Home House - a trendy club in impressive traditional decor in central London

 Home House, the name is discreet, and so is the door entrance, just the number. Who would guess, if they did not know about the club? Nobody.

By day, it is like a five star hotel. Suited doormen greet you. 

Impressive.

Evenings are quite different, more like a discotheque in a hotel.

You sign in or are signed in by a member. 

Inside, music is playing. It is to traditional London clubs what Starbucks is to coffee bars. The traditional grand staircase is olde world, and the ceilings are sumptuously decorated. But the restaurant has modern chairs and banquettes, and the lounges, one leading to another, reminded me of Starbucks style sofas. You can lounge around enjoying drawing room type chats with friends, as tall girls wearing fishnet stockings and miniskirts strut past as if it's a discotheque.

Food and drink

You can have a selections of humus and other starters to share, served on a three-tier stand. 

The Garden

Outside the windows at the back is a garden with a marquee in winter, providing shelter from the weather.

Leave your coat and umbrella downstairs in the cloakroom with a girl who takes them from you, issues a ticket. There is no charge but she politely accepts a tip when you leave. 

Tastefully Decorated Toilets

On the ground floor the gents toilet has busy wallpaper, according to my husband.

Covid-19: existing restaurant rules, diners' behaviour, transport, and quarantine travel restrictions - recommended future action by governments, restaurants and diners

 

How careful are restaurant owners, and governments? And how are they in different countries - and how different are different dinner guests?

Singapore Travel Restrictions

My family in Singapore, and my family In the UK, wondering when travel will resume, are watching Singapore from afar, we watch for changes every day. Regulations change fast, responding to changes in cases reported and hospital admissions. It is well regulated and it seems to work well.  

The latest news, October 3rd, was that Singaporean residents returning home could quarantine at home. So a husband and wife returning to Singapore could stay at home and order food in, or bring some back with them from overseas. (Bearing in mind any import restrictions.)

What would we want? Thick cut marmalade. Summer pudding in a freezer box. Crumpets? Cucumber - is it allowed?

Meanwhile, what are people doing in England. (I shall replace people's names with letters for privacy reasons)

Memorial Dinner at a Club

A memorial dinner has been arranged in the private room of a club, the Civil Service Club. However, the guest of honour, widowed Mrs A, will not attend the memorial dinner for her husband who died a year ago. 

B says:

We try to work out how to help her. How could she avoid strangers sitting beside her on trains to London? 

You are supposed to wear masks on the trains. But it is not enforced. Many people don't wear masks.  

She could travel in a car with a couple, who would sit in the front seats, so she would be solo in the back. Would that do?

No. She is concerned about the restaurant.

Is she afraid of being too close to others in the restaurant? With a large number, we could book, either a private room, or the whole restaurant. The guests would be only her friends, people who know her, and her age, and her worries, and are concerned for her, and will follow any instructions.

She could sit at the head of a T shape table, like a bride in a wedding. She would face forwards in the middle of a short table. The others would face each other down the long table.

She says it is not the twenty or more people who will be attending the dinner in a private dining room. She is concerned about the other members of the public who will be going to other events and passing her in the doorways, halls and stairs.

Seats By Doors

My friend, D, anxious about Covid-19, had asked to sit by the door and a window. She hoped to be near fresh air.

However, I felt this had not proved a successful position. We were seated by the front door, and arrived early, so numerous people arrived after us, and passed our table. We should have moved tables early on, but I didn't realize until later how much traffic there would be, first people arriving and later people leaving.

Before we left, I went to the toilet, which was conveniently nearby, on the ground floor.

I came back as another couple, who had stopped to speak, were leaving. For a moment, I felt left out. Then I realized I had avoided being breathed over by yet another pair of people. 

Mingling Reduced

It made me appreciate that Singapore had done the right thing. Singapore reduced mingling and mixing. At times it closed restaurants, allowing only take away collections, with restrictions on the numbers inside the room, spaced queuing at the collection counter, or collection table, and Uber delivery. 

When Singapore's restaurants were allowed to re-open, in the next phase, regulations limited tables to five diners. Then down to two, as the numbers of cases in the community go up and down. 

Mingling

Another regulation also preventing people from mingling and talking to people at other tables. The restaurant owner told us about this at the doorway on arrival. He risked being shut down for a week or two or more, if government inspectors saw people mingling.

Touching Food 

E says 

My mother in law ordered chips. She had more than she needed. When I asked for one she took one and handed one to me. At the end of the meal She had one left over she handed that to me.

She also tried to hand a piece of bread to me.

F says

Shared Bread

At a family meal, my father in law tore the bread into chunks and put them on a tray which was handed around. I think he should have worn disposable gloves.

