Green Park Station

Lovely tiled murals of leaves. Not green? They look black on red. Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The red colour is echoed in the seating.

 Green Park station. A long underground walk to the distant line. Allow extra time.

The station, as the name suggests, is next to Green Park. 

Byron poem by the lift.

Green Park station has three lines, Jubilee, Piccadilly, and Victoria.

Useful Websites

https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/stop/940GZZLUGPK/green-park-underground-station?lineId=jubilee

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

I have other posts with pictures on the stations Charing X, Embankment, London Bridge, Baker Street, Brixton and Hatch End.

After Visiting Vietnam, First steps in learning Vietnamese, with the help of Duolingo

Why Visit Vietnam?

I rated my trip to Ha Long Bay is one of my top two world sites, with a close runner up in the temples of Cambodia.

Ha Long Bay.

The same peak are on the coast, but the ones reflected on water are the most stunning. Especially if you overnight on a boat with a bedroom with a balcony for drinks at dusk and pre-breakfast on the balcony. 

The Vietnamese flag has a distinctive five-point, yellow star on a red background.

We went shopping in the market for Vietnamese style long dresses with slit sides and co-ordinating trousers (Americans say pants).

Schoolgirls in traditional dress. From Wikipedia.

I was heavier then than I am now, and black hid more of my curves/

Angela Lansbury in Vietnamese style dress, bought in the city of  Hanoi in Vietnam. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Copyright.

Vietnamese Language

We were on a boat with an English speaking guide and did not get much chance to use or learn Vietnamese. 

I made up for it this week by starting Vietnamese. This was an accident. Serendipity - something found fortunately by chance. (Sounds like the word serene.)

 I had added Vietnamese to my Duolingo list. My priorities are the easy languages, easy for me because they are romance languages, with the same alphabet as English, next are Greek, Hebrew and Russian, which have a few letters in common with English and a few letters in common with each other,Spanish, finally the harder languages, Chinese, Japanese, Hindi and Urdu,Korean, Vietnamese and Thai.

Then I met a neighbour who is from Thailand and says her husband does not speak one word of Thai. Afterwards, I went onto my list of languages in Duolingo, found what I was looking for, and clicked on it to open the first lesson. 

After learning five words, I realized my mistake. I had learned five words of Vietnamese, not Thai!

I discovered this when I said to my husband, 'I have learned a word in Vietnamese.

An an is Ann eats.

 It's ga for chicken. My memory aid is go chicken go. Go - ga. Chickens are ga ga. Ga is chicken.' 

But ...ga (nha ga add the accent, in Google translate to copy it )

---

nhà ga

 is train station, like the French gare, as in Gare du Nord, French for station of the north, in Paris. 

My husband replied, 'Yes, it's the same word in Thai. You hear it a lot because they eat a lot of chicken.'

Thailand is north of Malaysia which is north of Singapore. Singapore used to be part of Malaya.

So I now know the word for chicken, ga, which is handy in restaurants and food courts. Even if you don't like the cheaper food courts or have meals booked, you find food courts in Malaysia and other countries as you drive north from Singapore along main roads and stop for a break, or eat at railway stations.

Now I have started Vietnamese and it is not as hard as I expected. Korean, supposed to be easy, was my biggest challenge, along with Arabic and Urdu, with their fancy, curly, but unfamiliar writing.

The Vietnamese in Duolingo is written in what looks like the British alphabet with lots of accents. But, for my first lesson, I have ignored the accents and just listened to the pronunciation which you easily find by clicking with your mouse over the little loudspeaker button.

Duolingo offers you a recap of the words you have learned under Review Lesson.

Grammar tips

Adjectives follow nouns

Vocabulary may be slightly different in north and South Vietnam.

On Duolingo, check the forums, called DISCUSS, even if you got the answer right, to learn tips.

Word Revision

Vietnamese - English

an - eat(s)

cà phê - coffee 

ga - chicken

nhà ga - train station

English - Vietnamese

chicken - ga

coffee - cà phê

eat(s) - an

train station - nhà ga 

From Wiki phrasebook

north

bắc (...)

south

nam (...)

east

đông (...)

west

tây (...)

