Spanish - English
barco - ship (like embark)
(de) beber - (to) drink (like the English words to imbibe, and beverage)
duro - hard (like durable)
fumar - to smoke (like fumes, or flames)
last - ultimo (like ultimate)
los angeles - the angels
nationalidad - nationality
posible - possible
quieres - do you want? (like the English word question)
soy - I am (shorter for my name is than the alternative)
Zufa Lebanese restaurant, beside Kyoto Korean and Izgara Turkish, all in bustling Hatch End, beside the crossing. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
Restaurant location
Zufa Lebanese restaurant in north west London has branches in both Hatch End and Northwood.
The Restaurant Name
\The name Zufa is a girl's name meaning elegant. It is elegant and understated.
Website
I looked up the restaurant menu in advance so I knew what I wanted to order. The date drink. The mixed starter or mezze. The duck wrap for my main course. Baklava for dessert.
Seating Greeting
We had made an evening dinner reservation for four, two couples. We were immediately greeted by Diana who offered us a choice of tables. I normally like to sit away from the window. However, our guests seemed intent on sitting under the glass canopy with a view onto the street.
Whether Window Seats?
Fortunately for me, the two tables immediately next to the outside were occupied. So we were set slightly back. I don't like being by the window.. It's like eating in a goldfish bowl.
As we sat down, we heard the insistent bleep bleep bleep of the pedestrian crossing outisde.. By day you can see how the window seats of the three adjacent restaurants are beside the crossing - which makes them easy to find.
Fortunately I only noticed the crossing bleep a couple of times during the evening. Though we were also disturbed a couple times by cars or bikes racing past.
Our friends clearly didn't mind. Why? Some people love window seats because they like light. Some like fresh air. Some hate looking at walls. Some want to view a busy street and feel they are out in the world for the evening.
Drink Made From Dates
Dates Drink, (Jallab) Zufa restaurant, Hatch End. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
The evening started well. My dates drink came up fast. With a metal straw. A real date flavour. Ice and ine nuts.
I would eat there again and again just to have the date drink.
I had looked it up online. Some suppliers charge a lot for a bottle of it. Other sell a small jar, but the postage is twice the price of the goods
Starters
We had a huge plate of meze or mixed starters. A meal in itself . Enough chicken cubes, humous, yogurt mix, green moist mountain. The flat bread was a bit dry.
I felt I had hardly room for the main course after that.
Main Courses
Duck
For the main course I chose the duck magret. Duck magret is not ordinary duck, apparently, but fed well, like the foie gras which some places have banned.
Lamb
The best dish, in my opinion, was the lamb which was moist meat. My husband chose cooked vegetables instead of french fries, just as well. as we had more than enough french fries, enough to take some home.
Desserts
Finally baklava. Slightly cheaper than the alternatives. I kner from elsewhere not to order chocolate baklava which sounds interesting. The chocolate flour drown aout they honey and nuts and flaky pastry which are the main feaures of baklava. The alternative slightly dearer dessert we wanted was not in stock. The baklava looked good, and plentiful, in small pieces. I thought the baklava was a bit dry, so did the other diners. All four of us tried it.
One diner said, 'I don't think it was home made'. I think that serving it in tiny pieces allows it to dry out.
Lebanese Coffee
The Lebanese coffee was not thick like Turkish, Greek and Cypriot coffee. Nor did it come ready sweetneed as an opiton, (unlike Turksih, Greek and Cypriot coffee). Sugar in ackets were brought on the side. The novelty was the small long handled saucepan to serve yourself. Amusing to look at. I thought it lacked the flavour or coffee, and the flavour and sustenance of milk and sugar. An amusement to try once. But next time I would order a regular coffee or cappucino or drink decaff at home. As an entertainment for our guests, it worked well.
Verdict On Size
One plate of starters, mixed platter, was enough for two, and the plate of baklava desserts was enough for two.
Decor
The decor of the restaurant and toilets is understated. No distraction, visually, nor music and on a midweek night no noise from other people. We were all very satisfied with the novelty food and our cosy evening together.