Hand Washing Bowls

G says

What happened to the idea we saw at a (Muslim) restaurant in Morocco, and in Jewish restaurants and homes, and Chabad dinners, that a bowl or jug of water was passed around with another bowl for dirty water so everybody could take mini towel and wash their hands in running water and dry on a different cloth to others.

It doesn't matter whether you just washed your hands before sitting down. You must be seen to wash your hands.

H says

Restaurants can offer wet wipes.

Double Dipping

I says:

I ordered a dessert and my spouse said he would share it with me. I ordered a dessert. Other diners at our table of six said they were too full to order dessert. Then our daughter said she would share it. We joked, bring six spoons. 

In the event it was a large dessert with ice cream. We all took a spoonful. 

Then everybody started double dipping. That means putting cutlery, which has been in your mouth, back in a communal bowl! 

Either the restaurant staff, wearing gloves, should have divided the dessert it into six portions. Alternatively, they should have given the dessert plate to one person, with a serving spoon, so the customer could dole out the dessert to the others. 

G says

Sneezing

At a meal at home in our family bubble a family member sneezed over my bare arm. I felt the droplets. I now keep a box of paper tissues on the table within reach of everybody. I try to sit away from others.

H says

We were having coffee at a relative's home. I saw them put their thumb inside a cup. I had previously seen their wife carry a used glass of water with her finger inside the glass. I think you should never put your fingers and thumbs inside a glass or a cup. If it's a cup, use the handle. That's what the handle is there for. Not just to stop your fingers risking getting burned. To ensure you don't touch the rim or inside of the cup. Similarly with a glass, you should keep your fingers and thumbs outside. If it is a waisted cup, hold it be the middle. If it is a bowl shaped glass, hold it with two hands. The effort of carrying two or more lots of drinking glasses, is less than the effort of visiting somebody in hospital.

To sum up, with some forethought, and the courage to speak up, we can protect ourselves and others  by wearing clothes with sleeves, with more wet wipes, jugs of handwashing water, boxes of tissues, disposable gloves for those handling food, serving spoons for any dish large enough to be divided.

Recommended Websites

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/singapore/entry-requirements

About the Author

I am Angela Lansbury, not related to the actress, nor the other people of the same name on LinkedIn. I am British born. I have lived in Spain (winter home) and the USA. My family has lived in or often visited the multi-racial USA where Spanish is an increasingly prevalent language, in multi-language Singapore which has signs in the four official languages which include English and Chinese, in Spain, and multi-language Switzerland where you see French, German, and Italian.. My interest in languages was helped by having long-term au pair girls from France, Germany, Spain and Italy. I have written travel articles for numerous magazines and newspapers and spoken on radio and TV in the UK, USA and Australia.

You can link up with me on Facebook and LinkedIn. See my books on Lulu.com and Amazon. Or speak to me at meetings of speakers' clubs which are part of Toastmasters International. I belong to Harrovians in the UK, and in Singapore to BHA and TCA as well as Singapore Online. 

Please check about other posts and blogs and share links to your favourites.

How To Promote Your Club Conference Or Event

How do you promote your club conference or event? I have been looking into this to repeatedly and contunually promote Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters speakers group in Singapore meeting twice a month on the first Wednesday evening and the third Saturday afternoon, and a one-off event, the Pathways workshop at Tampines Changkat community club on September 28th.

Choosing The Event Date
The first point to notice is whether the orgnaizers or stars are available. Give them a choice of dates. You might not want to have a party for teeneagers during their exam week or when everybody is away for the summer break. Offer the star turn or workshop leader a choice of dates or ask when they are free.

Then check whether you have competing national, local, or same society events on the same day. If possible, change the day. If not, make use of the overlap.

Joint Promotions & Conflicts
You could promote both events and ask people to sign up for one or the other. Or get publicity about your concern over the conflict. You may rmember a royal wedding with took place on the same day as a sports event.

Posters
How do you create a layout? You want a banner headline, one or two photos or a mosaic. Details in a text box of where, when, directions, price, contacts, sign up. Is the event free, or price or prices for different people (members and non-members or guests, earlybird or pay at the door.

Use Canva. Or Powerpoint.

Tickets
On websites such as Eventbrite you can ask the guests to print off a ticket or show you their registration or payment on their phone if you are sure the event venue will have internet connection. If no internet connection, arrange for somebody to have a charged phone to act as a hotspot.

How To Print Tickets Cheaply And Quickly
You can make DIY tickets and ticket stubs. Across an A4 page you could print at least four horizontal tickets, possibly as many as 16.

Numbering Tickets
Why number tickets? To prevent fraud from photocopying. To keep track of tickets and numbers sold. To match up the ticket sold with the ticket stub.

