Easy Italian Words

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Italian - English

cantare - sing (like cantor)

classe - class

coppia - couple

errore - error

dormire - to sleep (like the French dormir)

frase - phrase

lettera - letter (But letto is bed. I think of letter a is a bed but letto is let me lie on it.)

l'ombrello - the umbrella

osso - bone (useful for restaurants and hospitals)

perfetta - perfect

positivo - positive

uno - one (like unique)

voci - voices

English - Italian

bone - osso

class - classe

couple - coppia

error - errore

letter - lettera

one - uno

perfect - perfetto (drop the c and doube the t, to be perfect in Italian)

phrase - frase

positive - positivo (an adjective ending in o to match a mascine noun, such as the name Mario)

sing - cantare

to sleep - dormire

voices - voci (the i ending is plural, like spaghetti)

Useful Websites

duolingo.com

translate Google

Wikivoyage phrasebook Italian

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HOW TO WRITE A TRAVEL BLOG

Problem
What is the blog for and where do you start?

Answers
You start by deciding whether your primary aim is to record your holidays or whether you want a money-making blog.

If the former, just start on blogger and change it as you feel.

If you want to start a money-making blog you need to attract readers and advertisers.

Answer these questions:

What country or countries are you covering?
One city, one country, one region or the world?

Who are you? Age and type. Backpacker, business person, couple, family, elderly.

Special interests or requirements: blind, disabled, gay, vegetarian vegan, kosher, halal?

Type of holiday: romantic, shopaholic, gourmet, cultural, sporty?

Do you have any niche interests or hobbies? Music? Painting? Archaeology?

Pick a title which tells readers and advertisers what to expect. Find several alliterative titles.
Pick your country and then a type of holiday, or your type of holiday and then the area.

Check searches. What types of holiday and which words do people search for?

Choosing Which Title
Make a list. Pick your favourite. Ask for votes on Facebook.

Test Marketing
Run two sites with different names and identical content and see which title attracts more readers.
Then close the lesser one and redirect all those readers to the bigger site.

Title Examples
 eg
F
Francine in France.
Four friends in France.
A family of four in France.
France for families.
A French family's travels.
Food Holidays in France.
Free Things To Do In France.

C
Caroline in Croatia.
Couples holidays in Croatia.
Couples holidays in Canada.
Croatia for couples.

M
Maria in Mexico.
The Magic of Mexico.

S
Single travelling in Spain.
Sites in Spain.
Sights in Spain.
Spain for solo travellers.

T
Tom's Travels.

W
Windsurfing worldwide.
Watch me windsurfing worldwide.

PHOTOS
Photos should focus on what you are promoting. Is it yourself?

A Country
Such as Wales

Travel clothing?

Languages?

Food?

Music?

Shopping


Exploring The Outdoors

Events

LINKS
If you are selling something, make links to all media, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and so .on. Your next steps are newsletters and combining with others to be their guest blogger or to have the as your guest blogger.

If you want professional help, please contact me. My background includes writing travel features for newspapers, sub-editing on magazines, copywriting for tourist boards. I have next of kin in marketing, statistics, and SEO (marketing websites).

LINKS
Finally, add links to promote your post and yourself and your business.

SUMMARISE or index
You now know how to include

YOUR MOTTO OR SELF DESCRIPTION OR CONTACT DETAILS
If you are a fellow blogger and want to include me in your guest posts, you can contact me through messenger on Facebook and Whats App.

WHEN TO START AND STOP?
Never mind if you should have started years ago. Wine makers and the Chinese like to quote the saying, The best time to plant was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.

When should you stop? When blogging is taking up your whole day and either
a) SUCCESS BUT STRESS
Stressing you out even thought you are doing well at it
b) TIME BUT NO MONEY
Taking up your time but not earning money and you would be better off earning money in the day and doing the blog just in the evening and at weekends. The secret is either to limit your time, or outsource to other writers.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
Please share links to your favourite posts.

See the Giant Puppets At The Sultan Hotel in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia

Indonesia map from Wikipedia.


