Being A Tenant worldwide

30 YEARS OF TENANT EXPERIENCE

I see things from both sides. Although I am both a home owner and landlord, in Singapore I was a tenant in 5 properties over a 30 year period. Our first flat was centrally located. It was brand new.

TENANTS' CHALLENGES - WILDLIFE

However,  it had cockroaches. In the kitchen. 

Which is worse, creatures you can see, chase, spray? Or creatures which come out at night and leave behind droppings, trails, holes, smells, or make noises behind the walls.

In England we hear the saying, you are never far from a rat. What about snakes in Singapore? In the USA we were told on a tourist trail though a national park that snakes are scared of noise. You can march heavily, sing, and throw stones ahead to frighten them off the path.

Snakes - invisible

A girl downstairs in our newly built block of lats near central Orchard Road discovered in her school bag a snake skin, which local snakes discard annually. Singapore has 70 species of snake.

 In 30 years I never saw one in the city, except a large one on the fence at a noisy party. It obviously hadn't read that small snakes are scared by noise.

Neither had the London snakes learned to beware of humans, noisy nor silent. My parents in London, England, had had a breeding pair of adders in their garden backing onto woodland in Stanmore in 1978. The snake basked in the sun happily beside our neighbour who had been snoozing in a deck chair. Maybe she should have played the radio, quietly.

Apart from wildlife, in Singapore, I had three main problems. 

TENANTS' Problems

1 Mould PROBLEMS

As  tenants in Singapore, we had mould, from tropical rain running from the flat roof down the outside walls of the skyscraper. 

Mould Solutions

Painting over was a temporary solution. The problem returned the following year. Another company had a more expensive but effective solution of removing plaster and adding a waterproof lining.

In the UK the maintenance company rep showed that a device for detecting damp could show the damp from the top corner, being a ceiling leak from pipes or broken guttering. A mould patch half way could be foliage or an overflow pipe from a kitchen boiler. 

Mould alongside a bed meant that the one pint of water which every adult, two children or two pets breathe out, was going onto an adjoining wall. 

Walls should be free of leaning furniture and furnishing to allow airflow. 

So curtains should not rest against windows and walls.

 Bedding such as headboards and duvets should be a gap away. 

Cupboard contents should be inside racks away from the back wall. Fifties style furniture on feet is best to allow air flow. 

CHAIRS

The oriental and Middle eastern style of living, with cushions around the walls and on the floor is fine for hot, dry climates, But the lack of air flow produces moisture turning into mould.

Also windows should be opened.

TENANTS PROBLEMS

2 Missing Furniture or furnishing

We went into the new property and a shelf was missing in a kitchen cupboard. 

My family said, don't complain, we don't need it.

When we moved out two years later, our leaving inventory showed a missing shelf, so the letting agent charged us for the replacement. Tenant's loss.

The new curtains didn't quite meet. My family said, don't complain. 

3 Street Noise - Tenant's Problem

DAYTIME NOISE

In little India we backed onto a busy street with an Indian temple. We could drown out continuous noise from traffic by playing music. 

However, we had loud intermittent noise from processions. Indian processions for example, Thaipusan. And noise from lion dances at Chinese New Year.

Night NOISE

In Singapore you can report noise at night. 

A friend of ours with a pilot in the family told us they had been disturbed by builders digging by the road nearby late at night. 

The family went out to remonstrate. 

The foreman shrugged, and lied. 'We have to dig now. It's a gas leak.'

The family retorted. 'We have already reported you to police who are on their way. It's not a gas leak. This street is on bottled gas.'

The workmen quickly threw their gear into the truck and drove off.

To conclude on Good Tenants' BEST PRACTICE  

For tenants

1 Pay on time and send a whatsapp saying you have done so.

2 Report leaks and other problems promptly. 

3 Preserve all guarantees, and fire safety stickers on furniture.

4 If you go abroad tell the landlord you are away and who nearby has the key if there is a leak, fire or other problem. 

5 Inform the landlord if you have anybody to stay longer than a fortnight. The landlord is legally obliged to check that he is not renting out to illegals. He or she needs to know that relatives staying in your flat are not squatters.

4 If given notice, leave. You might want a good reference. The landlord who wants to get rid of you might be tempted to give you a good reference but is legally obliged to tell the truth and risks a large fine by not doing so.

3 If you can, clean the oven or have it professionally cleaned. Hire a cleaning company to leave the whole flat as it was when you found it, including carpet cleaning.

-ENDS-

Simple Spanish words for starting Spanish

 

Spanish - English 

clase - class

Espanga - Spain (notice the e before the s)

estudiante - student (notice the e before the s, likethe word for the country)

excelente - excellent

facil - easy

fantastica - fantastic - accent on first a of the Spanish word, showing emphasis

gato - cat

libro - book

la mentana (symbol above the second n) - the mountains

parque - park

preferir - to prefer

sombrero - hat

villa - house / village

English - Spanish

book - libro

cat - gato

easy - facil

excellent - excelente

fantastic -fantastica (accent on the first a)

hat - combrero

house - villa (Spanish and Italian, usually a detached house)

the ountains - la montana (symbol above the second n)

park - parque

to prefer - preferir

Spain - Espagna

student - estudiante (add e before the s like in Espagna)

Spanich is easy

Easy is facil

It's easy to order

If you want a meal

A gato is a cat

A villa is a house

If the cat is the house

There will not be a mouse.

Hola is hello

A sombrero is a hat

Adios is goodbye

How easy is that!