Prices and Reductions
If you are not selling tickets and people are complaining about the price, you could offer a reduction or buy one get one free (to fill up the empty room).

Useful Websites
canva.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. President of Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Club. Area S3 director.

Why I Prefer Paper awards to ribbons

This paper award provides a record of the time and place.

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

It would be better to have a wider line above name, and to write in the surname. 

Napkin With A Neat Buttonhole To Protect Your Clothes When You're Eating

Problem
How do you protect the front of your blouse or shirt?

Answer
Cover your front with an absorbent napkin. But how do you attach it neatly?
Here's the answer:

Napkin with buttonhole from The Tanglin Club, Singapore.

Photos by Angela Lansbury.

Full marks to the Tanglin club for providing these. I imagine that the suppliers wordwide can do this. If not, large hotels and restaurant chains and organizations where staff wear uniforms have departments with sewing machines which can make buttonholes.

If you are an individual with a sewing machine, or have a neighbour or relative or friend with a sewing machine, you could insert a buttonhole into a table napkin.  

A useful item for yourself if you eat out or travel a lot. Maybe a Xmas gift from a practical friend.

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

Finding Free Fun Activities

Problems
I want to learning languages, learn to sing, go to social events. First problem, is where to find an activity. It's not hard to find things to do. But most of them cost money.

Answers
You can earn enough to do everything you want.
1 Or search around and pick the cheapest activity.
2 Or search for a free activity.
3 Or start a self-help workshop group where you can get free accommodation for meetings.
4 Or find an online teaching source, then start a group in your home, watching and learning together, or learning and then teaching others.

 1 When I lived in the USA I was isolated. Later, as an expat in Singapore, I discovered groups attached to the clubs, such as The American Club, The British Club, also the Japanese, French, German, Swiss and other groups. If you joined the club you could go to activities such as courses, most of which charged fees. In Singapore cheaper classes for languages, music, art, yoga, tai chi, are held at Community Clubs (whcih used to be called Community Centres.).

Another source of information is Meetup.

If you are near a large public building such as a church, synagogue or mosque, they may display notices of events, some of which are cheap or free because the venue is provided free to help the members or attract outsiders as a community service or to get new members.

For example, in St Lawrence's church in Edgware, I saw a sign for a singing group.

If no group exists yet, you might consider starting one. First steps are to ask around friends, acquaintances, and people in reception or administration in public buildings.

Free First Time
Many courses offer you a free first lesson. Find out the cost of joining because if you like it, you may decide to join. Take business cards or write your name and phone number of email on a few pieces of paper. Then if you find a friend you can stay in touch.

Free Museums
London's free activities include the Guildhall (check opening times and days on their Website) in the city, mentioned in a previous post. Tourist Boards will tell you about free museums, or free days at museums. In some cities such as Caridff in Wales, major museums run by the local council or government are free.

Toastmasters International
Toastmasters International has many clubs and events which are free for guest who simply observe other trainee speaker, although some events incur fees. It depends on their policy and the cost of the venue.

Toastmasters Worldwide
Toastmasters International began in 1924 in California. It is now in 141 countries with 16,400 clubs and more than 352,000 members. I have been to more than 50 clubs in Singapore, as well as several clubs in the UK, several in China, one in Thailand and one in the Czech Republic. If you want to start a club, attend the nearest one and find a couple of other people who are interested in starting a club in your area. The organisation gives free starter packs and all sorts of help for starting a club.

Useful Websites
https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club
https://www.meetup.com

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

How To Improve Club Photos And Increase PR And Goodwill (Part 2)

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Look at this picture of Harrovian Speakers. I like it because it makes a change from the usual standing still pictures.

 I could chop the distracting chair on the right. Sometimes foreground objects and people are a distraction. At other times they help create a feeling of depth.

I could remove the blank floor in front to make people bigger. If I make the people bigger, if it's taken just on a smartphone, not with a professional camera on a tripod, I might find too few pixels (dots) and blurry faces. Removing the blank floor is what I usually do. However, in this instance, I left it because cropping made the picture look too crowded and busy. You can slide a piece of white paper or even your forefinger over the photo to see how cropping will affect the composition.

Sharing With Subjects
Sometimes a club requires you to submit all your photo to the President or video master or whoever manages the club website. They might put up all your photos unedited. Or select only the winners of competitions.

The video master might be away on holiday or busy with work. Meanwhile, club members are phoning you and asking, Where can I see my photo?

This involves you in chasing and hassling the video master. It wastes your time.

An alternative is to send each photo individually to the video master and the subject. You might do this with half a dozen excellent photos, such as the VIP of the evening (the secretary might forward this attached to the thank you to the mayor).

