Rainy Weather - Reminder for Travellers, Photographers and Swimmers - handy poem

Angela Lansbury in playing card costume and umbrella. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

 It rains all the day

It rains all the night

It looks like the clouds

Are having a fight

Remember this thing

It rains in the spring 

So let's go to town

When prices are down

Now where can we go

When rain's pouring down?

When waterfalls flow -

Exhibitions in town!

It rains all the day

It rains all the night

It looks like the clouds

Are having a fight

Remember this thing

It rains in the spring.

When you see the sun

Grab camera-phones, run

When clouds scuttle past

You have to act fast

Remember this thing

It rains in the spring.

When you see the sun

Grab swimsuits and run

Don't wait 'til its late

Or you've sealed your fate

When you see a discount

You will if you look

Tomorrow it's gone

So be quick and book

Remember this thing

It rains in the spring

It's autumn elsewhere

In this globe we share

Just open your eyes

It is no surprise

Remember this thing

It rains in the spring.

-ends-

Poem by Angela Lansbury. Jan 2023. Copyright.

You may quote a couplet which is fair use in the USA and refer back to the original post.

Remember post-Christmas discounts, Chinese new year offers and decorations and celebrations.

What to see in China, Singapore and Chinatowns in the Uk and USA - see my previous posts. Please share links to your favourite posts.

in whatsApp and on your blog posts.

Chinese New Year in Singapore in January - and Chingay Parade in February

 

Red wall hanging and pink flowers at Cashew Heights Condominium, Singapore in January 2023. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Chingay Parade

We have more to look forward to. The Changay Parade in Singapore takes place on Friday February 3rd 2023 and Saturday February 4th. 

The government website shows photos from previous years, apparently sent in after a request to citizens. The recent pre-Covid event in 2021, which just made it before the restrictions, was a water based event, not on the river nor the sea but on a created water area.

I was confused by the advertising, because the event is supposed to be free, but you can buy some high priced tickets. I presume the tickets are for a constructed seating area, up high overlooking the central stage showing the start and end of the parade floats. 

More events take place in the 'heartlands', suburban city centres, some of which were originally villages and pioneer days government housing and shops and office development areas. Since Covid, because of Covid, to prevent crowding, and to enable everybody to share in the national events which unite everybody patriotically, local events are organized for major celebrations, spreading areas enjoying the fun and the government funds for events.

A favourite new year song is Congratulations, congratulations, Gong Xi Gong Xi.

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gong_Xi_Gong_Xi

Chinese lyricsHanyu PinyinEnglish Translation

每条大街小巷，
每个人的嘴里
见面第一句话，
就是恭喜恭喜
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀,
恭喜恭喜恭喜你

měitiáo dà jiē xiǎo xiàng,
měige rén dè zuǐ lǐ
jiànmiàn dì yī jù huà,
jiù shì gōngxǐ gōngxǐ
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ ya
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ

On every street and in every lane,
On everybody's lips,
Whenever people meet,
The first thing they say is "Congratulations."
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you

冬天已到尽头
真是好的消息
温暖的春风
就要吹醒大地
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀
恭喜恭喜恭喜你

dōng tiān yǐ dào jìn tóu,
zhēn shì hǎo de xiāo xī
wēn nuǎn de chūn fēng,
jiù yào chuī xǐng dà dì
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ ya
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ

Winter has come to an end,
That is really good news,
A warm spring breeze is
Blowing to wake up the earth.
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you

浩浩冰雪融解,
眼看梅花吐蕊
漫漫长夜过去,
听到一声鸡啼
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀,
恭喜恭喜恭喜你

hào hào bīng xuě róng jiě,
yǎn kàn méi huā tù ruǐ
màn màn cháng yè guò qù,
tīng dào yī shēng jī tí
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ ya
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ

The icy snow has melted,
See the plum tree blossom!
The long night is past,
I heard the rooster crow.
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you

经过多少困难,
历经多少磨练
多少心儿盼望,
盼望新的消息
恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀,
恭喜恭喜恭喜你

