Useful Words In Hotels Where They Speak German

Where can you learn and practise speaking German? 

Flag of Germany

Flag of Austria

Flag of Switzerland

You can use German in Germany, Austria and German-speaking parts of Switzerland.  Also Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and parts of Belgium and Italy.

Flag of Luxembourg.

Flag of Liechtenstein.

 English - German

bed - Bett

carpet - Teppich

ceiling - Decke

curtain - Vorhang

floor - Boden

hiking - Wandern

hotel  - Hotel

mountain - berg

packed lunch - Lunchpaket

pillow - Kissen

room - Zimmer

window - Fenster

I am allergic to - ich bin allergisch gegen

I eat - ich esse

-ends-

Useful English-German websites

duolingo.com

https://wikitravel.org/en/German_phrasebook

translate.google.com

-ends-

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Brighton's must see St Paul's Church With Neo-Gothic Arches

 

The covered way leading to St Paul's Church, Brighton. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

An ornamental side window in the covered way.

Our visitor, a small kecko on the window in Singapore

 

Gecko. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

RyanAir View From The Window of Wind Farm's Wind Turbines, clouds and land between Stansted, UK, and Paphos, Cyprus

 

Ryanair wing, sea and land. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Wind Farm At Sea Off the Essex, UK coast. Taken from a RyanAir plane from Paphos Airport, Cyprus, to Stansted airport, UK. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

I had the aisle seat but I knew what to do. Ask the person in the window seat to take a photo. You have to hope that they will not fall asleep. 

You see wind turbines on a  wind farm on the drive from London, England, up to Derbyshire on the M1.

Wind farms around the world are listed in Wikipedia, in the UK (England, Scotland and Wales), the USA, China, Japan, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. They are also listed by sea location, in the Baltic Sea, Irish Sea, and North Sea.

Useful Websites

Ryanair

https://www.ryanair.com/flights/gb/en/flights-to-cyprus

Wind Farms

History of one wind farm

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

List of farms with number of turbines

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

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

Andorra, Argentinians and Snow

 

Photo credit A Sharot photo

Photo credit Sharot family photo.

My family looked out of their hotel windows in Andorra and postponed for a day their drive back to Spain. However, the weather reports for the next day and the rest of the week were favourable and the roads were said to be clear. the hotel staff were also from overseas, many from Argentina, because Andorra was one of the few places they could visit and work. 

Meanwhile, back on the ski slopes ... 

About the Author

BIOGRAPHY

Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5 
The Author of several books including  Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.

Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President

Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time 

Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;

Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;

Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.

More details from Toastmasters International find a club.

Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.

Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.

Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.

Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.

Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.

Language and speech workshops in Singapore.

Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.

Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.

Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.

Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.

 Please share links to your favourite posts.

Books by Angela Lansbury
How to be the best man. (Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Wedding Speeches and Toasts.(Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Unforgettable British Weekends.
Poetry Workshop Workbook.
The Tailor and the Spy. (Lulu.)
Larry The Talking Labrador. (Lulu.)
Writing Poetry for fun.

Quick Quotations

Who Said What When

How To Protect Yourself Against Mosquitos

Mosquito. Photo from Wikipedia article on dengue fever.

Mosquitos bite and spread malaria and dengue.

Where?




In Singapore, Indonesia, and now even threatening cold UK.
Signs show you outbreaks.

Whether its the weather, global warming, it's a problem and there are several solutions.

Prevention is better than cure.

Mosquito Nets
Provided at some hotels in Bali. Make sure you close the bedroom door and windows. Pull the mosquito nets aroound your four-poster bed so the nets overlap, no gaps. Nets are not there to add romance but to protect you from bites.

You can also buy your own mosquito net to take with you. Invest in mosquito proof clothing with long sleeves and long legs.

Clothes
Wear long  sleeve and long leg clothes, or carry wraps to cover yourself at dusk or when you hear an ominous sound.

Note which of your clothes are knitted and which are woven. Carry a large wrap. Certain plants are known to repel mosquitos and can be bought for your balcony or garden.

Shut windows before you turn on the lights.

Camping shops sell suitable clothing. You can also buy sleeping bags which zip up and have drawstrings or velcro to cover you.

Aussie hats with corks attached to brims were designed to keep off mosquitos. You can also buy baseball style hats with added neck protection at the back or all around. If you need to improvise, add a scarf over the hat or under it.

