Display

Inside is the lower half of a heart shaped plastic ring box. The lid broke. I was wondering what use I could make of a ring box with no lid. To display a ring handily on holiday, by a bathroom wash basin? On the bedside table? 

I found some tiny Guatemalean dolls, fingernail size. They stick upright in the slit intended for a jewellery ring. 

You can use an open ring box during the day for play whilst the ring is on your finger. Retrieve the box at night for the ring when the children have gone to bed.

Shoe Box House

You could also make a theatre or dolls' house from one or two shoe boxes, with an upright cereal box for the side staircase. Cut square or round windows using a cup or glass or coins as a template. Behind the window place a holiday brochure showing the sea or mountains or city skyline.

For afternoon entertainment, or bedtime, you could read my poem.

Alternatively, simpler, make a theatre with a stage. Make two dolls or puppets from silhouettes cut from a magazine.

Dolls' House comical poem by Angela Lansbury

 Ava had a little dolly

And the dolly's name was Molly

Molly had a taller sister

And her sister's name was Elsa

The sisters lived in a big house

Which had a dog, a cat, and mouse

A front garden, pots with flowers

A sundial clock counted hours

 

Outside was small blue car

If dolly wanted to go far

And a train in the train station

And police in the police station 

In the hallway was a rug

Where Molly met you with a hug

In the hallway by the window

Was a long inviting settee

When you had nowhere to go

Shut your eyes, dream of the sea - or tea

In the kitchen the best honey

Which had cost a lot of money

In the kitchen was a cook

With an apron, bowl, and book

Upstairs was an attic bed

A pillow where you put your head

And a box with lots of toys

But the toys made no noise

And a wardrobe with a mirror

Where dollies could dress for dinner

And some pictures on the wall

With blue gum to fix them all

On the roof a helipad

Where you could land a little plane

Some of the roof was sloping

Made a runaway for the rain

The roof had statues of a dog

A Noah's ark, tortoise and frog

A cow, a horse, even a bear

A monster with a lot of hair

On the roof the cat with claws

Sat beside the Santa Claus

He hid on the roof all year

Waiting to deliver Christmas cheer

Yes, dolly did have a brother

And a father, and a mother

Dolly-sitter Ava came to stay

When dollies' Dad went on holiday.

But the dolly girls went to school

And the school had lots of rules

About the times when you could play

The long weekends, and holidays.

At bedtime with a sigh

Dolly had to say goodbye

But Dolly was here to stay

Ready to play another day

So Ava shut the door, the house

Put in the cat, put out the mouse

She said, 'dear dollies, please sleep tight

I wish you, both, a very good night'.

-ends-

This poem should have been on my blog on comical poetry but I saved it quickly onto this blog by mistake. Tomorrow I shall add pictures to the version which I have now saved to my poetry blog. 

Toys and DIY

It would be easy to print a tiny list of rules for a school wall, or dolls. house kitchen. Six point type. Or a psotage stamp size piece of white paper with your best calligraphy. Or a piece cut from one of those irritating instruction books in tiny print in multiple languages. Or a postage stamp with the head of the president or king or hero or your country or the country you visit on holiday.

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Preventable accidents? Warning signs to buy, display, demand

 

I read about four kinds of fatalities this month (October 2023). 

1 A passenger in a train lost their life looking out, learning out of a window. One of several accidents and near accidents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK1mYj8B5Z0

2 A major fire at a wedding in Iraq. The video shows fireworks setting fire to decorations above. Reports imply that the non fireproof cladding installed without breaks allowed the fire to spread rapidly. If the fireworks had not been set off indoors this would not have happened. However, the owner appears to blame an electrical fault. In my opinion that would make the cladding more of a culprit. Because any kind of spark, electrical as well as fireworks, candles, arson, could have caused a rapid spread of fire. The other factors which exacerbate in this kind of fire emergency, were inadequate fire exits, lack of fire extinguishers. In many UK Toastmasters meetings the MC (master of ceremonies) starts by indicating the location of toilets and fire exits. An event organizer or bride and groom should have a checklist which includes safety of venue, including fire exits (how many do you need for how many people?), are there lights showing the way to fire exits (like on aircraft) so you can reach the nearest exit. Should there be a warning before fireworks are started. Should they be banned indoors and near trees and bushes? (In the UK a tenant lit a flame indoors for a baby blessing ceremony. She repeatedly insisted that you MUST go seven times around a fire to bless the baby. yes, but not in her building. It should be banned in the lease. 

3 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12576845/The-teenage-girl-died-school-bus-crash-M53-Wirral-named-15-year-old-Jessica-Baker.html

4 A so-called freak accident in which a passenger stood up in the sun roof of a car in a car park. Apparently the passenger was hit by a low roof or beam.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12577065/Teen-18-dies-freak-accident-sticking-head-car-sunroof-hitting-concrete-beam-cruising-parking-garage-second-visited-mall-Canada-features-indoor-waterpark.html

The accident was not a freak accident. It was preventable. If the car would be designed to not move unless the back seat passenger's seat belt was done up. If cards had warnings of Ten Commandments For Safety for front seat and back seat passengers. If the car park was designed so that somebody standing inside a car could not hit their head. If the Highway code carried a page warning of types of accidents with a quiz asking drivers to note them. 