恭喜恭喜恭喜你呀，
恭喜恭喜恭喜你

jīng guò duō shǎo kùn nán,
lì jīng duō shǎo mó liàn
duō shǎo xīn ér pàn wàng,
pàn wàng xīn de xiāo xī
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ ya
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ

gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ ya
gōngxǐ gōngxǐ gōngxǐ nǐ^[3]

After experiencing so many difficulties,
Going through so many ordeals,
How many hearts are looking forward
To the news of Spring!
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you

Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to you

Useful Websites

See a youtube version of singing  the New Year song

.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcMGcT6gByM

Wikipedia Chinese New Year

Wikipedia Chingay Parade

www.chingay.gov.sg

https://www.chingay.gov.sg/photo-gallery/2010-2021/

Chinese New Year
"Chinese New Year" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Traditional Chinese	春節
Simplified Chinese	春节
Literal meaning	"Spring Festiv

I checked translate google for the words for 

spring festival 

to be sure which way round it was. 

I then divided the sections of the Chinese compound phrases and they mean spring-sky festival-day

Chinese (Simplified)

English

春
天
节
日

Chūn
tiān
jié
rì

December 21st - was the December solistice and the first day of winter - planning your seasonal trips and outings

 

December 21st was the first day of winter and the solstice. What does that mean?

For travellers, it means that in the UK the 21st is the shortest day. That is good news. From now onwards, every day there is a little more light. 

Is there anything good for travellers about short days? Early dusk means more of the darker evenings on which to enjoy the Xmas lights in the streets, the lights up the lamp posts in high streets (Americans say main street), and the Christmas trees. Now is a good time to dash and take photos of the local lights. 

How long will the lights be up?

I looked it up in Wikipedia. Which was very illuminating. 

UT date and time of
equinoxes and solstices on Earth^[1][2]

event	equinox		solstice		equinox		solstice
month	March[3]		June[4]		September[5]		December[6]
year	day	time	day	time	day	time	day	time
2017	20	10:29	21	04:25	22	20:02	21	16:29
2018	20	16:15	21	10:07	23	01:54	21	22:22
2019	20	21:58	21	15:54	23	07:50	22	04:19
2020	20	03:50	20	21:43	22	13:31	21	10:03
2021	20	09:37	21	03:32	22	19:21	21	15:59
2022	20	15:33	21	09:14	23	01:04	21	21:48
2023	20	21:25	21	14:58	23	06:50	22	03:28
2024	20	03:07	20	20:51	22	12:44	21	09:20
2025	20	09:02	21	02:42	22	18:20	21	15:03

The day is the same every year. But the time of sunrise and sunset varies. The length of time between dawn and dusk stays the same, but the times of dawn and dusk vary. (Well I never. Who knew? Maybe you. Not me. Well, we all know now.

Why would the dawn times affect travellers? If would affect you if you wanted to see dawn at Stonehenge or any landmark which is supposed to have been constructed to look special on the day of the Solstice.

This chart seems odd to me.

Dusk on Dec 22 in London is just before 4 pm. That was an awkward time for lighting Hanukah lights for a dinner event starting at 6.30 pm. Fortunately the hosts were not so religious that they insisted on lighting the candles at dusk.

Earlier in the week for day three of Hanukkah, we had three hanukiahs, one lit by the lady from each of three couples. 

Current Time:	22 Dec 2022, 12:10:52
Next Equinox:	20 Mar 2023 21:24 (Vernal)
Sunrise Today:	08:04↑ 128° Southeast
Sunset Today:	15:53↑ 232° Southwes

Sunrise at Stonehenge. Photo by Mark Grant in Wikipedia.

Centuries ago, in fact, as recently as our great grandparents time, (I am writing in 2022) there was no TV. Street lighting came in in the 1800s, house lights, later. So the time of dawn and dusk affected your travel. 

Scottish Winter Food

Dawn and dusk also affected meal times. Up north in England they had high tea, a combination of tea and supper, with a savoury course or grill followed by filling sweet cakes or buns.  Christmas pudding and Christmas cake contained dried fruit and often alcohol as a preservative, with hot custard. Almonds might be added, arranged in a circular, concentric, pattern on top as in Dundee cake.