A book is a libro

Now I've my hat and cat

And book, goodbye

It's time to go.

-ends-

Useful Website

duolingo.com

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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.

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Euston Station's Statue of the man, the map and the cat

 

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Odd and Excellent Objects and Ideas I found when Travelling

 I lived on and off in Singapore for about thirty years. I was there in the British winter, back in the UK for summer. Singapore changed and improved a lot with many useful changes to streets and homes.

Covered Pedestrian Ways

When I first went there the old town areas had the five foot ways which were wide covered pavements, a bit like the cloisters in England's Oxford and Cambridge colleges. Shelter from the rain. Also shelter from the hot sun.

Later, the suburbs filled with apartment blocks, HDB (ssate housing estates) and local schools. In the last decade the new town planning system was to build covered ways between the new (and old) underground railway stations and the local housing estates and schools.

This was to protect pedestrians children, the elderly, those who did not drive. And it encouraged those who had a choice to leave the car at home and take the trains on the new lines.

Rebuilding Plans

Major rebuilding will be necessary around the world. 

Due to Wartime 

Ukraine. Russia. Gaza. Beirut and the Lebanon. Israel, kibbutzim and cities. Maybe more countries. I was shocked to read that the kibbutzim have safe rooms and bunkers,.Yet they cannot keep out assailants.

American cities have bunkers in major buildings and hotels. 

Singapore railway stations have signs about the stations containing safe areas. Buildings are on stilts with a void deck to cope with flooding.

Natural Disasters and Climate Changes

For example, flooding in Florida in the USA.  Earthquakes in California in the USA. Indonesia. Volvanoes. Tsunamis. 

Flooding by rivers, seas and oceans.

Prevention - Balcony Falls

Fires in High Rises

The UK has to fund a major progrmme of replacing cladding. 

In Canada years ago Haabitat was built stepped like a pyramid so that jumping off a blcony took you no further than one floof below.

Grenfell in London, England.

Prevention - portable fire escapes, folding rope ladders for travellers to keep in their luggage in cars, when staying in skyscrapers instead of ground floor motel bedrooms. 

Balconies

So many people falling off balconies. Climbing on balconies. Cats falling off balconies. Children falling out of windos.Cleaning is done from professionals on the outside, not maids or home owners leaning out.

Lessons Learned

What lessons have been learned?

The Titanic taught us tht ships need lifeboats with enough places for everybody. But a chip titlted on its side might not have usable, launchable lifeboats. That's why you don't wait until the last moment before evaluating.  Women and children who are less agile are evacuated first.

Life boats need to be stocked with food, drink and a fishing line, first aid, a spare life vest. Flares for signalling to ships. Maybe even a line for nearby swimmers to cling to, without clambering into the boat and upending it. 

Survival. Surely survival including first aid, cooking, weather watching basics (sun rises in the east shadows, and so on, safe and unpleasant plants, repairing shoes, surviving, town planning, growing and grafting plants.should be taught not just to scouts but to all schoolchildren. The Japanese teach children to clean their classroooms and school.

Califormian hotels have windows which cannot open so you cannot fall out. 

Hotel and Plane and Train Evacuation

I sit in an aisle seat. Quickest way to toilets. And exits. If I want a photo from the window, I ask somebody near the window to take a photo for me.

Different countries have different minimum heights for 

Basements and Candles

I don't like to be in basements with candles. New Year's Eve. Disco disasters and wedding disasters from giant flames and flammable decorations. Tables blocking the route to exits. 

We have electricity. Battery candles for birthday cakes. Electric imitation candles.  

Safer Roads

We have Belisha beacons, zebra crossings, bleeping pedestrian lights. traffic lights. Pedstrian barriers.  Stopping lines a few yards before the pedestrian or trafic light. Pedestrian bridges 

Singapore and Cats

Caat flaps can be conveient for cats. 

Cat Repellent

In London, a woman was afraid of cats and her neighbours got two cats and often let them out. The.husband of the woman who was afraid bought a cat repellent device which he installed outside his balcony door. Would be pet owners must put metal bars across balconies before acquiring a cat.

Useful Websites

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Fire_escapes#/media/File:Il_balcone_%C3%A8_la_mia_casa_-_Flickr_-_-ErWin.jpg

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13940963/cat-cheats-death-falling-seventh-floor.html#newcomment

https://thecatpeople.sg/cat-safety-with-cat-proof-balconies/

pistbye cat repellent on Amazon

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A Cure For Haunted Houses & Hotels - Explanations for noises, lights, and hings that go bump in the night

 When I was a busy freelance travel writer for newspapers and magazines I went to visit a family-owned countryside hotel. 

At the bar, my husband and I got talking to the owner. I had researched the hotel, and found that in the old days, under other owners, it was supposed to be haunted. Yet the current hotel publicity of the website and brochure made no mention of this attention-getting and memorable fact.

I asked him, "Is your hotel haunted? Has anybody seen a ghost? Why on't you mention it?'

He told me, "When we first opened, we had a visitor who claimed the hotel was haunted. She said one of the rooms felt cold. She was a ghost-hunter. I let her stay the night for free. She did not see the ghost.

'I was getting a lot of complaintes about chilly rooms. So we put int double glazing. The chill went away. No more complaints.

'The ghost hunter came back. The room was no onger chilly. She said the ghost must have gone way. So we don't mention the ghost in our literature.'

That seems to me to be a very rational answer.

I've also read lots of stories about unnerving noises in houses. The noises turn out to be a wasps' nest

Or other creatures.

