Economies and Expenses to Budget For When Travelling

Hiking - cheap or expensive?

Is hiking a cheap holiday? It can be. 

But, to be safe, you might need outdoor clothing, food, drink, maps, phone and charger. 

Plus the climbing or hiking clothes, and gear such as poles, ropes, boots, torches, maps, GPS devices.

The big cost can be flights and connecting flights. Within Europe you have Ryanair. For example, from Stansted.

Also, budget for the cost of taking a car into a National Park (not a car park, but a tree and wildlife park).

Sticks - cost, design and check-in 

A stick for climbing rough grounds has a tip, which must be covered on aircraft. 

A walking stick for city walking has a flat rubber base, which may be allowed on some planes, or can be packed if it folds. You may need to buy a stick with points, or a pair of sticks, at the destination.

UK costs: driving

Toll on the bridge into Wales.

Parking costs at hotels, and visiting museums.

If no parking in city centre restaurant areas, you may need to budget for taxis. 

If drinking or wine tasting, you may need a taxi back to your hotel.

Europe - driving

Toll roads in France.

USA Parks and vehicles

In the USA and many countries, entry costs at entrances of national parks for pedestrians and vehicles.

ASIA - costs

India required my family, who were holders of British passports, to buy visas. 

Nepal cost cutters

A cheap country such as Nepal has cheap food. 

However, you may have to pay a hefty fee for the permit to climb e.g. Everest. Also the cost of a guide. And porters to take tents and cooking equipment and food for the entire trip. Allow not only the time of the climb but any hike to base camp, and time to acclimatize. 

Camping Costs - Research, Money, Time, Planning, Experience

 Our son practised camping by putting up a tent in our garden. 

Some people run in their shoes or boots. 

My husband spent more than the cost of a night in a hotel, and a taxi to a hotel, on buying a tent, and a  on a sleeping bag, bag liner, hiking boots, torch and most of the contents of the camping shop website.

Home Swap Advantages

We did a home swap with a family in the Channel Islands. We saved on accommodation.

Home Swap Challenges

We had to pay our fare to get there and back, plus our foods and entertainment at the destination. But we saved on accommodation.

Packing for a holiday takes time. But clearing your house for a family of four to move in takes longer.  You must clear space.

You need to pack away valuables. We had to leave new matching crockery in sets of four.

Hotel Extra Charges

Parking

You might have to pay for car parking outside the hotel, Or pay for use of the hotel's garage. Or pay for valet parking.

Some airports have introduced drop-off charges.

Extras At Hotels & Restaurants

A five star hotel might also charge for service, taxes.

Incidental extras might be phone calls. 

Watch out for cover charges. Service charges. tourist taxes. State taxes vary around the USA, and are added when items are posted from one state to another.

Drinks - Extras

Also drinks, water. Also watch out for the mini bar contents. 

Drinks Included

Many buffets have free sparkling wine, Italian Prosecco, Spanish Cava, or French Champagne, at either breakfast, or evening dinner, or both. But they might not tell you. Have a look or ask if it is included.

Find out the cost of an upgrade to a room whose cost entitles you to use of a Club Lounge or private breakfast room with a fancy name. If they run all day or intermittent food and drink, this could save you paying extra for water and wine with meals. Or for coffee and tea and cakes mid-morning and tea time. Apart from the cost, it is a time saver.

Spas, Saunas - Time and Money

The indoor pool might be within a spa which charges residents as well as outside non-resident guests.

Hotel Extras Included

Some hotels have free swimming pools with spar baths, or complete spa centres with saunas, and steam rooms.

In the Canary Islands we had a free indoor pool at the Parador in Tenerife. They closed early, 6 pm. The same applied to the outdoor pool at the Parador hotel on La Palma, which closed at 5 pm in their off-season June 2026, although later the next month.

