15 BIRDS and BIRD SONGS for BEGINNERS

The birds are clear. The song is loud. Each bird is clearly named.

The everyday birds were more colourful than I expected. A chance to identify many birds including collared doves, magpies, nightingales, robins, tits and more.

Useful Websites

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXcAx16yl6E

Muslim Fasting - From My New Friend

I said to a new friend in Singapore, as we talked during a lunc time break at a contest, "Don't let me keep you. I have a packed lunch. Do you want to go and get your lunch?"

"No, thank you," she said. "I'm fasting, so I'm happy to stay here talking to you. But you eat your packed lunch, if you want to."

I should have remembered. She was wearing a bright colourful, red, head covering.

I asked, "Does it bother you, seeing others eat when you are fasting?"

"Not at all," she said. "I have my timetable. They have theirs. I know other poeple, especially in other countries, are bothered, but I am not."

"You mean Malaysia?"

"Yes, some parts of Malaysia are very strict, about what they let you do in public, and private."

"What if you can't fast? Who is exempted?"

"Women are exempted when they are menstruating. You make up the missed days later."

"What if you can't do that? If you have a long-term illness?"

"Then you give money to the poor and hungry instead."

"Thank you so much for explaining that to me."

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

How To Remember Portuguese Colours Easily

Problem
How do I remember the colours? Rosa is pink, not red. Preto is black, no relation to any other word.

Answers
Portuguese - English
amarelo - yellow - both end with the sound 'ello'; both have e and letter l and o in the spelling but not that the Portuguese has only one l
descolore - (she) bleaches (discolours, de-colours)
col - colour (like an abbreviation of colour, just the first three letters)
colorido - colourful (coloured)
cores - colours
morena - brunette (a for the female gender)
moreno - dark hair (on a man o for the male gender)
preto - black (pull the p upright, day to night, p to B, t is an upright letter like t, last letter o as in negro - tinto negro, the red grape of Madeira, name of grape, black or red grape for red wine)
rosa - pink (think of rosy cheeks)
roxa - purple (red and extra blue makes purple)

English - Portuguese
bleaches - descolore
brunette - morena
colour - col
colourful - colorido (coloured)
pink - rosa
purple - roxa (red and extra blue makes purple)
yellow - amarelo
white - branco (like white branches, blanc)

Portuguese - English nouns
relogio - watch or clock (think of a Rolex)
roupas - clothes (robes, what you keep in wardrobes)
sandálias - sandals (accent going up and forward on the second a in Portuguese; add an i to sandals in Portuguese - the Portuguese are eyeing your sandals)
vestido - dress (not just a vest but a complete outfit, like a priest's vestments); vest like vest but more than a vest, d as in dress

English - Portuguese nouns
clothes - roupas
dress - vestido
sandals - sandálias
watch - relogio

Colourful and Chic Shoes and Boots

Problem - Dull Shoes and Boring Boots
My shoes and boots are dull, boring. I would like to wear amusing colourful shoes with leather flowers shapes, not just painted on, shapes. Anything decorative will do: buttons, fringes, contrasting colours, or appliqué.

However, I can't wear patterns with a patterned jacket.

I console myself with the thought that don't want to draw attention to my feet and away from my face. But I look down at my own feet, so I like colour, a little colour - or a lot.

Plain Black
I have always found that a pair of plain black leather boots is most practical. They go with everything. You can easily touch up scuffs with black, shiny scuff cote.

Clarks For Comfort
Yet I am tempted by pop up ads for fancy shoes. I went into a branch of Clarks. They make comfortable shoes.

Prices
I heard a customer trying to ask for a bigger discount. The member of staff at the till was explaining: Prices are set by the company. This is not a family run business and I don't have the option of altering prices.

"The shoes are already in the sale. Shoes are only sold at an extra discount when they have a fault such as one shoe damaged, scuffed or faded, in which case the manager is allowed, at their discretion, to lower the price further to secure a sale."

Prices were reduced. Yet nothing appealed. It seemed to me that the shop had clumpy, frumpy granny fashions with heavy looking round toes. The design offered no appealing structure. The shoes were without any support to the ankle or instep.

A few gold shoes. Very little of any decoration, in any way lively.

Yest, once home, I am assailed by ads for interesting shoes which you can buy online. Which colour should I choose? Let's compare the colours of the shoes with my clothes. I brought a reversible jacket, black once side.and a coat to my computer screen to place my clothes against pictures of the boots.

The red boots I liked did not go with a multi-colour, patchwork acket. They were too bright against a wine mac. So I chose wine colour.

Websites
http://www.banggood.com Free shipping.
https://www.newchic.com/

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

Smithfield Market, London

Next to Farringdon station is Smithfield Market, an old building painted in bright colours. Panels tell you the history of the market, before and during WWII.

More pictures will be added later/tomorrow.


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