4 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12575453/Iraqi-bride-lost-entire-family-including-three-brothers-grooms-mother-wedding-inferno-left-100-dead-terrifying-new-video-shows-joy-turn-horror-inside-burning-hall-dance.html#reader-comments

Useful Websites

Warnings

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12575453/Iraqi-bride-lost-entire-family-including-three-brothers-grooms-mother-wedding-inferno-left-100-dead-terrifying-new-video-shows-joy-turn-horror-inside-burning-hall-dance.html#reader-comments

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12577065/Teen-18-dies-freak-accident-sticking-head-car-sunroof-hitting-concrete-beam-cruising-parking-garage-second-visited-mall-Canada-features-indoor-waterpark.html

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

Do not lean out of window video

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&ei=UTF-8&p=do+not+lean+out+of+windows&type=E210US739G91802#id=3&vid=c29144d6e6052d24f79c8383e18aacea&action=view

Fire prevention

Order signs from websites. Also fire extinguishers.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=fire+extinguisher

https://www.bradyid.com/signs/fire-exit-sign-cps

https://www.ebmag.com/exit-and-emergency-lighting-and-signage-a-primer-for-these-continually-evolving-life-safety-solutions/#:~:text=an%20exit%2C%20a%20public%20corridor%2C%20or%20a%20corridor,of%20level%20where%20there%20are%20stairs%20or%20ramps.

https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/2018-11/FY06_46e0-ht10_stf_emerg_illumination_checklist.pdf

https://www.eaton.com/content/dam/eaton/markets/buildings/fundamentals-of-emergency-lighting-guide.pdf

https://www.compliancesigns.com/pd/portrait-do-not-lean-out-of-the-car-sign-with-symbol-nhep-34242

https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications-and-media/Blogs-Landing-Page/NFPA-Today/Blog-Posts/2021/07/16/Fire-Extinguisher-Types

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/illegal-stick-head-out-car-window-sunroof/

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Easy train changes

Some countries show easy changes on the main rail maps or supplementary maps. 

In Singapore the MRT map shows approximate walking time between stations nearby.

Sometimes the people manning the station kiosk are helpful. Other times they don't have a clue. You might find better results at another station. Nearer your change stations. 

Or ask people who live or work in the area. Or people who live in your block when you move to a new area.

If you move to a new city, you can calculate travel times. It is easier to time a real time journey.

Mark on your own 'magic' map the easy changeover stations and the difficult ones.

London, UK

For example, in London, sometimes you just have to cross the platform at stations such as Finchley Road going into town on the bakerloo and Met lines. And at Wembley Park.

Baker Street has some easy changes and some hard ones. 

Singapore

It also depends on your attitude. I like Newston station. I find the change over easy, although you take 2 escalotrs up, a quick walk past the ticket office, insert your ticket again. Better than Bugis which involves an escaalator up, a long walk with a travelator, Another escalator.  The worst station for me is Stevens.  I took a bus from the Orchard Road and Orchard MRT station area to Stevens MRT. I counted six escalators. My husband said it was five. Plus some walking. Whatever. it was more than two escalators too many.

Lots of stations have seveeral entrances and exits. For example, Tanjong Pagar. I was visiting International Plaza. On my way there, I had an Escalator up. Returning I would have had to descend a large number of steps.

However, new friends led me across the road, through a shopping centre, which seemed an unnecesary diversion, however, down a lift to the platform, no steps. 

Another station with assorted exits is Little India. Check exits in advance. if you take the wrong one, not only do you have a walk, but you might need to cross diagonally which means an L shape of two sets of traffic lights and long waits.

Useful Websites

UK

https://www.reddit.com/r/TransitDiagrams/comments/uhepia/oc_a_new_map_for_london_rail_river_services_with/

Singapore

https://mothership.sg/2017/09/lta-produces-maps-with-walking-times-calories-burnt-between-mrt-stations/#:~:text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%20by%20train%2C%20travelling%20time,is%20just%20five%20minutes.%20And%2022.5%20calories%20burnt.

Your quickest exit from planes and hotels

Four photos on Wizz Air flying into Tirana, capital of Albana. Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

(NB no h in Wizz air.)

As Benjamin Franklin, the American ambassador to Britain, once said, and probably said several times, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

Seats next to exits should be reserved or allocated to able bodied people who can open the door in an emergency. On landing, stay seated until the plane comes to a standstill.

I have been hit on the head by items from overhead lockers. I am more nervous standing up than when seated.

 Every pilot, and every lawyer working for an insurance company knows safety rules. Every flight staff trainer knows and conveys this. Does, or should. The passengers will be depending on the staff to act quickly, calmly, decisively, and correctly, in an emergency.

When buying a place ticket, I consider, how cheap is this flight, how safe is this flight. What is the time of day, the number of engines on the plane, and the airline's reputation for safety? A relative of mine died in an air crash, and I read Unsafe at Any Height.

