More On Modernized Masks

 

Flag of Singapore.

I have two friends who teach music in Singapore. One of them told me in detail how the teachers of music must proceed in schools. The children are not allowed to sing, but can use musical instruments. 

Cleaning Shared Musical Instruments

The children use only instruments which can be cleaned quickly and thoroughly. For example, plastic or wooden xylophones. The children are not allowed to touch the instruments, but must play them with two sticks. At the end of the lesson all the sticks are dropped into a container. The teacher disinfects the whole lot with a spray which is issued to the teachers.

The pupils also have a disinfectant wipe for their hands, and items they touch, before they start to play and after they finish.

Improved Masks

The latest masks issued free by the government to everybody are a new design and heavier. They can be washed off, like plastic, unlike washable cloth, so they last longer. They also fit better around the top of the nose and the chin. But that means they are harder to breathe through. The teachers have to wear them all day. Much less waste of resources and landfill. Especially when you compare the new type to the first disposable masks, still available, the concertina type with the plastic ear loops which quickly pull out. 

"They are more effective, but harder to wear. And they make it harder to communicate."

Transparent Masks

 I asked, "What about transparent masks?"

"In the early days at school the teachers could wear those masks which look like a suspended sheet of plastic. But they Don't block out the underneath. At one school for little children (in Singapore) a male teacher wore that kind of mask and a whole cluster of the kids were affected. So they had to close the school temporarily to clean it. Then they banned those masks."

Useful to know. Because I bought one before our son's wedding. I thought they seemed a great idea. They allow a greater area of air to breathe, less pressing against your mouth and nose. I would have thought you could re-design them to make them enclose all around, possibly with a drawstring.

Alas, I missed out. The new masks are no longer available.

Useful Websites

https://www.todayonline.com/world/explainer-n95-kf94-which-mask-best-protecting-against-covid-19-1793866?cid=instagram_ig-profile_social-free_06092018_today

https://www.temasekfoundation.org.sg/news/media-releases/free-for-each-singapore-resident-one-maskpure-air-reusable-antimicrobial-mask-with-n95-grade-filtr

Author

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

 

Learning To Swim, Breaststroke, Crawl, Do a new Stroke

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problem
You are on holiday and want to teach a friend or family member to swim. You want to learn a new stroke (in my case converting from breaststroke to crawl. The obvious answer is to take lessons. But they require a commitment to once a week for ten weeks and you don't have that time.

Answers
Here are some amateur answers. Watch the swimming lessons, whether they are teaching children or adults. Even if you can't understand the language, you can see the demonstration of the arm stroke.

Talk To Teachers
I saw a teacher who was teaching small children every day for a week. The second or third day I started smiling and saying good morning to the teacher and waving goodbye.

Get in conversation with the teacher, if they are not in a hurry to go to the next lesson. Ask how long they have been teaching, how often they teach, whether they like the work and whether they have another job, if the pupils are keen, if there are any swimming competitions.

Maybe after the lessons you can offer something in conversation, help with their pronunciation or grammar. You might ask for advice on buying a swimsuit or goggles.

In return they might freely offer you some advice on swimming. After you've explained you don't have the time for a series of lessons, or that your budget is slightly smaller, they might recommend a video, or an alternative class at a nearby public pool, or offer a one-off private lesson for one or a one off for your family.

Your teacher might offer classes at another venue on a more convenient day, or their day off from regular classes.

Breast Stroke
Three things to look for:
Arm movement.
Leg movement.
Body position.

First movement.
Standing, with your hands toegether against your chestyou lean forward. I was taught to move hands forward from chest through the water horizontally, thumbs alongside.

A new swimmer asked me, "Should you move your hand palms together, like a fish?"

I tried that and it involves rotating your hands further for the next step.

Pull back with your hands, not scooping but like a paddle. Your arms should be fully stretched.

I was recently taught a new variation. Instead of pulling your arms sideways, you pull downwards. This is quite different. By driving your hands downwards, you pull your head upwards. This would be handy if you were facing large waves and needed to keep your head and mouth high, or you wanted to be seen by rescuers.

Otherwise, no, not for me, not longterm, because it is very tiring. However, if you want to tire yourself out and get more 'exercise' in a shorter time, go for it.

It's worthwhile trying this, just to get an idea how swimming works, pulling water.

Notice that the movement does three things. It pulls you through the water. It starts momentum so you continue moving forwards for a short while after you have stopped pulling, like a ball rolling down a slope. Thirdly, you create a ripple or current, which may help carry you along.

If you are practising for competitions, training others, you need to look on line and find out what is recommended to suit yourself and your situation.

I had a one-off group lesson free as part of gym membership. (The Gym later stopped the free lessons!)

Corkscrewing
The teacher observed me doing the breastroke and said I was corkscrewing. She meant rotating, turning my body, not going in a straight line.

I immediately realised why. First, my body is not exactly symmetrical. Firstly, our bodies are usually bigger one side than the other. You might find that when you go to buy shoes, you have one larger foot. When you take photos, you often see that your profile is better on one side, partly because the side with the larger eye is more attractive.

Earlier Injuries
I have a slightly lop-sdied body because in a traffic accident. I was knocked down by a car when on holiday in Corsica, exiting from a broken down coach on a hillside. A car came over the brow of the hill and knocked me down. I was unsconscious and broke my collar bone.

Many people are slightly lop-sided after major or minor inuries. You may have bones set wrongly. Or you may walk lop-sided as your body tries to protect the damaged side, or remembers the way you had to walk whilst injured. This may affect your swimming posture.

Crawl
Four things to look for:
Arm movement.
Leg movement.
Body turning.
Breathing.
(Off to swim. More later.)
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.