Spanish Words - Fifty Handy Words For Welcoming, Chatting And Saying Goodbye

Spanish - English (memory aids in brackets) 

Español - Spanish

Inglaterra - England

Inglés - English

Británico - British

Accents simply tell you which syllable to emphasize.

1 ahora - now

2 bar - bar

3 clase - class

4 /5/6 cómo le va / 7/8 qué tal - how's it going 

9 ¿Cómo estás? how are you (upside down question mark starts sentences as well as ending them in Spanish)

19 dedo - finger

20 documentos - documents

21 /22/23 en la escuela - in school (add e before S like the word 

24 España for Spain and

Español  for Spanish 

25 26 27 en un momento - in a moment

28 29 espera aqui - wait here

espera un momento - wait a moment

30 la fiesta - the party

31 32 los insectos - insects

33 (la) invitación - (the) invitation

34 juguete - toy (juggling your toys)

35 36 ese libro - that book (like library)

37 28 39 mediodia - noon (media - middle, dia - day)

40 el oso - bear (Not el orso)

41 momento - moment

42 perdido - lost (perdition)

43 Siéntate - sit down

44 Siéntate aquí - sit here 

45 ven - come (as in the English words venture and adventure)

ven aqui - come here

46 47 48 ven conmigo - come with me (con - with, like Latin cum, mi - me)

You have learned, or already know, 48 words. Add

49 es - is / it is 

50 51 ¿Dónde está? Where is it?

52 Dónde están?- Where are they? (add n, like the m on the English word them for the plural)

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Seen In Singapore: Cute Toy At Bus Stop - I want one - how to find it

Singapore Flag.

Cute Toy At Bus Stop. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Waiting for a bus might not be your number one fun activity. However, this toy provided me with a permanent smile whilst I waited. 

I was at the Tampines Interchange. I wonder if I could copy the image and do a search on the internet to find a match and learn what the toy is and where you can buy it. 

I should have asked the woman where she bought it. But my bus came along.

I know you can search for products or try to identify plants and animals.

I found camfind.

https://www.komando.com/apps/338508/search-for-a-product-online-simply-by-taking-a-picture-of-it

Fun For Children At The Fabulous Fullerton Hotel, Singapore

Teddy bears for sale at the Fullerton Hotel, Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

They have several types of teddy bear and the cheapest is a modest S$20 - twenty Singapore dollars. Translation into pounds sterling at the current rates (Dec 6 2017) of 1.70 Singapore dollars to the pound, just type it into Google with your currency, about £11. 05. Frankly, for a character doll from a major hotel, I was expecting to have to pay more. They do have other teddies at higher prices, but if you are looking for a gift to take overseas, or for the child with you at the hotel, an instant huggable toy. 

At the entrance are two lifesize statues.

As you emerge from the hotel, you have a line of white fountains. 

Outside are some freestanding statues for a selfie.

Also look for the cake stand. I liked the rainbow cake and the Christmas tree made of chocolate coloured green.

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Author

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

McDonald's Chicken Or KFC?

Wonderful that I can now eat my favourite food, chicken, and without that bun.
   What's the chicken like at these two world famous chains? Frankly, I could not see or taste much difference. First two members of my family tried the drive-in 24 hour McDonald's in the Edgware Road.

McDonalds
   The pluses were:
1 24 hours - food guaranteed and time
2  The new super-fast system - stop at the first post to read the menu and choose by calling your order into the machine, then drive on and insert your payment, then drive on to collect your order.
3 You can pull into a car parking space and eat it there and then without risk of spilling food on clothes or car or distracting driver from driving.
4 I opted for chicken, 3 pieces, and got three pieces which felt like proper chicken, not mangled meat.
5 Sliced fruit option for afters takes off the unhealthy feeling.
     Apple slices and grapes in March 2014. Excellent.

Improve Please
   What could be improved? The batter on the outside is over-cooked. I admit it's pleasantly crunchy, and dry enough not to make a mess like greasy chip-shop batter. But I felt I was eating a coating of breakfast cereal cornflakes.
   Not a vegetable or even a garnish in sight.
   And what - no free toy? What happened to the McDonalds we patronised for a decade?
   
KFC
   The next day for a a change we tried KFC. If you like the old system where you speak to a girl in a window, I suppose its friendlier. And not that much slower. Maybe it just seems slower because you are stuck in one place chatting and waiting, rather than accelerating off to the next area for the next part of the transaction.
   The chicken seemed almost identical. Maybe just a touch moister. The crunch, crunch coating was almost the same as the previous day.
   We were outside their parking zone barrier but it was late at night so we were able to park in the street alongside.
   I'm a gourmet and a healthy eater. yes, I'd rather have a whole roast chicken from Morrison, a mixed salad from their salad bar with grated carrots and half a dozen sides, and a Marks and Spencer fresh fruit salad. But sometimes you need a fast food drive-in.
 
BURGER KING - Memories
  Burger King used to give me burgers with lots of vegetable stuff packed into the bun.

McD & KFC
   But now I've found chicken in two major chains I'm really happy. When you're hungry in a hurry, late at night, both McD and KFC are good enough for me.

TIPS
   Tips - ambiguous word. There no tipping needed, unlike restaurants. What I mean by tips is suggestions.

My tips/suggestions:
1 Have cash ready to pay.
2 If you're wearing a plastic-backed water and grease proof apron from doing cleaning or housework or house removals, keep the apron on. It protects your clothes when eating in the car.
3 Modify that unhealthy food by having a portion of fruit. (Or buy grapes earlier in the day and take grapes in the car.)
4 A plastic bag in the car takes the mess.

Update - check ingredients
   Somebody in the sauna warned me that companies can't say chicken when describing their nuggets and other food unless there is a minimum quantity of chicken.
   If you are a health freak and want whole chicken, you might feel better off with chicken legs from a supermarket which have bones in the middle.
   If you are eating out regularly, twice a day, you might want to check your fast food calories count and the ingredients.
   However, if you are looking for a place open at odd hours, not too bothered about what you are eating as it's a one-off not more than once a week, you in a tearing hurry, nobody else with you could care less about health scares and ingredients, and don't even want to get out of your car, this is a good option.

McDonald's, 157 Colindeep Lane, Colindale NW9 6DB. Tel 020 8205 4140
email: 00256@uk.mcd.com
www.mcdonalds.co.uk
KFC, The Hyde, Edgware road, Colindale, London Tel:0208 201 3010. Drive-thru.
www.YourKFC.co.uk (survey by KFC)