On Tenerife the outdoor pool was free, included in our room and breakfast package. We were given one free session in the indoor spa which had lovely massaging pools and water jets. We were there two days, but did not get a free session for each day, just one free session to tempt us to make further bookings.

Some ask payment per hour rather than the whole stay free, or paying for one day.

Souvenirs and Supplementary Bags

You may buy souvenir clothing, books or bulky items, or bring back leaflets. You might need to buy another suitcase, and to pay the airline for extra bags or bulky or heavy luggage.

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Waterproof phone cover for swimming, or walking in the rain

This phone cover has double closure. It protects the phone,. You can still feel the buttons and use it when it is sealed in. The covers are in so many covers that you can buy one to match your swimsuit. This one was bought in the USA. Look in shops which sell swimsuits.

For example, here is one I found on Amazon. But, if you can, check the styles in a nearby shop.

Why do you need it? To protect your phone from accidents. So you don't leave it by the pool or on a beach where somebody could steal it. So cleaners and passers by don't think you have abandoned it or lost it and take it to lost property. So you can get important incoming calls. So you can call for help. So you can answer and say when you are coming back to home or the office. So you can watch the time.

Useful Websites

https://www.amazon.sg/Waterproof-Floating-Inflatable-Double%E2%80%91layer-Swimming/dp/

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Save Yourself and Your Family and Friends, Around Wet Floors, Sea Water, Snow, Sand, and Seasides: precautions and where to find help

Wet floor sign.

Life is full of hazards. Small, common, everyday hazards. 

I recently (May 2022) slipped on a tiled floor in Singapore after rain, near a swimming pool, in Cashew Heights Condo, on the route to the shop. Two hazards, the wet tiled floor, no warning, since the water was not caused by the staff but by the rain.

Many places put up warning signs if the cleaners have made the floor wet. I have seen other signs warning that the Ladies toilet area can be slippery if the floor is made wet by users, such as by washing hands. I cannot understand why it is not mandatory to have non-slip floors/floor tiles in public and private bathrooms, and kitchens. In fact all public areas. 

You can take responsibility for the safety of others, and yourself.

 Secondly, I looked at my footwear and realized my favorite old Clogs had worn down soles not providing the proper grip of new shoes.

I was so shaken, and my knee hurt, so I could not go swimming that day. the next day I was careful to check the soles of my shoes. 

Unusual and serious beach hazards

Japanese tsunami warning.

USA tsunami warning, Santa Monica beach.

Many beaches have red flag signs. 

Some beaches tell you when there is a lifeguard on duty and warn you no to swim when there is not lifeguard.

 Before swimming or walking or digging, alert others and discuss safety precautions. Many swimming pools and beaches have safety lines, and resuscitation equipment and helplines.

When you ring the emergency number, you can be told where to find the nearest defibrilator, which sends a shock to re-start the heart.

Update

I thought that you should not dig above your neck height in case the sand fell in. However, I suppose the weight of sand or earth could knock you over. The advice I read today was don't dig below knee level. The other thing I noticed was that in season there are life guards or rangers, but we are not yet in the height of the season. 

Useful websites

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10827513/Double-tragedy-teenagers-18-13-die-separate-sand-collapses.html#reader-comments

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

https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/defibrillators

The Latest On Lockdowns In Singapore July 2021

 In Singapore more restrictions have been imposed. By the swimming pool in the Condo the security staff were removing the white plastic chairs and loungers. No longer do the swimmers have four chairs around a table. Now only two. This is to stop people gathering to chat.  

What will you miss if you are not in Singapore for National Day?

You won't miss out on the goody bags which used to go to every household of citizens and the expats who had earned the status of Permanent Residents. The goody bags last year, 2020, included a patriotic white mask as well as the expected little flag to wave.

This year, 2021, the goody bag go only to the people watching at Marina Bay, who have been allocated tickets. The places go to the heroes and heroines, the support staff, teachers and servers at hawker centres (food courts). The bags will contain essentials such as a bottle of water in a reusable container instead of the throw away one use container bottle, at the request of environmentalists.