Sending Individual Photos
You might send the carbon copy to a member of your family who is a speaker. You might send yourself a copy, in addition to the sent file, to keep track of what has been sent if you have to send photos intermittently.

Sending Photos In Bulk
Some recipients won't want to be sent photos one by one, because this clutters up their email inbox. They will want the whole lot together, such as in Dropbox.

Audience Photos
If there's a lull in proceedings, for example, whilst a speaker is trying to set up the projector, you can fill the time, save time later, and keep the audience entertained by taking audience photos.

First picture. Too many front seat gaps. One person in front row looking down at notes

On the other side of the aisle, I have vacated the seat on the right but somebody has leaped in to fill it. But we have a gap.

I could crop the photo to cut out the empty seat in the front row - but we would lose the lady on the far left. Maybe we can crop the photo to make a picture just of her. Let's tidy up those bags on the floor. Push them back and make them parallel to the chairs. 

The left is perfect. The centre is perfect. 

We have an empty chair on the right, but lovely smile from the girl, Satya, behind the empty chair.

Now I am back in my chair and somebody else is taking the photo. 

Next time I shall make sure the entire front row is filled, or ask the person sitting on the far left to move to fill the empty seat.

I don't have a wide angle lens, so I have to take a photo first of the audience on the left, then on the right, finally the centre to catch those in the centre aisle and get a duplicate of some members of the audience.

Filling Front Rows
I have lots of audience photos which look like gappy teeth. Seats in front are empty. People at the back are too far to be seen. The members of the audience look small. Better to have people at the back come forward.

Why do people sit at the back? Those guarding the door may need to leap up to welcome latecomers. Anybody who needs to leave early might choose to sit near an exit at the back. Some people are just shy.

If there's an empty chair in the from row, such as the one you have vacated, ask somebody on stage to step down and take the chair. Or ask somebody behind to take the seat in front.

The more you communicate with the subjects of photos and the club, the more you can keep everybody happy and learn new ways to take even better photos to please more people.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

How To Work Overseas With Or Without Permits And Training

Why Work?
In Singapore I met expat women who did not work because they had a home whose rental was paid for by the employer, and a maid service which was cheap or paid for by the employer. However, many of these were graduate women and were bored. They wanted to be active, contribute to the community, learn, if not make money, then save money.

Ex-pat solutions were:
FRIENDS OF THE MUSEUM
Become one of the Friends of The Museum, get trained as a guide, and do volunteer guiding.
Give lectures to ex-pats on local history, textiles, your interest. Some Friends of The Museum, eg one in Singapore, have book clubs.
Run a book club reading books about the new country.
Friends usually receive free or discount entry to the museum and exhibitions and a discount in the shop.

STUDYING
Do a university degree by distance learning.

LEARNING LANGUAGES
Learn the language of the country you are in. If you can't afford the fee, team up with somebody who wants to learn English. Both bring the day's free newspaper in both languages for translation. Or download two newspapers from the web.
Ask for unwanted text books from people who have completed courses or colleagues who are leaving the country.
Singapore currently has a discount scheme for re-training and learning for residents of all ages.

Work Permit Problems
1 When I lived in the USA I had no work permit and my husband thought it would endanger his job if I tried to get a job without a work permit. What work could I do?
2 I came back to the UK with a child and no employment history. What work could I do?
3 The same happened in Singapore as America, no work permit.
4 How has the situation changed? Worldwide you can now work online.
5 I had trained in teaching English for 0 level in a one year postgraduate course (PGCE) but had no training in teaching English as a foreign language.

Answers
1 WRITING
In the USA I was unemployed. By chance somebody in London knew a publisher looking for a writer for a book, Wedding Speeches and Toasts. I wrote the book for them. When I came back to London I was asked to write four more books: How to be the best man; How to be a bridesmaid; Wedding Etiquette; and Wedding Planner.
While you are overseas you can write a book for somebody else, for yourself, or do other writing in your language for your own country. Today you have many more options such as writing or editing web pages.

2 TEACHING ENGLISH AS A HOME TUTOR OR IN WORKSHOPS
However, back in the UK I started teaching English as a home tutor. Nowadays, you need a police clearance to do this, for which there is a fee, and a time delay, so plan ahead.

At that time you could advertise teaching on a supermarket notice board in the UK, or in Singapore at an expat club's notice board. You might ask a Japanese or Korean parent if they or their spouse can put a notice on their company's notice board saying that you are offering English lessons. Contact personnel of a nearby company. They may be paying for spouses to learn English. Even if they say it is not permitted, they may later come back and say that they or another member of their family would like a lesson. That is what happened to me.