Colors[edit]

When describing the color of an object etc., use the word below. When referring to the color itself, use màu or mầu followed by the word below.

black

đen (Dan)

white

trắng (chahng?!)

gray

xám (sahm?)

red

đỏ (daw... aw?)

blue

xanh nước (sahyng neu-uhk?)

yellow

vàng (vahng...)

green

xanh (lá cây) (sahyng lah? kay)

orange

cam (kahm)

purple

tím (just as it is written, tim but long 'i' )

brown

nâu (know)

My name is ______ .

Tôi tên là ______ . (Thoye theyn la _____ .)

Please.

Làm ơn. (lam uhhn)

Thank you.

Cảm ơn. (gam uhhn)

You're welcome.

Không sao đâu. (kohng sao doh)

Yes.

Vâng (affirmative). (vuhng); Dạ (affirmative, respectful) (ya'a) ; Đúng (correct) (duhn)

No.

Không. (kohng)

Hello. (informal)

Chào. (jow)

Hello. (formal)

Xin chào. (seen jow)

Hello. (on the phone)

A-lô. (AH-loh)

How are you? (Are you healthy?)

Khỏe không? (kweah kohng?)

Fine, thank you. (I am healthy, thank you.)

Tôi khoẻ, cảm ơn. (thoy kweah, gam uhhn)

What is your name? (formal, to a man (forties or older, depending on the sensitivity of the person you address))

Ông tên là gì? (ohng theyn la yi)

What is your name? (formal, to a woman (forties or older, depending on the sensitivity of the person you address))

Bà tên là gì? (ba theyn la yi)

What is your name? (informal, to a male who is not quite middle-aged AND/OR is not significantly older than you)

Anh tên là gì? (ayng theyn la yi) Anh is an umbrella term for any older male figure. Its literal meaning is "older brother".

What is your name? (informal and also flattering, to a female who is not quite middle-aged AND not significantly older than you)

Cô tên là gì? (goh theyn la yi) There is a distinction between this and the last phrase, because in Vietnamese culture, one generally assumes that a woman, regardless of whether she looks middle-aged or not, is either not yet married, or does not yet have children, or is younger than she looks. Using "Cô" instead of "Bà" implies that you are giving her the benefit of your lack of knowledge about her. Thus, if she feels the need, she will (as a result of your flattery and politeness) correct you to use the mature "Bà" or the gender-disregarding term for an adult who is anywhere in their late thirties to fifties, "Bac" which is equivalent to "Sir" or "Madam". Some men and women prefer to be addressed as the polite and age-ambiguous "Bac" indefinitely, until they feel it is appropriate to be addressed in more mature terms.

Typing tips for translations

When copying a word from a website, after inserting check text size. In blogger .com where you create your blogs, look for the letter T in two sizes across the top menu bar. Keep every text thing normal size. You could also change the font.

I used to type everything in both the English to a foreign language and then the foreign language to English. Then I tried copying it once, using the translation in the second list, and typing in the other language. Today I discovered an even quicker way. copy the word and translation from the first list. Paste it twice. Then delete the parts you don't need. You might want to insert a hyphen between the English and the other language.

Thailand

I think of Thailand as a fan from the top  of Malaysia, like a left hand. Vietnam is to the east, like a right arm

Vietnam is separated from Thailand by Laos. Vietnam in on the sea to the East.

Useful Websites

Flag

https://www.countryflags.com/vietnam-flag-image/

Language

duolingo.com

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Vietnamese_phrasebook

https://yourvietnamese.com/learn-vietnamese/vietnamese-grammar-in-short-lessons/

Tourism

wikivoyage Vietnam

 lastminute.com

tripadvisor.com

booking.com

Please follow me and share links to your favourite posts.

