The DIY Dolls' House Or Theatre For Holidays

Kleenex Tissue Box House or theatre. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Kleenex Box Theatre

Here's a game for a dolls' house or theatre made on holiday. I have used an almost empty Kleenex tissue box. The had a dozen white tissues at the back form a backdrop. No need to remove them.

Ring Box Display

Inside is the lower half of a heart shaped plastic ring box. The lid broke. I was wondering what use I could make of a ring box with no lid. To display a ring handily on holiday, by a bathroom wash basin? On the bedside table? 

I found some tiny Guatemalean dolls, fingernail size. They stick upright in the slit intended for a jewellery ring. 

You can use an open ring box during the day for play whilst the ring is on your finger. Retrieve the box at night for the ring when the children have gone to bed.

Shoe Box House

You could also make a theatre or dolls' house from one or two shoe boxes, with an upright cereal box for the side staircase. Cut square or round windows using a cup or glass or coins as a template. Behind the window place a holiday brochure showing the sea or mountains or city skyline.

For afternoon entertainment, or bedtime, you could read my poem.

Alternatively, simpler, make a theatre with a stage. Make two dolls or puppets from silhouettes cut from a magazine.

Dolls' House comical poem by Angela Lansbury

 Ava had a little dolly

And the dolly's name was Molly

Molly had a taller sister

And her sister's name was Elsa

The sisters lived in a big house

Which had a dog, a cat, and mouse

A front garden, pots with flowers

A sundial clock counted hours

 

Outside was small blue car

If dolly wanted to go far

And a train in the train station

And police in the police station 

In the hallway was a rug

Where Molly met you with a hug

In the hallway by the window

Was a long inviting settee

When you had nowhere to go

Shut your eyes, dream of the sea - or tea

In the kitchen the best honey

Which had cost a lot of money

In the kitchen was a cook

With an apron, bowl, and book

Upstairs was an attic bed

A pillow where you put your head

And a box with lots of toys

But the toys made no noise

And a wardrobe with a mirror

Where dollies could dress for dinner

And some pictures on the wall

With blue gum to fix them all

On the roof a helipad

Where you could land a little plane

Some of the roof was sloping

Made a runaway for the rain

The roof had statues of a dog

A Noah's ark, tortoise and frog

A cow, a horse, even a bear

A monster with a lot of hair

On the roof the cat with claws

Sat beside the Santa Claus

He hid on the roof all year

Waiting to deliver Christmas cheer

Yes, dolly did have a brother

And a father, and a mother

Dolly-sitter Ava came to stay

When dollies' Dad went on holiday.

But the dolly girls went to school

And the school had lots of rules

About the times when you could play

The long weekends, and holidays.

At bedtime with a sigh

Dolly had to say goodbye

But Dolly was here to stay

Ready to play another day

So Ava shut the door, the house

Put in the cat, put out the mouse

She said, 'dear dollies, please sleep tight

I wish you, both, a very good night'.

-ends-

This poem should have been on my blog on comical poetry but I saved it quickly onto this blog by mistake. Tomorrow I shall add pictures to the version which I have now saved to my poetry blog. 

Toys and DIY

It would be easy to print a tiny list of rules for a school wall, or dolls. house kitchen. Six point type. Or a psotage stamp size piece of white paper with your best calligraphy. Or a piece cut from one of those irritating instruction books in tiny print in multiple languages. Or a postage stamp with the head of the president or king or hero or your country or the country you visit on holiday.

Please share links to your favourite posts.

How to make camera shy people look good in photos

Problem
Your friend says:
Doesn't matter what I do, I look awful in photos. It akes a genius photographer to make me look halfway human.

The staging makes all the difference. You need to put some effort into it. You must have seen makeover shows. Here are some suggestions:

1 Take several photos when you are all dressed up - weddings, anniversaries, birthdays.

2 Wash your hair in advance of the special occasion. If hair is too fly away, use conditioner. You can buy conditioner, find it in hair dye packets, get it free in many hotel bathrooms.  Buy a shampoo containing conditioner.

3 If your hair is greasy or badly cut, or you have a blad patch, or roots of a tint showing, cover head with a hairband, scarf or hat or tiara or paper hat from a Christmas cracker.

4 Place a plain person in a group photo with everybody in the same costume (like bridesmaids).

5 Dress up as a character at a fancy dress party in a costume with a hat which covers your hair and maybe part of your face.

