Wear White At Night For Road Safety

 

Catchy and memorable safety messages abound. My favourites are>

1 Wear white at night. (UK road safety.)

2 When thunder roars, stay indoors. (Swimming pool sign in singapore.)

3 He was right, dead right as he sped along but he's just as dead as if he were wrong. (Victorian gravestone. Is - were is subjunctive.)

The Scottish lorry driver's song is in this 

Useful Website

https://www.headington.org.uk/adverts/pifs/roads/index.htm

Poem 376

Wear white at night

Seen in headlights

And reflectors

Even better

Alive, not dead

Just think ahead

Dead cats and dogs

On roads well known

Stay safe, night white 

Go safely home

White's safe and seen

Black's for burglars

White's for walkers

Black's for murders

White's for children

Fathers, mothers

Adults teachers

And all others.

White's much safer

For dotor and nurse

Wear white walking

Not in a hearse

White is light, right

Wear white at night

White looks so clean

White's safely seen.

Why wear black shoes?

They don't show mud

Black coats and hats

They won't show blood

White hat, scarf, matching gloves

Safer for all your loves

If you don't want them back

Send them out wearing black..

-ends-

This is copied from my other blog on comic poetry.

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Albanian learned on Memrise 30 words

 Memrise made learning Albanian easy. 

My words today are

1 I - une with two dots above the e. Like the royal we in the Queen's ENlgish, one. One does not I = une

2 ti is you, second person singular.(Like the French tu)

3 ai is he

4 ajo is she

 Annoyingly and confusingly the feminine seems to take the letter o at the end.

5 Ju is you plural.

6 ita is they masculine but ito is they feminine.

7 dite ending with double dots on the e is day. D for day. date in the day.

8 nite, again two dots on the e, is night, n for night, and t, almost the American nite.

9 Mire ending with double dots over the e is good (I think of admire)

19 keq is bad (I think he is so bad that I want to kick, but the last letter is q)

20 JO IS NO. like oh, no john in the old song. Not po but Jo.

21po is yes

22 gjuhe (accent on the final e) is language

23 shqip is Albanian language

24 mirupafshim - goodbye (gone in a puff of smoke)

25 miredita good-day

26 mire-dita good afternoon

27 mirembrema good evening

28 miremengjies - good morning (when you rise with energy)

29 si - how

30 jam to be

21 Albanian language shqip like equippeed (Not pig)

Useful Websites

https://app.memrise.com/aprender/learn?course

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_language_self-study_programs

Noah's Ark Reproduced In a Kentucky theme Park and Noah's pudding

 

If you can't get to Kentucky, day or night, there are others worldwide. If you are staying at home, you could make yourself Noah's ark pudding, known as Ashure.

I have several posts about Noah's ark, other biblical replicas and Noah's ark pudding.

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2021/07/noahs-pudding-new-dish-fromturkey.html

Useful Information

https://www.heraldweekly.com/scientists-believe-that-may-have-discovered-2000-year-old-remains-of-noahs-ark/27?xcmg=1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noah%27s_Ark_replicas_and_derivatives

Noah\s Ark pudding (ashure)

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

Please bookmark to save and share links to your  favourite posts.

Why You Should See Changi Airport in the Singapore Garden City

Changi Airport repeatedly wins awards and this year with the giant waterfall opened in 2019 it is better than ever.
Even if all you do is collect your suitcase you see flowers and greenery everywhere. Giant palm trees stand over the banks of luggage trolleys. Grennery is apparently on the walls. (In most buildings the inodor and outdoor greenery is on a frame a foot away from the wall for easy of access, watering and maintenance.)
Tubs of plants are along the moving walkways or travelators. Greenery is along the edges of the carousel carrying your suitcase.


Changi Airport Interior. Trolleys and palm trees. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Giant palm trees and a wall of greenery. High ceilings. Space. Abaundance of trolleys.

What to see:

The Waterfall In the Centre of Jewel Shopping Mall
Walk along indoors to Jewell Shopping mall. A giant waterfall about five storeys high. Actually it does down two basements. Feel the spray at the top amidst the greenery. Or dine beside it at the basement where it is encased in glass.



At night on the hour you can see a light and sound show on the waterfall. Free.

The waterfall in the centre of Jewel Shopping Mall, Changi airport, Singapore, at night.

Video by Angela Lansbury.