Preventing and Dealing With Crowd Control and Disasters

New Year's Eve in Singapore

I have been at two potential crush events. The year 2000 in Singapore I want to see the Harley Davidson bike parade along Orchard Road. Pedestrians were flowing freely with plenty of space. Then, just before the parade, ribbons barriers were put up to keep pedestrians out of the road. 

I tried to get back to the MRT station to leave, I was swept along, packed in like a sardine. Being small, I was almost crushed. It was claustrophobic and scary. 

New Year's Eve In London

My second experience was in London on New Year's Eve at a bar-restaurant near Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. Although we waited until gone midnight, about 12.15 to leave after the crush, we hoped, the nearby station was cordoned off and an airport style queue (Americans say line-up) was being controlled by police. They and signs told us for faster entry, to use different entrances, or different stations. We went back to the bar, ordered more drinks, and tried again at 12.30 and after a wait, were able to get the train and journey home. 

Lessons Learned

What are the lessons learned? On major national holidays you can either have ticketed and seated events, and crowd control with policed barriers in narrow streets and building entrances, one way systems, and entrances and exits of stations. Yes, it costs money, so does calling police in at the last moment and dealing with disasters later.

Korea

Police were deployed for Halloween in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. But they were unable to control the crowd. How can you prevent this? You need a gap along one side for police and emergency access only. You need sign-ups, even for free events.

Do you have any other suggestions? Please tell me and the forums and the authorities.

Xmas and New Year

We have Xmas and New Year ahead. I am now more conscious of crowd control being necessary, booking in advance, planning timing. The safest place is at home watching on TV.

What kinds of control are possible?

1 Number estimates from previous events.

The Koreans had figures from pre-Covid. They underestimated the surge in post-Covid crowds.

2 Ticketed counting and limiting

This is often done at indoor events. Fire regulations and insurance require limits to the numbers of people allowed in. We are familiar with this - in London at art galleries, exhibitions. Banks do it. Singapore does it in government offices. Singapore Airlines does it in their office issuing tickets and dealing with queries. Eventbrite issues tickets for free events. At Toastmasters International club meetings, speech contests, we in the audience are sometimes asked to sign up so that the organizers can manage catering.

Sign-ups and tickets.

3 Zig Zag Barriers

I recall going to Disney in America and seeing the S snaking lines. That was new. Not known in the UK. Now we have these at Heathrow airport at security.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowd_control#:~:text=Crowd%20control%20is%20a%20public,cause%20many%20hundreds%20of%20fatalities.

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

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

https://eumeainfo.motorolasolutions.com/safe_stadiums_solution_brief

Please share links to your favourite posts.  

Update On Rail Strikes - how we and Carolyn coped

Carolyn's reassuring photo of her train on Saturday 20t August 2022.

We had conflicting directions from the TFL sites. One said the trains were not running. The other said that Overground lines w delere mostly cancelled,  but some underground would be running, with delays.

We sent an overseas visitor by a cab company to a local station. The fall back was that if the trains were not running, a member of our family would fetch her and drive her to the coach at Liverpool street bus station.

It took us a day or two to realise that the train station was not the coach station.

The train goes to the Liverpool street train station. Where is the coach station? It is shown as six minutes from the railway station. Hm. She said she does not want to carry luggage and will take a taxi. 

But when I tried to take a taxi from Kings Cross to the adjacent station, taxis would not go. The journey was too short to make it worth my while, or theirs. And the traffic direction system was one way in the wrong direction.

We waited to hear from her. She messaged she was expecting her first underground train. So far, so good. 

She sent a picture on Facebook  

Please share links to your favourite posts with your friends.

Harrow on the Hill station now has a lift - at last!

Harrow on the Hill station, London, England.

Photo from Wikipedia 

We have waited so long. This is a great new development. Perfect for people visiting Harrow for shopping. Nice for those en route to and from Northwick Park hospital. For tourists hoping to visit Harrow on the Hill school, outside, or inside on a tour.

The bus station beside the train station has numerous bus routes, including South Harrow station, Hatch End station, Northwick Park Hospital and many more.

