Agatha Christie Steps and Crime Writing Celebration In Tenerife

I and my husband visited Tenerife twice in 2026. Tenerife has something for everyone, romance or culture, wine and wineries, history, connections with Spain and America and Britain, and cosy crime writer Agatha Christie.

Agatha Christie steps, Tenerife, Canary Islands. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Her statue, well, bust, is at the top of a long series of steps, each coloured with the titles of a book. She wrote 66 detective novels and 15 sets of short stories. 

Allow plenty of time to climb the steps. I ran up four or five flights, with no end in sight. So I eventually gave up and ran all the way back down to where my husband was waiting in a place where nobody could park permanently.

Inspiration for Writers and Readers

Every two years a cultural festival of crime writers and Agatha Christie fans is held in Tenerife. 

The scenery has plenty to inspire you to write a novel, short story, poem or haiku. Sea, mountain peaks, roads with hairpin bends. Mount Teide in the middle. Five star hotels down by the beach, contrasting with deserted cars on steep mountain tracks. Warnings of rock falls. 

Useful Websites

 https://canariasnatureguides.com/en_GB/blog/our-blog-1/post/tenerife-the-haven-of-agatha-christie-queen-of-crime-12

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Products-g187479-Tenerife_Canary_Islands.html

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Spanish_phrasebook

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More Spanish Words Which Are Easy

 

Spanish - English

contento - happy

correcta - correct

divorcio - divorce

fantasia - fantasy

festival - festival

momento - moment

parque - park

popular - popular

romance - romance

serio - serious

texto - text

tomate - tomato

uniformes - uniforms

Useful Websites for translating and learning Spanish

duolingo.com

in my home - en mi casa

translate google

wikivoyage Spanish phrasebook

-ends-

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Chinese New Year in Singapore in January - and Chingay Parade in February

 

Red wall hanging and pink flowers at Cashew Heights Condominium, Singapore in January 2023. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Chingay Parade

We have more to look forward to. The Changay Parade in Singapore takes place on Friday February 3rd 2023 and Saturday February 4th. 

The government website shows photos from previous years, apparently sent in after a request to citizens. The recent pre-Covid event in 2021, which just made it before the restrictions, was a water based event, not on the river nor the sea but on a created water area.

I was confused by the advertising, because the event is supposed to be free, but you can buy some high priced tickets. I presume the tickets are for a constructed seating area, up high overlooking the central stage showing the start and end of the parade floats. 

More events take place in the 'heartlands', suburban city centres, some of which were originally villages and pioneer days government housing and shops and office development areas. Since Covid, because of Covid, to prevent crowding, and to enable everybody to share in the national events which unite everybody patriotically, local events are organized for major celebrations, spreading areas enjoying the fun and the government funds for events.

A favourite new year song is Congratulations, congratulations, Gong Xi Gong Xi.

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gong_Xi_Gong_Xi

Chinese lyricsHanyu PinyinEnglish Translation

每条大街小巷，
每个人的嘴里
见面第一句话，
就是恭喜恭喜
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀,
恭喜恭喜恭喜你

měitiáo dà jiē xiǎo xiàng,
měige rén dè zuǐ lǐ
jiànmiàn dì yī jù huà,
jiù shì gōngxǐ gōngxǐ
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ ya
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ

On every street and in every lane,
On everybody's lips,
Whenever people meet,
The first thing they say is "Congratulations."
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you

冬天已到尽头
真是好的消息
温暖的春风
就要吹醒大地
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀
恭喜恭喜恭喜你

dōng tiān yǐ dào jìn tóu,
zhēn shì hǎo de xiāo xī
wēn nuǎn de chūn fēng,
jiù yào chuī xǐng dà dì
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ ya
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ

Winter has come to an end,
That is really good news,
A warm spring breeze is
Blowing to wake up the earth.
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you

浩浩冰雪融解,
眼看梅花吐蕊
漫漫长夜过去,
听到一声鸡啼
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀,
恭喜恭喜恭喜你

hào hào bīng xuě róng jiě,
yǎn kàn méi huā tù ruǐ
màn màn cháng yè guò qù,
tīng dào yī shēng jī tí
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ ya
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ

The icy snow has melted,
See the plum tree blossom!
The long night is past,
I heard the rooster crow.
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you

经过多少困难,
历经多少磨练
多少心儿盼望,
盼望新的消息
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀,
恭喜恭喜恭喜你

恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀，
恭喜恭喜恭喜你

jīng guò duō shǎo kùn nán,
lì jīng duō shǎo mó liàn
duō shǎo xīn ér pàn wàng,
pàn wàng xīn de xiāo xī
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ ya
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ

gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ ya
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ^[3]

After experiencing so many difficulties,
Going through so many ordeals,
How many hearts are looking forward
To the news of Spring!
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you

Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you

Useful Websites

See a youtube version of singing  the New Year song

.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcMGcT6gByM

Wikipedia Chinese New Year

Wikipedia Chingay Parade

www.chingay.gov.sg

https://www.chingay.gov.sg/photo-gallery/2010-2021/

Chinese New Year
"Chinese New Year" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Traditional Chinese	春節
Simplified Chinese	春节
Literal meaning	"Spring Festiv

I checked translate google for the words for 

spring festival 

to be sure which way round it was. 

I then divided the sections of the Chinese compound phrases and they mean spring-sky festival-day

Chinese (Simplified)

English

春
天
节
日

Chūn
tiān
jié
rì

Hanukah - when is it and what is it and what's in it for me?

 

Hanukah dates like all Jewish holiday dates vary and in 2022 the eight day festival starts on December 18th and ends December 26th, spanning Christmas on the 25th.

What's in it for the traveller? Eight branch candlesticks lit in public places and homes. An eight branch candlestick is already lit on the corner of the synagogue complex in Waterloo Street in Singapore.

Expect to see more in Israel and cities around the world, for residents and welcoming visitors and entertaining shoppers.

UK

I vividly remember being invited to the home of a neighbour in London, England and learning that the seven branch candlestick represents the seven days of the week, and is lit on the evening of the Sabbath. 

Singapore

In Singapore a huge hanukiah was in Orchard Road, the main shopping street. I saw only three lights were lit. What a pity, I thought, that the electricity has failed to light it properly. Even though it looked faulty, I photographed it anyway.

Later, I learned that the hanukiah was correctly lit. You have one candle lit on day one, and another added on each of the days.

In Waterloo Street you can see a hanukiah near the MRT station.

Soft toy in the shape of a dreidl (Hanukah spinning top). Photo from Sharot family. 

Gifts of Hanukiahs, Bought and Home Made

A hannukiah is a great gift for your hosts or guests before or during hanukah. There are lots of modern designs. Decorating a DIY hanukiah is an activity for children at synagogues around the world. The children go home with a hanukiah suitable for their ages and abilities, drawn on paper and coloured, made from a wooden kit (from Jewish museum shops and Jewish gift shops and the internet. The wooden and clay ones can be painted. 

Bargains

Just as Christmas theme gifts are reduced in price after Christmas, you might be lucky enough to snap up a bargain after Hanukah and stock up for next year. In Rockville Maryland in the USA when I was living there I went looking for a night dress in a small local dress shop. The only one they had was a reduced price hanukah theme blue night dress. I passed it by. 

Then I went back for it. The price was right. I would never get another one like it. Nobody but me knew I was wearing it out of season.

Useful Websites

UK website

https://www.judaicawebstore.co.uk/hanukkah-menorahs-C106.aspx

US website

https://www.judaicawebstore.com/hanukkah-menorahs-C106.aspx?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah_menorah

• Yearly lighting of the Menorah at the White House
• Hanukkah Lamps from the collection of The Jewish Museum (New York)
• Hanukkah lamp collection at the Israel Museum.

Japanese and Jewish Connections: Language and The Lost Tribes Of Israel Found

Seven videos in this set attempt to show that some of all of the ten lost tribes of Israel ended up In Japan, following the Silk Road to get there.

Mystery
The format of the show, all about mysteries, was a bit annoying, with its noise and gasping. The rousing music also struck me as more related to fiction than fact.

I did like the fact that I learned the Japanese word for mystery which was repeated many times and sounds like the English:
mysterio

This was in contrast to the thorough research quality. The videos showed interviews with experts, remote temples, rabbis and researchers in Israel and Japan. So what were the similarities?

LANGUAGE
The similarities of many words of Hebrew with words of Japanese struck me as interesting but merely an oddity.

MASK
The mask from a Japanese temple showing a man with a big Western nose was interesting.

WRESTLING
The idea that Sumo wrestlers were related to the Bible hand to hand combat  was totally unexpected.  I thought of David and Goliath. Logically, I felt this was more part of a pattern of worldwide activity, not necessarily a direct connection between those two countries, to the exclusion of all others.