Stonehenge Summer solstice from Wikipedia on Solstice

The Soltice - meaning

The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol ("sun") and sistere ("to stand still").

Why? Because at the solstices, the Sun's declination appears to "stand still"; that is, the seasonal movement of the Sun's daily path (as seen from Earth) pauses at a northern or southern limit before reversing direction.

When I am planning a trip, I check on the temperature of the destination in the month I will be travelling. You also want to check the season and school holidays.

Australians visit the UK for Christmas, which is their long, summer holiday. We used to go skiing in New Zealand 

Museums

Many museum opening days vary with the seasons. Some museums close for winter and open in spring. Others have last admission half an hour before closing time. 

The food served varies. Hotel and restaurant prices may be high for Christmas and New Year, and the whole of December, or including the first week of January. Sign up for your favourite restaurants and hotels. One year in the Lake district we stopped at a famous restaurant, the Miller Howe, and signed up for their newsletter. In the spring we received an offer for three nights for the price of two, or two for the price of one. Whatever it was, it made the difference between never going, and a once in a lifetime experience. 

I visited Harrow School in England in the winter. The school had a guided tour which I read about in the local newspaper. I was surprised that they had a tour in winter. They had the winter tours because Australians came over and joined the tours. I met an Australian teacher who was on her summer break during my winter in the UK.

Useful Websites

For the time of dusk

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/london?month=12

Why You Should Book A Brilliant Art Course At Writers' Holiday in Fishguard

Sunset on Fishguard, inspiring aspiring artists at Fishguard Bay Hotel on the course run by Susan Alison at Writers' Holiday. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problems
1 What to do when you have already been on umpteen writer's courses, poetry writing, novel writing, short story writing and songwriting? 
2 What if you can't draw or paint, except for painting by numbers? 
3 What if your partner wants to do a writing course and you don't?

Fishguard Bay Hotel through trees, at night. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Answer
The course I took at Writers' Holiday in Fishguard, Wales, only a long weekend in spring, started with dinner on Friday night at the hotel, ending with a packed lunch and a free lift down to the nearby Fishguard and Goodwick station. Over the four sessions on Saturday, and two on Sunday morning, we learned to draw and paint:
1 Light and shade to show distance and perspective, through the day,
2 Light and shadows, a landscape, 
3 Animals from dogs to horses, 
4 The human face proportions, and 
5 The human body proportions.

Here I am in the art room, wearing my waterproof apron, showing my painting. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Susan adapts her course to suit you.
Last year on a longer course I asked to do a caricature, without a sitter (everybody else was busy painting) I wanted a self-portrait. Susan found me a mirror. If I had thought in advance I could have emailed her in advance (which I did about one animal I wanted to draw, and I could have packed my own paints, or sizes of paper - such as miniatures or blank greetings cards.

Surely you can get all this from books, and from buying an online course? Yes, they are all good. But it's a great help to have somebody showing you what you can add to enhance your picture.

What did I learn?
Fill an empty sky with flying birds.
Put a bird on a branch.
Put a bird on a rooftop.
If you are the sort who likes the tragic and mournful, draw cemetery scenes.
If you are into motivation, draw lone characters trudging uphill through snow, with sunlight to guide them on their way to distant cities or buildings with lights.
If you like to uplift add couples at tables, put dancers in doorways and windows, or postman delivering parcels.

You may say, that's all cliché stuff. Every Christmas card does that. Every painting from medieval times does that. Or you might think - but of course - why didn't I think of that? Why did I not think of that when I started my sketch, my painting?

Susan starts you straight away with painting a background. It's so tedious to start with a sketch and not have painting until later, just as I gave up piano as a child when my first hal a dozen lessons were just playing scales and I never played a tune. Susan gets you painting straight away. Then we go back to sketching with a soft pencil before painting, and trying three or more versions of everything until we have a favourite, the one which looks exactly right.