In a car, I try to sit beside the door and not in the middle seat. I have had three road traffic accidents.

I fly regularly. I am no longer nervous But I do try to select my seat.

THE PLANE EXITS

I was twice in planes which had trouble, engine trouble of warning lights. Once, taking off from Heathrow in an Air India flight. We had to wait at the airport many hours for another flight. Then the second leg of my flight, we circled and came to a standstill. The air hostess (as they were called in those days) ran to the pilot's cabin. She came running back in a panic, raced down the aisle and off the plane. Leaving us!

I now sit near an exit, on the aisle. In a train I like to sit near the exit, but mainly so  I can watch my luggage, and not have to race a long a long aisle to get off in time when I hear the station name announced, and cannot understand it, and suddenly find I am at the interchange or destination station in Wales.

Flying is safer than driving

This is normally considered true, but sounds ironic. If you drive on corniche roads, corniche is French for ledge, with a sheer drop on one side, the number of times you brace yourself, and stare anxiously at the scenery, on one journey, can exceed the number of times you brace yourself in an aircraft during turbulence. However, some people find that dangerous roads do not make flying seem safer. Any kind of alarm makes them more tense in all situations. 

Howeve, even if you are totally stress-free, and stoical, it may be despite, or because, of the fact that you have taken every care to maximize your chances of coming out of an accident safely.

Yes, but whether you are driving or on the road, many precautions can save lives. That is why we have a highway code, and driving tests, and the UK's car MOT, and road safety campaigns. That is why airlines have safety briefings. Ensure you are not one of the few, rare casualties, but one of the survivors.

Fear of Flying

I used to  be afraid of flying. I liked photography. I sat in the window seat. After we took off, I felt nervous looking down. 

Now I sit in the aisle seat. This has more than one advantage. Quick exit in emergency. Quick exit to toilet. Quick way to stop a passing flight attendant. Eyes on the long aisle beat claustrophobia. Inside plane activity distracts from the sight of the far off ground.

Preparation On Boarding

If you want a photo from the window, ask the passenger in the window seat to take it.

Listen to the exit and emergency instructions. That helps others. And may stop them obstructing your exit. 

Check you can find your inflatable floatation device.

Check you know which way to pull the lever on the emergency exit.

Keep your phone and credit cards and passport on you. That way you don't delay in any emergency. You don't leave the plane and leave your passport behind in the seat back pocket. You have a phone to call for help, and contact family to say you are safe. You have credit cards to buy food, a ticket home, clothes, a hotel to stay overnight, the airline number to call for help or another flight, to tell them where you are, to ask for a message to be sent to your family, and the taxi waiting for you at the destination airport.

Wear flat shoes, not heels, which damage the slide as you descend and slow your running away on land.

In your pocket have a small file of drinking water, a chocolate bar or vitamin tablets.

Thongs (underpants) in your pocket, spare socks, a small pen and paper to write a help me note, or location details.

HOTEL EXITS 

Note the exit. Note the number of doors between your bedroom and the exit.

RESTAURANTS

Note the exit. Ask, if there is a back exit for an emergency. 

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Necklace attracting attention on the train

 

Three-strand coloured necklace seen on the train. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

This attractive necklace attracted my attention on the train. The wearer's dress in plain gray which forms a neutral background, The necklace, which could be hidden behind the dress neck, is shown here hanging below to echo the oval necklace and enhance the curve.

Look closely at the colours. The orange nearest the neck and face is the warm colour. Contrasted with cool green. In between is the gold which matched the watch strap, jewellery and ring and makes it suitable for understated evening wear, as well as fun daytime wear.

I said to the stranger, "Excuse me, I have been admiring your necklace. Did you buy it here?"

She replied, "Yes, but a long time ago. I have forgotten where I bought it. A lot of people ask me."

What you can do is look out for something similar. Or do a google picture image match.

You will find more on my Pinterest page, Angela dress of the day,

Useful Websites

https://sg.shein.com/Layered-Beaded-Necklace-Drop-Earrings-p-10878010-cat-1756

https://craftsbutik.com/products/necklace-layered-silk

https://www.diys.com/easy-to-make-necklaces/

https://honestlywtf.com/diy/diy-utility-rope-necklace/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/USHOBE-Handmade-Necklaces-Multilayer-Statement/dp/B0BN58YYZ5/ref=sr_1_2?crid=11SDO2RNWZCEU&keywords=african%2Bthree%2Brope%2Bweave%2Bnecklace&qid=1684483607&sprefix=african%2Bthree%2Brope%2Bweave%2Bnecklace%2Caps%2C385&sr=8-2&th=1

How to Travel During Train Strikes in the UK, by plane, train, taxi, bus & walk

 

In June in London, England, train drivers and train staff have been on strike for more pay. How can you get around and get home?

First you check the media for predicted strike days.

Second, assume there might be delays the following days. If the night staff have not been working signals, this will affect the morning trains. If key workers are late or absent, other businesses might not be open or might cancel events.

Check alternative routes.

Planes

Planes run from London to European cities and other parts of the UK. London City airport.