The Butterfly Garden
On two levels. A delight for children and adults. Huge butterlifes land beside you ready to be photographed on sliced tree trunk stumps, which I presume have some food to attract the butterlies, or are just a convenient flat resting place amid all the surrounding plants.

Butterfly Garden. Singapore's Changi Airport. Free.

On site hotel
Again an indoor walk through the airport to the hotel on one side of the elegant terminal. (Unlike the hotel at Warsaw where you have to drag your cases through a giant concrete floor car park.)

Sculptures.
Strategically placed statues are sccattered around with plaques explaining their significance.

Railway - The MRT
Walk through indoors and downstairs to the underground railway, called the MRT (Mass Rapid Transport). Only one stop away at Expo you find the station has two exits. One takes you to the Exhbititon centre. (Check out what's on.) the other exit is to a shopping mall. Right next to the exit are two bargain stores.

Daeso Bargains
The large supermarket style Daeso is a Japanese company where everything costs two dollars. nearby is another bargain basement store, value. I bought a cheap four wheel suitcases. they also sell hats and chocolate, toothpaste and lots more.

Singapore flags on sale near the checkout at Daeso, Japanese Department store ner Changi Airport, Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury. copyright.

Daeso. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Free Tour By Bus
If you have about five hours to spare in the daytime, and want a quick view of Singapore, you have time to queue up for the free two-hour bus tour and get back in time for your hour or two in advance check-in.

If you have several hours, take the train anyway. Several stations have attractive sculptures or murals reminding you where you are.

Free evening's entertainment:
Toastmasters Find-a-club.

Useful Websites
Singapore
visitsingapore.com

Singapore Airlines
Singapore.air.com

Airport

Wikipedia
Wikivoyage
Wikitravel
Tripadvisor

See other posts by Angela Lansbury on Singapore, learning Chinese (Mandarin) and more.

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

Fort Canning, Singapore, illuminated at night

See the elaborate white grand gates and the giant tree. 

Fort Canning, Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

I walked past Fort Canning from SIM (Singapore Institute of Management), a complex of university and college departments linked to Bras Basah underground train station by a series of underground corridors. I had travelled to the area by Bras Basah MRT station.

 My new friend had parked her car at a cheaper car park. An uphill walk.However, I was rewarded by passing some interesting sights.

 Fort Canning is the hilltop fort which gives its name to the entire hill and area. We are on the roadside pavement circling the bottom of the grassy slope. Opposite this illuminated gate was the entrance to the museum. I saw two or three grand gates. I took the photo of this gate with my phone, in a hurry to keep up with my friend who was pacing ahead.

 I thought that if the photo was not sufficiently good quality to use, it would still be a useful reminder. I I had noticed only the white gate against the black sky, accentuating the outline of the was pleased with the results. When I I took the picture I was concentrating on the white gate silhouetted against the dark sky. Only afterwards did I notice the orange, green and yellow stripes on the ground.

Author

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

Malay Greetings, Signs, Everyday Words

Malay - English

(In order in the sentence)

pintu - door

keluar -exit (adjectives follow nouns in Malay)

kecemasan - emergency / worried

di - at

sebelah - next door

hadapan - forward

dan - and

belakang - back 

kereta - car

api - fire

Malay - English 

(alphabetically)

api - fire (Both words contain the letter i, think of alight, potent)

belakang - back (both words have b a k)

dan - and

di - at

hadapan - forward

kecemasan - emergency (or worried)

keluar - exit

kereta - car (carriage of railway)

pintu - door

sebelah - next door

English - Malay

and - dan

at - di

back - belakang

car - kereta

door - pintu

exit - keluar

emergency - kecemasan

fire - api

forward - hadapan

next door - sebelah

Problem
What are those Malay signs? How do I say goodbye and thank you?

Answers
English - Malay / Indonesian

Welcome - Selamat tinggal
Goodbye - Selamat datang

Good morning - Selamat pagi (Every day is a new page. Good morning.)
Good afternoon - Selamat petang (The letters an in petang looks like a.m.)
Good night -Selamat malam

danger - bahaya (Reminds me of the phrase on beachside signs in tsunami areas - danger ... climb to higher ground.)
exit - keluar (The x and K are a similar shape, like people running from danger, from a door, in two directions.)
Entrance - Pintu masuk
door - pintu

Malay / Indonesian - English

bahaya - danger
keluar - exit
malam - night
masuk - go in
pagi - morning

petang - afternoon
pintu - door
pintu masuk - entrance
Selamat malam - Good night
Selamat pagi - good morning

Selamat petang - Good afternoon
Selamat tinggal - welcome
tinggal - live (If you and this girl are alive, and you are tickled, you are tingling.)