Unnerving Noises

We had noises. They were either magpies hopping about on the conservatory roof, trying to crack open fruit nd nuts..

Or the fridge turning itself on and off. The dishwasher on a new cycle. The washing machine or spin dryer on a new cycle.

The radiaators with air locks. The boiler with air locks.

The central heating turning itself on and off with a timer

We also had cats running along the fence. Foxes mmating with dreadful screas.

The gaardener letting himself into the back garden through the side gate with a key. My faather in law who had a key going to the bck garden to trim the roses and prune trees.

Worried About Being Watched

I also had the feeling I was being watched. I was. I caught the culprit. It was a fox.

Fox in a London garden. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

 I mistyped that as fax. In the olden days, a fax would come through at night. I have also been alarmed by the sound of the printer turning on and off when I was printing something. There is a delay between pressing print and the prininting starting..

Mysterious Light

Finally, those lights and ghostly figures. What are they?

Floaters in your eyes. Reflections in your spectacles.Relections of the house lights in the window pane which look like lights outside.

Flow worms and fireflies.

Cars driving pas whose headlights shine through your window.

Bumps In The Night

Somehing knocked my bed in the night. What was it.

1 My husbnd returning fro a trip to the bathroom.

2 A small earthquake. Reported in the newspaper next day.

Mail

Mail comes through the letter box. Leaflets are dropped in. Parcel deliverers get no anser and leave a note helf way though the letter box.

Door Knocking

Deliverers ring, get no answer, and leave. Popel who are lost knock to ask the way, then realise they are in the wrong street nd toddle off.

A passer-by  

Travel safety and avoiding confrontation with animals and the armed police

I remember the first time I went to the USA from the UK and saw police with guns. I did not know whether they were real guns or fancy dress. The guns were real! I was very wary of police, very polite, very careful not to do anything which might attract their attention.

 I just read in July 2023 a sad story about an event in France where a young man drove away from a police stop and was shot dead. As the British royals famously said, accounts vary.

Naturally, if somebody points a gun at you, or threatens you, your instinct is to run away. Is this the safest action? If the person with a gun is a policeman?

Only if you can be sure of getting away.

I used to be puzzled when reading of similar incidents again and again. People were chased by the police and killed. 

They were chased by animals and killed. In the USA. In the UK. All around the world. 

People run from the police and get overtaken and shot. People run from bears and get killed. People run from dogs and get attacked.

Then I read a story about bears and another about dogs which cast a new light on danger and safety.

Some dogs are attack dogs and are trained to run after somebody fleeing. Some dogs, terriers I believe, instinctively do this. Stay still and they do not attack. But turn and run and they jump. 

The same might apply to cats and mice.

I have also read about a lion on a leash, jumping at a woman who was going to pose for a photo, but she slipped on wet leaves and fell in front of the lion. The sudden movement made the animal leap at her. (This happened in Malaysia. I never pose for photos with a wild animal.)

Think about such situations. Imagine you are the person holding a weapon. Somebody who you suspect, or don't suspect, suddenly jumps, either towards you or away from you. Your instinct is to run after them and throw something at them to stop them.

Why not let them get away? You might give up, from inertia, or hope that trouble has been alerted.

On the other hand, with adrenalin and instinct, you might still be in fight mode.

Using rationality, you might say, danger averted, stop chasing and fighting. 

On the other hand, using rationality, or instinct, you might think this is just a ruse, a lull, and that it is an omen of worse to come or an ongoing fight. What if a person on foot who has burgled your house leaves the front and comes round to the back or side of the house? What if they are now in fight mode and come back tomorrow, or tonight after dark, intending to take you by surprise, to continue whatever trouble they were up to (if no trouble they would have stopped and smiled and spoken softly or politely). What if they come back, angry, bent on revenge? Or just to prove that they are better, having been the victim or lose once, they now want to be the aggressor or winner?

If it's a traffic stop and they race away, maybe they are a criminal or terrorist. Maybe they have guns or weapons in the car. Maybe they have  a bomb. A dead body. A kidnap victim. Burglary tools. False documents, lack of insurance, a stolen vehicle. Under age. Drunk driver. Subnormal. A nutter. 

An experienced person, or a trained person, knows that to calm a situation you should remain calm, listen to the other person, be polite, agreeable, helpful, co-operative.

Unfortunately, the opposite view also prevails. 

One thing echoes in my mind. Fight or flight? If you cannot fight, keep still and quiet and do not antagonize the animal or human being. Do not make sudden movements which will make them instinctively jump at you.

 At least, with extra knowledge, you have more options.

An easy language for travellers - ten words which are almost the same

 

Swedish - I wish I had started it earlier. It is like a cross between English and German. 

Look at these words

Swedish - English

är - are

bruna - brown

cat - katt

dotter - daughter

kaffe - coffee

katt - cat

sommar - summer

son - son

syster - sister

tomat - tomato

vinter - winter

English - Swedish

are - är

brown - bruna

daughter - dotter

coffee - kaffe

sister - syster

son - son

summer - sommar

tomato - tomat

winter - vinter

I could not find how to change to Swedish in blogger so I copied the letter a with the two dots above it from translategoogle.

Useful Websites

duolingo.com

https://translate.google.com/

Handy tips which make travelling easy and fun from Angela.

Please share links to your favourite posts. 

Buying Xmas cards from or for the UK

Need a card? What sort? Snow, snowmen, rooftops, churches, holly, smiling faces?