Having a teacher on hand is such a help for all the practical stuff. I am painting and Susan comes over to advise me to change brushes. She says I'll get more control with a brush with shorter bristles. One big surprise is how much you can do with a huge brush, even fine work and parallel lines and curves.

There is so much to learn. As with everything else, getting started is one hurdle to overcome, Practising what you have learned is another. Having a finished product to take away is the 'icing on the cake'.

Painting by Angela Lansbury, reading for mounting. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Lessons Learned
What other mistakes did I make and learn from, besides using a different brush? Try your mount first.

Oops. Mount cuts in half bird and building. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Susan was very generous. She donated to everybody a mount and a backing board to take home your best picture, or all your pictures, with the best sandwiched in the middle, or as the flat base in a flat hard-sided suitcase, or in a briefcase. (Artists often have a dedicated bag which they carry themselves to guard against loss.)

If you are in a car, better still. But don't put your wedding table plan with the decoration you have drawn at the top and border, on a car seat. Somebody in your family will sit on it.

I had forgotten to take a kitchen roll holder for protecting paper. I usually try to remember to pack either a cardboard support from the inside of a toilet roll, or a long box for coffee capsules. I would use them to roll up a painting or certificate at a speaking contest. You end up with a curved piece of paper, unless it's just a ten-minute journey home.

Mounts
To go back to what I learned during the course. When I came to add the mount to my picture, I found it covered the outside inch or so at the edge of my painting.

The mount hid my signature. I had to cover the first signature with tree roots.

I then added a second signature further into the painting. I didn't want my signature conspicuously in the middle, in case I decided to display the painting without the mount. So I tried putting my signature inconspicuously on a boat, or a signboard, or the side of a building.

The picture overlapped the mount right or left. I tried moving the mount around, right or left, up or down. One way it obscured a window showing figures dancing. In fact, the mount hid an entire building!

The moral is, select your paper size, frame, and mount, before you start. I seem to remember that last year on another of Susan's course (a longer course lasting over a week) she taught us this at the beginning. Somehow I had forgotten. I should make myself a painter's checklist.

After several courses, or art school training, or being a professional artist like Susan, you will automatically do this.

So, if you want to start doing art, or would like a refresher, or a holiday with like-minded artists and aspiring artists, check below.

Answer
Go on an art course to learn how to illustrate book covers and illustrate your own books and DIY Christmas and birthday cards and gift cards.

I looked at Susan Alison's Facebook page showing a painting by another artist.

I wrote: That is brilliant. 

Yes, the trick is to add human interest to every landscape picture. A tiny person dwarfed by menacing or protective trees. Plus the determination of the protagonist, continuing their journey, through the sunrise and the sunset, despite the lonely trek, nothing to help, except nature, the shade from the trees, the light from the sun, but still continuing dauntlessly.

Susan Alison
Susan is an all-round artist but specialises in dogs and humorous pictures of her dog on cards, mats and all sorts of gifts you can buy for yourself and others.

Sunshine on Pagodas, painted at Writers' Holiday, Wales, 2018. Painting and Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Angela Lansbury
I specialise in caricatures - funny faces, not always a likeness, but usually a likeness, not necessarily flattering, on the first attempt. If you don't like the first drawing, and you have invited me to dinner, I will do one or two more, in between courses. One person I drew, complete with all his wrinkles, looked at my first version and said, "It doesn't look like me ..." However, he conceded, "On the other hand, it looks just like my father!"

Speaker at lectern, caricature and photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

You might like to click on each of these links in turn:

To contact Susan Alison, look at all her work, maybe buy a card or other item or get interested in a painting course:
https://www.facebook.com/susanalisonart/posts/

To contact Writers' Holiday and /or book an art course:
I could give you all the details but better that you go straight to their page and read all the facts and can sign up if you are interested.
www.writersholiday.net

To contact Angela Lansbury:
http://www.lulu.com/gb/en/shop/angela-lansbury/quick-quotations/paperback/product-21259011.html
https://www.amazon.com/Angela-Lansbury/e/B001K82R2A
Use Facebook, Linked-in, What's Ap. NB, there are thirteen people called Angela Lansbury including the actress. You will recognize my websites and my blogs and books on Amazon and Lulu my picture, the word Singapore, the word Toastmasters or the name of one of my books, such as: Quick Quotations, Who Said What When, Wedding Speeches.
I have many more posts on painting, photography, writing, Wales, learning Welsh, hotels, food, restaurants. See more posts in this blog and others on blogger. Please follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

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

Clock Changes - how to remember

Problem
How to remember when to change the clocks?