In addition to helping those who want to avoid stairs, or carry suitcases, sometimes the lifts up and down can speed you so that you catch a train which would otherwise depart whilst you negotiate the stairs.

Lift on the platform, before you reach the stairs at Harrow on the Hill railway station. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Lift on the other platform at Harrow on the Hill train station. Photo by Angela Lansbury

You will also find lifts at Pinner.

What I realized today about the lifts and their cost, is that you cannot just install one lift. You need two, maybe three, depending on the number of platforms.

Useful Websites

https://www.harrow.gov.uk/news/article/11070/a-step-in-the-right-direction-harrow-on-the-hill-station-goes-step-free#:~:text=Harrow%2Don%2Dthe%2DHill%20Tube%20station%20is%20now%20step,line%20trains%2C%20and%20signage%20enhanced.

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/HOH.aspx

HOH stands for Harrow on the Hill

https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/track/tube

Why and where to learn Malay and Indonesian - thirteen easy words to remember

Flag of Malaysia.

Bahasa means language. Bahasa Malaysia or Bahasa Indonesia means language of the country, as opposed to the people of the country. When I went into a bookshop in Malaysia and asked for a book about 'Malaysian', the assistant queried, 'Bahasa Malaysia?'. Not only that, the dictionary cover used the phrase 'Bahasa Malaysia'.

If you are looking for a phrasebook or dictionary, it helps to be familiar with the national flags.

Flag of Indonesia

The white does not show against a white background so I have added another picture.

Why would you want to learn the language, when you are there or plan to go there? Or even if you just what to know about about it for general knowledge?

Wikipedia explains (with my additions): 
Indonesian (bahasa Indonesia, [baˈha.sa in.doˈne.sja]) is the official language of Indonesia. It is a standardised variety of Malay, a language that has been used as the lingua franca (everyday spoken language) in the multilingual Indonesian archipelago (group of islands) for centuries. Indonesia is the fourth most populous (biggest population) nation in the world. Of its large population, the majority speak Indonesian, making it one of the most widely spoken languages in the world.

Flag of Singapore

Malay is one of the four languages of Singapore, so government leaflets have English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil. The tube (underground railway) station maps are also in four languages. So are the notices on the stations. So are the recorded announcements.

Malay and Indonesian are the same languages with variations in vocabulary, like British English and American English. Near enough for you to be understood in the capital cities of either.

This week, August 2020, my family in Singapore was posted seeds from the Singapore National Parks, seeds which I requested in June. The seeds were so popular that the numbers available to be sent out had to be increased, hence the delay.
The seeds arrived with four languages and I looked at the English and the Malay translations below.

Some words were immediately obvious. Others I had to look up. Here's a handy set of translations:

English - Malay (and Indonesian)
active - aktif
and - dan
bag - beg
centimetre - sentimeter
cm - sm
food - makanan
germination - germinasi
organic - organik
plastic - plastik
plastic bag - beg plastik
therapeutic - terapeutik
three - tiga
two - dua

Malay - English
aktif - active
beg - bag
beg plastik - plastic bag
dan - and
dua - two (looks like dual or duo)
germinasi - germination
makanan -food
matahari -
organic - organik
plastik - plastic
sm - cm (centimetres)
sentimeter - centimetre
terapeutik - therapeutic
tiga - three

You can get a good overview for free from Wikipedia including word endings, common phrases, numbers.

Incidentally, the Singapore national anthem is sung in Malay. Singapore National Day is every year August 9th.

Indonesian Independence day is August 17th.
Malaysian independence day is August 31st.

Useful Websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesian_language

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

Artwork on MRT station Bencoolen and along Waterloo Street

One of my favourites.

I passed it on Bencoolen MRT underground railway station in Singapore, just around the corner from the Singapore Art Museum. I went down the escalator because I was in a hurry to get to my destination but the escalator was short, so I thought, it will only take a minute to go up again and take one photo. I took five photos.

