Eat At And Read About Social Responsible Restaurants Helping Handicapped Workers Around the World

LONDON UK
In London I first came across the idea of social restaurants which train and employ
people with particular needs. One in Harrow was promoted locally.

Elsewhere in London Jamie Oliver's restaurant helping those who needed training and employment got a lot of national publicity. So that was at least two in the UK, spreading help, and the idea to inspire other projects.

Then, in Singapore, I found more.

SINGAPORE
I discovered two others in Singapore. One is at the Pathways school. Philanthropic enterprises can overlap. Sometimes being orphaned leads to other psychological needs. The Pathways has assorted historically philanthropic and branches brought together in one place combines philanthropic philosophies, a Catholic school, training for those who have not passed exams to get into other more academic schools and need more practical job training. I looked for more around the world.

Next I met Bruce, Brand ambassador for Caffeine which helps former drug users find employment in its restaurant in a hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital.



Useful Websites
For reintegrating former drug users:
thecaffeineexperience.com
facebook.com/theofficialtce
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tan_Tock_Seng_Hospital
Shuttle bus service to Novena MRT:

SINGAPORE
Re Glenn Lim in Singapore
https://www.facebook.com/ProjectFeel/posts/this-is-the-life-story-of-glenn-lim-who-was-a-school-dropout-and-an-ex-convict-b/1480129015564165/
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/rebuilding-lives-from-scratch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPHKDl82CDE&feature=kp&fbclid=IwAR2nifT8CnwIc_qOp-ZsAJVGTrLTF6bzHUKi9clfplaBxwQXmjHEUloFqyE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtE1T5hMZ1o

MORE IN SINGAPORE
https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/amazing-restaurants-that-hire-people-with-disabilities/
About Dignity
https://www.citynews.sg/2011/04/20/job-training-for-the-disabled/

Restaurant Projects Elsewhere
Canada
https://www.culinarychoreography.com/about

UK
https://londontheinside.com/london-businesses-that-give-back/
Includes description of Jamie Oliver's Fifteen in London, England. (Jamie Oliver's regular restaurants are in the UK and Singapore.)

USA
Cause Cafe, Northport, New York
https://www.today.com/parents/visit-cafe-takes-chance-adults-autism-t102771

Addresses
The Caffeine Experience
11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng
#01-19 Tan Tock Seng Hospital
Singapore 308433.

Jalan is Malay for street.

TRAVEL
singaporeair.com
Book up to six flights on Singapore Airlines and Star Alliance members.
https://www.singaporeair.com/booking-flow.form?execution=e1s1
How to join Star Alliance and get points on member airlines
https://www.staralliance.com/en/faqs

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

Hong Kong Language Warning - when ordering cups of coffee

Flag of China.

Problem
It is a treat to visit Hong Kong. I think of it as the land of Bruce Lee and films in which he starred.

However, Cantonese is not the easiest language for those of us who speak English. What can go wrong, I asked a Brit who lived in Hong Kong.

Answer
Cantonese, like Mandarin, has several tones. The Mandarin language has five, or more, depending on whether you count a base or blank tone. Mandarin is used in China and Singapore. When you get to Hong Kong, you need Cantonese. Mandarin is not enough.

Cantonese speakers claim yet more tones are needed. Despite this my brave friend did his best.

He came unstuck when he visited a Chinese restaurant. He asked for what he thought was a cup of coffee. Instead, he got two empty cups.

This has happened to me before in restaurants, and I have not understood the reason. We debated the reason. We speculated. We assumed that the helpful and willing staff were not being difficult. Maybe the restaurant staff generously employed slow-witted staff. Perhaps the staff were rushed and brought the cups and another member of staff is supposed to fill the cups.

Now we know that if you are not too careful about word order and intonation, you have asked for coffee cups instead of cups of coffee.

Why would anybody want an empty cup? Sometimes you want to share out your drinks, try it with sugar and without, need a cup or glass for a glass of water to take a pill, want to drink milk separately.

If I want an empty cup and I am speaking English, I specify an empty cup.

Rapport
Another friend of mine who specialises in psychology and rapport, said that autism is a spectrum of abilities to relate to other people and see things from their point of view. Some people can be mild, and learn to read signals.

Others more rigid. When told to do something, they don't interact or ask questions. They just follow rules and orders exactly. They think, If I am asked for two coffee cups, that's what I fetch.

So we have various factors to take into consideration, language, personality. If you don't have the ability to develop rapport, chat away, mime and smile and read signals, and neither does the other person. you have to rely on precise language for perfect communication.

I have many more posts on language. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Useful Websites

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