Print a card saying you are an English teacher and give it to everybody you meet in the lift where you live, people you chat to, by the swimming pool, in the gym, at the bus stop, on the train, in the supermarket. You might hear nothing for a month. Then six weeks later, a year later, years later, you will get phone calls: "This is Harry, you remember me?"

Another way is to join a bilingual club and offer private one to one lessons or workshops at which costs the pupils a lower price and potentially gives you more income.

If you are not qualified, give a free lesson. You will find yourself talking about teaching to other people at parties, and they will tell you where to get training, or which schools need teachers. Even learning from a parent the name of the local school or the name of the English teacher at the local school or the head teacher and the phone number of the school would be a good start.

The volunteers at a Singapore shcool are in the front row. I am in the middle with a bunch of flowers.

SCHOOLS & VOLUNTEERS
Some schools welcome assistants, including parents, paid or unpaid.
I decided that an unpaid or badly paid job was better than nothing. Earning nothing was better for my bank balance than spending money in local department stores.

Another mother told me she was doing unpaid volunteer work because it annoyed her husband that he was out working all day and evenings too whilst she was sitting around at home doing nothing.

If you are looking for pupils, look for a free or low price notice board.

3 SINGAPORE TEACHERS
If you have a university degree and are a native English speaker you can teach English in Singapore. You might have a degree in science, or teach PE or art at home. You may need to provide the original of your degree certificate, not a photocopy, and have a medical and /or take a TB X-ray to show you are not infecting the pupils.

HONORARIUMS
If you don't have a work permit to take a permanent job you may be able to do a one off event and be paid an honorarium.

4 ONLINE BUSINESS
You can run an online business from anywhere in the world. Or start researching for it while on a short trip overseas with a spare weekend and start the business when you get back home.

5 TEFL
Teaching English as Foreign Language. You can take a TEFL course over several weeks, months or years whilst doing your day job. Alternatively, do a crash course for a week or month in your holidays, as a holiday. A friend of mine took a TEFL course somewhere in Europe. It was quicker and cheaper than at home and gave him a working holiday in another country with built-in new friends and a social life.

Tips
UK
https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas
SINGAPORE
http://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits
USA
https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/employment/temporary.html

http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/students-needing-jobs-teachers-needing.html

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. You can see my books on Amazon and lulu.com . Sometimes the old books are very cheap second hand. If you buy one of my books and meet me anywhere I'll sign it for you and make up a couplet using your name. I have several posts on learning languages. Please share links to your favourite, most enjoyable or most useful posts.

Forwarding your luggage, for train travellers, bikers and airline travellers

Photograph by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problems
BIKE
You can't take a big suitcase on a bike. You have to be out of your hostel or hotel early during the trip or on the last day and don't want to leave luggage behind.
TRAIN
Your luggage is too heavy to take on the train. The bulk is a nuisance when walking along the aisles.
You are scared to take too much luggage by car in case it gets stolen or makes your vehicle a target. A real nuisance lugging two suitcases onto a train which has a large gap between platform and train, the wheels get caught, bulky in rush hour.
PLANE
You are worried that you will have excess luggage on the plane and have to wait ages at the airport when you are rushing to a conference or business meeting.

Answers
Send luggage ahead.
Less to carry.
Quicker to change routes without waiting for luggage.
No worry about leaving big luggage at the end of the train when your reserved seat is in the middle of the carriage.
No need to leave big suitcase unattended when you go to the toilet.
Save money by taking local train from the airport instead of a taxi.
Luggage should not get thrown about by handlers - you can photograph the condition of your case before releasing it for collection.
Save time at check-in and security.

Luggage Transport
If you are travelling solo, there are companies which collect your luggage a week in advance and drop it at your holiday destination a couple of days in advance (avoiding the risk of delays). This can cost as much as £100 for a large suitcase, even within the UK. I heard about this from an elderly lady who was disabled. She used the system to travel in the UK and all over the world.

Cost of Sending Luggage
Costly! Yes. However, it might save you the nuisance of carting luggage around on the train. It works out cheaper per person if a family of two or four, or two or more friends can share a suitcase. It's an added convenience, an option, if money is no object. Also good if you are cycling not to save money but to keep fit, or keep your family fit, or enjoy the scenery, well worth while.

If you ever win a free trip in a competition, you might like to indulge yourself. The cost might also be a business expense if you were cycling for a living or reconnoitering to lead a group holiday for a business or not for profit club.

Tips
Compare company prices. Free quote from:
http://www.excess-international.com/baggage-shipping

See more companies in previous post.

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

Malaysia word for club

Problem
How to learn and remember Malay words?

Answer
In Singapore the words for buildings such as community centres or community clubs are translated into Malay. Take a photo and notice the similarities and differences in spelling.