The Plaque
Then, as I took the escalator down a second time, I noticed the plaque to the right of the artwork, presumably like those I had seen on other stations, describing the work and the author.
You are not short of viewing art in this area. One giant artwork in front of the Art Museum, shops which resemble art galleries, and then this mural on the underground.

I thought, never mind about the description of the author. I can probably find that on the internet in a section on Singapore stations.

Private art galleries (shops) are along the street where you find Bencoolen station entrance. 

Artists on a mural in the underground MRT station Bencoolen in Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.  Copyright.

I checked the lta (Land transport authority) for the title of the artwork. It is called Tracing Memories. Looking at my photo again, I notice the reflections from the spotlights behind me are intrusive. On the other hand the spotlights above each figure are very effective in drawing your attention and giving importance to each person. 

I assumed that the figures are all one person. But her outfit is different colours, red, blue, yellow, red again, blue again.

Comparing my version with the one on the lta website, I note that their photographer has taken the Mural from the right and close up. That way you can get the nearest figure larger, the others receding into the distance. I backed away until I could get in the whole camera using a simple smartphone.

Useful Website

https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltaweb/en/public-transport/mrt-and-lrt-trains/art-and-architecture/art-in-transit/gallery/dtl.html

visitsingapore.com

singaporeair.com

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

Learning the Russian letter P from a station name

Sign at Park Pobedy station, Moscow, Russia. Photo from Wikipedia by author Mikhail Vokabre Shcherbakov.

Problem
How do I learn the Russian alphabet? 
How do I learn to recognize station names?

Answers
Start with just one or two easy ones. I was looking at London underground train stations and their murals and decided to click on some other stations around the world listed as having murals. I came across Park Pobedy in Russia which showed the station name on the wall.

I thought - hey ! That's a great way to learn the letter P in Russian.
Both words start with P. 

Park is easier to recognize. I am reminded that what looks like the English P in the Cyrillic script is instead an English R. It's as if the Russians had simplified the alphabet, or the English had extended it.

Park Pobedy (Russian: Парк Победы - Victory Park).
The station is called Victory Park. I and you now know the Russian letter P and the Russian word for victory. That's a victory. 

English - Russian
Park -  (Russian: Парк Park).
Park Pobedy - (Russian: Парк Победы - Victory Park).
Victory - Pobedy (Russian:  Победы).

Russian - English
 (Russian in Cyrillic : Парк  - Victory Park).
 (Russian in Cyrillic: Парк Победы - Victory Park). The adjective is second.
 (Russian in Cyrillic: Победы - Victory ).

English - Russian
Park -  (Russian: Парк Park).
Park Pobedy - (Russian: Парк Победы - Victory Park).
Victory - Pobedy (Russian:  Победы).

П - P
а  - a
р -  r
к  - k

П - P
о - o
б  - b
е - e
д - d
ы - i

Visit Russia
https://www.visitrussia.org.uk

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have other posts on learning Russian and destinations around the world. Please share links to your favourite posts and look at my books on Amazon and Lulu.com

Packing Your Car, Stacking your car, Planning You Trip Essentials, Items Retrieved In Emergency

Problem
How to fit all suitcases and bits and bobs in your car boot and interior?

Answer
Car boot - American and British names
Americans call it the trunk. The British word for the front is the bonnet. The American word for the part at the front is the hood.

How do remember the American and British words? Imagine a lady or a dress maker's mannequin laying down across the rack on top of the car, looking forwards to see where the car is going and enjoy the view. Her bonnet or hood is at the front. Her boots are at the back. By her feet is her trunk or suitcase.

Fixe of Car Boot
1 Try the empty suitcases in the car before packing.
2 Try the suitcases pyramid stacking. If the top obscures the drivers view, line everything up towards the left or right.
3 If you want to get things out en route, try stacking upright like books on a bookshelf with another other across the top.
4 If you are travelling with a friend who is arriving at your house, or being picked up along the route, ask the size of their suitcase or tell them the limit.