Answers
1 Buy one radio controlled clock and fix it on the wall facing you above the breakfast table in your kitchen.
2 Set an alarm for the spring and autumn changes.
3 Place a note on your cork pinboard above your desk showing the next time change. For example, On Sunday March 26th 2017 London, UK is seven hours behind Singapore. New York is further behind. Check your city's calendar. When I am in New York or East coast USA I put a sign above my hone showing times to phone the UK.

Stories
When we lived in Rockville, Maryland, and had family in London, England, we used to have a window of hours when we could phone the UK. To make it easy to keep in contact, we phoned the same time every weekend.

Tips
1 Mark your paper diaries and calendars.
2 Make notes in your online calendars on phones and laptops and office computers.
3 Make these reminders for the next change - in the autumn (Fall) for the next spring, in the spring for the next autumn (Fall).
4 Make your diaries on January 1st for the year ahead.

Americans say: Spring forward, fall back.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.
Please like, follow and share posts.

Walking and admiring weeds and flowers and flower pots in Britain

"Oh, to be in England," wrote Robert Browning. He was referring to Spring, but summer time is as good or even better because summer is the season of roses. The clay soil of London and pollution favour the growing of roses, according to The Hidden Landscape. (The book is by Richard A Fortey and you can read it on kindle.)


Spring is the wettest season, whilst summer allows you to enjoy picnics in parks. You can also walk the walking routes clearly market all around London via railway stations.

Even the weeds are colourful.

In Derbyshire at Writers Summer School at the Hayes Conference Centre I noticed an intriguing plant pot astride a fence. I thought of three advantages of this. The plants are at eye level and on an outside or front fence can be enjoyed from afar by passers-by. If you place a divided pot stride a fence, your neighbours can share the watering, which is useful for anybody elderly and infirm and forgetful, or when you are on holiday in a dry season.





I am still looking on Amazon and the internet. I have found fence hooks and balcony brackets but not divided nor double pots. If you find them, let me know.
Angela Lansbury, author of
Quick Quotations (Lulu.com)
Who Said What When (Lulu.com)

Trees - beautiful trees - cherry and fruits and leaves to eat

Trees are so beautiful when they come alive in spring with blossom. In Washington DC the streets are lined with cherry blossom trees given by the Japanese after WWII as a peace offering. You'll see more in Canada.  We once did a drive north south - or was it the other way around - in the Fall (autumn) to see the Maple leaves changing colour (as well as tourist sites along the route. You could do the same for cherry blossom.

Over in Europe the streets of Hatch End and Pinner in North London have cherry or plum blossom. I rush out with my camera on sunny days. Apparently Sweden, which I would associate with fir trees, also has cherry blossom.

Over in Asia, Japan has many types of cherry blossom. Singapore is better known for palm trees, coconut palms, and fruit and nut trees such as mango and cashew nut trees. But an excellent article in Today newspaper of Singapore alerted me to different types of cherry and similar fruit trees. The newspaper reporters interviewed at expert at Gardens By The Bay, an outing which I recommend. I spent most of the day there. We booked online in advance we thought to be sure of getting and reduce queuing but still had to walk around to find the right queue and then queue to collecting tickets. Afterwards we enjoyed the free surrounding area which has waterside walks through tree-lined paths with notice boards describing the trees.

I am compiling and keeping a Keynote slide presentation on trees. (Keynote is Apple's version of Powerpoint.)

If you are short of time and can't book Gardens By The Bay in Singapore, go to the Botanical Gardens. See my next post on the Botanical Gardens.

Gardens By The Bay

http://www.todayonline.com/lifestyle/travel/five-things-say-sound-cherry-blossom-expert
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.