Expect these events to be televised for the benefit of everybody else in Singapore - and worldwide. Watch out for alerts in the local Asian newspapers and TV stations, as well as YouTube, Facebook and whatsapp.

What of the rest of the population? As in the previous year, those who cannot see the celebrations in the centre of the city, those in the so-called heartlands, in the UK we would say suburbs, can see local fireworks displays. However, even these can attract crowds. So to prevent or postpone mingling, the other events are postponed until we are beyond the current heightened alert. 

What might you want to investigate? 

The Singapore flag.

Singapore Landmarks

The Singapore Song 

https://mothership.sg/2021/07/ndp-packs-2021/

Useful Websites

About the Author  

Foldable Travelling Hats

Wish dome style.

Review from their website

Outdoors Tribe Foldable Waterproof Hat

"My best foldable travelling hat is the brand Sports Outdoors. The hat is a feminine pink colour and the brim folds into three. It also has a neck protector which you can detach.  It is convenient for swimming and protects you from the sun in your eyes when swimming."

Shopee Hat

You can find them on Amazon, Wish, Ebay, Ubuy and other websites. Magic search words include foldable, folding brim, detachable, windproof, breathable, waterproof, neck protection, built in mask, detachable mask, fishing, outdoor cap,  

Some caps are open at the top and back. It is easier to fold a light brim. However, you might want to protect the top of your head from sun or water.

Useful Websites

Outdoors Tribe UV protection, foldable, waterproof, suits a ponytail,$19.99, in red, pink, orange.

Lacing

https://www.lazada.sg/lazada-affiliate-program

wish

Travelling Light: After Increasing Weight When Travelling, How I Lost Weight At Home

How I saw myself. Pretty but plump. Plump but pretty.

Angela at a Harrovian Toastmasters meeting in London. How others saw me. A large lady, short but wide. 

People used to ask, "Why do you wear so many layers of clothes?" 

To hide my figure. 

My husband said to me: "You are so overweight, it's like walking around carrying a large suitcase."

My first step was to check my weight.

For years I had been putting on weight. I had meals out at restaurants and hotels. I had pizza for lunch at Toastmasters meetings. I had samosas and buns for supper at evening Toastmasters meetings. Sometimes chocolates.

I kept putting on weight. Although I ran downhill to the station, and walked around shopping malls. I needed energy to stand up and speak. To run back uphill going home. 

What changed?

Covid-19 - Changed Our Priorities

Dangers were being older or overweight. I could not get younger. I could lose weight.

I had been eating at meetings: buns, pizzas, and chocolates.

After Covid-19 my diet  was helped by more meetings online.

Wonderful Wedding - Whenever

Another incentive was to be slimmer for our son's wedding. The wedding kept being postponed, giving me extra time to slim.

Angela at the wedding in September 2020

Some progress. 

But still not reaching my ideal weight, my BMI, body mass, or shape related to height.

We kept adding more things to reduce weight. First I cut out sugar in coffee. And cheesecakes. Then we shared a piece of cake.  Then we cut down to low fat, semi skimmed milk. Then low fat yogurt. Cut out seeds in the breakfast yogurt and fruit salad. Cut out seconds. Cut out desserts at restaurants. Cut out meals at buffets.

My rules

Breakfast

Fruit

Seeds

Yogurt

Oats or Weetabix

What I cut out

1 Sugar 

None in coffee.  (None added to anything such as fruit, cereals.

No alcohol 

No sweetened drinks

No Seconds (Later only half portions)

No seconds at meal times. No second piece of pizza. No second piece of cake. No second coffee. No second piece of chocolate.

No chocolates

No cakes

No biscuits

Switch from sweetened biscuits to small crackers with cheese at afternoon tea

Angela in a swimsuit. Weight May 20th 2021, was 49.1 kilos. & stone 10 lbs. As a teenager I weighed 7 stone 7.