International Rail

Europe

European Trains

My husband came back to the UK on a pre-booked channel tunnel train from France on Eurostar, St Pancras (Kings Cross & St Pancras station) to Gare du Nord (station of the north) in Paris. The French trains were still running into London. However, they were full. He had booked his return journey the week previously to a wine show for the trade in Bordeaux (which means bordering on water), southwestern France, with a change of trains in Paris, so he had to take a taxi to the other station.

Intercity UK Trains

 If the underground trains in central London are not running, you might still be able to get in and out using the intercity trains. Note if they are express or if they have suburban stops.

Coaches

Check the bus routes, and the coaches. 

Coaches are single decker and go between cities and make fewer stops. Coaches might have toilets.

Buses

In the UK, buses are single or double decker and make numerous stops at bus stops. Some buses have to be hailed.  

All night Buses

A small number of routes. 

Hailing Buses

In the UK to hail a bus you raise the palm of your hand. (Unlike Asia. In Singapore  your palm faces the ground and your hand goes up and down like patting an invisible dog.)

Taxis and Cabs

Taxis

Taxis generally have meters.

Uber and other shared cab services (which may have raised prices to match demand). Uber prices apparently in some places shot up to six times the normal fare.

Share a taxi or cab with a colleague, or somebody you chat up in the taxi queue, to cut costs.

Walking distances and times.

London transport has a map online showing walking distances between main stations. If you have wheeled luggage, or small light luggage, you will find both the short walks and the long walks easier.

Bicycles

Consider hiring bicycles. No need to hunt for a bicycle hire shop. Bicycles in London are on stands in public places.  Now you see the name Santander in the Santander colours. You might remember when the bikes were first a novelty they were nicknamed the neatly alliterative Boris Bikes.

Phone a friend / relative in the city near a mainline station

My family member caught an intercity train to Hendon and his son drove Dad the last  couple of miles out to the suburbs.

Useful Websites

Tfl stands for Transport for London

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_United_Kingdom_national_rail_strike

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/santander-cycles

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/walking-tube-map.pdf

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/city-of-london-night-a4-301119.pdf

How To Save Money On Trains, Taxis on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve, Discounted Souvenirs & Time Zone

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright

 UK

On trains you can get discounts in the UK if you have:

Freedom Pass

A Freedom Pass - in London, residents over a certain age can apply for a Freedom Pass which in 2012 give free travel in London.

Senior Railcard

A senior Railcard on the mainline networks cost me about  thirty pounds but saved about thirty pounds. No real saving for one journey. Why waste time applying for it? I was taking just one journey to Wales.

But I applied for it anyway. Just in case I needed to take a second journey. It would also be quicker to renew the following year if the price or travel was higher than the cost of the discount card and I wanted to pay again. The senior railcard also acted as a second form of identity and age verification if I did not have my Freedom card or lost it or mislaid it. I might find that I could get discounted or free entry to a museum by showing it to the ticket office.

Singapore Travel Cards

The community centres have a membership card which doubles as a railcard. This gets you through the turnstile without the wait to buy a ticket every time. You get discounted travel. 

I was also able to ask for a card which you can show somebody when requesting a seat. you don't have to breathe over them, or speak through your mask. Just show them the card.

Seasonal Offers

In London Christmas shopping often goes on to lunch time the previous day, when some shops shut so their staff can go home for Christmas eve. the Catholic churches hold christmas eve Midnight mass. We have attended a midnight mass in London where there was a concert, as well as in Prague in the Czech Republic. Christmas day in London is a dead day with most people at home opening presents and having family dinners. Non-Christians such as Jews and Moslems are increasingly taking different days off for their festivities and standing in for Christian staff on Christmas Day.

Over Xmas and New Year you might find there are no trains, or that extra trains run all day or all night with free travel. Did they find it was cheaper to keep the driverless trains running and not pay the staff overtime? Or that staff wanted Xmas and New Year off? Keep an eye out by looking at the online news, free newspapers on the stations, posters on the underground train lines, station leaflets, and apps.

USA & Canada

In the USA in the sixties we had an offer on greyhound buses for 99 dollars for 99 days. That has long gone. However, the trains with 

the see-through roofs periodically make offers. Get on their mailing list to be alerted.

One year in Lake Tahoe everything was closed or fully booked over New Year. So we ended up taking our son to McDonalds which seemed to be the only place open.

Europe

In Spain we drove across the border from Portugal and had to have an early sitting dinner in Spain on Christmas Even. They asked if we could finish eating by 9 pm. No problem. 

However, they were already sitting down to their staff Xmas eve dinner while we were still eating. We were a bit surprised. Even more surprised next morning when we just got into breakfast before the restaurant closed. Spain was on a different time zone, an hour different! 

On New Year's Eve some areas of the USA, as in the UK have free travel on trains or free travel on taxis. 

Japan

I have vivid memories of arriving at a Japanese station in Hiroshima wanting an overnight train back to Tokyo to see my American boyfriend (who I had met on the plane and became a lifelong penpal and phone  and internet contact) who was passing through Tokyo for one day.  The ticket seller told me that all seats on the overnight train were sold.  Oh no!