Author
Angela Lansbury, teacher of English and other languages. Home tutor, workshops, speeches for colleges and businesses.

German words in an English language message, plus learning English, and translating

Problem Learning German

I did a Duolingo course in German but sitting around a table with a group of Germans on holiday I would not follow their conversation. I did try, but it didn't come easily. It was such as effort. I shall be seeing them again next year.

Answer To How To Learn German

I must try to learn a little German every day. Never miss an opportunity. Today I received an email from a German organiser of our hiking group. He speaks with a slightly clipped German accent but his written English is embarrassingly word perfect.

On second reading I find that a German sentence has been added at the end by the system. It reads:

Diese Nachricht wurde von meinem Android Mobiltelefon mit GMX Mail gesendet.

I can work out the gist of because I get the same message in English. The gist of the message is This (email?) was sent from my mobile phone. In detail and more exact word for word translation:

German- English
diese - this (dis and this - languages often change a d into a t or a th and a t into a D)
Nachricht?
wurde - was
von - with
menem - my
Android - Android
Mobiltelefon - mobile telephone
mit - with (the German and English words both contain the letters it, and the looks like an upside down w)
GMX Mail - GMX Mail
gesendet - sent

This message reminds us of three things to notice about German grammar. 
1 The verb comes at the end of the sentence.
2 Nouns are treated like proper names and start with capital letters. So Nachricht is a noun.
3 ge prefixes something done in the past, often passive ge-... means something was done. ge-send-et, was sent. Remove the ge and you recognize both the past and the verb to send.

I looked up Nachricht
nachtricht - message
nacht - night
richt - right

but I have mistakenly added the t to nach
nach richt - to judge
nach - after

Now let's see the English first for the words we have learned

after - nach
mail - Mail (capital for a noun or a proper name)
message - Nachricht (capital initial for a noun)
mobile - mobil
mobile phone - Mobiltelefon (capital initial for a noun)
my - menem
night - nacht
right - richt
sent - gesendet
telephone - telefon
to judge - nachtricht
this - diese
was - wurde 
with - von

Here are some more

English- German

email - die Email (the email, capital letter for a noun)
junk mail - Junk-Mail / die wufsendungen (looks like a combination of woof and dung; think those wolves or dogs sent me dung again un in junk and un in dungen)

German - English

Post - mail
die Post - mail, post, post office
die Reklame - advertising (like the word reclaim - they want to reclaim a customer)
versenden - forward, send, mail, despatch

Useful Websites For Learning German and Translating

duolingo.com 
learn German for English speakers.

If you have friends who speak other languages, tell them about Duolingo has or shortly will have:
 Learn English for speakers of German and other languages, currently for Spanish speakers, Portuguese speakers, Russian speakers, Arabic speakers, French speakers, Hindi speakers, Turkish speakers, Chinese speakers, Vietnamese speakers, Polish speakers, Indonesian speakers, Romanian speakers,Dutch speakers, Hungarian speakers, Czech speakers, Korean speakers, Ukrainian speakers, Thai speakers, Tagalog speakers (from the Philippines), Bengali speakers.

English for Tamil speakers (is Hatching - in progress 38% done in July 2018, estimated launch 11/6/18. That can't be June which has gone, so it is not the UK way of dating with the day first but American style. That means November 6th 2018).

Google translate, translates most languages including German, which is similar to languages spoken and understood by people speaking Austrian, Swiss-German and Yiddish

See
https://www.duolingo.com/courses/all

Translation
translategoogle.com

If you think you can do better, or you can help translate or correct mis-translations and wrong spellings, you can help various sites including Duolingo (if you are bilingual) or if you can check spelling, offer to help Wikihow.

Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, teacher of English and other languages.

Please share links to your favourite, useful posts.

No Reading Glasses - Borrow Some?

Problem - dark and no glasses
I wake in the night and go to type an idea on my computer. I should have left my spectacles on the computer so they were there when I needed them. But I was reading in bed. Now my spectacles are in another room and I don't want to wake somebody else by looking for them. Even just walking from one room to another or turning on a corridor light can be a disturbance.