BLACK BOXES
The two factors which really impressed me were: firstly, the little boxes tied to the head. In orthodox synagogues and homes yuou see them. They are little black leather boxes containing words of the bible written on parchment.

Secondly, the paintings carried through the streets for a Japanese festival, showing bible stories.

Eventually, I got used to the all gasping format. Worth another look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqIiKVPdV1A&feature=share

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have several posts on visiting Japan and Israel and the Japanese and Hebrew languages. Please bookmark and share links with your friends and family.

Vikings Invaded Nov 1st. Festival in February 2018. Note For Your Diary

It was 1 November AD866 when the Vikings first invaded the Anglo-Saxon town of Eoforwic knowing that the local residents would be in church - without their weapons - celebrating the feast of All Saints. Today, three brothers – Halfdan Ragnarsson, Ubba Ragnarsson and Ivarr the Boneless – returned to the city to start the countdown to the next Viking invasion – the JORVIK Viking Festival 2018, which runs 12 – 18 February 2018.

Here they are renacting in 2017.

Could you get a group discount? Or a free place?

Problem
I am offered group discounts. I am not a group - or am I?

Answer
You are probably a member of a group or know somebody who is. For example:
1 Planning a wedding or a stag or hen night or weekend away.
2 A big birthday party - even a small one of you and a partner and a few other couples.
3 A music group.
4 A book group.
5 A Toastmasters group.
6 A sports club.
7 A study group - languages, taking and exam in languages, religions, attending a festival, a national day celebration.

Your group leader is probably sent loads of offers and does not tell you about them but just bins them.

Your local group probably organises lots of events at reduced prices. To give some examples:

My local gardening club goes on outings to distant public gardens. They have offers on bulbs.

My book group organises outings to plays and films.

Other groups such as U3A (University of the Third Age, for retired people) organises outings.

You could join a group in order to find somebody else doing the work of organising the trip, to get reductions, or simply to find company.

What sort of outings could you organise?

1 An evening to the theatre. A visit to a TV show.
2 A day trip to a museum, stately home, festival.
3 A weekend away during a holiday.
4 A holiday (eg a bridge holiday for a bridge club; a trip to Wimbledon for a tennis club).

Tips
For groups of ten or more:
Theatre
Pre-theatre meals
Attractions reduced if packed with other elements such as dinner, show or travel include: Arsenal Stadium Tour and Museum, Churchill War Rooms, Co Cola London Eye, HMS Belfast, Kew Gardens and Palace, Shakespeare's Globe Tour and exhibition, Warner Brothers Studio Tour, Wembley Stadium Tour, Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and Tour, Windsor Castle, ZSL London Zoo, Pantomimes and Christmas shows and many more.

Do some comparison shopping and see what deals you can find for reductions for the whole group, the birthday boy or girl, the free room for the wedding couple or the group organiser.

Free Places
Many organisations offer free places or entry for carers. For example, if you are pushing a relative in a wheelchair, driving a minibus, or have four foster children, you might find it worthwhile to check everything on offer.

If you simply want to organise an event, and provide extra networking or seasonal cheer for your group, you might consider it worthwhile to pay the premium a a commercial organisation charges for organising it all for you. On the other hands, if you have time, make sure the offer price for a group is less than you can get for yourself by booking direct with a theatre, attraction, restaurant.

If you need to organise lunch boxes, or sandwiches for a summer BBQ or Xmas party for your club, or you are area director for a group of clubs, you might find it worthwhile joining a wholesaler which has membership for businesses, charities and other organisations with bulk orders for catering and supplies, such as Costco.

Websites
GROUP DISCOUNTS
www.costco.com (For the USA)
www.costco.co.uk (For the UK)
www.encore.co. uk groups@encore.co.uk / tel: 020 7492 1525.
https://carers.org/article/days-out

Happy travelling!

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

Lockerbie - side trip from the Edinburgh Festival

Problem
How do you find the Lockerbie memorial?

Answers
We drove to Lockerbie on our way back to London from Edinburgh. First you head to Lockerbie.

The memorial is not a stand alone place but at the back of one of the regular cemeteries. As a result, people visiting their family graves don't want to be pushed aside by crowds of tourist wielding cameras.

I lurked around and surreptitiously look pictures. It's a very sad place. The graves of individuals are at the front. At the back wall are the photos and names and life stories of the people and the survivors or groups who have funded the memorial.