Snowman with carrot nose and smile. Cat. Church. Holly. Snow. On second glance I see the robin. The cat is looking at the robin. the robin is not fazed.

Santa and reindeer. The reindeer has a red nose.

Secular doves for New Year.

Or something secular. More modern?
Something which will do if it arrives or is delivered by you by hand after Christmas but before New Year?

A huge range of charity cards, conveniently listed by charity or by style and subject matter. For example, cancer. Victorian.

You can also keep a stock in your bag when visiting clubs, parties, events. If somebody unexpectedly gives you a card, you can slip into the bathroom and write their name on the envelope and inside.

Useful Websites
https://www.postoffice.co.uk/last-posting-dates
https://www.cardsforcharity.co.uk/shop-online/cards

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

Where you can learn to write fact and fiction, perform and speak languages

You can perform poetry and prose, mostly in pubs, if you go to open mike (open microphone) nights in the UK. You are not guaranteed a chance to read. You might find there are more keen readers than slots available and the early evening slots go to the regulars or well known people.

On a writers holiday or writers summer school if you go on a writing course or have work created on previous occasions you may be given an opportunity to persorm. This year, 2019, I missed out on both the Poetry Reading and the acting in Page to Stage. On the other hand, I made a point of sitting in the front row and volunteering, so I was on stage with a magician, as well as performing in the prose evening.

 At Writers' Summer School I recited this biographical story:

The Excitement Of Reading And Writing
I always wanted to be a writer from the day I learned to write my first three letter word in primary school. I can still recall, relive and revive my excitement at the discovery that you could look at the word bed and it looked like a bed.

The word bed was like a traditional grand bed, the sort in granny's house, and stately homes, with a headboard and a footboard. The b started with an upright line like a tree, cut into a piece of wood to make the headboard. The base of the b was a circle like a pillow. The D was a similar sound but written as a mirror image of the letter b. The e in the middle was like me curled up in bed with my thumb in my mouth or my arm folded back over my face or eyes.

My next exhilaration came from learning to read a whole sentence. 'The cat sat on the mat.' The c for cat was like a curly cat. The s sound was like a snake hissing, the s curled like a snake. The m nowadays you could learn from the M in a McDonalds arch.

I remember the first story: The letters c and s and M. The vowel a. All difficult until I heard the sentence, The cat sat on the mat. Add y for ee sound at the end. Revelation.

The cat sat on the mat. The cat sat on the bed. Mummy was angry. "Dirty cat!". The cat sat on the mat. 

Learning Numbers
Later I learned numbers. The one was a line. 1. Like the letter l in letter. 2 Two was a curl with two points ending with a neat line underneath. 3 Three had three points. 4 Four was an upright, a horizontal and it continued crossing the upright line to make two halves, a total of four. Five was like the letter F with a curl, a semi-circle. 5.  If you ate five biscuits you would get fat. Six was like a circle 6. 8 was two circles. Two, two more than 6. Nine is like six upside down. 9. Ten is one with a zero, one in a hurry because you have so many.

I watch people at airports and on planes doing crosswords and playing word games such as Scrabble. I watch children playing noughts and crosses and chess. I see adults engrossed in number games such as Soduku. (For Soduku you try to complete a box of nine squares with the numbers one to nine but sets of boxes create lines of numbers where numbers must not be repeated.
 
    
Soduku author Tim Stellmach in Wikipedia article on Soduku.

I am now a writer and love meeting other aspiring writers and best-selling writers

The joys of writing and reading and learning from others has never left me. I have just returned from the excitement of the annual Writers' Summer School in Hayes, Swanwick, Derbyshire, England.

Performing Prose
At Writers' Summer School for the Prose Performance Reading I performed the above story about the joy of learning to write in the voice of a five year old. The next day people came up and congratulated me on my in-character performance, as well as the originality. I bet that in years to come they will still remember it and my wide-eyed excitement.

Learning New Languages
I still get the same joy from learning languages to visit new countries. I love Duolingo, learning new words or a new language in five minutes a day, small chunks of time and effort which add up over the year. When I am travelling, on a train underground, or waiting at an airport, I can never be bored. I always get a sense of achievement.

On the train you can see people watching films which are adapted from books and reading books.
The heroes and heroines of the past, ancestor worship, live on in stories. Whether they were real or fiction, whether their achievements were real or wonderful fictions, their dreams and conflicts with family, friends and enemies, their conquering of doubts and fears 'though I walk in the valley of death I will fear no evil' still bring hope and stir us thousands of years later.

I remember as a child watching a stone thrown into a pond creating a ripple. May I and you create ripples of joy with our words today and every day.

Useful Websites
To Learn Languages, especially English and Spanish but many more, free online:
DUOLINGO
duolingo.com

To Learn to Write Fact and Fiction
Writers Summer School is one of several annual writing events


To Learn Public Speaking (clubs worldwide)
Toastmasters International find a club
Many clubs hold meetings which are free for guests to attend




About the Author
Angela Lansbury is the author of twenty books, more in preparation. Take a look at my books and profiles.
Books you can buy through Amazon:
Wedding Speeches & Toasts.
Etiquette for Every Occasion.
Books you can buy through Lulu:
Quick Quotations.
Who Said What When. (A quotation or two or three for every day of the year, created when I was President of a Speakers' club.)
Please bookmark favourite posts and share links with your family, friends and interested colleagues.

Visit A Rescue Centre. You Could Own Exotic Pets Such As Goats - Or Help Man's Best Friend, a Rescue Dog?

