Translated from and into Chinese: Yes, no, no more already, author, photographer and speaker

You go into a shop and ask for an item which you saw on sale last week.
The shop assistant replies in English:
'Don't have. No more, already.'

I decided to translate this with google translate, in case the sentence was a simple, commonly used, easy to remember, Chinese.

I wrote out the English, then looked at the Chinese, and divided it into component parts. Where English has syllables, Chinese has mostly two syllable words. One syllable fits inside a square. Two syllables fit inside a square by leaving them the same height but halving the width, which tells you that the two words are pronounced together, like an English word with suffixes.

The results I saw were:
Yes
No / don't have
Have
no more
already


是 没有 有 不再 已经

Shì
méiyǒu
yǒu
bù zài
yǐjīng

The word for yes sound like sher, to my mind similar to sure.

The word for no sounds to me like 'may yoh'. No and no have and don't have are the same.

This is great news. I can now listen to shop assistants and hotel receptionists talking to each other. I will be able to recognize yes and no and if they are speaking in Chinese (Mandarin).

About the Author

•关于

•的

•作者

•

•旅行 作家

Angela Lansbury,

 travel writer 

旅游作家

and  -•

•hé

和

photographer, 

shèyǐng jiā

author 

作者
Zuòzhě

and 

和

•

•hé

photographer 摄影家

shèyǐng jiā

and 

和

•

•hé

speaker -扬声器 •yángshēngqì

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Getting People To Turn Up To Your Conference, Restaurant Event Or Meeting

Harrovian Speakers Club. Angela in red on the right of the photo. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

I visited my home club, Harrovians, in June. One third of the people in the picture were visitors. That's great. But where were all the members?

I was able to give a last-minute speech, replacing somebody who dropped out.

Every restaurant has no-shows, people who promise to turn up but don't, people who can't come even if they paid and remembered, because they are stuck overseas, or a relative fell ill, they double-booked by mistake, they are working late, or so busy working that they forgot, their babysitter cancelled or some other minor or major mishap.

Poiticians take great pains to get voters to the polling booths. They remind everybody.

There's a lesson in that. If it's important to you that people turn up, make sure they do. Do what politicians do. Organize transport for the elderly and infirm or anybody who asks for it. Phone up to check people remember the date. Assure them that their presence matters.

So simple. For event organizers. Phone them up.Remind them of the date. Make them feel important, valued.

I hear you saying - I can't phone them all.

Yes, you can.

But it would take all day. There are too many people on the list!

Two solutions:
1 Divide the list and get all your committee members or commited members to phone. Ask everybody to phone the next person on the list.
2 Make a mailing list and send everybody a reminder.
3 Create a what's app group and send a reminder.

Some people only turn up if they have a role, such as a speech to deliver. get as many people as possible on the agenda.

Our Harrovians agenda lists a "Reserve Speaker".

To attend a toastmasters meeting anywhere in the world, go to Find a club. Singapore has about 200+ clubs.

The clubs where I am a member and which I recommend are:

Harrovians
HOD

About Toastmasters
16,600 clubs in 143 countries.
Number of Toastmaster Clubs
Worldwide: 16,600+
U.S. clubs: 8,800+
International clubs (not including U.S.):
7,800

Useful Websites
https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club

About the Author
Angela Lansbury is a member of four Toastmasters International Speakers clubs, two in London, England and two in Singapore. Need a speaker in a hurry - call Angela.
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How to get your share of the speaker's time after a speech?

In the old days I was always the one left waiting to speak to a speaker after a book-signing, at the end of the queue, whilst the last person but one insisted on telling their life story.  Then, after I paid my money to get the signed book, the organizer would pull the speaker away, saying peremptorily to me, "Mr So and so needs a drink and has to catch his train".

Recently I had the opposite experience. I was the speaker. A lady behind me, an acquaintance, engaged me in conversation. I was very happy to talk to her. I was chatting away. I gave my opinion and advice on how I prepare speeches.

Then up comes a VIP, who had just won the prize trophy for evaluating my speech, who is also a friend of mine.

He starts to speak to me  - but the lady says angrily, to him, "If you don't mind, I was in the middle of a conversation with Angela! You interrupted. Go away."