I looked up recipes for making your own jellabi, and baklav. Both involved hours of work. No thanks, I'll eat out or order in or look in the supermarkets.
Amazon had several suppliers but the first two I tried said they could not deliver to my address so I gave up.
TOP TIP
you can order their food online for collection or delivery.
Tuesday is BYO (bring your own bottle) day.
Useful Websites
Zufa
https://zufa.co.uk/takeaway/#/collection
Dates drink (Jallab)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jallab
Baklava from Tescosupermarket
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products
https://www.ocado.com/products/m-s-assorted-baklava-selection-
Jallab from My ja was under four pounds but about six pounds shipping, total just under ten pounds.
Please share links to your favourite posts.
.
Flag of Malaysia, which is almost the same as Indonesian.
Starting Indonesian on Duolingo is easy.
Indonesian - English
air - water (pronounced aye er, as it is written in the Singaporean placename and MRT underground railway station, Telok Ayer)
apple/ apples - apel
dan - and (the same letters in a different order)
jeruk - orang/oranges (juicy oranges, letter er, then UK)
kamu - you (I think of 'come here, you')
makan - eat
minum - drink
punya - possess/have
saya - i/My (remember the letter y in both words)
susu - milk
English - Indonesian
and - dan
apple/apples - apel
drink - minum
eat - makan
I - saya
milk - susu
orange/oranges - jeruk (remember JEruk not juruk, je like the GE in orange)
possess/have - punya
water - air
you - kamu
False Friends
air meaning water looks like air but it isn't air, it's water, unless you think of H2O
Useful Websites
duolingo.com
Please share links to your favourite posts
Coconut palms look delightful. But don't sit under them, a guard warned me.
In Singapore, the awnings have gone up for the celebration dinner for the Autumn harvest festival, also called the mooncake festival. Workers from Malaysia are in Singapore cutting down the coconuts, for safety.
The cocnuts are yellow or brown.
In a previous year my family asked for a spare coconut. But it was very difficult to cut it open. This year we were more canny. We asked one of the workers to cut one open.
It took him longer than I expeced. I thought he would chop it in one blow. However, he chopped bits off in all directions with a machete.
The white inside was soft enough to be cut with a normal fruit knife.
The resulting milk is transparent and not very flavourful. But fresh. Fun.
The coconuts when cut open and left on the work surface immediately attracted little fruit flies. So we put the cocnut in the fridge for a minute or two until we were ready to drink.
As the scouts say, be prepared. Save worry for yourself, your family, and potential rescuers. In some areas, hiking trails are marked as easy or difficult.
Things to do
1 Find a friend. Do not travel in the outback or forest alone.
To join groups starting from cities, contact Hash house harriers with the name of the city. They often meet once a week or once a month, and may have groups for men, women, or families, or families with pets, or different language groups, and may make a charge to visitors, especially if they provide a meal at the end of the run.
2 Check weather reports and suggested supplies for the route.
3 Pack your car with a sleeping bag and first aid kit.
4 Route References Registered
Inform in the USA a ranger of your route.
Leave a map of your route and estimated time of return for your family.
5 Pack food and drink.
Enough for a week in case you get stranded. In containers which stop predatory animals attacking you for food.
Black bears unable to reach backpacks. Photo from Wiki.
6 Print a map and have GPS finder.
7 Select Suitable Clothes For all weathers. Wear a ski jacket which enables you to be found in snow with a bleeping device. A helmet for cycling or motorbikes. Insurance. Anti-tick socks. Goggles for swimming and sun in the snow. Hats and caps which tie on so they don't blow off or get lost. I have a swimsuit with a hood so I don't need a swimming cap.
8 Have a suitable jacket.
9 Wear insect repellent and carry bite soother.
10 In snake-infested areas, sing and throw stones ahead to make snakes move away.
11 Carry a mini tent like an umbrella for shelter in winter or bad weather.
12 Carry hand warmers. (Sold in ski and hiking areas.)
13 Have spare clothing.
14 Have an empty water bottle and wet wipes in case you need a toilet and or can't move because you have hurt your ankle.