Solutions - lights and reading glasses
Maybe I could install low-level lights in the sockets to aid walking to the bathroom or backwards and forwards in the night and the dark of early morning in the northern hemisphere. I should have a second, spare pair of reading glasses by the computer.

New Glasses In One Hour
In Singapore and the UK you can have simple reading glasses made within an hour. Take in your prescription choose a frame, go off for a coffee and come back and your glasses are ready.

This might work, or not work, if you need simple glasses for reading, or if they can do long-distance glasses which you need for driving.

Dark, Dawn
In Singapore and Asia the sun comes up suddenly at dawn. In the USA, Europe and the UK, further from the equator, we have four seasons and dark dawns in winter time. When get up early it's dark outside and in.

Light Wakes You
Normally the light wakes you, the dark sends you to sleep. I think the light in the bathroom is too bright. It wakes me. I should install a second dimmer light just for night use.

Borrowed Reading Glasses
Meanwhile, back at the computer, I see somebody else's reading glasses. Why not give them a try?

I first discovered this works at a wedding when I could not read the menu and somebody at my table loaned me their glasses for a minute so I could check on the choices for the main course whent he waiter came round to take the order. Problem was solved.

On another occasion I picked up somebody else's glasses by mistake. I could read - but not see at a distance. They weren't my glasses! But they did work for reading.

I don't want to strain my eyes using somebody else's glasses. My eyes are different, one better than the other. However, I want help now. Go on - try it!

Yes, sure enough, I can read and type this. I know that it's not a good idea to use somebody else's glasses on a permanent basis. It will re-set my eyes which are used to my varifocals. But it's a temporary solution to my problem. It could solve yours.

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

What's that plant which smells so delicious at night?

Rangoon vine? Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problem
Every evening I passed a wonderful plant, pink flowers, aromatic stop-and-sniff aroma.
What is it?

Answer

I passed a lady clipping away at the edge. I passed her and stopped to look. She must have heard my footsteps and seen my shadow.

I smiled and she smiled. "Lovely plant!" I exclaimed. "Beautiful colours. What is it?"

She replied, "A 'Rangoon vine'. From Burma, now called Myanmar - next to Thailand. I am snipping away the dead parts."

I asked, "How do you know which parts are dead?"

"The dead parts have turned black."

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

She also showed me boughainvillea. "The government plants it over the bridges because it needs so little maintenance. No need to water it. It thrives on sunshine and lack of water."

She showed me more plants. "This is calamansi, as we call it. You call it lime. "

Sh moved on, "Do you like lemon grass. I'll cut you a spike of lemon grass. Smell it where it's been cut."

She kept pointing out more plants, "Over there's aloe vera. It's supposed to be good for you, if you know how to apply it. But if you do the wrong thing, it can be bad for you."

Such is life.

Useful Websites:

http://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/plant-inspiration/plants-for-evening-scent/

Author

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

Snippets From Singapore's Airport: Terminal 4 opening; Terminal 5 building; Housing + Feeding The World; Airport Security and Food

Singapore Airport
Singapore airport is the best airport in the world. I am not the only person who says so. It wins awards and votes consistently.

Terminal four has just opened in Singapore's Changi AIrport, used for Cathay Pacific airline. 

Construction has already started on building Terminal five. It will be as large as all the other terminals combined.

So Singapore expects many more people to arrive. Where will they put all those people? In new hotels, if they are temporary visitors. But they will also need more restaurants and offices and places of entertainment if they are on business. No wonder you see construction everywhere in Singapore. Can our planet take all these people? 

We can build houses, but how will we feed everybody? Where will we find the land? Travelling to other countries, in person, or over the internet, shows us answers. Singapore's answer to lack of land is to extend the main island by building up artificial islands using unwanted waste, rubbish collections. Solve two problems, where to put your unwanted rubbish, and how to find construction material. 

Water and Crops
Singapore has pioneered growing plants in the air, in conservatories, plants living on the humid air and projected water.
Hydroponics.

Time to water the desert, use all those empty areas, miles of sand, uninhabited scrubland. 

What about the land occupied by cemeteries. The Jewish cemetery in Orchard road was removed, moved, to make way for what is now the Ngee Ann City skyscraper containing a landmark shopping mall on the lower levels.

More recently, another big cemetery has been cleared away. I think it was for a motorway. A member of Friends of the Museum was given an award by the government for organizing a project to photograph all the gravestones, for the benefit of relatives and historians, before they were moved.