People look at my face and ask, 'Have you lost weight?'

Exercise

Swimming/walking/exercising in bed

Keep moving - when waiting for the lift, walk backwards and forwards

When sitting waiting, repeatedly lift feet off the floor, click heels together

Exercise two limbs rather than one, four rather than two

Start exercise slowly so it is easy, and increase a little every day

Don't consider whether or not to swim or go for a walk; always start with at least the minimum. Often, despite feeling tired, bored, stressed, you find that, after starting, you end up finishing.

If you don't finish the exercise routine, never mind. Anything is better than nothing.

Keep a record of weight loss. In your diary. 

You might not lose every day. Food takes a long journey around your intestines before it gets out.

Swimming

Up from two widths to four, then six, then eight, then nine, then ten, then eight. Never miss one session. Go early in the day before it rains or the pool is cordoned off.

Late Night Snack

Fruit

No dessert after dinner. But a late evening snack.Three grapes and a slice of orange. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Current weight, just under eight stone.

Useful Websites

https://www.thecalculatorsite.com/conversions/common/kg-to-stones-pounds.php

About the Author

About Angela The Author

The Author - Quick Quotations

Angela Lansbury B A Hons  is the author of ten books by regular publishers plus another ten self-published books. 

About Angela The Speaker & Trainer

Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Vice President  Public Relations, Immediate Past President.

Former Area Director S3. Club Coach for Nee Soon South Toastmasters Club.

Also Member of: TCA Toastmasters Club; Singapore Online Dynamic; Harrovians UK

Garen Tee on using story telling in business, on bha.learncool.sg . 

Recent meetings of BHA included an educational session on using Powerpoint for posters.

Next BHA meetings, always first Wednesday evening, 7 pm Singapore time. Next meetings 1st Wednesday evening is Wednesday June 2nd at 7pm; and third Saturday afternoon, June 19th 2pm Singapore time.  

Angela The Blogger 

Angela has several blogs speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

See next post on sculptor Tom Harvey.

Please share links to your favourite posts. 

Swimming Safety, help and safety signs, distress signals, is waving enough?

How do you signal that you need help when swimming? Out at sea, ships have recognized distress signals. Flying flags upside down.

Pool Problems & Signals
How would you signal you were in trouble, when swimming? In a pool.

When you are pushing down on the bottom of the pool, coming up for air but can't get back to the side.

Sea Saftey and Signals
At sea? When you drift out on an inflatable.

Waving
Is there a sign? A sign you can make with your hands?

Waving is not enough. I remember the poem, not waving but drowning. Sylvia plath. Steve Smith. It was a metaphor. But very visual.

It should be shown on the safety boards.

Some  pools have a sign for instruction for giving resuscitationl .
Plus the numbers to call for help.
Hotel reception.
Emergency services - ambulance.

Useful Websites On Swimming and Safety
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimming_stroke
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distress_signal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiopulmonary_resuscitation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rescue_swimming

Author
Angela Lansbury

More About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
I and my family have lived in the UK, Spain, the USA and Singapore. I am a travel writer and photographer and teacher of English A level and English as a foreign language.

Please come to a Toastmasters International Club where the English clubs have a language evaluator or grammarian.  We also have French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Tamil and other language clubs based in Singapore and many more online around the world which because of Covid-19 are now meeting online.

I am President of Braddell Heights Advanced, meeting every Wednesday, on zoom the first Wednesday of the month but the other Wednesdays are workshops on app 

Incoming president Faith from July 1st 2020 could change dates and platforms so please contact the club.