Mosquito Areas
Keep away from water and long grass. Don't sit outside at the restaurant but enjoy the virew from a window seat behind glass. go inside at dusk. The dengue mosquitos are daytime. The malaria mosquitos are night time, dusk and dawn. Avoid grassy open areas around car parks and motorbke parking.

Perfumes
Pefumes designed to attract humans also attract insects.

Repellents
Instead opt for lavender or lemon.

You can buy anti-mosquito creams and sprays. Carry them with you on walks so you can apply them to yourself and the family. Some wear off after a few hours so you may need to apply them later in the day. You might also need to re-appy after swimming.

Fogging
Fogging (spraying), take place in Singapore around the vegetation at the base of skyscraper residentital blocks, hotels and so on. You should see the announcements about fogging on notice boards. Shut doors and windows as the white mist makes you cough.

Mosquito coils. If the coil is under the desk in your bedroom in Thailand or Indonesia but nobody has bothered to light it, at dusk or when you arrive, ring rception and ask them to light it.

Insect repellent. Carry with you or buy insect repellent. Also sting relief.

Nets
If you are the nervous type or moving into a news home, buy your own nosquito net and a hook to attach it to the ceiling above your bed. Also ask the landlord or landlady if you can have crened windows and patio doors. Unlike the USA, in Asia not all home and buildings have them.

Mesh
A hire car may be provided with mesh over the side windows. If not, consider whether to install it in your new or hired car. Mesh does get in the way of taking photos.

To Stop Insects Breeding
1 Empty or upturn vases, and pot underplates daily or regularly or bring them indoors.
2 Gutters should be cleared and insert anti-mosquito products.
3 Consider calling rentokit to fumigate the place. This is done a couple of times, an inital visit and follow up visit. Can be costly. Might be done by landlord rather than tenant if there is a demonstrable problem.

Useful Websites
https://www.nea.gov.sg/dengue-zika/dengue
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dengue_fever

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

DJ Adam dies, woman injured - preventable accidents!

May 6, 2019, Adam Sky, DJ in Australia, dies, rushing to help his injured friend who fell off a terrace in Bali.

Two preventable accidents:
she falls off a ledge,
he walks into glass.

In my opinion,
1 Balconies and terraces should have metal or glass barriers 5 foot high.

2 All glass barriers, doors and windows should have a build-in diagonal black line to prevent people bumping into them.

More ideas:
3 Safety nets. Or awnings which curve up to catch fallen objects of people.

Block of flats opposite Tesco, South Harrow, London, England. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

4 Stepped buildings (like Habitat in Canada and the building opposite Tesco in South Harrow).

5 Playgrounds (in Singapore) now have rubber floors to protect children falling off equipment. The same could be below any balcony or terrace.

Regarding glass sliding doors, a good friend of mine, in Spain, head-butted a glass door he tried to walk through. It happens all the time. Accidents waiting to happen.

Useful Websites
BBC Report on Adam's death in Australia
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-48170273
Travel to Australia

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

Buy to rent? The problems of an absentee landlord!

You go to live abroad. You might hope to pay your rent by renting your old home. Or use your savings or inheritance to let a property back home.

Buy to let? What are the costs?

Costs
Replacing old furniture and fittings - and a family of four will destroy a washing machine, bed and carpet in three years which would have lasted your grandparents or singe granny ten years.

Replacing curtains. Replacing carpet - John Lewis one thousand pounds for one small bedroom. Get a cheaper quote. Add five hundred for fitting the carpet!

 Repainting walls. The painters quote - but they charge extra to do skirting boards and doors.

Advertising for a tenant  Paying management fee if you don't live near the property. Add fee for every visit.

LEGAL CHECKS
 Charge for annual gas and electricity check.

MAINTENANCE
Payment of maintenance covering.

EXTRAS
Add payment to gardener.

Window cleaner.

Five hundred or more pounds for professional clean - add fifty pounds if they do the furnished flat table and chairs and not just walls floors, carpet cleaning and oven.

Extra maintenance charge for repair of building roof, lift update, security phone update, subsidence, windows, garage doors, painting and roofs.

Charge to remove dumped furniture. Charge to remove tenants furniture.

Repair of damage left by tenant's furniture removers. Forwarding tenants' mail from their doctor and bank. Showing prospective tenants around for first.

Flying home from overseas when tenancy ends and finding tenants refuse to move out because ...

Correspondence with tenants. Meet inventory people. Charge made every time inventory is updated.

Tenant wants washing machine or sofa removed - spend half a day getting competitive quotes from rent a van.

