Weird and Whales in Botanical Gardens

 

I saw this picture of the whale display in the Botanical Gardens. The whale fin is at the back. I wonder how it related to the real size of a whale. Whales are large. This is why we talk about having a whale of a time. 

When I researched I discovered that the whales down under, like the elephants around London last season, are a rotating exhibition with lots of whales in lots of places. More chance to see them. But you have to hurry or mark your calendar before the next display comes along. So if you are keen on whale watching, run along fast, in real life to take photos of the displays alone or with you alongside, or online, alone or with your face or body overlapping.

From your happy, snappy traveller, Angela.

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Easy To Remember German Language Words

Problem
How do I remember German words?

Answer
Look for similarities in spelling.

Story
I am learning German free from the internet using Duolingo both on a laptop and on a mobile phone. However, typing up the new words and how to remember them, on my blog, helps to reinforce the memory. Recognising the German is easier than translating back from English to German. I have to look at the word and talk to myself as if I were teaching somebody else. You might try doing the same, silently if you are on the train or in a public place, out loud if you are at home or in an empty office.

Tips
German - English
Affe - monkey (an affable ape monkeying around)
Elefant - elephant
Der Hamster - the hamster
Kamel - camel
Die Schildkröte - turtle (not just a small tortoise but a huge shield-cracking turtle; note the capital letter , the k instead of c, and the double dot on the o, like the eyes of the turtle)
Eine Giraffe - a giraffe
Tiger - tiger
Ein Wal - a whale
Wolf - wolf
Zebra - zebra

English - German
camel - Kamel
elephant - Elefant (the German spelling is almost the same, but the complicated ph is simplified to f, and the German word starts with a capital letter because it is a noun)
A giraffe - eine Giraffe (same word except that the Germans use capital letters for the initial letter of a noun)
monkey - A f f e
The hamster - der hamster
tiger - Tiger
The turtle - Die Schildkröte (note the extra c in the German Sh and the capital letter)
wolf - Wolf (the wolf - der Wolf)
A whale - Ein Wal (same word simplified, without the h which we don't pronounce and the e which we don't pronounce)
zebra - Zebra

Author
Angela Lansbury, author and teacher of English, languages, public speaking.See my other posts on languages and travel. Please like, follow and share.