Latest is only two meetings each month.

learncool.sg

Or quicker to type and easier to remember: 

 tinyurl.com/BHACOOL

Useful Websites

https://www.facebook.com/groups/polygotcommunity/

Other amusing posts by Angela

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

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

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

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogs
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2019/04/how-to-say-thank-you-in-several.html
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2019/05/introducing-yourself-in-english-spanish.html
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2020/01/second-set-of-portuguese-words.html Please share links to your favourite posts
https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club
translate.google.com
duolingo.com

In Singapore an outdoor swimming pool was cordoned off with tape and a member of staff was telling residents not to use the pool.

It is a huge pool, outdoors.

The directive, according to what I was told, came from the management of the leisure complexes across Singapore. The management of the residential complex apparently sub-contracts the running and maintenance of various parts of the complex, such as the entry gates, the lifts, the waste disposal, and the leisure facilities, to other companies which specialise in those areas.


Singapore flag

On March 31 2020 I read in the Daily Mail online that a superspreader in China had infected several people in a swimming pool and sauna complex. That is alarming.

Does that mean an indoor complex? Or an outdoor pool and indoor sauna? It was not clear to me. Either way, I can see why the management of leisure facilities across a city or country might decide to shut all parts of their operation.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8168025/Coronavirus-spread-warm-humid-conditions.html

About the author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, trainer of speakers and teacher of English and other languages. See other posts on the USA, UK, Europe, Singapore, Asia and learning languages. Please share links to your favourite posts.

How the haze affects swimming, travelling, temperature and breathing

Singapore flag.

Pool with blue sky. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Pool with white sky. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

My relatives in Singapore look out of the window and decide whether to go swimming in the nearby pool which is visible from the window.

The first question I ask myself is, how do you feel?

You could then go by the published and online pollution indexes, which vary according to whether you are in the west or centre or south or north. Yesterday in Singapore's West and other areas the raedings all day were in their sixties.

Under 100 is ok, say my family.

You can judge by whether you are clearing your throat and have itchy eyes.

But even if it's ok for the fit and healthy or those taking a short walk, what about sport or jogging or doing exercise outdoors or for long periods? How is it affecting you, especially if any of you and your family are in the vulnerable groups, children, pregnant, or the elderly?

Visibility
You can see the distant hill silhouetted green against the sky, which is good. But the whole sky is white, not blue with white clouds, but almost uniform white. If the place is deserted and everybody is wearing masks, a bad sign.

Swimmers Out And About?
If you see a swimmer, still doubtful. A swimming class? Small children? Obviously the teacher doesn't want to lose money. But what if mothers cancel out of concern for their children?

I went down and the swimming instructor greeted me.

"Water cold," he said.

The swimming instructor usefully informed me: "Haze - no sun. Wind cools water."

I replied, "I thought that the wind moved the clouds and blew away the smoke and the haze."

"Yes, but wind also cools water."

(I later reported this to a member of my family who is a teacher. He commented, "A good thing the swimming instructor isn't teaching them English."

I replied, " No, but he is teaching me the sentence construction in Chinese. Chinese means Mandarin - although many people in Singapore speak dialects such as Hokkien.)

After swimming, back to learning Chinese.

That was my experience of haze in Singapore in September 2019.

Swimming outdoors is one of the attractions of Singapore. Knowledge of how to judge haze and investigate haze online is handy. It could be useful to you anywhere in the world or later in the year, or just for general knowledge and conversation with people who have come back from countries affected by haze.

Useful Websites
HAZE
National Environmental Agency (Singapore)
https://www.haze.gov.sg/resources/readings-over-the-last-24-hours
https://www.haze.gov.sg/resources/portable-air-cleaners
https://www.haze.gov.sg/resources/air-cleaning-devices

LEARN CHINESE
chineasy.com
duolingo.com

TRAVEL TO & FROM ASIA
singaporeair.com

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. i have other posts on haze, Singapore, Asia, the UK, learning languages and more. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Emergency 'help" requests At The Swimming Pool in Japanese

You may have read my earlier post about how a boy shouted for help when he drifted into the deep end of a pool in Singapore. He spoke either Japanese or Korean. The security staff spoke English and Mandarin or Hokkien or Tamil.