Find single person removal, unwrapped item is damaged in .

 Tenant keeps windows shut forming condensation so whole place needs repainting.

Tenant moves out three days early. Have to pay council tax. Endless phone calls and log ins.

Accountant needed for paying income tax. Payment for Xero online accounting shortly to be a government requirement. Once a year accountant bill changes to once a month accountant bill.

Listing expenses for every visit.

Time transferring gas and electric bills and reading meters.

Endless queries over rental agreement. Leaking radiators. Tenants family die.

Tenants bring in another family (visiting parents, extended family). Increased wear and tear on carpets. Are they doing something illegal - overcrowding.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/buytolet/article-6620839/How-Britains-239billion-buy-let-bubble-burst.html

Colours to brighten your day - orange, pink or red building?

I stopped to photograph this bright orange wall with the windows. A friend asked me, "why are you photographing that?"

Mostly when somebody takes a photo it is obvious why you are taking a picture. If you photograph a beautiful bride or a huge bright yellow sunflower others understand why and might get out their camera.

I replied, "The colour! The colour!"
On a sunny day the colors are more vibrant.

Orange, red, pink? It probably changes according to the time of day.

Bright building in Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Look at those odd shape windows. Not set in a line. One square, one oblong vertical.

 I prefer curves. But the building could have been a straight slab with no windows, and all grey. In an otherwise dismal outlook, this bright building brightened the view and brightened my day. 

Author

travel writer and photographer, Angela Lansbury.

Why Are The Photos Out of Focus? What Can I do?

Problem
I just looked at a pair of travel sandals on eBay. I wanted to bid because the size and colour were just right. However, the photo of the soles was useless. The underside soles and heels were out of focus so you could not see if they were worm down.

I thought:
WALKING SHOE SALES - SOLES OUT OF FOCUS
The photo looks very nice, great colour, but the one showing the underside heels and toes is out of focus.

If you take a photo of something at home, you have time to sort out the problem and practice. I suggest taking the photo again.  On some cameras you have focus lines.

Try photographing either in daylight by a window, or resting the camera against a hard surface to prevent camera shake. You could also take from further away and close up, until you get one which is in focus. I hope this helps you get a good photo.

When buying second-hand shoes, you want to know that the soles are level. Otherwise, not only do the shoes look shabby, and morale-sapping (bad feng shui) more importantly you may be walking with your feet twisted out, causing pain to your ankles and knees and back, even making you lose your footing.

In addition to the importance of seeing in focus pictures when buying second-hand or pre-loved shoes, what about the focus of your holiday photos?

HOLIDAY PHOTOS
The same solutions apply:
Sunlight
Natural light by a window
outdoors
Photos taken from near and far
Use two cameras or two photographers
Ask a passer-by with a better camera to take a photo and send it to you - or photograph their photograph
Buy a mini tripod
Improvise a tripod or firm support

EDITING
Click on the general editing 'enhance' which seems to make all my photos slightly lighter and brighter. On a smart phone you probably have an editing programme. Remember to look for the word 'done', usually bottom right or top right.  Click on it. At the start, with a new phone, I kept making changes and losing them. Then I discovered you had to click on DONE.

WIKIPEDIA
If you just drag and drop photos from Wikipedia, sometimes they are not in focus. You have to click onto the next page where it says details, and get the name of the photographer to give them a credit You may also see instructions on how to get 'high resolution' which means more dots per inch and better focus.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please bookmark and share links to your favourite posts.

Chinese Gardens you see from the train in Singapore

Trump, president of the USA is holding a historic meeting in Singapore. I bet they will be travelling in air-conditioned card and not on the public trains. However, The MRT has many delights which tourists of all budgets can enjoy.

Most of Singapore's train line is underground. When it comes out in the open you can enjoy the ever changing colors and shapes of Singapore's delightful modern architecture.

Singapore has Chinatown and Little India featuring the temples of the Chinese majority and Indian minority. Occasionally you see a tiny glimpse of old China from the train or bus or taxi. For example, As you approach Chinese Garden look out of the window for the Chinese temple through the trees by the lake. The next station is Lakeside.

As the train bowled along, I stood up from my seat and leaned sideways to take this picure of the pagoda. The pagoda is quite small and distant. However, when the picture is cropped you can see the elusive image. Right below the train track is another Chinese curved roof which you can see on the right of the picture. I have lived in Sinapore on and off since the late 1990s, yet I still get excited by the scenery.