Story
I walked past a club building in Singapore and saw the word but thought it would be a good idea to record the word. Ao I took a photo. I wrote up the word on my blog using my phone.

However, a day later, checking on my laptop back in my office, I found the spell checker had changed the word.

I was horrified. I had told other people the wrong word and looked inefficient.

I corrected the word by adding spaces. I decided to learn and profit from the mistake. I can use the change to kebab as a memory aid. Just change the middle letter. The result is a five letter word instead of the English four letter word. We eat kebab in the k e l a b .

In theory you can correct spelling by having the patience to wait and re-read your draft text. Then check the blog in view. This takes time. It is also fiddly when you are in a hurry and loading up on a mobile phone.

You have to keep re-reading. I typed a five and the spell checker turned the word into alive.

Tips
When learning new words make sure you visualise and say the words to yourself three times.

What is the Malay for club? K e l a b.

What is club in Malay? K e l a b.

What does the word k e l a b mean? CLUB.

WHAT DOES THE MALAY FOR CLUB LOOK LIKE? KEBAB.


What is the Malay for club? K e l a b

What is club in Malay? K e l a b.

What does the word k e l a b mean? CLUB.


What is the Malay for club? K e l a b

What is club in Malay? K e l a b.

What does the word k e l a b mean? CLUB.

The Malaysia word for club is k e l a b. Like club but starting with K then e than lab. (Spell checker wants to turn it into kebab.) Malaysian language is phonetic - written the way it sounds.

Author
Angela Lansbury, English teacher, language teacher, author and speaker.
Please read my posts, follow and share.

Making Friends Through Triathlon Training Clubs

Running on your own for a marathon keeps you fit. But if you train with others you can make friends. If you are competing in a triathlon, you might be doing a shorter run, but also swimming and cycling - more of a challenge but more opportunities for making friends who are keen on one or more of these three sports.

Problem
How do you train for a triathlon in another country?
How do you maintain enthusiasm during the weeks or months of training?
How do you make friends when working in a new country?

Answer
You join a triathlon training club in the country where you are living or working.

Story
My friend in London, Olga, originally from Austria, has been training in London for a triathlon, and made friends through the Triathlon club. You don't have to be training to do a triathlon in London, you could be training for a triathlon anywhere in the world.

You can join a club and meet up with others for one of more of the three events you choose. For example, you might be doing swimming. You meet other swimmers and train every morning before work at a local swimming pool.

Or you could be doing cycling as one of your three events.

You make friends in London. They could be platonic friends of the same sex, or the opposite sex. You might even start a romance. Or find a flatmate. (Americans say room mate.)

Tips
Join a triathlon club.

Prepare to pay for equipment.
For example, clothing for swimming: a swimsuit, swim hat, a towel robe, and swim shoes, gym kit bag, padlock.
For cycling: clothing and equipment for cycling: a bicycle, helmet; accessories such as a water bottle holder; cycling clothes.
Plus the fee to enter the event.

Expect to pay about £30 for a certificate giving your time as well as the event.

http://www.trinewbies.com/tno_trainingprograms.asp
http://www.trilondon.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Cheap T Shirts for making matching outfits

t shirts for only a pound in a variety of colours? Just what I need.  I have been through my wardrobe. I have shorts in patterns and t-shirt with slogans and pictures and they clash. I need plain colour shorts and plain colour t-shirts to make up sets to wear.

Otherwise I have loads of separates which don't match anything. But the family have banned me from buying more clothes because I am spending too much and the wardrobes are overflowing yet aI claim I never have anything to wear and to out looking bizarre with two many clashing patterns, or take hours to dress.

Yes, I know the problems with cheap tee-shirts. Wear it once and it's stained.  (Answer is to tie - dye it.) The seams split. The fit isn't right - too tight or too baggy or just not smart enough for the nice restaurant at lunch or supper.

Needs ironing if it's cotton. Cheap and nasty if it's synthetic, and the fabric won't match anything else.

I still feel I must look at the website. What do I find. Most of those lovely colours, the emerald green and bright orange are only for children. Ladies long sleeves are black, or white, OK, that goes with a lot of things. Ladies are also in pink and yellow. But what If I want long sleeves to guard against mosquito bites and dengue fever? I can wear a jacket or blouse on top of a short sleeve tee. To get navy I would have to buy a men's size. Best to go into a shop to see the sizes and colours and fabric. Good for a gift for a meeting, Xmas, or summer picnic or barbecue, sports day or running club or give or lend to a friend for jogging together.

http://www.poundshop.com/fashion/clothing?p=2&utm_campaign=HFPS-TS-26-03-16&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Newsletter

Sewing an outfit
If you want matching shorts, at that price you can afford to buy two pairs and cut shorts. Or use the second pair to make a wide strip into a wrap around skirt to wear over bikini bottoms or shorts which don't match but provide a flash of contrasting colour. You could even buy three to make matching shorts, t shirt and long sleeve shirt or jacket. Use a spare strip to add a scarf or attach it as a mock scarf. Make a belt to match from strips seemed and turn inside out. Sew both narrow end edges straight or in a v-shape.