I shouted in English to him, "Are you Okay?" 

He did not reply but kept bobby up and down, shouting. 

I called loudly in English, "Help! Help - someone's drowning!"

The security guard came and looked. He was probably a non-swimmer. He stood in front of the lifebelt. 

I shouted to the security guard, "Throw the lifebelt!" 

When the boy got to the side, coughing, the guard wanted the boy's name to make a report. The guard could not understand the boy, or even whether he lived in our block or was trespassing. 

Later the boy's mother came down to the pool. The guard still could not communicate with her nor even understand what language she was speaking.

I realised I could say thank you, arigato, in Japanese, and goodbye, sayonara, but I could not call help.

Duolingo - This is where you can go to learn or brush up on your Japanese for free online.

The Japanese flag.

Swimming pool in Singapore where a boy got into difficulties. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

I have written several sentences in English and added Japanese translations from Google.

In Google, on the column with the Japanese, first you see the symbols, which are the same in Chinese (like the no smoking signs in public in Europe show a cigarette crossed out for no smoking - understood by speakers of several languages, although they would say the words differently in their own language.)
Below you see the symbols first, then below that are the words as you would pronounce them written in our standard alphabet.

If you are learning Japanese, teaching Japanese, or operating a swimming pool, you might want to print out a copy of this and laminate it and keep it at the security desk by the swimming pool.

English
1 Hello / good day
2 Hello (person answering on the phone)

3 Help
4 Help me!

5 Someone is drowning!

6 Do you speak English?

Do you speak Mandarin?
Do you speak Japanese?
Do you speak Korean?

Do you speak Spanish?
Can you speak French?
Can you speak German?


20 Goodbye.

1 Hello / good day

2 Hello (person answering on the phone)

Help

Help me!

Someone is drowning!

Do you speak English?


Do you speak Mandarin?

Do you speak Japanese?

Do you speak Korean?


Do you speak Spanish?

Can you speak French?

Can you speak German?

Are you okay
throw the life belt
come to the shallow end
are you okay now?

Call an ambulance
/phone for an ambulance
somebody is drowning

I must make a report
What is your phone number
where do you live
write down your name
write down your address
please wait
thank you

1こんにちは/こんにちは

2こんにちは（電話で答える人）

3 助けて

4 助けて！

5 誰かが溺れています！

6 英語を話せますか？

7 あなたは北京語を話しますか？

日本語話せますか？

あなたは韓国語を話せますか？

あなたはスペイン語を話しますか？

フランス語を話せますか？

あなたはドイツ語を話せますか？

大丈夫ですか
ライフベルトを投げる
浅い端に来る
今、大丈夫？
救急車を呼んでくれ
/救急車のための電話
誰かが溺れています
報告しなければならない
あなたの電話番号は何番ですか
どこに住んでいますか
あなたの名前を書き留めてください
あなたの住所を書き留めてください
お待ちください
ありがとうございました

1 Kon'nichiwa/ kon'nichiwa 

2 kon'nichiwa (denwa de kotaeru hito) tasukete tasukete! Darekaga oborete imasu! Eigo o hanasemasu ka? 

Anata wa Pekin-go o hanashimasu ka? Nihongo hanasemasu ka? 

Anata wa Kankoku-go o hanasemasu ka? 

Anata wa Supeingo o hanashimasu ka? Furansugo o hanasemasu ka? 

Anata wa doitsugo o hanasemasu ka? Daijōbudesuka raifu beruto o nageru asai hashi ni kuru ima, daijōbu? Kyūkyūsha o yonde kure/ kyūkyūsha no tame no denwa darekaga oborete imasu hōkoku shinakereba naranai anata no tenwabangō wa nan-bandesu ka doko ni sunde imasu ka anata no namae o kakitomete kudasai anata no jūsho o kakitomete kudasai omachikudasai 

arigatōgo zaimashita

Japanese
1 konichi wa
2 mushee mushee

20 Sayonara

Useful Websites
Google translate
Duolingo
Memrise

See other posts on drowning and on Korean.