Chinese Gardens Pagoda. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Author, Angela Lansbury, Permanent Resident of Singapore. (Permanent Resident sounds like a snobbish self-flattering description, but it is actually a legal status.)

When you travel to a sick bed or funeral, start writing an obituary

Plane window. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problem
If you are on a plane to a funeral, or to visit somebody who is very sick, instead of crying, you could spend your time busily writing your memories. If they are well and recovering, you might be able to raise their morale with happy memories.

If they can talk but are fading fast, it's your last chance to ask, "Dad - where did you and Mum meet?" Or, "What made you change your name? Why did you choose that name?"

If you arrive for a funeral, you might have a chance to say a few words at the funeral. If the ceremony turns out to be one full of quotations from religious books and payers, you may get a chance to read out your reminiscence at the following reception.

If you are told this is not appropriate, or no time, you might save your information for an obituary.

Obituary
What do you say in a eulogy at a funeral and the written obituary and who can you send it to?

First of all, what is an obituary and what is a eulogy? A eulogy is a speech of praise given at the funeral.

I just went to a funeral of a young man, aged just under 40, who died during a lung transplant. The funeral speeches were given first by the mother, starting with him as a baby and a fun child, then by his father on what a fine young man he became with a successful career, finally by his sister on how kind a person he was.

No Photos
I was told that you are not allowed to take photos at a funeral. This is because people frowning, crying sobbing, are not looking their best. That's without any security concerns about attracting grave robbers or vandals. If you do take family grinning by the graveside, that would not look right either.

Who Wants Your Obituary
Wikipedia, national newspapers and other journals, even religious newspapers, might have rules about how famous you have to be to warrant an obituary.

If you draw a blank with these, your next steps are:
Local newspapers;
School and college magazines for alumni;
Professional magazines of professional organisations which your deceased person was a subscriber.
When you ring up to cancel the membership of the BBC retired staff club or actors' union, optician's group, or market research group, you can ask where you should send an obituary.

Quotations
If you can get a quotation from the head of the organisation, who remembers the deceased, this will make them want to include the piece and make it more interesting to the current membership. (Even if dead Fred hadn't been seen for years.)

Similarly, an article about a former pupil at a school is more interesting if they did something noteworthy and worthwhile. If not, perhaps they led a tragic life (cautionary tale), disappointing teachers after showing such early promise. I just reversed that sentence. The trick to sounding upbeat is to turn each sentence so that you end with words which are positive.)

I did this for my late uncle and my late father. You need to know the length limit. You may be asked for a photo. You need to gather together all the dates and facts - which can be quite difficult if the person you are writing about has lived or travelled all over the world.

With elderly people in their nineties, you may find the majority of their friends are already dead, or too infirm to travel. You may then have to rely on well-wishers from the community.

In addition to sending out news to aquaintance, you might not think of contacting, the obituary remains a vital piece of information for you and your descendants. My uncle died 16 years ago. The facts I wrote about him after he died were newly-discovered, but very fresh in my mind. However, now, when I read his obituary framed on the wall, it's as if somebody else wrote it. I have forgotten so much that every little fact is a surprise and a delight.

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

Do I open a tab or window when travelling and at home? The USA login?

Problems
What happens when you try to save a note of your link? I opened tabs and found I could not reach the URL (click on name) login for the website to reach it again later. I have always wondered why use tabs rather than a new window. I tend to open a new window.

Why Tabs?
Other people tell me to use a tab. Why? Because then you/I see a list of shortened names in a line across the top of my screen, instead of having to press F3 to bring up all the screens.

Why Open A New Window?
But now I find it is a nuisance not having the name of the website. If I open a new window, I can find it again by pressing F3, there is the URL at the top for me to copy. Why do I need to copy it? Because I am writing a blog on travel and want the website of the place to visit (a museum or attraction or hotel or waterfall) plus the website of the country's tourist board, on every blog post. I also go back through my history to find a recently opened website and go back to it.

I can use search in blogger and type in a country name, such as USA, England, China, and up will come all my posts on that subject. If I click on a recent post, I will find links to several related websites.

I can go to Amazon.com , or Amazon.co.uk

I can also get prices in US dollars, or Singapore dollars, or British pounds.

Why Copy Links?
Why does anybody need to copy a link? Firstly, it's quicker if it's long. Less chance of making a typo.

It is quicker to click on a link than do a search through a dozen items which pop up.
I know that if I type in a link from memory I might get it wrong. Some of the countries have a link which is visit such and such a country dot com. Others give me the co.uk address if I log in from there. Others give me the sg from Singapore.