Maybe she did not use these exact words, but that was the implication.

I have been puzzling over what I should, or could I have done?

How do you interrupt politely? How do you accept an interruption?
Often, at the end of a meeting, somebody ask a speaker or bystander a question. Another person approaches with a question. Sometimes I have stood for twenty minutes waiting my turn, then the speaker has to rush off. 

Maybe the speaker, can say to the first conversationalist, "Is this a quick question? Or to the second interrupter, "Is this a quick question?" 

Or should you say, "I'm talking to such and such a person about (whatever). Do you want to talk about this or something else?" 

If I had planned better, I might have said, "Let's talk about this for five minutes, and I'll give x five minutes in case he's in a hurry, then come back to you."

 Is it fair to make a second speaker wait whilst the first person hogs the attention? Or is the second person bound to wait? How have you dealt with this in the past, badly or well?

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

Cut Coughs And Colds With Fruit: How To Help Yourself, Your Speakers, And Your Audience

I had a streaming cold, constant sneezing and the cough that goes with it as the body attempts to deal with the phlegm which stays inside and drips down your throat.

You can buy masks from pharmacies in Singapore (not all branches - usually only the larger ones). Or pick one or a few for free from mask dispensers in a medical centre or hospital.

You can wear a mask to stop your germs spreading to others onto surfaces or into the air when you cough or sneeze. However a mask restricts breathing which is already difficult when you have a cold. You cannot stand up and speak to an audience wearing a mask.

Fruit Cured My Cough
At a meeting of a Toastmasters International group, Focus, in the interval I ate the fruit provided as one of the options. (A food court was downstairs.) I ate melon and pineapple. The effect was instantaneous. My problem was cured, which was good as I had to stand u and speak as Language Evaluator at the end of the meeting.

Next monring I woke feeling dreadful, same symptoms as previous days. I had fruit for breakfast. Again, instant cure.

Pineapple In Pizza
At lunchtime at another club at Gemalto, we were served pizza. It contained pineapple, just enough to get me through being the Test Speaker (giving a speech for others to evaluate).

Afterwards I walked with the other visitors back to the MRT station One North. The weather was hot, as it always is in Singapore. I felt seriously dehydrated.  I bought three pieces of fruit from a stall and felt much better. Less sneezing, no more need of paper tissues (good for the environment as well as fewr germs being spread around to others).

In the evening I went to Kampong Kembangan Community Cub to their Toastmasters International speakers club. I gave a speech. (And later won the ribbon for best speech.)

Before the meeting and in the interval we were offered chocolates and chocolate biscuits. I love chocolate biscuits. Especially when speaking. the energy rush is what I want for the moment I stand up and adress the audience.

A member told me that the Kembangan Community Centre gives the club a free room (albeit a small room) and even supplies free biscuits. One member had supplemented the supply with more biscuits from M & S.

How I longed for some fruit! Refreshing fruit. Vitamin C. The benefits of apples have been known for centuries. Hence the rhyming saying: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

You can add lemon to water. It is supposed to be bad for your teeth, to ea away at the enamel. I drink lemon water followed by plain water to rinse my teeth.

Whilst you are shopping in a supermarket, if you are not sure whether your evening meeting will include any savoury food or protein, a banana is filling.

I had to cut short my Language Evaluation because my nose was starting to drip and I did not have a tissue to hand. I had removed my jacket with the pockets in order to look more streamlined and elegant. How I longed for a piece of fruit.

Size Of Sample
I am only one person. Now, what works for me won't necessarily work for you. I could have an allergy to milk or gluten. You might not have a cold. I am only a sample of one. It's possible that psychological factors were involved, stress, hunger, eating too little, eating too much, drinking water.

However, my own experience was that eating juicy fruit made a huge difference to my comfort. The whole room benefited because the fruit reduced the amount I was coughing which interrupted other people's speeches when I was in the audience.

Concerts And Coughing
For years I have known about the effect, the disruption, of people coughing at concerts, noticeably in the intervals, sometimes during the playing. Now I have seen the effects of coughing affecting speakers and members of the audience. More importantly, I think I have found a cure.

If you are organising a meeting, please provide water and fruit for the speakers as well as members of the audience.  If you can influence the people providing food, please ask for fruit.