15 Do not hike when menstruating because blood attracts dogs and bears and other animals to attack you just as they would attack a bleeding animal for food.
16 Carry a sewing kit.
17 Put a survival guide on your phone.
18 If lost without paths, go downhill to the river in a valley to get drinking water, find a road, or hail passing boats.
19 If stuck in one place, such as a beach or a clearing, or even a road, use clothes or branches to make a large sign to attract searching aircraft.
20 Check on local safety sites.
Online you can buy whistles, torches and knives as well as waterproof clothes and pickpocket proof clothes.
Wiki has advice on what to do when lost.
You can also buy survival guides. In France you can get guides to edible mushrooms.
Useful Websites
California Hiking Safety tips - and tips for bikers and others
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30043
https://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Safety/s?k=Hiking+Safety
http://www.wiki-safety.com/postdtl/en/-C2079/2165/
http://www.romehash.com/
amazon.co.uk/s?k=anti-tick+socks
Temporary dental repair kit
Red carpet entrance and Christmas decorations. Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.
About the author of this blog post
BIOGRAPHY
Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5
The Author of several books including Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.
Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com
dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com
Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President
Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time
Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;
Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;
Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.
More details from Toastmasters International find a club.
Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.
Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.
Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.
Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.
Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.
Language and speech workshops in Singapore.
Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.
Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.
Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.
Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.
Books by Angela Lansbury
How to be the best man. (Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Wedding Speeches and Toasts.(Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Unforgettable British Weekends.
Poetry Workshop Workbook.
The Tailor and the Spy. (Lulu.)
Larry The Talking Labrador. (Lulu.)
Writing Poetry for fun.
Quick Quotations
Who Said What When
When we travelled to Utah in the USA, we were surprised to find that the Mormons are not allowed to drink coffee. Coffee, being a stimulant. A drug.
I started drinking decaf last thing at night. Then a doctor suggested I would sleep better, and not jump up in the night to go to the toilet, if I stopped caffeinated drinks after lunch time.
More recently our son decided to drink only decaf coffee. He cut down to no more than five cups of caffeinated coffee, and gradually reduced the number of caffeinated coffees, until he ended up drinking only decaf.
Caffeine is in lots of things. We now no more than years ago about what exactly goes into our food and drinks, and we have numerous sources of information.
I read somewhere, I believe it was on Quora, that decaf is made with different beans which have more fat. I did not see any evidence for this. If it is true, it might apply to some brands and not others.
The Nescafe site said they use the same beans, but treat them differently.
Wikipedia describes different systems, such as the Swiss water system.
Decaf has been around for longer than you might think.
With so many coffees, and decafs, now available, how do you keep track of them? How do you remember what you liked and what the rest of your family liked?
Recording Tastes of Groups Of Drinkers
When I had a group of workmen in my house and I made tea for them every day, I kept a list of who took sugar and how many lumps, and who took milk. I stuck the list on the back of the top cupboard door. This works if you have the same people on a regular basis.
If you have a constantly changing group of people, such as in a restaurant, or a club, or workplace, you could make a list on a laptop, and save it for future reference. You could share it in google docs, or print it out and place it on a clipboard.
Recording Favourite Drinks of Singles and Pairs of Drinkers
Nespresso Capsules
Storage
If you have a selection of coffee bottles or cardboard packets, you can devise a system running left to right. This would also work for the short sighted or blind. If you drink the Italian way, with mild breakfast coffee and strong coffee after a big evening meal, then you would put the regular coffee on the left and the espresso at the right.
If you operate the way we drink in London, with a strong coffee to wake you up in the morning, but decaf at night, or after lunch, you place the stronger coffee on the left and the decaf on the right.
You can mark his and hers in different colours with coloured pens, or stickers, or stars on post-it notes.
We keep capsules upright on a work surface, or flat in a drawer, with the name of the coffee written in pen on the inside of the lid of the box.
If it's just you, or a couple, such as a husband and wife, or parent and child or grandchild, you can instead mark the container or containers.
You can buy a metal rack for capsules. We soon found that, with a regular monthly order, we had more capsules than space on the small metal rack.
Useful Websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decaffeination
.svg%20-%20Copy%20-%20Copy.png)