Singapore is holding a pet expo April 12-14 2019. this will appeal to residents, expats, and visitors from other countries.

In every country the type of pets kept varies. In American in Florida people keep crocodiles.
I've read about several cases of people who keep large venomous snakes and big cats and bears and species of monkey which grow large. You read about them in the news when the story does not end well.

You probably know the saying, an Englishman's home is his castle. A castle needs a guard dog. The British are known as a nation of dog-lovers. In England lots of people keep goats. British people have small houses but tend to have gardens, small or large.

Dogs have evolved as pets. A century or two ago dogs were working animals. Sheepdogs obviously were kept to herd sheep. German shepherds became guard dogs for the police. Foxhounds were used to catch foxes which ate farm animals.

My late father told me that in the East End of London his family kept a cat. You did not feed it cat food. The cat's job was to catch mice.

What's wrong with wild mice? They eat bread and rice. If you leave food uncovered, rats and mice will eat it and walk all over it with their dirty paws and fur. What's worse, after eating, they urinate in in your food.

Restaurant hygiene rules includes keeping all food covered, no open barrels of fruit or cereals.
After an infestation of rats in a block of flats in London, we were told to keep fruit bowls on high shelves, never on the ground nor a three-tier wheeled tray system, nor on a kitchen table.

In London you can go to petting zoos in some parks, and some suburban farms.

Goats As Pets
The smell of lots of goats might put you off. On the other hand, goats are very friendly. They have large eyes and engage with you and smile and make funny faces.

Apparently loads of people in England keep goats as pets. Celebrities keep goats. Ordinary people keep goats. People with farms and large gardens keep goats.

Goats are smelly, but friendly. If you fancy having a goat instead of or as well as a dog, then read about other goat owners' experience. Goats live about 15 years, a similar life span to that of a dog.

Disadvantages Of Goats As Pets
Compared to dogs: It is expensive to buy a goat. You can get a rescue dog.

Advantages Of Goats As Pets
You can get goats' milk, which you would not get from a dog. You can eat goat meat, whilst you would be pretty unpopular in many countries if you ate your dog.

Rheas
Rheas look like ostriches. In the UK a small number of people keep Rheas. Once in a while the rheas escape. Rheas are flightless birds. That doesn't stop them running off.

Police warn the public are warned no to approach rheas. Rheas are large and can be dangerous, because of the large, sharp claws. Don't run up close to a rhea. Take a photo with your telephoto lens.
You can see rheas in the wild in America and in Germany. Also in zoos.


Family-Friendly Dogs
Why keep a dangerous pet, when there are so many creatures which are known to be friendly. Even amongst dog breeds, you can pick and choose to find a dog which does not grow large, will not attack a neighbour and have to be euthanised.

Dog-Sharing
If you cannot afford the time and money to own a dog, you can do dog-sharing and have a dog just at the weekends. My family dog-share and take their part time pet away to a dog-friendly hotel for a holiday. If a shared dog's main owner is elderly and dies, the animal is not instantly abandoned but has a friend for comfort.

I think it's a good idea to try dog-sharing before adopting a dog. I have heard of people who adopt a puppy or give one as a birthday present, then find that the animal is not house-trained and they can't stand the mess and give away the unfortunate dog which has to get used to a new home. The RSPCA ran a campaign to stop this happening: A Dog Is Not Just For Christmas.

You can make an appointment to visit a dog rescue centre.

Singapore flag

In Singapore, which is a city state, most people live in flats, especially the government HDB flats. To prevent cats leaping off low balconies, if you live in a flat, you have to install a high grille or glass barrier.
In Singapore you can visit a goat diary, Hays Dairies.  (See previous post on visiting the Hay Dairies in Singapore.)

Battersea Rescue Dogs
You can visit dogs rescue centres in the UK in London, England, and windsor, Berkshire, and Brands Hatch in Kent.

The USA also has rescue dog centres.

Mixed breed dog awaiting rescue in Tennessee, USA. Photo by Maelo from Wikipedia.

For the pleasure of armchair travellers, I have humorous poems on rheas around the web including on my humorous poetry blog.

Useful Websites:
Singapore
Pet Expo
https://petexposg.com/
Singapore Dog Rescue
https://www.timeout.com/singapore/things-to-do/the-best-animal-shelters-to-adopt-a-pet-in-singapore

UK
Battersea Dog Rescue UK:
https://www.battersea.org.uk/about-us/visit-us

USA
https://www.petfinder.com/

GENERAL INFO
Choosing Dogs
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/news/a561691/the-top-10-family-friendly-dog-breeds-for-families-with-small-children/
Identifying rheas and other birds
https://www.hbw.com/ibc/family/rheas-rheidae

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

Are You Being Photographed? In banks and bedrooms and by passers-by?

Problem
Are you being photographed? What precautions should you take?

How do you get police to come to a private property?

One comment went along the lines of:
1 I called the police and said I was being photographed. They would not come out to see me.
2 I called back and said my children were being phtographed. They came over straight away and arrested the property owner.

That reminds me of the old story, said to be apocryphal, a legend, a myth, a joke:
1 I called the police and said a man was stealing from my garden shed. The police said they were too busy.
2 I called back and said, "A man was stealing from my garden shed. I've just shot him.'
The police 'shot' around. The police chief said to me, "I thought you said you'd shot him?'
I replied, 'I thought you'd said you were too busy.'

What are your cameras likely to catch?

Fox on the back lawn of a garden in London, England. Photo by Angela Lasnbury.