Maybe it’s time to turn dead bodies into compost, woodland burials, to create trees giving the world oxygen. 

Trees

Speaking of trees, 

Plants

All plants create oxygen. At night they go into reverse and use oxygen, so it’s said, and hospitals tell you to remove plants. 

(Watering flowers is time-consuming. Maybe volunteers could do this task. Quicker to water plants if all the rooms looked onto a central plant area. Flowers for one person would brighten the whole floor, as they do in any multi-occupancy bedroom.

Airport Security and food boxes

In security, somebody was carrying leftover food in a cool bag. 

Security asked, "Have you any dry ice? Dry ice is not allowed."  

Presumably the reason is because this could go off accidentally and cause panic.

Berry’s of London

Berry & Rudd of London has recently opened and expanded their operations in Singapore. They began by sending their VIP London marketing and sales man to wine and dine the big spenders, the big wine buyers in Singapore, to fine dining. They also held a grand wine tasting in Singapore at lower prices than they would have charged in London. If you like wine and good food and matching wine and food, now is a good time to look for their wine tasting and dinners, whilst prices are so tempting.

More information from:
Changi Airport
http://www.changiairport.com/corporate/partner-us/changi-east.html
http://www.changiairport.com/en/airport-experience/attractions-and-services/information-and-customer-service-counters.html

Singapore tourism

Author

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

Easy To Remember German Words from the Poem Bridge on the Tay (railway disaster 1789)

Problem Translating German

I found a German poem about the Bridge on the River Tay. The disaster happened Dec 28 1879. Scottish poet immortalised the event and himself in the poem he wrote.

Wikipedia told me that a German poet had written a poem on this event. Was it a different poem, or a translation?

Die Brück’ am Tay

(28. Dezember 1879)

When shall we three meet again? The three witches in Macbeth, making predictions.

GERMAN

»Wann treffen wir drei wieder zusamm?«
   »Um die siebente Stund‘, am Brückendamm.«
     »Am Mittelpfeiler.«
         »Ich lösche die Flamm.«

5

 »Ich mit«

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
When will we three meet again? (Literally: when meet we three again together)
On/around the seventh hour, on the (bridges dam/ Google gives Bridge of Bruck?)
On/at the pillar /pier (middle pillar)
I'll erase/lose/extinguish/kill the flame (metaphor for life?)
I with (Me with, Me too, I also, I'm with you, I'll be with you)

         »Ich komme vom Norden her.«
»Und ich vom Süden.«
             »Und ich vom Meer.«

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
I come from (the) North
And I from (the) South
And I from (the) sea

»Hei, das gibt einen Ringelreihn,

10

Und die Brücke muß in den Grund hinein.«

»Und der Zug, der in die Brücke tritt
Um die siebente Stund’?«
             »Ei, der muß mit.«
»Muß mit«

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Hey, here is a ring
And the bridge must (go) in the ground (fall/go in/enter)

And the train, which in/on the bridge goes
At the seventh hour
Oh, it must (go) with
(It) Must, (go) with (or too)

Ringel is ringlet
sieben is seven

15

        »Tand, Tand

Ist das Gebilde von Menschenhand!«

Auf der Norderseite, das Brückenhaus —
Alle Fenster sehen nach Süden aus,
Und die Brücknersleut’ ohne Rast und Ruh

20

Und in Bangen sehen nach Süden zu,

Sehen und warten, ob nicht ein Licht
Übers Wasser hin »Ich komme« spricht,
»Ich komme, trotz Nacht und Sturmesflug,
Ich, der Edinburger Zug.«

25

Und der Brückner jetzt: »Ich seh’ einen Schein

Am anderen Ufer. Das muß er sein.

[586]

Nun, Mutter, weg mit dem bangen Traum,

Unser Johnie kommt und will seinen Baum,
Und was noch am Baume von Lichtern ist,

30

Zünd’ alles an wie zum heiligen Christ,

Der will heuer zweimal mit uns sein, —
Und in elf Minuten ist er herein.«

Und es war der Zug. Am Süderturm
Keucht er vorbei jetzt gegen den Sturm,

35

Und Johnie spricht: »Die Brücke noch!

Aber was tut es, wir zwingen es doch.
Ein fester Kessel, ein doppelter Dampf,
Die bleiben Sieger in solchem Kampf.
Und wie’s auch rast und ringt und rennt,

40

Wir kriegen es unter, das Element.