6 Smile.

7 Add a cute cat or dog or bird or baby or soft toy.

8 Stand or sit at a distance next to an attractive feature such as a log fire in a hotel.

9 Take several photos to avoid ending up with only one in which the subject's eyes are shut.

10 Work out your most attractive feature (feet, legs, body, hands, face, eyes, hair, cleavage). Take photos which emphasize your best feature. 

11 Try different poses, such as back to camera looking over shoulder.

12 Try various outfits.

13 Go into fitting rooms of a department store and try on some fancy clothes and get a friend to photograph you.

14 Spend time photoshopping your photos. Cut out frown lines. Try showing yourself slightly blurred instead of sharp.

15 Hide behind a bouquet or vase of flowers.

16 Hold up a book you have written or your favourite book so the book is the central point of the picture.

17 Feature something you do, such as digging the garden, displaying a cake, holding a fish you have caught, standing beside your painting.

18 Put your head in a frame such as a circle, oval, heart.

19 If you are now old and wrinkled, do a collage of four or more pictures of yourself at different ages so that you or others can comment how gorgeous you looked in one of your photos when you were younger.

20 Do a funny face. Comedians such as Kenn Dodd and Mr Bean make a feature of their odd looks. Maybe you can be 'a character'.

21 Look at professional photos to find interesting poses. For example, two children or mother and child sitting back to back on a piano stool. Sitting in a meadow of flowers, hugging your dog, or eye to eye with a cat, and handing an animal a plate of food.

22 If you do any charity work, a photo of you collecting money or helping others has emphasis on what you are doing, rather than what you look like.

23 Be photographed next to the portrait or statue of your hero. 

25 Stand next to a sculpture in a sculpture park.

26 Take lots of selfies sitting at home or in the mirror in a hotel. If you take twenty-five photos you should have one good one.

27 Lots of people will say, "You don't want a photo of me!" or, "Why do you want a photo of me?" You might get them to pose if you say, "I want photo of your certificate," or, "I want you to hold the dog still".

28 Fussy people might well reject most of your photos but pick out one which they like.

29 Hide behind stage make-up such as a Union Jack or American flag on a national day or sports day.

If all else fails, and one person doesn't want to be in a group photo, ask them to take a photo of others.

Author

Painting holidays and painting on holiday

From a train window. Painting and Photo of painting by Angela Lansbury.

Problems
How do I paint on holiday without taking a lot of equipment?
How do I get subjects to stay still?

Answers
You can do pencil sketches for paintings you finish at home later. Take a photo to get correct colours.

If you can't get anybody to sit still, do a self-portrait. You can use your hat to add to the theme. For example, a baseball cap, cycling helmet, ski goggles, a swimhat, sunglasses. Add a suitable bag such as a gold clutch bag for the opera, a beach bag, a golf caddy. Wear a tee-shirt with words on it, buy a tee-shirt, or photograph local tee-shirts with foreign language words, or pictures of a local landmark.

 Self portrait. Watercolour painting and photo of painting by Angela Lansbury.

Please share links to your favourite posts.

I was looking at this picture and wondering what was wrong with the hand holding the pencil. I just realised something. In this self-portrait I appear to be left-handed. But I am right-handed. 

If you draw yourself using a mirror, or copy the hand you see looking down on it, the effect is as if you are left-handed.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. See my other posts on painting and Wales. Please share your favourite posts. 

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Good News - I Found A Used Version Of The Travel Lipstick Lost At Heathrow

Problem
I lost my YSL lipstick with brush at Heathrow. When I lose something I'm like a child with a popped balloon.

Answer
But there's a difference. Now that I am an adult, if I get another balloon, exactly the same, just a different colour, I am happy.

When my car was a write off after another vehicle rear-ended me on the motorway, I was depressed, until I got another car, same make and model, same colour.

I have just found an old double lipstick with brush like the one lost at security at Heathrow.  One side is nearly empty. So is the other side. But the brush and mirror still work. I am so happy.

Lost and Found Departments
I still think that to dispose of items after three months is not right. Many people travel overseas for three months or more. You might not pass through the airport again for another year.

Safety Of Using Old Lipsticks
You should not be using lipsticks and eyeshadows more than 3 months after issue, some people say. The reason is because the ingredients go rancid. In addition, the bacteria from your mouth and skin will multiply.