In the back garden
Foxes mating.
Dogs wandering in and out through holes in the fence.
A noturnal hedgehog.

In the front garden
Cats hiding under the warmth of a recently parked car. Maybe hiding ready to pounce at a bird.

You can set up a camera on a tripod with a motion-sensore device to photograph wildlife at night.

Cameras have been used to observe maids and carers looking after children and the elderly.

Cameras in empty homes have also caught burglars.

One home whose keys were in the hands of an agent had a video camera which recorded an agent making use of the property for a tryst.

So, how do you protect yourself?

Check clocks and other areas. Go online to see where spy cameras are hidden.

Useful Websites
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6150333/British-couples-horror-spy-camera-Airbnb-flat.html

Lift camera in London hotel used in evidence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rTkojpyW9I

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/03/a-part-of-daily-life-south-korea-confronts-its-voyeurism-epidemic-sexual-harassment

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/style/what-exactly-is-upskirting/ar-AAtYZBJ

Seoul to check public toilets daily for hidden cameras - BBC News

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45388759

Sep 2, 2018 

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

How To Find Friends In Singapore And Worldwide

Problem
How to find like-minded individuals?

By age:
STUDENTS
Student groups such as Toastmasters International at the NUS (National University of Singapore0 meets every week in term time.
Mother and toddler groups.
Ex-pat groups including wives attached to the clubs : American, British, Canadian, Dutch, Japanese.

By Language
Go to a Toastmasters club meeting speaking
English
French
Chinese (Mandarin)
Tamil

Francophone de Singapour, French speaking club in Cairnhill Community Club, Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

By Games
Cards and Boardgames
Meetup has a boardgames section.

Belote or Baloot
Popular with Scandnavians, Europeans, Arabic countries.

Bridge
Bridge Clubs meet at some of the ex-pat and country clubs. At one time the American Club, the Tanglin Club and the Dutch club all had meetings. Tanglin moved the venue and closed the club. These things come and go. They might close down then open up again.

The American Club uses the American bidding system. The Tanglin club used Acol system which started at a bridge club in London, England. Some clubs let you use whichever system you and your partner agree on, so long as you tell the other couple.

If you want to practise bidding at home, save the free playing cards which you can get on Singapore Airlines. Revise your bidding on the plane.

Mahjong
Mahjong is also very popular, especially witht he Chinese and Asians. If you don't yet play mahjong, go to a class and meet other beginners.

Religious organisations
Christian
YMCA - the big branch in Orchard Road, another is the second YMCA, also the YWCA.
Many activities and classes meet weekly.

Moslem
Several Mosques.

Jewish
A synagogue with events such as Friday night meals. (High security so contact them in advance and take your passport and identity cards to get through the barriers.)

Indian Temple
The Toastmasters meeting which I went to at a Hindu Temple had four prepared speeches, at least one of which was about a religious story or myth, and spicy vegetarian food.

Museums
Become a friend of the museum for reductions in the museum shop, free entry or by-pass queue (line up as the Americans say) to exhbitions, and be emailed about events, and train to be a docent, go to seated lectures, or join walking tours.

Theatre and Performing Arts
Lots of events and courses and tours.

Wine and Dine Events In Restaurants
Many restaurants run wine and dine events. Find out if you will have a chance to meet other people. You often circulate with a sparkling wine or cocktail at the start. You might be seated at a long table which is ideal, especially if you are seated in the middle. Try to avoid being on the end or next to an empty place.

You might find individual tables set up in a foursome, or just two or a single. If you went out to meet people, being alone or with your partner is not very sociable. One method is to find  another chatty couple and either sit in a foursome of at two adjoining tables. With luck, if you can't hear what the other couple are saying, one of them will decide you might as well push two tables together. Failing all else, arrive early, ask where you are sitting. If you don't like it, ask to be moved. you have paid - you might as well enjoy yourself.

Websites
Board games so you won't be bored watching sleeping (nocturnal) cats at the Cat Café in Boat Quay.
https://www.facebook.com/CatCafeNekonoNiwa
https://www.meetup.com/Singapore-International-Boardgames-Meetup/
https://www.couchsurfing.com/events/
https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club

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

Museums For Cat Lovers in Malaysia, Russia and Singapore

Cat Museum, Kuching, Malaysia, from Wikipedia.

Problem
Where can I find a museum which features cats?

Answers
Malaysia
Kuching cat museum is fascinating. It features all kinds of cats, real and imaginary. Xanne Frank's cat and other cats owned by famous people. I remember that well from my visit to the museum. Cats in fairy tales.

The museum evokes so many memories from childhood. Even if you have never had a cat. In London we have Whittington's cat statue. Then there's Puss in boots. The owl and the pussycat. My family bought two matched cat statues, black and white, in a museum in London.

The Netherlands
Cat Cabinet, (KattenKabinet) is in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Russia
The Bulgakov House Museum Theatre, Moscow.
A beautiful 13-year-old cat called Behemoth lives in this museum for good reason. The museum honours the author Mikhail Bulgakov who lived in Russia 1891-1940. His book, the Master and Margarita. The master is an author, I like that. Margarita, a married woman, likes him. I like that. The plot also includes the devil. I'm afraid I lost interest at that point. It is set in the 1930s, to my mind a rather weird story, jumping about, also set in the time of Jesus, in Jerusalem.

But the book features a cat who plays chess. I rather like this idea. I am quite captivated. I have a clock showing a cat playing chess with a mouse, and a similar theme painting. It taps into our cultural idea of cats being quiet, cunning, clever.