What to do? Go to a student hostel for the night? pay for hostel overnight as well as the train fare. Where was it?

I went back to ask. It was too far to walk. No bus. I would have to pay for a taxi there - and back next day.

I sat down, disconsolate. After a couple of minutes, the ticket seller beckoned me over. What was he trying to tell me?  Train? Yes. Bed? That I could not sleep on the bench? Bed on train? Three beds. Six beds. Train. Only low bed. That I could buy a couchette, a bunk bed!

But more expensive than a seat. It was three times the price of the seat. 

But it let me sleep flat overnight! The cost was less than the youth hostel plus two taxi fares. And it got me to my destination in time to see my boyfriend! I was ecstatic.  Yes, yes, yes. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Arigato.

If you tell the ticket sellers your budget, and ask for alternatives. Or go back when they are less busy, or have thought about it, in my experience there is often a cheaper alternative and a second option.

Compare the cost of planes, trains, long distance coaches, overground trains, local suburban trains, city buses, all night buses. taxis.

The same applies on ferries. And sometimes a return ticket is cheaper than two singles, especially if bought weeks in advance. On cruise ships and holidays, however, you can often get a last minute bargain. 

Useful Websites

About the author

Angela Lansbury is a travel writer, English teacher, author, and a member of Toastmasters International, a speakers' training and leadership self-help, co-op, not for profit international organization.  

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How The Haze Affects Your Health, Finances and Travels

Where is the haze and when and why?
My family has been experiencing haze in Singapore. I have cancelled my daily swim and I will tell you my other expeiences in a moment. But you will be wondering which countries are affected and how this affects your business and holiday plans.


Haze in KL, Malaysia.



Haze over the Merlion, symbol of Singapore. Picture from Wikipedia article on haze.

This is a neat summary by Wikipedia.

The 2019 Southeast Asian haze is an ongoing trans-national air pollution crisis which affects several countries in Southeast Asia, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Thailand began to experience haze in February 2019 until mid May 2019, peaking in March and April. Later in the year, starting from June-July 2019, Indonesia began to experience haze. Malaysia was affected from August 2019, while Singapore and Brunei experienced haze in September 2019.

It is the latest occurrence of the Southeast Asian haze, a long-term issue that occurs in varying intensity during every dry season in the region. It has mainly been caused by forest fires resulting from illegal slash-and-burn practices, principally on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan,

Flag of China

Yellow Dust, China and Korea
Yellow dust has also affected Beijing in China, and Korea, but that's another problem, an extra problem. Meanwhile, in Asia we have haze.Who cares if you are not in Asia? Well, there are lessons to learn for the USA and Europe, your overseas colleagues could be affected, and your investments may be affected.

Haze All Over Asia
The haze is bad for business. It doesn't just affect the children, the elderly, the pregnant, the nervous.

Flag of Singapore

Flights
First, the haze can affect flights. You can't land a plane if you cannot see. You cannot fly across the city.

Flag of  the USA

As I discovered on the day of 9/11, if the flights in one part of the world are affected, there's a knock on effect in other parts of the world. Planes are turned back or don't set off. People miss their connections and half empty flight are cancelled. The plane from one continent does not arrive so the ongoing section is also affected. A delay in take off means the pilots and crew are over their permitted time and the plane has to wait for another crew to bbe assembled.

Road Transport
Increase in road accidents. Cars run into each other. Poeple try to tailgate and hit the car in front which slows or stops when visibility ceases, causing accidents.

Your air crew may be in airport hotels, and so may the passengers. But if some of them are in the city and cannot get to the plane that causes problems.

Different countries have different solutions. Take India, for example.

Flag of India

Indian Car Pollution Solution
Cars in cause pollution. So oen measure has been to allow cars to operate on alternating days according to the numberplate, odd numbers one day, even numbers the next.

Car Sharing
So if you and your enighbour have cars which fall into different categories, on odd number days you share one car, on even number days, you share the other.This works if you don't have more than half the seats filled by one family.

Pedestrians and Cyclists
I am planning a trip to a company in Singapore. That involves a walk from the station. But we are told not to go outdoors. Sports are cancelled. Construction workers are recalled. The security on the gate.

Zoos
The staff in the Safari park. The animals in the zoo are inside.

Symptoms
What are the symptoms of the haze? I keep clearing my throat, as if I have a sore throat or bad cold starting. My eyes look bloodshot.  I keep coughing.
My eyes feel prickly.

Business Meetings
So, I don't want to walk to my business meeting. What are the alternatives? I could take a bus. But that involves sitting out in the open air waiting for the bus if the bus is not frequent.

Offering Lifts
I might get a lift back to the station. I might not.

Taxis And Costs
What about the cost of the taxi? There and back. Twice a day for a week, or more. 28 trips averaging 10 dollars. What if the other person cancels? Waiting for the taxi at the pick-up point exposes me to the air.

Schools Closed
Schools are closed. That means parents have to stay home to look after their children. Shops and services and businesses are closed.

Sports
The swimming pool lessons are cancelled. The golf tournaments.