Pocket using No sew Velcro
To make a safety pocket for your keys, travel card or credit card or phone, use a strip on the inside for a pocket. To fasten sew a loop and a button. Or a slit edged with blanked stitch and a button which matches or contrasts. Or iron on or sew on a piece of velcro (stick and loop tape).

If you can't get to Poundland for summer offers, also look at Primark. Primark has white crew short sleeve t-shirts for ladies from £3. Stores are in UK, Wales, Ireland, the USA and Europe.
See
primark.com

Angela Lansbury, travel writer

Celebrating your birthday in another timezone or country

Birthdays Celebrated On The Exact Day
When do you celebrate your birthday? Some people insist on only celebrating on the day, so if they are working, that means lunch  out with colleagues or an evening celebration with family, or both.

You might celebrate your birthday when you get up on the birthday morning. To have bunting (wall to wall hanging streamers, often with the words Happy Birthday), a spouse or family member might need to get up an hour early, or put up the signs when the birthday boy or girl is in the bathroom.

You might say Happy Birthday one minute or a few seconds past midnight if you stayed up late the day before and continue celebrating until midnight.

If you travel from the UK to Singapore and Asia, you can celebrate your birthday co-ordinating with family back in England, from 8 pm Singapore time until 8 pm Singapore time.

Photo of Angela Lansbury. I have other photos of this and similar events. Copyright Angela Lansbury.

If you travel from the USA to the UK, or from the UK and Europe to Australia, the second country is on a different time zone. You can benefit from the difference by celebrating in both time zones, and send cards and messages early to be sure not to miss the date where the birthday boy or girl is living or travelling.

Different Time Zones
If you travel abroad you might be in a different time zone. Be prepared for people to miss your birthday because of time differences.

Birthdays Celebrated At The Weekend
Other people who are busy working during the week, or away travelling, out of reach of family and friends, will celebrate the nearest weekend.

Birthdays Celebrated In The Birthday Month
If you are travelling and wait until you get home, or until your family can travel to be with you, you might celebrate up to a month afterwards. Many restaurants use the birthdate you give them to send you an offer which lasts throughout your birthday month.

For security reasons, you may wish to have a second 'official' birthday, like HM the Queen of England, on a set day which differs from your actual birthday, known only to close family and on official documents. Whilst you may want to have a party on the first Saturday of your birthday month,  we have not yet got the world to agree to a convenient calendar which allow for such regularity as having the first day of January and every first day the month falling on a Saturday or Sunday or Monday.

An alternative would be to make your official birthday the first day of the month, or seven days in advance of your real birthday, allowing you to pick the nearest weekend in advance. On the other hand if you prefer to celebrate after, rather than before, you could pick the week after. Alternatively shift your registered birthday with restaurants to the Xmas, Easter or summer holidays if you want to celebrate your birthday whilst on holiday.

 This won't always work if restaurants insist on seeing your passport, but in reality they are not looking for restricting giving you a free gift to regular customers on their actual birthday, but hoping to attract you on your birthday when you are likely to spend moe or bring the whole family and order extra drinks. So they are only to glad to have your business. Win, win all around. Some restaurants make such a feature of birthday that on any night they will have two or three birthdays. This adds to the general jollity.

If your actual birthday falls in the middle of the school exams, you might prefer to shift your 'official' (why is it called official when it's really unofficial?)

Hotels
A top hotel will check the passports of guests and inform the restaurant when you have a birthday, instruct the reception staff and restaurant staff, even the concierge to wish you happy birthday.

Photo of birthday cake at IEA Toastmasters Club, Singapore. Photo taken by Lim Chee Hoo. He may have other photos of this and other birthday events at his club. 

Clubs
One of the clubs I attended overseas meets monthly. Every month they buy a birthday cake and ask members to go on stage if they had a birthday that month. The birthday boys and girls are photographed with the cake, and one holds the cake and another holds the plastic cutting knife (supplied with the cake by the bakery). What a happy thought, especially for those who have no family, a small family, or are travelling away from family.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer

How to Blow up Photos to illustrate a travel story

Here's a problem which has been bothering me for some time, finally solved. I was mentoring a friend who is giving a speech to a Toastmasters International speakers' club. His speech is about climbing a mountain (something he actually did) and reaching your goal.