Stacking suitcases
1 Have all items needed for the journey or on arrival in you handbag or a small big in the body of the car.
2 Place valuables which must must be left in the car instead into a small light wheel on aircraft-friendly 18 inch bag, left on top or even in the car, so you can take it with you when rushing to the toilet at motorway stops.

Packing Suitcases
1 Allow room for souvenirs by packing a spare travel bag inside your biggest or handiest bag or handbag.

Saving Space
2 Consider taking old clothes you can leave behind
3 Use a folding device.
4 Use the roll-up method.
5 Use the nesting dolls principle.
6 Wear two layers of thin clothes.
7 Consider colour coding. For example, green case or green Marks and Spencer carrier bag for food needed on the journey.

Do not obscure the driver's vision. Keep the back window clear. In some countries a van can drive without rear vision but must have mirrors on both sides.

Animals and Babies
Take into account any animal such as a dog or cat in a box or cage or behind a barrier on the back seat.

For a baby allow for: the baby, (sitting or lying down, the cot, the baby seat, and the size of a pushchair. Add the space of baby clothes, changing mats, toys and food. Consider how you need them to be accessible at stops on the way or when unpacking at your destination.

Fragile Items
You can get souvenirs posted home and delivered by courier. Or wrap them inside towels or blankets, or inside boots and shoes. A blast sealable covering is useful. Also tupperware boxes for small items which might leak such as cosmetics.

Food and Drink
You can allow space for a cool box with an ice container inside to keep food and drinks cool for the journey amor at the destination.
Food bought at the destination can be sent home by courier to arrive after you get back.

Need Extra Space
1 Lower the back seat for skis. When buying or hiring a car, check it will take skis.
2 Check the roof rack and allow time to buy a rack plus fixing straps.
3 Consider buying a trailer to attach behind a bike or car. The vehicle manufacturer or brochure should tell you the weight and shape a vehicle can pull. Learn how to turn corners without being pulled over by the weight or endangering others if the back portion swings out.
4 Alternatively hire a big motorhome for the holiday. Transfer clothes already on hangers from your home into the motorhome.

Check the glove box contains your insurance, car handbook - print one off the internet - especially how to open the boot, open the petrol compartment - often a lever under the knee level on the driver's side, central locking and child locks, what the warning signals mean, petrol stations (gas stations) en route, cheap hotels en route inc as your journey is delayed, coffee bars en route, landmarks, maps and routes, hats, sunglasses, glasses, water, food, blanket in cold weather, first aid kit, emergency numbers.

Story
Do not over pack. I was on my way to a holiday in Wales still in England on the M4 which I was rear-ended by another vehicle. My car was a write-off. I had to empty the car of what I needed to take with me for the holiday.

I kept them waiting fifteen minutes whilst I unpacked from the smashed up car my bag of clothes and books. I was afraid I would never see again the items left in the car, which was towed to a car graveyard garage.

I had to carry all my luggage on the journey to my destination. First offloading it. Then hoisting it into the cab of the tow truck.

Then by train. First the departure station. Then the stop, with one change of train and the stairs at the station and running back to the ticket office to check the times and platforms since none were shown and I did not know which intermediate point station I needed.

Finally, two weeks later, go to the dump to collect my left behind possessions from the car. Nothing in it? There is always something. Your favourite pen under the seat. A coin. Maps. The tool kit, spare tire, towing ropes, first aid box, business card, spare key in box under wing.

You also need a photo of the damaged car to prove it was the other driver's fault (eg rear end damage). You need photos to claim for your injuries (eg broken windscreen, blood on car, or damaged driver's door showing impact. You might not even have noticed at the time, the tell-tale damage which your family or the insurers will note.

More Tips
http://www.traveller24.com/TravelPlanning/Suitcase-secrets-how-to-pack-a-car-boot-20140526
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-4549930/Practical-Princess-Ford-infographic-pack-car

Finally - car keys
Do you have the spare key with you or back home? Do you know the number of the key and where to re-order a key?

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photograph, author and speaker. I have other posts on packing. Please share links to posts.