Swimming pool in Singapore.

Restaurants
Restaurants with outdoor seating are losing half their business.

Waiting For Your Driver
I could call a grab or taxi. Both ways if I do not get a lift home. The person kindly offering me a lift wants me to wait at the pick up point outside the station. But that involved standing by traffic fumes and breathing in the haze. I have to arrive early to be sure not to miss the driver.

Motorcycling
Motorcyclists are affected. You could cancel your outing and your trip to the outdoor restaurant. Order food delivered. But the Domonis pizzza and McDonalds delveries and Deliveroo might cancel delivered to protect the health of their drivers.

Social Engagements Cancelled
My Singaporean friend Shan (ethnic Chinese, speaking Mandarin friend who married a men from Australasia, has a second home in Australia. She decided to fly back to Australia last time there was a haze. So her lunch with me was cancelled. I started to feel like the last rat on a sinking ship.

Buying Property
Singaporeans keep telling me to sell my home in the UK and buy in Singapore. If I sell up in the UK I have nowhere to go back to. I am having second thoughts. Will I really want to reture to Asia and the haze when the haze is bad for the elderly?

Wind Direction
The wind blows away the haze. Relief. Then the wind changes.

Where Is the Fire?
Fires are in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Flag of Malaysia

Talks are taking place about fines or punishments for those who are residents of one country, running businesses in another. Instead of waiting for Indonesia to fine the subsidiary company in in Indonesia, fining the main company in Malaysia or Singapore, and vice versa. If it costs only 40 dollars (per foot, per acre or whatever.  to clear land by fire, but to clear by other conventional means costs 400, a business is tempted to take the cost effective route. If the government fines so that the balance is changed, or puts poeple in prison, or takes other measures, that might affect the matter.

Who is paying for the preventive measures? It costs money to send out planes, drop water, deploy the army. Add the cost to the emergency services, sending the firefighters, compensating firefighters who lost their lives, ambulances, hospital staff.

Farmers have lost lives trying to protect their crops and cattle.

Shutting Windows
In Singapore we are looking at windows. The open air scullery areas. The maids walking the dog and cleaning the car in the open sided car parks.

Wearing Masks
The number of people wearing masks is increasing. The people across from you on the train are wearing masks.


Masks

Buying Masks
You can buy masks from pharmacies but when there's a spike in the haze the masks run out. Some masks are only effective a few hours.

Masks are unfomfortable to wear.

Before buying a mask check the different kinds. Dust marks are not the same as haze masks.


Tourism Affected
Do you enjoy tourism when there's a haze. Even if you were not worried about your health, the safari park is shut. The walk to the Gardens By The Bay from the MRT means you might take a taxi instead. The cheaper hawker centre, the outdoor food court, will be deserted and closed.

Coffee Shops and Fast Food
The outdoor areas of McDonalds and Starbucks are empty.

Photographs
The picture of the Taj Mahal or another pretty building, the mosque in Malaysia, all shrouded in mist, or against a white sky instead of blue. The 'ordinary' buildings, the skyscrapers, are against a white sky.

Windows and Fans
I wake to feel groggy. The air is stifling. What is wrong. The patio doors to the balcony have only a little gap for air. I close them. The bathroom air is bad. The high window by the shower is adjar, always. I must clea a path to all doors and windows to clear them in a hurry. We used to leave open the doors and windows to create a through breeze and save the cost of air conditioning.

What I Cancel
If a meeting is held in the outdoor void deck of a Community Center, I won't stay. If the get together after the meeting is at an outdoor hawker center (food court) I won't go.

Tip
Look for free masks given away free at hospitals and clinics.

Useful Websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Dust
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asian_haze

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

The Future of Travel In Cartoons - Art To See On The Underground At Newton MRT station, Singapore

'Starfish' travel. Artwork on Newton underground MRT station. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

On closer inspection, I see that the windows are in a spiral, a bit like a seashell.

Jellyfish travel - or maybe inside a spider. Artwork photographed on Newton. Photo taken and named by Angela Lansbury.



Travelling in front of the fishtail. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

All over Newton underground train station walls on your way to and from the Downtown line are these cute little drawings. Teeny characters travel on a futuristic sci-fi means of transport, a cross between space travel and submarines. What does this picture remind you of? It reminds me of a starfish.

Useful Websites for travellers
singaporeair.com

About the author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. See next post on the giant mural at Newton, as well as other posts about sttion artwork in Singapore, the UK, and worldwide. Please share links to your favourite posts.

See Trains and Art at Bukit Panjang MRT and LRT

Bukit Panjang is the far north end of the Downtown line. Bukit means hill in the Malay language, and panjang means long.

Bukit Panjang is a busy interchange. You switch from the MRT (mass rapid transit) underground to the LRT (light railway or above eye level, outdoors.

Opposite the upstairs entrance to the light railway, is the entrance to an indoor shopping mall.

In the open area outside on the ground level, you can see entertainment - busier on national holidays.

I stopped and enjoyed watching a little train going around.

When I went from the LRT to the Downtown I passed two art exhibits.