What does it matter? If I am writing for an international audience the American or international version is more useful. 

If I want to go to France from the UK, I will get links and ads for the ferry from UK ports, and trains from Victoria station in London to a station in Paris. If I use the website aimed at Americans, I get flights from the USA to Paris. And so on.

If I log in from Russia, I probably get a page in Russian and have to find the tab for the English translation, unless I have visited the website before and it remembers me.

Now you know.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Read my other posts for more advice on travel, general overviews of countries, learning languages, and lots of plus seasonal ideas such as Xmas and Valentines. Have a browse of my posts, bookmark and share links to your favourite posts with your family, friends and colleagues.

Light Relief - writing poems whilst travelling

Problem
How to pass the time during a delay? How to see the funny side? How to make good use of your time? I write comic poetry and when I remember and feel inspired I write poems about problems. I met a Singapore Airlines pilot at a toastmasters International meeting and said I would give him a poem, but our paths did not cross again. He was always away flying. However, for your entertainment, here's a new reproduction of my poem.

Answer
To be performed wearing a cap with gold buttons.

The Pilot Speaking
by Angela Lansbury

"This is your co-pilot speaking
I promise we're leaving on time
I know you feel like you're dying
Just breathe deeply, and you'll be fine ..."

"This is your co-pilot speaking
I'm sorry about the delay
If you look out of the windows
You'll see goat herds on the runway

"We don't usually tell you
When we see a snake on the plane
I lift my feet in the cockpit
Calmly sigh, 'Oh no - not again!'

"Whilst I am waiting for the vet
I announce, 'We're waiting for parts ...'
I send for vets - and two doctors
Mine quickly checks my waltzing heart!

"We know you've paid lots of money
We pretend complaints don't cause stress
Altitude makes food taste funny
Crew clean toilets, they do their best

"I have you enjoy a pleasant flight
A safe journey, a lovely day
Remember whilst you have a holiday
We're working, driving, smiling, all day."

Copyright Angela Lansbury
April 21 2017

Quick facts
Single animals or whole herds can get onto fenced or unfenced runways, especially in Africa.
Snakes on the plane have happened several times - either in passenger area or cockpit. Planes from some destinations are checked for stowaways - local wildlife which slithers in. Animals and reptiles and pets can also escape when carried officially or unofficially in luggage, or hidden under the passenger's clothes.

Snakes on a plane
Wikipedia:
The (movie) story is credited to David Dalessandro, a University of Pittsburgh administrator and first-time Hollywood writer. He developed the concept in 1992 after reading a nature magazine article about Indonesian brown tree snakes climbing onto planes in cargo during World War II.

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

Remembering German words such as window and colours

Today, as usual I am learning German on Duolingo. I am also learning Italian. Just two different languages.

German I find very easy. So many words sound like English. I look for the same or similarly shaped consonants and same or similar vowels.

GERMAN - ENGLISH

beide - both (both words start with b, and b and th are similar sounds with tongue in the roof of your mouth

Blau - blue (Same initial letters, in fact three letters are the same blu bl.u . Two colour words are similar, blau is blue and grau is gray. In British English we spell it grey.)

Fenster - window (Capital letter means a noun or name, an object. Similar to the French word fenêtre. In French the little hat on the e means a missing s follows the letter so the word would come from old French or Latin fenestra.)

Flasche - flask or bottle (More usually bottle but remember flask and you've got the word and image. Remember the capital letter for nouns in German.)

haben - have (Same initial letter and b and v are the same letter in languages such as Hebrew.)

gelber - yellow (g and y are letters with a hanging part below the line; second and third letters are the same, el; word ends with a vowel sound er and ow - "er - it's yellow!) Another member of my family remembers gelb like gold or golden yellow; gelt is German-Yiddish slang for money.

Leute - people (Capital letter for nouns, people or places or objects, people loitering, people)

Weiss - white. (Look at the appearance of the word. Initial letter the same; third letter I is the same. Both include the vowels e and I. Think, ST, why - ST . But the Germans pronounce W as V as worsht pronounced VER sht which is sausage. if you are still having trouble remembering, make up a sentence: Your vice is wearing white clothes which aren't clean. Weiss is white.)

Wir - we (Initial letter is the same; i and e are similar, and I recall the spelling rhyme i before e.)

Angela Lansbury, English teacher and tutor.