Und unser Stolz ist unsre Brück’;
Ich lache, denk’ ich an früher zurück,
An all den Jammer und all die Not
Mit dem elend alten Schifferboot;

45

Wie manche liebe Christfestnacht

Hab’ ich im Fährhaus zugebracht
Und sah unsrer Fenster lichten Schein
Und zählte und konnte nicht drüben sein.«

Auf der Norderseite, das Brückenhaus —

50

Alle Fenster sehen nach Süden aus,

Und die Brücknersleut’ ohne Rast und Ruh
Und in Bangen sehen nach Süden zu;
Denn wütender wurde der Winde Spiel,
Und jetzt, als ob Feuer vom Himmel fiel’,

55

Erglüht es in niederschießender Pracht

Überm Wasser unten... Und wieder ist Nacht.

»Wann treffen wir drei wieder zusamm?«
   »Um Mitternacht, am Bergeskamm,«
     »Auf dem hohen Moor, am Erlenstamm.«

[587]

60

 »Ich komme.«

     »Ich mit«
         »Ich nenn’ euch die Zahl.«
»Und ich die Namen.«

        »Und ich die Qual.«

65

 »Hei!

   Wie Splitter brach das Gebälk entzwei.«
        »Tand, Tand
Ist das Gebilde von Menschenhand.«

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
And I (am)the torment
Hey!
So (in) splinters broke the (building/entablature) in two
(a) (tiny) fragment, (a) tiny fragment
Is the structure /construction (building or rebuilt literally has been built ge means past/gone/done) of (the) men's/ mankind's hand (the hand of a man but German makes one word from the double word phrase)

Looking at the German poem, I have picked out words which I can easily recognize and remember. I am recording them alphabetically. 

GERMAN - ENGLISH

Only one or two letters change to something which sounds similar. Same letters in caps.

Brücke - bridge (BR..E ck -dg)

dezember - December (DE.EMBER z-c)

drei - three (.RE. d-t) 

hand - hand

haus - house (H ..S au-ou)

ich - I (I..)

ist - is (IS. st-s)

komme - come (.OM.E k-c)

Mensch - man (M.N...)

nacht - night (N.cH. ch-gh) 

Norden - North / northern area (NOR.... d-th)

und - and (.ND u-a)

von / vom - from (..O. v-f n-m)

Wasser - (.A..ER water SS-t)

It's easy to work out the English from the German, in context, and once you know, especially with the help of Google translate.

ENGLISH - GERMAN

and - und

bridge - Brücke

come - komme

December - dezember

from - von / vom

hand - hand

house - haus

I - ich

is - ist

men - mensch

night - nacht

North / northern (area) - Norden

three - drei

water - Wasser

Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Teacher of English and other languages. I have several more posts on European languages, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Welsh and Romanian. Also destination guides and stories. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Welsh songs by Katherine Jenkins including All Through The Night

Katherine Jenkins, Welsh soprano. Photo by David Skinner in Wikipedia Creative Commons. Picture taken in 2011.

When I went to Writers and Artists Holiday in Fishguard in July 2017 I heard a Welsh male voice choir sing All Through The Night in Welsh. According to Wikipedia this particular song is very popular with Welsh male voice choirs. I recognised the last word nos, night, because I had learned a few welsh words from duo lingo.

I decided to look up this song and a few others.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ar_Hyd_y_Nos
Wikipedia gives numerous translations or versions of this song in English, all equally beautiful and soothing.

I also liked hearing on Youtube soprano Katherine Jenkins singing Welsh songs such as Calon lan.
It is about valuing an honest heart more than jewels.
Calon or galon is a heart. The adjective comes second. Lan means pure.
Here are translations of Calon lan:
http://www.madog.org/dysgwyr/caneuon/can03.html

She also sings the Welsh National Anthem, Land of My Fathers. I looked at what I had typed and thought: Have I got that right? Should it be singular or plural? Surely one only has one father? Presumably it's like the German fatherland, but means ancestors, all the fathers or ancestors going back, or all the people nowadays, collective, like the people in Dylan Thomas's imaginary village, the men (and women) living there now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEOxEHS6et4&list=RD8NybNB63W4E&index=3

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/fun-stuff/8-welsh-songs-achingly-beautiful-11693991

Her voice is wonderful. She has been awarded the OBE. Wikipedia has a lovely photo of her by David Skinner who loaded it up on Flickr then onto Wikipedia in Creative Commons.