One shows drawings done on the underground trains as well as buses by a group of artists who have a web page on Facebook.

The other is the three winners of a contest for photography on tunnels.

There's always something to see on the MRT.

The Downtown line has driverless trains and the doors close automatically with a recorded message if you should accidentally cause an obstruction.

The LRT has fascinating windows which cloud up at stations and sometimes between stations if you are alongside government housing (HDB).

Lots to look at.

Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. If you have a favourite post, please share the links with your family, friends and colleagues.

Welsh words for bus, train, new - and accents

Welsh dragon.

When I was travelling through Welsh station by train I picked up a view Welsh words by looking at the bilingual signs.

Welsh - English
Abertawe - Swansea
bws - bus
Caer - Chester
Caesnewydd - Cardiff
Cwmni - Wales
lifft- lift
newydd - new
trên  - train (Circumflex accent on the e in tren)
Wreksam - Wrexham
Y Rhyl - Rhyl

Accents
 trên I could not find the accents in Google nor in Word. When I was using an Apple computer you held down the key. But now typing on a thinkPad doing that produces a line of the letter e. 
I googled the answer found a guide with three suggestions. One said use insert but I cannot find insert in blogger. Another suggestion said hold down alt plus g and r but that did not work and involved too much time and effort. 
So I looked up Welsh dictionary and found a university website Welsh dictionary from Wales, typed in train, and copied the Welsh word.
When I find a solution to inserting accents in Word and blogger I shall write it on a sticker and stick it on my laptop.

I have been learning Welsh on Duolingo, which is a website teaching several languages for free - with occasional advertisements.

Useful Websites
https://www.duolingo.com/

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Look For The Numbers On Train Station Platform Doors

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Earlier this year I was on a train where the platform doors did not open. I had to race down the carriage to the next door to get off before the train went off again.

Earlier this week in Singapore I noticed and photographed the number on these doors on the overground section of the MRT on the red line. If I ever had to report that the doors were stuck, or wanted to fore-warn friends who would be catching the train later, I could use these numbers.

Mostly passengers don't notice the numbers. But the platform staff need the number to know where to place a temporary cordon to stop passengers queuing to board at the place where the doors don't open.

Singapore is a great stopover in Asia between America or Russia or Europe and Australia. 

Travel Tips

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

australia.com

visitbritain.com

visitbritain.shop.com

visitbritain.org

visittheusa.co.uk

visitsingapore.com

Singapore Airlines: 

singaporeair.com

http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/us/plan-travel/local-promotions/features/stb-stopover-holiday

Author

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

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2018/12/secret-travellers-seen-on-newton-station.html

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2019/01/cute-musicians-in-cartoons-on-toilet.html

See also my posts on Waterloo Street, The National Gallery, and Singapore's big attractions.

Caricature of man listening to music on MRT train in Singapore

I drew this on the MRT in Singapore.Look carefully at my signature and you will see teeny eyes of a face in the initial a and the last a. I never draw my name the same twice on caricatures. The creativity and uniqueness of my signature is part of the ensemble.

Train Etiquette In Asia - and fighting cold germs

Problems On Trains
In the UK the health message has for a long time been: Coughs and sneezes spread diseases; catch them in your handkerchief. This was a government health campaign. Even when it is no longer displayed, people still remember the catchy verse and repeat the mantra to themselves.

However, in Asia it is common to wear a mask. Some British people are averse to masks. In London we have masked figures attacking people, robberies and terrorism.

My experience of the blue face  mask in Singapore is that it is unpleasant to wear. You have a small area of hot air you are breathing out under your nose. You feel like you are sucking hot air in through a barrier.

I said, "I have a cold so it's hard to breathe. This mask is making it even more difficult t breathe in.
My Singaporean friend suggested, "Just cover your mouth, so you don't cough over the car everyone."

If I felt a sneeze coming on, I could pull up the mask. I could pull it down to talk, then pull it up if I felt a coughing fit.

That is to protect people in public spaces. What about at home?

You don't want to re-infect yourself, nor other people. This involves meticulously washing your hands before preparing food,and after sneezing or blowing your nose and handling a damp tissue, before putting your hands onto your computer or phone. Maybe use a wet wipe on surfaces you have touched.

Where To Buy A Mask
You can buy mask from pharmacies. Check first if travelling a distance which branches stock them because they might only be in larger branches. During major emergencies such as a haze, some branches may run out. It could help to enquire when the items are delivered and put out on the shelves. For example, if the new stock were to be delivered at 8 am but placed on the shelves at 10 be am, and sold out by 4 pm, you might be told that there would be a fresh delivery tomorrow, but you 5 would not find any when you set off at 8-9 am, nor when you returned at 5 pm.

One solution is to try every store you pass. Another is to get different members of your family or group to look for them.

Free Masks
I was given a mask by a friend in Singapore - who was upset that I was coughing in a car. He obtained a free mask from a Polyclinic near his home.

I found free masks in a private doctor's clinic in a mall. I didn't know who they were for - for doctor's to save themselves from breathing over us or breathing in the patients' germs? I asked at the desk and the receptionist replied, "Please help yourself." She didn't say whether that meant just one, two, or more.