It was a Pan Am flight. Many Americans. Some not American. Male and female. Young and old.

I knew a Scottish reporter who was first on the scene to report. I had met him on a press tip to France. A mutual fried kept me informed about him. He spent much of the rest of his life following up this one story. He won an award. He died a long while back.

Wikipedia's article on the Lockerbie Bombing says:

Pan Am Flight 103 was a regularly scheduled Pan Am transatlantic flight from Frankfurt to Detroit via London and New York. On 21 December 1988, N739PA, the aircraft operating the transatlantic leg of the route, was destroyed by a bomb, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew, in what became known as the Lockerbie bombing.^[3] Large sections of the aircraft crashed onto residential areas of Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 11 more people on the ground.

Wikipedia's article on Pan Am says:

Pan American World Airways, known from its founding until 1950 as Pan American Airways^[1] and commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991.

Websites
www.visitscotland.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Flight_103

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer.

Some like it hot but others like it cold

Problems
Where do you go to get away from the cold?
Where do you go to get to the cold?
What's my event of the month for January?

Answers
Get away from the cold to Singapore. It's hot all year and my friend S-S in Singapore is complaining that it's too hot.
Where does she get away to the cold (from Singapore)? She gets away to Australia.
What's my event of the month for January?
If you are in Europe, see the Vuitton building by architect Gehry in Paris, France (my previous post on this blog).
If travel time and money is no object or you are already in Asia and want weather that is really cold, the ice city in China.

Story
The great thing about living in America is that you don't have to plan travel. You can just jump in your car and go. No passport needed. No flights needed. No foreign money needed. No need to book accommodation.
We lived on the East coast in Rockville, Maryland and for a brief time in Connecticut. We could get in the car after work on Friday and head out along the freeway (which in the UK we would call a motorway). You could drive north to be cooler and south to be warmer.

We had snow in winter, or rather in January and February, cutting down the hours of schooling and shutting down some flights between New York and Washington DC.

In summer, the opposite problem. It was so not in Washington DC that I would run from one shop or store doorway to the next to cool off in the air conditioning.

Tip
If you just want to dream of the ice and snow read all about it here:
http://www.icefestivalharbin.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Books by Angela Lansbury on Lulu.com and Amazon.com
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The Moon and the Mid-Autumn Festival

Mooncakes which you can buy all over the world on the Internet are made to celebrate the full moon at the mid-autumn festival. The date varies because it uses the lunar calendar.

It all sounds very abstract until you walk home at night in Singapore and see the moon shining overhead, as it has done for centuries.

At a Toastmasters International speakers club a member said that he felt it linked him to his relatives all over the world. As a child he thought everybody looked up at the same moon.

Somebody said that it depends which part of the world you are in. Now we have the internet we can all look at the same moon and celebrate snowy Christmas on a Christmas card online even if we are in Australia where the seasons are reversed. We can link to people in other parts of the world and traditions linking us to memories of our childhood and our grandparents and ancestors long ago.

The mooncakes which were once only eaten by the Chinese with friends and family are now available to every tourist and friend and business to share with colleagues and friends.

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

Mooncake in Chinatowns, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, USA

Traditionally the Chinese sun festival was in spring and the moon festival is autumn. Mooncakes are my current favourite foods, served at most Toastmasters Clubs meetings and contests in September 2015 in Singapore.

I tasted mooncakes with fillings of red beancurd, durian and lotus. You can buy them in tins. They are like miniature cakes the size of the palm of your hand and you often buy a tin of four, each one a different flavour. You might have one red, one yellow and one green.

Each cake in a tin is often sold preserved in sealed plastic with a sliver of preservative (like the teeny packets you get inside some shoe boxes).

I thought at first it might be a sauce, like the packets of soy sauce you get with take away meals of rice from Chinese restaurants in the UK,  so I was disappointed to find it was not edible. However, I was quickly mollified by a taste of mooncake.

Moon cakes are often made with a lard pastry. Plus a highly sugared dense filling.

This is what they look like. The message on the top is Chinese characters.

You cut the cake into four. Then again into eight. Your hosts are not being mean. Those small pieces are very filling. Like chocolates, one, or two pieces (of mooncake), is quite enough.

Modern variations include an ice cream moon cake made in the USA.

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/mooncake/a/moonfestival.htm

Angela Lansbury, travel writer, photographer, speaker.