Will YSL Re-Issue Lipsticks With Built In Brushes
I have asked YLS if they would consider re-issuing these nifty lipsticks. But they have no plans to do so. That's a pity. I thought they were great. I liked them so much I bought two.

Sold Off?
I was hoping mine would be found and sold on ebay if it was found, even if it was past its sell by date. I've looked and no such luck.

Copy Cat Products
One last possibility. Maybe some entrepreneur, maybe in Asia, will say, that's a great idea. If YSL does not want to produce them, we could make something similar.

Double Lipsticks For Travellers
To save space, the nearest items travellers can buy are double colour lipsticks. They have  different colours at each end with two lipstick caps, one at each end.

Lipstick Cases
You can also buy a lipstick case with a mirror in the lid to hold a lipstick. However, it has to be a narrow lipstick to fit the case.

They come in pretty colours, but they are bulky and heavy. No brush. Unless you can find a tiny brush from an eye shadow box.

Learn From My Loss
Don't Put Any item of value, even sentimental value, through a security machine in a little see-through plastic bag.

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

Translating Spanish

Problem
How to learn Spanish easily>

Answer
Use the bilingual film guide such as K r i s w o r l d on a Singapore Airlines flight. (Spaces inserted to defeat auto correct spell checker.)

Story
I was mesmerised by a film called El E s p e j o de l o s O t r o s.

Here are my translations:


Spanish-English
amor - love
catedral - cathedral
de - of
el / El -The
en - in
espejo - mirror (as in similar root words, spectre, spectacles, expect, aspect, spy, espy_
Historias - stories
los - the (plural, masculin or both male and female)
muerte - death
nacen - born or originating from
otros - others
restaurante - restaurant
un / una - a or an (masculine or feminine)
y - and

English - Spanish
and - y
born / originating - n a c e n
cathedral - c a t e d r a l (drop the h in Spanish)
in - en
love - amor
mirror - e s p e j o
of - de
others - otros
restaurante -restaurant
Stories - h i s t o r i a s (like the English word history - what is their history, their story?)
the - el / los (plural) as in Los Angeles meaning the angels

(You will find more commends on the film if you go back to my previous post, which you can find by searching for Espejo, or mirror.)

Learning languages: Tips. I am now learning not four but six: German, Hebrew, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish

Studying Languages
I've been studying Spanish, Italian, German and Russian daily on D u o l i n g o . (Spaces inserted to prevent changes by Predictive text.) I am keenly waiting for the website to add Greek. 

I have registered an interest in Greek and a couple of other languages and they will notify me when the course is completed. Today I checked all the available languages, just in case a new one was available. I found that Hebrew had been added. So I started that. 

I looked at several other languages. Dutch is similar to German - and Afrikaans. Dutch is spoken in half of Belgium. 

But Swedish links with Norwegian and Danish, countries nearer to the UK, so I have started Swedish. Besides, I like the sound of Swedish. 

When I went to France as a schoolgirl to learn French in my holidays to improve my A levels, I met a handsome Swedish boy. (Harry Sandberg.) I applied to do Swedish at university. I ended up choosing philosophy instead. I now regret not doing Swedish, which would have been more useful as a career choice, as a translator or interpreter or English teacher, and on holiday.

Tips on Alphabet and Grammar
At the start of a new language on Duolingo there is a slide-up set of notes on the first page.

On my screen sometimes the tips on page one disappear which makes the first lesson challenging. Once you know that the tips on the unfamiliar alphabet are always handy with a click for reading the letters, you make faster progress.

My first four languages are this year's basic task. The other two languages are a bonus. An extra, when I am tired of the other four.

Good Use Of Time
I am no longer wasting time waiting for transport. I am never bored.

I no longer get impatient when waiting for a train. I can fill in time waiting at an airport to board a plane. If I am awake on a plane I can make good use of my time.

When I put a text into Google translate I can tell at once what is wrong with the translation. I have the confidence to read on through the apparent gobbledygook because now only one or two words have a changed meaning.

Watching Films With Subtitles
When travelling, films in foreign languages will gradually become easier to follow, as well as providing the bonus of helping to reinforce and expand my vocabulary in foreign languages.

On Singapore Airlines I saw a film which I watched in Spanish with English subtitles. It is a film made in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina. Subtitles were challenging.