Masks were also in the national University Hospital.

After you get it home, you might just put it down on a desk, hidden under clutter, or leave it in a bag or pocket so that it with you next time you go out. You risk changing bags and clothes and not finding it.

An alternative is to keep it in the bag or jacket you always wear, and tell the family where you have put it, in case they need it when you are not there or forget. Another suggestion is to keep it in a bathroom cupboard, if there is room, or on a bathroom shelf with a note or photo inside the bathroom cabinet door. Another choice would be to keep one mask, or two, in the first aid kit in your kitchen on the wall or in a car glove box.

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

Please bookmark and share links to your favourite posts.


www.msn.com/en-sg/news/world/video-fight-breaks-out-inside-mtr-train-carriage-over-man-coughing

Holland Village MRT windmill, Singapore, shows us the way, so does Sherlock in Baker Street, London

Down on the platform you can see this mural showing a Dutch style windmill. The windmill ties in with the name Holland Village.

That's what the art work on every station should show, a reminder of the name. I would have preferred a repeating pattern of windmills or other local landmarks or historic photos. 

To my mind, every station should have a colour scheme, with accents in a warm colour. Here you have pale blue with occasional touches of red or pink or yellow.

Other stations also feature the local area.

My favourites in London, England

Baker Street.

Sherlock Holmes.

Victoria Station.

My least favourites In Singapore

Cashew

Little India - a lot of brown and grey an monotone. Outside in Little India the ladies are wearing colourful sarees. The Little India station should by a riot of colour, like the Diwali patterns used to decorate the trains..

Diwali Decoration on Singapore's MRT train

Stunning seasonal decoration for Diwali.

Learn a few words of Indonesian-Malay

Problem
How do I remember the Indonesian words?

Answer
No problem. Just look for the connections between the words in English and Indonesian-Malay.












Indonesian / Malay - English
goreng - fried (I think of the g in greasy and that reminds me of fried in oil or butter.)
kereta api - train (Malay)
maaf! - sorry! (My awful toe AAH! What the f. happened? It got trodden on but because I'm British I'll say sorry MAAF.)
silakan - please / please come in (letters 's l a' in silakan and 'l a s' in please. Silakan ends kan - sounds like can I come in - yes you can.
tidak - no (Concentrate on the d in the centre of the word as a reminder: you don't say, no - don't even think it)

English - Indonesian / Malay
fried - goreng
no - tidak
please (come in) - silakan
train - kereta api

REVISION
Words from pervious posts and earlier lessons in Duolingo:
Malay / Indonesian - English
apel - apple
ayam - chicken
bukit - hill
dia - he/she
dua - two (as in dual)
es - ice
foto - photo
merah - red (As in the place name in Singapore, Bukit Merah, meaning red hill, literally hill red.)
pintu - door
saya - I myself (s and y in both words)
selamat pagi - good morning (start a new page)
wanita - woman (Both words have the letter w, a n. Yes, it is a woman. Wan-it-a.)
Ya - Yes

English - Malay
apple - apple
chicken - ayam
door - pintu
good morning - selamat pagi
he/she - dia
hill - bukit
I - saya
ice - es
photo - foto
two - dua
woman - wanita
Yes! - Ya!

Useful Websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Standard_Malay_and_Indonesian
duolingo.com

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

Camping, cheap? Five star hotel expensive? What is Free?

Problem
Sometimes the holiday turns out cheaper than you expected. Sometimes it's dearer. Factors to remember?

Answers
Camping
You will need hiking and waterproof outdoor clothes and boots. Tents. Sleeping bags. Ground sheets. BBQ equipment. Caravan hire or mobile toilet. Camping ground fee, or permission from farm owner. (Some Scandinavian countries have a right to roam which lets you camp anywhere providing you remove your own litter and leave the place as you found it.

Hostel
Some hostels are like five-star hotels. Others expect you to bring your own sheets, and are so far away late at night that you need a taxi both ways to get you there before their closing time and to be safe.

I once stood at a station in Japan, having been told there were no seats left on the train. I asked the location of the nearest hostel. the price, the taxi price. So much money? And not meeting up with my boyfriend who was leaving next day.

Overnight Sleep Option
I sat down to contemplate. The ticket office man beckoned me over. was I willing to pay another £10 for a couchette?

Yes! Much cheaper than the cost of the hostel and two taxis. Less hassle. The train was due in thirty minutes later. I could be in bed and asleep in less than an hour and in Tokyo next day!

When you are taking an overnight flight and sleeping on a plane, or overnight on a train, offset that cost against what you would pay for a night at a hotel.

Five Star Hotel
You can get good deals on last minute, offseason, long-stay, free Sunday with a two night Friday and Saturday booking, or if the breakfast or dinner is included. Also look for free airport transfer (which would otherwise cost you up to £25 each way). But make sure the transport service does not incur a charge added to your bill which is higher than calling a taxi or uber using your mobile.

Useful Websites
lastminute.com
sportsdirect.com

AUTHOR
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.