The kidnapped cat is back. An article in the BBC news features the kidnapped cat's capture and relief at its return the same day after an outcry on social media in August 2018.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-45044353

Singapore
A cat museum in Singapore raises money for cats.
I hope to have pictures of this in about a months time when my family are likely to go there.
https://www.thecatmuseum.com.sg

Useful Websites
malaysiatourism.gov.my
visitsingapore.com
singaporeair.com


Author Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

More Bulgarian Basic Words: yes, no, thanks, toilet, coffee, milk, hotel, room and police

Photo of the Friendship Bridge between Bulgaria and Romania. Photo by ArjecD in Wikipedia.


Problem
How to keep up the momentum in language learning when you tend to learn twenty words one day and none the next?

Answer
Set yourself an email to be delivered the next day with the second half.

English - Bulgarian














Cat photo by Gryffindor in Wikipedia.



cat - kotka
coffee - kaf(y)e

eyes - oko - (The Bulgarian word looks like a pair of spectacles or eyes, two letters e in English word eyes, two letters o in the Bulgarian word.)
hotel - khotyel
milk - milko
one - (y)edno (letters o n e in both the English and Bulgarian, 'add another? 'no, just one' ed-no)
police - politz-ya (police yes)
room - staya (Where do you stay -uh? In my room. Why do you stay in your room?

7 seven - sedem (Looks similar to - seven sitting, sedem)

toilet - toalyetna (My memory aid : "Want the toilet yet?" "Naah."

Toilet Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Bulgarian - English

kaf(y)e - coffee
edno - one
khotyel - hotel
Kotka - cat (letters c/k and T and a)
milko - milk (milk - oh!)
oko - eyes
politzya- police
7 sedem - seven
staya - room
toalyetna - toilet (Want the toilet yet? Na!

Toilet. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.  

(Since the Bulgarians shake their heads for yes and nod for no, you'll have clearer communication if you learn to say yes and no and understand the Bulgarian words when you hear them.)

WHAT IS THIS?
yes - da
no - ne
What is this/that? - Kakvo e tova?
This one, please - Tozi, molya
please - molya
thanks - blagodarya

да - da
не - ne
какво е това? - kakyo e tova?
този, моля - tozi, molya
моля - molya
Благодаря - blagodarya

da (yes+please, da is like ta)
ne (same starting letter as no)
Kakvo e tova
Tozi, molya
Blagodarya (I think of: "blessings on you, darling - thanks." That way, every time I hear somebody say, teh Bulgarian word blagodarya, it reminds me that the English word is thanks.

e is not and but is (like it's est in French

A question word in many languages starts with either Q or K.

I find it very difficult to say yes and shake my head, or say no and nod. It;s like reading the word blue written in the colour red. Your brain is getting to controdictory messages. 
I might need to made a flashcard, or set of flashcards.

Useful Websites
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2018/07/easy-bulgarian-words-similar-to-english.html

bulgariantouristboard.com (List of 120 words)
http://ilanguages.org/bulgarian.php
http://www.translitteration.com/transliteration/en/bulgarian/streamlined/
https://free.mytransitplanner.com/index.jhtml?partner=%5ECAO%5Exdm229&s1=1064973256&pkw=bulgaria
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Characters to notice on the Mural of cartoon characters at Bishan MRT Singapure

This mural is such fun. I love the lively colours. Busy is happy. People are a source of endless fascination, their faces and expressions, their bodies and gestures. Most of the characters are smiling. That's what I like. Smiling faces.

Lots to look at. A cat. A bridge. An umbrella.

Mural on the MRT. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

I love travelling on the MRT trains. So fast.

Travel Tips

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

australia.com

visitbritain.com

visitbritain.shop.com

visitbritain.org

visittheusa.co.uk

visitsingapore.com

Singapore Airlines: 

singaporeair.com

Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have other posts on the Sheraton Hotel, the Botanical Gardens and more. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Learn Easy Words In Portuguese

If you already know either French or Latin you have a head start in learning Spanish, Italian or Portuguese. I started by learning Spanish which I thought was more useful and easier. Then I took a trip to Umbria in Italy and switched to Italian. Now I have a trip planned to Madeira so I am looking at learning Portuguese using Duolingo and Duolingo's tiny cards.

When I read the back of packets of cereals and chocolate bars I find it easy to switch from the English to the Spanish, Italian and Portuguese and can recognize about half the words. However, when doing a course, you have to pick up all the words, not just half of them. So I am noting down how I remember the words and sharing my memory aids with you.

Problem
How do I remember Portuguese words?

Answer
Find a related word in English as a reminder. Look for a word with similar spelling. Even a similar initial letter is sometimes a sufficient trigger.