I have always found it easier to learn words when they are arranged in a song, rhyming, with the tune  to remind you of each word and the sequence. Also songs often have repetition.
calon hones, calon lan.
An honest heart, a pure heart.

Mostly Welsh does not use a or the. Adjectives follow the noun in Welsh, the opposite of English. From this phrase I learn the word honest which is easy to remember because it is almost the same, and the word calon for heart, and the fact that adjectives come second in Welsh.

www.writersholiday.net

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

Romanian Revision - Sorry - and Learn ten Romanian Words

Problem
How to keep up momentum learning Romanian? I nearly started my day with Vietnamese and Korean because I wanted a new challenge.

Answer
Make a list of plans for the day, priorities, and place them beside your computer.

Romanian Revision / Additional words
bun / b u n a - good (like the French words bon but with a U)
bun venit - welcome
la - to
la r e v e d e r e - goodbye (Notice the five letters r e v e d no second r, unlike the English word reverse which I accidentally typed into Google translate. Goodbye has shortened over the years from the original greeting of God Be With You.)
multumesc - thank you (Think of it as multiple thanks. Notice the repeated U.))
n o a p t e - night (Both words start with the letter N and the last consonant is the letter t. Even if you can't remember the Romanian version, you should be able to recognise it if you hear it, and if it is said to you either repeat it or nod and smile.)
noapte bună - good night
r e v e n i - return (verb)
S c u z e - sorry (Notice The Romanian ends with ze, not si like other languages such as Italian.)
venit - income, rent (noun)

English - Romanian
good - bun / b u n a
goodbye - la r e v e d e r e
good night - n o a p t e b u n a
welcome - bun venit (The English is short for well come.)
la - to
Night - n o a p t e - night (Both words start with N. To remember the spelling, I think NOAh, Poor chap, had a good nighT-Er!)
return - r e v e n i (Sounds like the film the Revenant, meaning a ghost or person who returns.
sorry - S c u z e
thank you - m u l t u m e s c (Think thank yoU - m U l t U.)
venit - income, rent (noun)

For revision, re-read my previous posts.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, language teacher. Please share posts.

Day and night photos from a hotel window

Problem
We took day and night photos of Prague on our latest trip. The pictures were almost the same shot, but not quite. How do you get matching before and after or day and night shots of the same view.

Answers
1 Mark the spot

2 Bracketing
Take several shots of one view. For example, left side of the window, centre, right. In the evening repeat the positions.

3 Evening
Take a late afternoon shot. (You can increase exposure on editing.) Wait until twilight for a second view. Wait until it turns dark for a third view.

Story
We took two photos from the window of our hotel in Prague.. You can take two photos, such as one with a well lit dome in the distance, another with the street below you well exposed, and merge them to get one picture showing both.

Tips
Editing
Photoshop editing program has a function called Photomerge (which is a registered brand name - I can't copy the little R symbol so I'm telling you).
You can combine up to ten shots of the same view.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, speaker.
See my other posts and blogs. Profiles and posts on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram; performances of poetry and speeches on YouTube. Please follow me, like my posts and if you find a favourite post, share it.

Xmas Lights in London courtesy of Trevor Sharot Photographer

Photo of lights in a side street near Piccadilly, London. Taken in November 2016.
Photo courtesy of Trevor Sharot, photographer.



Photo of Burlington Arcade in London, Taken in November 2016.
Photo courtesy of Trevor Sharot, photographer.



Notice the clock in the middle of the building and the Christmas trees in the windows.
Photo of Fortnum and Mason department store in London. Taken in November. Photo courtesy of Trevor Sharot.



Notice the sculpture and the statue in the forecourt.
Photo of Royal Academy of Arts. Taken in November. Photograph by Trevor Sharot, photographer.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

How to look co-ordinated when travelling

Less is more. Fewer colours, more co-ordinated, less time matching. That's why traditionally people where white in summer (when you can wash white clothes and dry them on the line).

Black was worn in winter (hiding the soot and smoke from indoors and outside in Victorian times). Nowadays the rule for safety on our busy traffic filled roads is Wear White At Night.

A recent newspaper article claimed that Kate, royal Kate, looked frumpy. I beg to differ.

Only half a dozen pictures slightly less gorgeous than the normal stunning clothes. Any set of photos of anybody will show some good and some bad. 

