The biggest, best, most, highest, tallest - what has your country got? Here's Tanzania.

Flag of Tanzania.

Map of the world showing Tanzania on the East African Coast.

From Tanzania I received this message:

 Tanzania has the highest mountain in Africa, the Kilimanjaro.

Elephant and snow-capped Kilimanjaro. 

My husband did this climb, once. (I exercise daily, by climbing out of bed.)

A climber on Kilimanjaro.

Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyasa the three largest lakes in Africa are also largely in Tanzania.

Serengeti, the world largest game reserves and many other national parks are available in Tanzania.

What does your country have? Or your favourite country?

More on Tanzania

Art. Tingatinga painting.

Wikipedia reveals:

Tingatinga (also spelt Tinga-tinga or Tinga Tinga) is a painting style that developed in the second half of the 20th century in the Oyster Bay area in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and later spread to most East Africa. Tingatinga is one of the most widely represented forms of tourist-oriented paintings in Tanzania, Kenya and neighboring countries. The genre is named after its founder, Tanzanian painter Edward Said Tingatinga.

The Tingatinga school of painting sold their work in Oyster Bay, Dar es Salaam. Picture from 1973

Tingatinga is traditionally made on masonite, using several layers of bicycle paint, which makes for a brilliant and highly saturated colors. Many elements of the style are related to requirements of the tourist-oriented market; for example, the paintings are usually small so they can be easily transported, and subjects are intended to appeal to the Europeans and Americans (e.g., the big five and other wild fauna).

A feature of the art, which was probably inspired by murals on the outside of houses in Tanzania, is the filling of the entire canvas.

In visual art, horror vacui (UK: /ˌhɒrə ˈvækjuaɪ/, US: /- ˈvɑːk-/; Latin for 'fear of empty space'), also referred to as kenophobia (from Greek for 'fear of the empty'), is the filling of the entire surface of a space or an artwork with detail. In physics, horror vacui reflects Aristotle's idea that "nature abhors an empty space."

The tallest land Animals - giraffes

(Where next? The famous Giraffe Manor hotel is in Nairobi, Kenya. Costing over 600 dollars a night if you can get a room. It has 12 bedrooms. Next door is a giraffe sanctuary where you can meet giraffes.)

Monuments

Arusha Declaration Monument, has murals around the plinths of the arches.

If you climb Kilimanjaro, you will have ample opportunities to buy tee-shirts with the word Kilimanaro on them.

However, if you don't want casual clothes but something special and national look for a Kanzu for men.

The male costume, especially for formal occasions, is a white or cream coloured kaftan or Kanzu or robe or floor-length tunic. The kanzu is worn with a cap called a Kofia. (Other African countries wear the same or similar). 

the female common costume is a kitenge, a wax print, brightly coloured, oblong sarong, edged on the long side. It can be wrapped around the body, used as a baby sling, a head-dress, a table cloth or wall hanging.

Useful Websites

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Arusha_Declaration_Monument_mural_B.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tingatinga_(painting)

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

https://www.facebook.com/kitengeclothing/

https://www.businessinsider.com/giraffe-manor-center-travel-advice-kenya-instagram-famous-2019-4

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/

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

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=471680081168487

About the author of this blog post

Angela Lansbury

About the Author Angela Lansbury

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

translateforfun.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.

 Please share links to your favourite posts.

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

 

Happy Train Travel - Blow-up Giraffe and Balloon

Always somebody or something to admire. I asked where she got her blow-up giraffe and balloon. She said artbox. She and her half a dozen friends amused themselves at that spot taking photos before setting off for another photo frame spot.

Easy To Remember German Language Words

Problem
How do I remember German words?

Answer
Look for similarities in spelling.

Story
I am learning German free from the internet using Duolingo both on a laptop and on a mobile phone. However, typing up the new words and how to remember them, on my blog, helps to reinforce the memory. Recognising the German is easier than translating back from English to German. I have to look at the word and talk to myself as if I were teaching somebody else. You might try doing the same, silently if you are on the train or in a public place, out loud if you are at home or in an empty office.

Tips
German - English
Affe - monkey (an affable ape monkeying around)
Elefant - elephant
Der Hamster - the hamster
Kamel - camel
Die Schildkröte - turtle (not just a small tortoise but a huge shield-cracking turtle; note the capital letter , the k instead of c, and the double dot on the o, like the eyes of the turtle)
Eine Giraffe - a giraffe
Tiger - tiger
Ein Wal - a whale
Wolf - wolf
Zebra - zebra

English - German
camel - Kamel
elephant - Elefant (the German spelling is almost the same, but the complicated ph is simplified to f, and the German word starts with a capital letter because it is a noun)
A giraffe - eine Giraffe (same word except that the Germans use capital letters for the initial letter of a noun)
monkey - A f f e
The hamster - der hamster
tiger - Tiger
The turtle - Die Schildkröte (note the extra c in the German Sh and the capital letter)
wolf - Wolf (the wolf - der Wolf)
A whale - Ein Wal (same word simplified, without the h which we don't pronounce and the e which we don't pronounce)
zebra - Zebra

Author
Angela Lansbury, author and teacher of English, languages, public speaking.See my other posts on languages and travel. Please like, follow and share.