I hunted for the title for weeks. Later, I found it on the page of the in-flight magazine which I found. In future I shall take a mobile phone photograph of the write-up of the films I watch.

El Espejo - Translated
The film I enjoyed was called El Espejo De Los Otros. Google translates by giving me the word mirror, nothing more. I translate the title as The Mirror of Other People. 

The implication is both that other people mirror us, as individuals. Also, or instead, other people are a mirror showing us another view of the whole world. 

Do others mirror us, as the Scottish poet Robert Burns (author of Auld Lang Syne) said: "Would that God the gift ee gee us, to see ourselves as other see us." In modern English I translate that as: I wish/if only/ God the gift would give us, to see ourselves as others see us. The original rhymes, which is why the old style language and Scottish dialect is usually preserved in the quotation.

Now let's go back to the Spanish film or movie title.
el - the
espejo - mirror (think of similar words from the same root: spectre, spectacle, expect, spy, espy)
de - of
los - the (plural, masculine or inclusive of male and female)
otros - others

Joys Of Translation
For example, further on in the brief summary of the plot. a wall is described in English as tasteless. That makes no sense. The Spanish word is i n s i p i d o . I would translate that in context as unremarkable or inconspicuous or even 'a wall which a passer-by might not notice'. A translator could add their own embellishment, the implication:

inspido

A plain wall. 
An undecorated wall. 
An unadorned wall. 
A wall with no sign indicating what is beyond.  
A wall which does not suggest what is beyond, leaving you to imagine and invent your own scenario.

Translating is a wonderful word game. A skill. A source of pride. Creative.

Angela Lansbury, author, travel writer, English teacher and speaker.

Medical kits for days out, weekends, travel to hotels and second homes

What do you take on a day trip or holiday or business trip? The first thing you think of is 'Don't forget your toothbrush'. And the toothpaste.

Toothbrush and Toothpaste
It's handy to keep a small or folding or head-covered toothbrush with a small toothpaste in your pocket or a zip up bag. Plus a comb in a case (so you don't pierce your fingertips).

Tweezers
I like the tweezers cum nail file bought from Tanna's chemist in London. They also stock a magnifying mirror for the bathroom at only £1.

Sometimes it's cheaper to buy the cheapest manicure kit than to buy all the items, or even one of the items.

Swiss Army Knife
A Swiss army knife has a built tweezers, scissors and nail file. When buying, invest in a model of knife which has the gadgets you need. If you lose the tweezers, you can buy spares from some shops. Phone first, to be sure the spares are in stock. You could buy a spare teeny tweezers to carry when your knife has to be checked in on an airline.

Sticking Plasters
I used to carry an Elastoplast UK (brand name for sticking plaster) in the zip up compartment of a tote bag. Plasters are useful for minor cuts as well as to protect blisters from rubbing shoes.

Pill Names
If you are on regular medication, it helps to paste the end of the cardboard tube inside your diary so that if you ever run out, you can show it to a pharmacist who cannot understand your verbal English.

(Also look for a lightweight corner of a leaflet in multiple languages.) At least you can put it through google translate.

Spare Pills
If I am travelling on a ten day trip I always carry enough pills for an extra 2-5 days. Then if the flight is delayed or I extend the stay I still have enough pills without wasting time on a shopping trip to get more.

Hair Dye Box End: Colour Name and Colour Chart
If you dye your hair and are away for a month after the last time you dyed your hair, you cannot take liquids on many planes, but the end paper of the box can be shown to a drug store to show that you are looking for hair dye, and what colour.

Insect Repellent and Sunscreen

Checklist
1 Toothbrush and paste
2 Comb and comb case (and/or small folding brush, ideally with mirror)
3 Tweezers, toothpick and nail file (Swiss Army knife)
4 Small magnifying mirror or YSL lipstick with mirror finish case
5 Sticking plaster / or bandage and zinc ointment for healing
6 Small shampoo (also serves as hand wash and clothes wash) or wet wipe
7 Moisturiser (for face, hands, feet).
8 Insect repellent and sun cream
9 'Stingose' or similar sting relief and / or antiseptic cream
10 Zip up waterproof wash bag

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

Izgara Restaurant, Hatch End, Preview of the new Turkish restaurant

The outside at night.

The decor is lovely. 