At the top you see the A5 size photo, printed on A4 paper. The paper can be cut using a safety guillotine to make A5, which uses less of your colour ink. 

Below in the centre is the photo as an A4 picture. To the right is the A4 of the right hand half the picture. Finally, you see the two pieces of the left and right half of the picture in A4 stuck together to make A3.

I suggested that he use a photo of the mountain. I was going to suggest he use an A4 picture. I typed A 5 and then thought he could use A5, which is book size, at the start of the speech, and end with A4, twice the size, the size of typing paper. At the end.

But A4 is really too small for a speech to a large room. The feedback speakers often get is to print A3.

Years ago when somebody I knew worked in an office, they had a printer which printed A3. It looked great.

I keep suggesting that somebody could print a picture in two halves A4 and sticky tape them on the back down the seam. But I've never done it.

Today I decided to try it. How do you cut your photo in half? Easy. Any photo programme enables you to select part of your photo. So you simply pick a mid-point and copy the right or left, then print it. (Rotate the picture if needed. Alternatively cut it vertically.)

Then print the two halves.Stick them together. The larger the paper the flimsier it is. You might want to leave it flimsy in order to roll it up. If not, stick it on the back of a piece of card.

Still too large to carry? Then take two pieces of thin card (eg from the back of a shirt, or even a cereal box, or a large card envelope. stick one on the back of each of your A4 pieces and fold where the original fold is. You could even display the A3 photo on a table like an open book.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Chocolate Show - Friday to Sunday October 16-18 2015 at Olympia

I went to the chocolate show last year. Highly recommended. If you are buying tickets at the door you want to arrive at opening time because last year by 11 am the show had huge queues.

Ticket prices:

Buy on line and you will have time to work out which day to go and which price works for you. They have concession tickets if you are retired, family tickets which might be worthwhile if you are two adults and two children, and lower prices on Sunday.

Other events after you arrive are on a first come first served basis. For example, the chocolate show in the theatre.

You can see chocolate clothes and try different kinds of chocolate. Some stands offer free tastes. later in the day you will find queues. You might also find that later in the day they have run out of the free chocolates.

Highlights of my tour included discovering chocolate shops I did not know in London, as well as on line suppliers. Here's a picture from my previous visit, when I discovered the York Cocoa House, sampled the chocolate and watched children making chocolate lollipops.

Costs and extra costs
Your children or you might want to pay extra to take a class in making chocolates or attending a show.

Discounts
Lots of stands offer discounts, only at the show, or buy two at a reduced price.

Free
Tastes of lots of Chocolate. Some are just help yourself. Some are doled out one per person in a queue. Some are given only if you are a buyer and want to taste before buying. Prices vary from £5 or under to big boxes costing about £25, also monthly clubs where you pay several pounds a month and sign up for a year or indefinitely to be sent a monthly selection.

A show at 5 pm. You will have to sit through a long demo and talk about different types of chocolate and every fifteen minutes or so a box is passed around and you can take a taste of a piece of chocolate or a chocolate kebab. I could not hear at the back and as people left gradually moved forward to a seat with a better view. Excellent talk. Helpful if you have researched in advance different kinds of chocolate and different countries. They also answer questions either in the demo or if you try to catch the demonstrator at the end.

Getting there
The station is right outside the exhibition hall.

http://www.seetickets.com/event/the-chocolate-show/olympia/872546

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

Holiday season - need accommodation?

🌇

Balcony room with bed. Halong Bay, Vietnam. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Do you need accommodation for your arrival night or the whole trip?  Here's a quick way to get started in your search.

Try
a) Email friends at destination, friends likely to travel to destination who might share cars and accommodation, clubs such as Hashers (international running club), Tennis clubs, Toastmasters International clubs you have visited previously, hosts of the conference you are attending - especially if you are a speaker, home swap agencies.

b) Check your airline for stopover prices.

c) Check any club of which you are a member for their own accommodation. If planning a side trip, lists of their overseas clubs with reciprocal memberships and if necessary get a letter of introduction. Check their room prices and availability.

For example, in Singapore the Tanglin club has accommodation and reciprocal arrangements with several clubs in England.

d) Check out interesting hotels in the area at all prices, including new places. Contact the local tourist board.

e) Youth Hostels
Youth hostels are nowadays often open to people of all ages and have family rooms. Make a list of the YMCA and YWCA or other religious accommodation. In the USA you find branches of the YMHA (Young Men's Hebrew association).

Credit card offers.

Hotel groups of hotels you stayed at previously.

Join a hotel group loyalty card scheme to get offers of discounts.

Check reductions for longstay. 

Check Sunday night offers.

Useful Websites

airbnb.com

latedeals.co.uk

Lateluxury.com

laterooms.com

lastminute.com

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