Portuguese - English
(a) abelha - the bee (notice the letters be in abelha)
a água (the) - water (the accent on the á goes up, like the first accent on the French word élève meaning secondary school child - the meaning is like the English words elevated or elevator)
(o) animal - (the) animal
(os) animais (the animals)
(o) cavalho - (the) horse (reminds you or cavalry - ho!)
(uma) formiga - (an) ant (reminder - when I see that form I fumigate)
gato - cat (c and g sound similar - cat- oh! in my gateaux!)
o påssaro - the bird (should be a dot above the a but my font options don't include that; memory aid pass-arrow)
o pão - bread (the letter b turned upside down and two vowels, like the word bread, with a wavy line above the a, like a piece of flat bread)

English - Portuguese
(the) animal - o animal
the animals - os animais (add an s for the plural like in English; note that the l turns into i for the plural, which might not be clear if you are looking at small text on a small screen)
an ant - uma formiga
the bee - a abelha
(the) bird - o passaro
the bread - o pão (the p looks like an upsaide down b, and is like the French word pain; also the Indian bread parata which is fried and flat and puri which is a crisp shell)
cat - gato
(the) horse - (o) cavalho
(the) water - (a) água

First I look at each word at least three times (which you have to do to answer the multiple choice questions on Duolingo). After that, when I am standing around doing nothing, such as waiting for a train, I mentally go through the words saying the reminders in my head. (Gato is cat. Cat is gato.) So even though I don't have my course in front of my eyes, I am using my time and setting the words in my brain, a bit like letting bread rise.

bread - pão

Angela Lansbury
Travel writer and photographer, author, learner and teacher of languages. Please bookmark and share links to your favourite posts.

Zoo Reviews : Write Parody Animal Reviews For Fun Whilst Travelling + Cute Photo Captions

Problem
How to brighten up a visit to a zoo, or even sitting on a park bench, or seaside bench watching the birds.

Answer
Spoof  Zoo Animal Reviews
Oregon Zoo and Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens have been doing this. What a great idea. Amusing.

An amusement for teens and tourists. Rate the animals or species at a zoo. Some zoos have started this and got attention. Create a game for the family or a school trip or charity event. Give a prize or vote for the best caption or review.

Fun Photo Captions
You could even do it to brighten up captions on your holiday snaps. I find it easier to write an advertisement than a review.

Cat : Self-cleaning.
Cockroach: Pre-historic model.
Dog: Noisy.

Fox in garden in London, England. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Elephant: Difficult to find a large enough parking space.
Fox: Runs well.
Magpie: Smartly dressed.
Rabbit: Buy one, get twenty free.
Robin: Very friendly.
Snake: Handle with care.
Spider: Useful for decorating corners.

Spider. Useful for decorating corners. Available in brown, black or mixed. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The old jokes are the best: Zebra - horse designed by a committee.

Use it as NLP to get over your fear and disgust - perhaps not.

USA
California Academy of Sciences
Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Monterey Bay Aquarium - @MontereyAquarium
Oregon Zoo - @OregonZoo ; rateaspecies
Tennessee Aquarium - @TNAquarium (On the Chatanooga riverfront)
http://www.tnaqua.org

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-5504799/Zoos-post-hilarious-Amazon-style-reviews-animals.html

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

Fishguard Bay and Films in Wales and Welsh Sea Gull

Problem
Which films were made in Fishguard Bay?

Answer
Moby Dick.
Dylan Thomas's poem Under Milk Wood.

Story
I discovered Fishguard Bay hotel because it is the venue for Writers Holiday. They hold writers' events in spring, summer and autumn. The summer event lasts a week and you get courses all day long included in the price and free evening entertainment. On the last night the entertainment is a male Welsh voice choir and sometimes a Welsh harpist playing the Welsh harp and singing Welsh songs, if a person is available.

Afterwards the choir often stays in the bar and will sing songs on request. (I am sure they won't say no to a drink.) What could you request? Men of Harlech, if they didn't have that on the programme. I have a couple of their DCs which I bought one year or two. They usually have two or three different collections of songs for sale.

Fishguard Bay Hotel exterior. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Fishguard Bay Hotel restaurant view. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Tips
Fishguard has two stations. The Fishguard and Goodwick is the last stop on the last section round the corner for those catching the ferry to Ireland, or going up the hill to the Fishguard Bay Hotel.

Fishguard Bay Hotel napkin showing phone number. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The Writer's Holiday price is for a day, or a whole week covering all food and accommodation, no drinks except a welcome drink before supper not he first evening. You have to pay for and arrange your transport to Fishguard but they can meet you at the station for free on arrival day, or send you back in a taxi which you can pay for. 

How to get there? Research the times and trains in advance but here are some of your options. Fly into Heathrow and see London; then drive west to Wales on the M4, maybe taking a break overnight in Cardiff or see a Welsh vineyard, or stop for a trip to the theatre in Bath. 

From Europe take a plane to London City airport, or the ferry and train, or train from Paris to London, arriving at Victoria station. Head to Paddington station for the train west. Don't be in a hurry. It could take you all day, if you go on a Sunday when there's only one train and you have to change. Wales is about relaxing, unwinding, seeing a new country where they speak another language but understand English.

Whilst in Wales, see the tapestry in Fishguard Town Hall. It is the Welsh equivalent of the boastful Bayeux tapestry celebrating victory. It depicts wonderful Welsh women wearing their national costume of tall black hats capturing frightened French enemy soldiers who had hoped to invade.

Fishguard Town Hall. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Fishguard. Welsh speaking sea gull. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Review from Seagulls' Trip Adviser: Excellent location for fish and leftover food on the patio tables. Friendly guests ignore signs saying not to feed gulls. Most bedrooms are accessible but some guests shut windows to keep out seagulls. Local hazards: Black cat.

TRAVEL AND HOLIDAY INFORMATION

Fishguard Bay Hotel, Fishguard, Wales

tel: 01348 873571.

www.writersholiday.net

www.visitwales.com

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/hollywood-took-over-seaside-town-

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. See my other posts on Fishguard; Wales, Writers' Holiday, destinations worldwide, and learning Welsh and other languages. Please follow me, bookmark posts and share your favourite posts.