What is wrong in the ones shown? In one her bust is too low, so she needs to hitch up the era straps. Alternatively wear a different style. 

In another photo her toes point inwards. This stance which always looks daft in photos, like a five year old with problems standing upright. 

In a third photo she has nothing to add interest at the neckline. To draw attention to her face, she needs a necklace, collar or scarf. 

As for match-match, yes, her clothes match. Quite right, too. This is what you do when you can afford to buy everything made to measure and co-ordinated. 

Too many people haven't the money or time to match. Look in any high street or train and you see people wearing un-co-ordinated fabrics, different styles, an assortment of colours, or drab colours, nothing focusing on the face or any good point, complete lack of co-ordination and planning, worst of all, mixed patterns, flowers, polka dots and stripes, as if they dropped a set of colour swatches on the floor and picked them up in random order. 

I concede the if you wear a uniform of only one colour, not co-ordinated with either skin colour, hair colour, eye colour or accessories, that creates a drab effect. To lighten it you need a contrasting colour for accessories.

Ideally use a third colour which makes it all lively. Add a motif or pattern at three points or more, such as a rose or symbol. Place the accent on the hat, waist and shoes; or necklace, bracelet and ear rings and ring; or bag, belt and shoes.

Here's the comment and the original article which inspired my reply:

hand picked by the queen to be an oven for the heir. I'm sure the queen is the one in charge of what she wears.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3530869/Duchess-Drab-s-mystery-cosmos-DOES-beautiful-woman-make-designer-outfits-look-frumpy.html#ixzz45ItRx2C2
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Changing Your Watch Time - A beginner's guide

I buy watches which are water resistant to 50 metres. Then I don't have to worry about washing my hands, taking a shower, going for a swim in the pool or ocean, nor spray from rides on Duck boats and other sightseeing boats or even getting soaked in the rain, nor reaching down to retrieve a phone or item dropped in a basin.

A watch can have one, two, three or four buttons sticking out. Usually you press the buttons inwards.

Some watches have the four buttons labelled. When buying a watch, or printing instructions, look for a watch which has the buttons labelled.

 If your watch does not have the buttons labelled, you could print a copy of the instructions in large size. If necessary draw an arrow and write the name of the button larger. Then copy onto the picture which button is which.

The buttons will be:
Mode change - (time, alarm etc)
Time Set - time you want the watch to show
Alarm changer
Light on and off

The light, if you have one, is easiest to find. Normally you just push it in to turn on the light. Handy if you want to see the time in the middle of the night without waking yourself or a companion, whether sitting on the plane, or in bed.

Mode will have two or more settings. You want to change the time. Also any alarms if your watch has alarms.

Start with the time. Your watch should come with an instruction leaflet. If you are buying a watch online. you should check that the site promises an instruction leaflet, or has an instruction leaflet on the website. Unless you are fanatical about not wasting paper, print it out. If you prefer to be paperless, save the instructions on your computer or phone, and a backup elsewhere, or another family member's phone.

It's handy to have records of instructions for everything and give them to other members of the family or store them even if you don't need them now. I've been executor for my late mother, father, and uncle. Having instructions for watches is one less thing to worry about if you have the instructions for all appliances including watches. You want the instructions to use the watch, check it's still working, then when using it, giving it away, whether to family, to charity, or selling it second hand.

Most timers and clocks operate on variations of a simple system.
Press a button once to get from fixed to changeable time. Just like filling in the date for an online request for a credit card. Up comes a picture of two dots or lines. You must press something in or up to advance the time from 0 to 9. You have have 24 hours in the first column, or just numbers 0-9 in the first column and 0-9 in the second column.

You then press either once again to move onto the next activity, changing the minutes. (A few sophisticated watches also have seconds.)

You then have to press a button again to set the new time or return to normal time display.

If you go back to normal time display and you are not on the new time, you have missed out the last step which was click or press to say DONE/FINISHED/ENTER.

Don't burst into tears with disappointment that you still can't get things right. Don't stress your self in the slightest. You are doing well. You are one stop further up the ladder to success.

Go back and start again. This time it's easier and quicker. It's no longer a mystery. You know what you are doing. And by doing it twice you are telling your brain that it's not a fleeting incident to be forgotten, in the brain's waste bin department, but a repeated action so dear little brain has to file watch change instructions in the section of brain for I might need to remember this.