I made a request in advance for water and fruit. I got the water. I should have asked what kind of refreshments would be provided. I am now making myself a list. Of course, some venues change the food and drink at every meeting depending on the size of event and budge, the person ordering, and the caterer. Nonetheless, a few place consistently provide fruit as policy. Others don't. Here's my list:

The star rating is my rating for the supply of fruit and water. Items in brackets not necessarily at every meeting.

Sheraton Hotel - Toastmasters Club of Singapore *****
First, second and third Monday evenings of most months except for public holidays such as Xmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, Easter, Singapore National Day.
Fruit provided. Fee of $20 for visitors includes the fruit, other food, water, usually lemon slices for  you to add to hot water to make your warm lemon tea or cold lemon water, and coffee.

Sheraton Hotel. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Sheraton Hotel viewed from gallery where you eat outside the conference room before the meeting and during the interval.

Useful websites
singaporeair.com
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2122064-you-should-be-eating-10-pieces-of-fruit-or-veg-every-day-not-5/

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have many more posts on hotels, Community clubs, and Singapore. Please share links to your favourite posts.

What is your speech title and what is your message?

Problem
I listen to other people's speeches and plan my own and find the following problems:
1 I am asked to evaluate and introduce a speech which doesn't have a title.

Marketing:
How can you write a poster advertising a speech which doesn't have a title?

Focus:
How can the speaker keep to the point if he or she doesn't know their point?

Introduction:
How can you introduce yourself or anybody else if you can't sum up in one sentence. (The Elevator speech.)

If your speech changes direction half way through, you have two speeches, two different speeches.

If you, as a speaker, are confused, the listener will be confused.

The listener likes to prepare emotionally. If I giggle all the way through and you end by telling some tragedy, unexpectedly, I feel either deceived or shaken. If I go to watch a movie billed comedy which ends as a tragedy and it ruins my birthday or my first romantic date, I could be at the box office demanding my money back on the grounds of trades descriptions act, just as I would if I went to see a musical with no music.

Novels often have twist endings. tragedies are often written with ups and downs and humorous moments, to relieve the burden. However, the publisher's blurb gives you a clue what to expect, or to prepare for the unexpected. Fashions change, eras change, countries are different.

When I listen to a speech in which a speaker tells of their tragic childhood, I wonder which of the following applies:

Catharsis After Tragedy
The speaker wishes to come to terms with the fear and tragedy of the past, to talk it through, face it, in order to move on. In a way we in the audience are must be bystanders, like counsellors, sitting quietly saying nothing, whilst they work out their problems for themselves. The talking cure.

As a visitor, I have sometimes wondered, why do I go for a jolly evening out and have to listen to this story of misery. In at least one the speaker has burst into tears at the end. I wonder are they any happier. Or have they just raked up and relived the horrors of their past.

The chair person or toastmaster of the evening has the burden of saying something suitable, before moving on, allowing the next speaker to follow with a neutral topic or even attempt a comedy.

Toastmaster's Comment
What can the link person say? Something to sympathise with the speaker and make them feel better.
1 Thank you for sharing your story.
2 That was very brave. (I am not keen on the word brave. It slightly suggests they have faced a hostile audience - and taken an unnecessary risk.)
3 We are impressed that you have overcome your past. (And started your Toastmasters Journey, or reached out to help others in the same situation.)
4 You had a bad start in life but now you are amongst friends and can move on.
5 Thank you for showing us that even with the worst start you can still build a family and career and start again.

Humorous Re-telling Of Childhood Or Later Drama
I heard a speech and wondered:
Why did the speaker tell this painful story?

Appeal for Sympathy
Was it to gain sympathy?

Desire For Drama
Because the story was dramatic? Because it aroused emotion in the audience, horror or indignation?

To Evoke Pity or Compassion
Because the story aroused our sympathy for the underdog?

Sharing
Because we would relate to similar stories in our own past?

Humour In Others Tragedy
Because what happens to others is funny?
Because you can laugh at your fears when they are exaggerated or happen to somebody else.

Compulsive Obsessional Re-telling
Because the painful story is unforgettable, so the speaker wants to keep telling it, whether or not the audience wants to hear, whether or not the audience is sympathetic, whether or not it shows the speaker in a good light - just can't help it, can't let go.