Here's the savoury food laid out buffet style at the back.

This white tree trunk effects separates the kitchen at the back.

Fresh salads.

Two kinds of rice.

Toilets? Where? Behind the glass mirror (door - push) by the bar. 

As you see, all new, modern and clean. I couldn't take a picture of the mirror behind the basin or I'd shown myself several times in one of those multiple reflection effects.

For the Edgware branch menu see
izgararestaurant.co.uk

More to come soon.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer, author, speaker.

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Where to find the news: Reuters, BBC etc

   As an ex-pat, tourist or business traveller you may wish to read the news about countries you are visiting, have visited in the past or will be visiting - or to get more detailed news coverage of a story in that country.
   If there is a dispute, or if secrecy covers a scandal or royal birth, you might get more news from the bolder newspapers in an adjoining country.
   Today I read on the BBC and Daily Mail websites. I googled the event I was researching, Up came a link to Reuters. Here are some other useful sites in the English language:

LISTS OF ONLINE NEWSPAPERS
Covering A-Z of every country from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe:
onlinenewspaper.com
wiki/category:Lists_of_newspapers_by_country
wiki/list_of_newspapers_in_south_africa
world-newspapers.com

COUNTRIES /AREAS LISTED BELOW:
Africa; Australia; China; International; UK & Ireland; Ireland; Malasia; Middle East; Scotland; Wales; USA and Canada; NZ; Russia; Singapore; South Africa; UK; Ireland; USA; Canada; Wales

INTERNATIONAL
bbc
reuters.com

UK and IRELAND
bbc.co.uk
bbc.co.uk/worldservice
dailymail.co.uk (large USA section)
express.co.uk
ft.com (Financial Times. 8 articles free per month of subscribe.)
independent.co.uk
mirror.co.uk
news.sky.com
telegraph.co.uk
theguardian.com
Sun (site asks for a subscription)
uk.news.yahoo.com

EUROPEAN:
Many tourist magazines carry discount coupons for local restaurants.
See lists above for newspapers and magazines In English published in:
Belgium: expatica.com
France: thelocal.fr france24.com
Italy: thelocal.it theflorentine.net biweekly
Poland
Portugal
Spain thelocal.es
(To be updated - please send suggestions. Thank you.)

AFRICA
bbc.co.uk/news/world/africa
(See South Africa below)

AUSTRALIA
abc.net.au (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
au.news.yahoo.com
smh.com.au (Sydney Morning Herald)
theaustralian.com.au
heraldsun.com.au (Melbourne)
perthnow.com.au
watoday.com.au (Western Australia)

CANADA
cbc.ca
nationalpost.com

CHINA and Asia
chinadaily.com.cn
globaltimes.cn (Global Times)
peopledaily.com.cn (Beijing and China)
scmp.com (South China Morning Post) (Hong Kong and China)
weibo.com (Site appears in Chinese. Use google translate. Then you must sign up and sign in)

SINGAPORE and Asia
mypaper.co.sg
straitstimes.com
todayonline.com

MALAYSIA
nst.com.my New Straits Times, Malaysia
thestar.com.my

INDONESIA
thejakartapost.com

INDIA
timesofindia.indiatimes.com

IRELAND
breakingnews.com.ie
irishexaminer.com
irishtimes.com
rte.ie
theirishnews.com

ISRAEL
jpost.com
israelnationalnews.com
Jerusalemonline.com

MIDDLE EAST / ARAB
aljazeera.com
arabtimesonline.com

NEW ZEALAND
nzherald.co.nz

PAKISTAN
thenews.com.pk

PHILIPPINES
philstar.com (Philippine News)

RUSSIA
english.pravda.ru

SCOTLAND
dailyrecord.co.uk
heraldscotland.com
scotsman.com (The Scotsman)

SOUTH AFRICA
iol.co.za

USA/CANADA
cnn.com
huffingtonpost.com
LA Times
nytimes.com (New York Times)
Washington Post
USA Today

WALES
walesonline.co.uk

Twitter
Agence France-Prese (AFP) on twitter

Others
ABC; NBC; Google News; Fox News; news.uk.msn.com ; nbcnews.com; wsj.com (Wall Street Journal), Yahoo News

In Other Languages
With the help of Google translate you might find some foreign language newspapers useful:
lemonde.fr Le Monde (French)