Photos by Trevor Sharot.
 http://trevorsharotphotography.com
..............

Photos from Wikipedia

Jakarta's nickname is The Big Durian.

Durian is called the king of fruits. The name durian comes from the Indonesian and Malay word for thorn because of the skin.

Durians are for sale in Indonesia. (Also sold in Thailand and Malaysia.) Whilst I cannot eat the strong smelling and slimy durian fruit, I love tasty durian ice cream and durian cake, and white or yellow durian sauce, which reminds me of thick egg custard or egg yolk with the flavour of chestnut.

Author of photo, ProjectManhattan in Wikipedia under Durian.

Durian is available in season in Singapore. but banned in the Singapore MRT (train system) and buses and taxis.

Jakarta's motto is Jaya Raya which is Sanskrit for victorious and great. ( I know several people called Jaya.)

Museum in Jakarta.

Photo from Wikipedia: Gunawan Kartapranata - Own work

The parade of Ondel-ondel on main street of Jakarta during car-free day.  The Ondel-ondel (a repeated hyphenated word is a plural) was originally a symbol of an ancestor protecting a village from calamity and danced in the street. In modern times the Ondel-ondel is the symbol of Jakarta and dances to entertain in streets on festive occasions, and at weddings and openings of buildings and events.

Watch a pair of them performing in pairs in a street on Youtube. Notice the musicians in the background.

Ondel-ondel puppets in Wayang Museum, Jakarta. Photo author Taman Renyah, in Wikipedia. These puppets appear in pairs, the red face being male and the female with a white face. The head-dress is made from strips of coconut leaves wrapped in coloured paper. The light bamboo body is lifted by a person standing inside who dances, twirling on the spot, or dancing and hopping around the partner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT0Vtacah7k The puppets dancing.



Transport in Jakarta. Blue three-wheeler is a taxi.
 Picture from Wikipedia.

Useful Websites:
https://www.indonesia.travel/uk/en/home
Wonderfully engaging website pages with great pictures and helpful captions

http://trevorsharotphotography.com
Some serious photography here. Great subjects, great composition and great colours.

Author

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

Memories Of The Walls At Huntingdon And The Couple Beyond The Wall

Walking Around The Hotel Car Park in Huntingdon.

The couple watching the clouds go by.

The Couple Seen through the trees.

A couple in silhouette and tree with shadows.

The Hole In The Wall Frames A Distant Object.

Hole in the wall with shadow.

Trees beyond the hole in the wall.

Growing A Climber On Supports. All photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Author

Angela Lansbury, Travel Writer and Photographer, Author and Speaker.

Embarrassing Moments in Malaysia

Problem
How do you get directions in Malaysia if you don't speak Malay.

Answer
Get directions from your hotel or the internet in advance.

Stories
My most embarrassing moments in Malaysia:
My first trip - in the streets most people walking past or standing around are men. But when I go up to somebody with a map to ask for help they all run away.

Why? Is it because they don't speak English? Are my sleeves are too short? Do I smell funny? Are they totally prejudiced against people not wearing Muslim outfits?

I spent a depressing day. I could not get directions. Made no friends. Didn't speak to anybody all day. Felt alone, and unpopular.

Back in the hotel, my family, on business, explain: Men don't speak to strange women in Malaysia. In some states of Malaysia they could get arrested for fraternising with women who are not relations. They don't think you are a prostitute touting for business. They know you are a tourist. They just don't want to be seen talking to you.

Problem
So how do I get directions?

I discovered the solution, what works, by trail and error.
1 Ask the server at a restaurant or bus station ticket office (who is safely protected from you behind glass and his work is dealing with strangers of both sexes). Get them to write directions on the map and circle your destination.
2 When standing at a bus stop or taxi queue, speak to the woman of an adjacent couple, asking for help. Both she and her escort, whether her husband or brother or colleague, will speak to you and help you.

Author
Angela Lansbury, author and speaker. See my books on Lulu.com and Amazon. Read my posts, share and follow. Terimah Kasih. (Malay for thank you.