Attention Seeking
To get attention. to eclipse and outdo other speakers. to eclipse and outdo the audience's own dramas.
One-upmanship in drama.

Manic-Depressive
Today is their drama day. Half an hour later, having got over their speech, they are laughing. However, you are shattered by their story all week, and whenever you see them.

Finally, Is It True?
Did the story actually happen? Did the drama take place exactly as described? When writing a novel, especially one based on your or someone else's life, you are often told to reduce the time span and the number of characters. For example, instead of two different enemies, the stepfather and the boss, you have the stepfather who is later your boss. 

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

See The Figleaf Statue which shows you how not to stand when giving a speech

The third statue, away from the other two, has hands in the figleaf position. Speakers are told not to stand like this, which suggests the defensive, protective stance of a nervous speaker.

Restaurants are on the ground floor (level one) and the next floor (level two). These three statues are on level three. The location is Level 3, 12 Marina Boulevard, MBFC Tower 3, Singapore. I looked up the location on Google maps. It is right next to the Downtown MRT station on the Downtown line. 

MBFC - Marina Bay Financial Centre.

Maybe this character is so smug because he has just got clean in the toilets. See next post. 

Useful Websites

visitsingapore.com

singaporeair.com

https://www.google.com.sg/maps/

Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. See previous post for the other two statues.

What You Learn At Swanwick Writers' Summer School

Problem
The Swanwick Writer's Summer School week is over and time to look back at what we have learned and what to do differently.

Other people at a conference often seem to be in groups of friends. Don't sit alone. Ask if you can join a group. If they are saving a chair for a friend, find another group.

Answers
If you are in the main house, work out how the showers operate. The pull cord, which in most places brings the emergency warden to open the door and rush into the shower to rescue you, at Swanwick turns on the shower which I thought had broken.

Tips
If there's no shower gel in the shower, but a dispenser by the wash basins, use an empty shower gel bottle to fill up with soap from the wash basin area for your shower.

If you are a speaker, or part of a group putting on a play or musical, practise:
1 Voice projection - can every member of your group be heard at the back of the hall.
2 In a cabaret type performance, plan to bow at the end - even if other acting groups do not.
3 Make sure all speakers repeat questions from the audience before answering.
4 Take photos and names and addresses of those with whom you share the stage.

For story tips, see next post.
http://www.swanwickwritersschool.org.uk
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have more posts on Swanwick Writers Summer School. Please share links to your favourite posts.

How to Blow up Photos to illustrate a travel story

Here's a problem which has been bothering me for some time, finally solved. I was mentoring a friend who is giving a speech to a Toastmasters International speakers' club. His speech is about climbing a mountain (something he actually did) and reaching your goal.

At the top you see the A5 size photo, printed on A4 paper. The paper can be cut using a safety guillotine to make A5, which uses less of your colour ink. 

Below in the centre is the photo as an A4 picture. To the right is the A4 of the right hand half the picture. Finally, you see the two pieces of the left and right half of the picture in A4 stuck together to make A3.

I suggested that he use a photo of the mountain. I was going to suggest he use an A4 picture. I typed A 5 and then thought he could use A5, which is book size, at the start of the speech, and end with A4, twice the size, the size of typing paper. At the end.

But A4 is really too small for a speech to a large room. The feedback speakers often get is to print A3.

Years ago when somebody I knew worked in an office, they had a printer which printed A3. It looked great.

I keep suggesting that somebody could print a picture in two halves A4 and sticky tape them on the back down the seam. But I've never done it.

Today I decided to try it. How do you cut your photo in half? Easy. Any photo programme enables you to select part of your photo. So you simply pick a mid-point and copy the right or left, then print it. (Rotate the picture if needed. Alternatively cut it vertically.)

Then print the two halves.Stick them together. The larger the paper the flimsier it is. You might want to leave it flimsy in order to roll it up. If not, stick it on the back of a piece of card.

Still too large to carry? Then take two pieces of thin card (eg from the back of a shirt, or even a cereal box, or a large card envelope. stick one on the back of each of your A4 pieces and fold where the original fold is. You could even display the A3 photo on a table like an open book.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.