Author
Angela Lansbury.

Glasses and Goggles To Help You See When Swimming

Problems
tight silicone hats press on the sides of your normal glasses when you wear them in water.
Some glasses will go rust in water.
You need glasses when swimming in the water for these reasons
1 to protect your eyes from splashes
to see close-up
To see at a distance
To keep your eyes adjusted to your normal spectacles
Goggles over glasses enable you to open your eyes underwater and see fish and take photos and avoid dangers and approaching large fish and boats and pick up coins and lost items and avoid colliding with the swimming pool walls and other swimmers.

Answers
Some large stretchy turban like swimhat has room for glasses without pressing if you are swimming with your head out of water, paddling or doing breast stroke - with your head up (which could give you back ache one swimming instructor told me).

Some goggles are designed like the cheap glasses you can buy which are adjusted for short sightedness or long sightedness.

Other members of my family can manage with non-prescription glasses bought off racks. (Not me, because my eyes are different and a lens suiting one eye does not suit the other one - I can see a menu using them by shutting one eye in an emergency, but no good for preventing headaches.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

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

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Airport Attractions - From Butterfly to Cacti and Aviation Museums

Changi Airport Fish in Koi Pond, level two, departures, Terminal 2, photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problem
An hour to kill at an airport - what should you see and do?

Answers
CAMBODIA
Statues and history panel.

GERMANY
Munich Airport
Brewery.

JAPAN
Oxygen bar. The oxygen comes in flavours.

SINGAPORE
Changi Airport, Singapore.
Terminal 1
Cacti Garden on rooftop.

Terminal 3
(Singapore Airlines from Changi, Singapore to Heathrow, for London, England.
The ground floor is for arrivals.
The Butterfly Garden is on the two departure levels, level two and level three, to top entrance next to the Ambassador Transit Hotel and Movie Theatre.

Butterfly Garden,
Hotel with swimming pool,
Koi Pond,
Orchid area,
Rubbing,
Movie Theatre,
giant multi-storey tube Slide (Slide @T3),  seasonal sculptures and animated displays. Daytime tours of the city if you have a couple of hours in transit.

Ground floor arrivals: 

giant Sculptures, for selfies. 

Tips
Other airport attractions worldwide include the Acquarium at Vancouver Airport, Canada; IMAX cinema (movie theatre) at Hong Kong airport; in Dubai, a Zen Garden with children's play area, a five star hotel containing a swimming pool for guests; the swimming pool at Quatar (entry fee); slot machines at Las Vegas, USA; and the services of a morgue at Brussels airport. Some rate the fast monorail to Shanghai airport as being special. More details from:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-4473138/The-world-s-oddest-airport-attractions-revealed.html
changiairport.com/guides
Download the e-version of airport and shopping guides or pick up a foldout copy at any information counter in Changi Airport.

Changi is frequently voted the world's best airport :
http://www.worldairportawards.com/awards/world_airport_rating.html

Not far behind is South Korea's Incheon Airport. Wikipedia explains:

Incheon International Airport (IIA) (IATA: ICN, ICAO: RKSI) (sometimes referred to as Seoul–Incheon International Airport) is the largest airport in South Korea, the primary airport serving the Seoul Capital Area, and one of the largest and busiest airports in the world. Since 2005, it has been rated the best airport worldwide by Airports Council International every year.^[2] It is also rated as the world's cleanest airport and the world's best international transit airport by Skytrax.^[3]

The airport has a golf course, spa, private sleeping rooms, an ice skating rink, a casino, indoor gardens, and a Museum of Korean Culture.

Full details of airpot wifi and other facilities such as showers from
http://www.sleepinginairports.net/asia
It reveals the airport with the toy exhibition.
http://www.sleepinginairports.net/asia/tokyo_haneda.htm
The airports in Europe voted highly were Helsinki with its library and Talinn with its book swap and bookshelf lounge.
If you want to contribute and comment on an airport, you can fill in their airport survey for all the airports you have visited recently.

For sporty types, South Korea has an airport golf course, and Munich International Airport offers mini golf.
More information from:
http://www.layoverguide.com/2008/12/top-ten-airports-to-get-stuck-in.html

I looked for airports in Russia, because I have more readers in Russia this week than any other country, even the USA. But I had no such luck, so if you know of a great airport facility in Russia, please let me know.

You can also read reports on airports hotels in TripAdvisor.

In the UK plane spotters might enjoy a trip to the aviation museum at Gatwick:

Gatwick Aviation Museum
Vallance-Byways
Lowfield Heath Road
CHARLWOOD
RH6 0BT

http://www.aviationmuseumguide.co.uk/guide_london.php

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
See my previous posts on Changi airport.
Post in preparation. Come back for more tomorrow.
Please share links to posts.

Butterfly Garden, at Changi Airport, Terminal Three. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The whole airport is a delight. Palm trees in the luggage carousel area. Changi Airport. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Swimmers' Secrets: breast stroke, breathing, competitions

Problems
How do you swim better? How do you do talks on swimming?

Answers
I heard a speech about swimming at a meeting of an IT college in Singapore. He told us how after failing in academic subjects at school he recovered confidence as a swimmer.

His tips on swimming included that when you are in a competition you need to swim faster (than other competitors) by reducing 'drag' which slows you down. Your arms, legs, head and body have to be streamlined as much as possible.

In the interval I chatted to the speaker. I asked him about breathing. Surprise tips were:

1 Breathing
If you are right handed you tend to have a stronger pull on one arm and you tend to breathe on one side. You could have been trained to breathe on the other side. Some swimmers breathe on both sides (eg when doing the crawl?).

2 Technical terms
He described the way your feet move when swimming as acting like a propeller.

3 Breast Stoke Arm Movements
I thought that when doing breast stroke you had to turn your hands backwards cupped or flat against the water for maximum force and thrust. However, his system was to use the legs and feet for gliding and reduce the resistance to arms by bringing them back bent and closer to the body, (I would say almost like praying or lifting a bowl to your mouth - but I could be wrong).

Now you know what to ask your swimming teacher and what to research on line.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Please read my other posts and share my posts.

Singapore's Storm Drain and Shelter From Rain

Singapore is a tropical country. It rains in rainy season. It rains every season. We are glad of the rain when it drives away the haze. Rain also waters the unattended aloe vera plant on the balcony.
Water prices are going up. Will this drive up prices of other goods, such as coffee in a cafe?

Problem
How do you avoid or divert unwanted rain in Singapore?
What could go wrong?
1 Swimming: You leave swimming until the afternoon and then it rains.

2 Taxis: You postpone calling a taxi until it rains, then taxis are unobtainable.

3 Rain Through Your Windows. All over your computer screen, laptop, mobile phone, office chair, newspapers, right the way from under the window to the far side of the room!

4 Storms trips the electricity. Food such as fish in the freezer, fresh milk in the fridge ...

5 Wet pavements when walking

Answers
1 Swimming Time
Swim in the morning.

2 Taxi Demand
That should change soon with variable pricing which increases costs when demand is high, so only those prepared to pay more take a taxi.

3 Rain: Leave a notice on the back of the front door: Take umbrella; shut windows.

4 Tell everybody how to turn the circuit breaker back on again.

5 Raffles built the five foot ways along the fronts of shops, covering the pavement (Americans say sidewalk).

Finally, some good news: All over Singapore shelters are built along streets between station.
Photo of storm drain Cashew Road, Singapore by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. Books on Lulu.com and Amazon. Please share my posts.